This Week in VMI Athletics - Sept. 1

It is game week!

After a long summer, it is game week on Post at VMI. The week opens officially tomorrow, with a soccer doubleheader at the newly resodded Patchin Field. The Keydet women take on Howard at 2 p.m., while the VMI men battle Mount St. Mary's at 4:30. Both contests should be hard-fought, competitive matchups.

Thursday brings the football kickoff dinner, which will take place at Salerno's in Lexington. The food ($9 buffet, includes everything) is expected to begin at 6:30.

The dinner will feature a 1/2 hour radio show beginning at 7 p.m., hosted by the "Voice of the Keydets", Wade Branner. Wade is expected to interview several folks related to the football program, as well as at least one other head coach. I have it on good authority track and field head coach Darrin Webb will be one of the others interviewed, time permitting. The dinner can be heard locally on 96.7 3WZ, which is accessible here (not sure of the station's plans to stream the event or not): http://www.wrel.com/

Friday brings the season opener for VMI cross country, as the Keydet runners will take on competitors from VCU and Longwood at the Virginia Horse Center. That meet will begin at 4 p.m...

And finally, Saturday...I'm quite sure anyone reading this knows what happens Saturday, so here's all the info you need. Before the game against Robert Morris starts at 1:30, check out women's soccer battling UNC Wilmington at 11 a.m. at Patchin Field.

Gameday Central (includes audio and live stats): http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9800&ATCLID=204783196

Official VMI piece on parking and other regulations (note the change on parade ground parking, as well as the new location for remote parking): http://www.vmi.edu/show.aspx?tid=22373&id=23905

The gates will open at 12:30. This is a change from previous years.
__________________________________

Finally, here is a listing of the information relevant to Saturday provided by VMI Marketing and Promotions:

Games and Activities include:

-First 500 kids will receive VMI Football wristbands provided by Barnes and Noble College Booksellers

-First 1000 fans will receive a coupon for a free McDonald’s hamburger, small French fries, or a cone

-Pregame: Kangaroo bounce house, games, prizes, and the Corps March-On!

-Halftime: Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization youth football game and Papa John’s “Free Pizza for a Year Contest”

-Also…Aramark “Concession Special” this game: $1 soft pretzels with mustard

________________________________

We're all excited here, and ready for another great year of VMI athletics...We all know, and we hope you do too, that Saturday will truly be No Ordinary Game Day.

This Week in VMI Athletics - Aug. 25

Hello, and welcome to the third edition of This Week in VMI Athletics, published for the week of Aug. 25, 2009.

As mentioned on our Twitter account, we do have a scoop of sorts...I've been told the basketball schedule should be released within the next several days. No details on a precise time, but it is forthcoming.

Since we last published, we saw the first official, regular season athletic event of 2009-10, as women's soccer took on George Mason. Mason prevailed 3-0 in a contest at W&L's Watt Field, and the Keydet women are scheduled to return to action this coming Friday at Jordan's Point Park, as VMI will face Elon. Weather could play a factor in that contest, as the field at Jordan's Point is suspectible to rain. Stay tuned to VMIKeydets.com, and the Keydets' Twitter feed, for any updates regarding the timing/scheduling of Friday's contest.

In other news, it's preview week in the VMI Athletic Department. With less than two weeks before the first football game, the Institute's other sports are in full swing. Men's soccer just wrapped up a week of intense preseason practice, and Ben Freakley's team continues to prepare for its Sept. 1 opener versus Mount St. Mary's. Look for a full preview of the Keydet men's soccer squad later this week.

The cross country rats had their pictures taken last Friday, and the returning runners, including Felix Kitur and Hannah Granger, will have their photos snapped Wednesday afternoon. That should lead to a full preview of the upcoming cross country season, which has been delayed slightly to push it closer to the Sept. 4 opener. That preview, including a near-20 minute interview with XC Coach Paul Spangler, should run sometime this week as well.

On a related note: The VMI track program, both on track and in cross country, has been one of the up-and-coming programs on Post for the last 2-3 years, and this recruiting class has a chance to be very special. We've been spoiled the last couple of years, with some of the great recruiting done by Keydet coaches (in all sports), but a freshman class with this much potential does not grow on trees. Certainly anything can happen in Division I athletics, but watch out for this group, even if it takes them a year to gel.

Finally, a sport you don't hear a lot about in the fall, VMI lacrosse, announced its 2010 schedule today. That can be viewed here: http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9800&ATCLID=204780686

That about does it from Post this week...11 days until Robert Morris.

Upcoming home schedule:
Friday, Aug. 28: Women's Soccer vs. Elon, Jordan's Point Park (6 p.m.)

Tuesday, Sept. 1: Women's Soccer vs. Howard, Currently Scheduled for Patchin Field (2 p.m.)

Tuesday, Sept. 1: Men's Soccer vs. Mount St. Mary's, Currently Scheduled for Patchin (4:30 p.m.)

Thursday, Sept. 3: Football "Kickoff" Show at Salerno's Restaurant in Lexington, broadcast live on 96.7 3WZ

Friday, Sept. 4: Cross Country Season Opener, Virginia Horse Center (4 p.m.)

Saturday, Sept. 5: Women's Soccer vs. UNC Wilmington, Patchin Field (11 a.m.)

Saturday, Sept. 5: Football vs. Robert Morris (1:30 p.m.)

This Week in VMI Athletics - Aug. 18

Edition two of This Week in VMI Athletics is being published a day early, due to a busy day of soccer preparation tomorrow.

That's right, it's almost that time of year. As we discussed last week, the initial women's game is set for Friday evening at Washington & Lee, with the first men's game scheduled to be at Patchin (as part of a men's/women's doubleheader) Sept. 1. Both teams are, for the most part, practicing at nearby Jordan's Point Park here in Lexington, which is well within walking distance of Patchin Field. Pictures from today's men's soccer practice should be available on keydets.com tomorrow, and the team photo day is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 p.m.

The women's soccer preseason poll was released this past Thursday, with the Keydets picked seventh. Audrey Falconi was the runner-up in the preseason POTY voting...Read more about that here: http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9800&ATCLID=204774609

A photo gallery of women's soccer preseason practice has been posted here: http://www.vmikeydets.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?&PALBID=343348&DB_OEM_ID=9800&FLASH=YES

Also, wrestling announced its freshman class, with nine incoming rats bound for Lexington. The release can be found here: http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9800&ATCLID=204773211

Today's temperatures are well into the 90's, making it the roughest day for football practice thus far. According to football contact Wade Branner, there have been no significant injuries incurred thus far, and all players who are injured are progressing well in their respective rehabilitations. In other football related tidbits, the current plan (subject to change) is to feature two player interviews per day on 'Roo-Tube over the course of the next several days.

Finally, Cal Murray '83, former VMI punter and color commentator for the VMI Sports Network, is acting as a volunteer assistant, working with this year's punting roster.

Update

I've just learned (there are no windows in the Athletic Media Relations office :-)) that there's inclement weather here in Lexington. This may prevent the taking of photos, depending on what is actually going on at the practice field, how inclement the weather is, etc.

This Week in VMI Athletics - Aug. 11

Welcome to the first edition of This Week in VMI Athletics! Remember to follow us on twitter (http://twitter.com/VMISID), as we often break news and relay small details there first.

The week of August 11 brings not only warm temperatures, but several news items from the Keydet Athletic Department. First off, football practice will get underway later today. The workout, which will be in helmets only, is set to take place on the VMI Turf Field at 4:30 p.m. A full schedule of practices, as well as brief comments from Coach Sparky Woods, can be viewed here: http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9800&ATCLID=204772918. Fans should expect a photo gallery from the practice, which hopefully will be up late tonight (tomorrow at the latest).

VMI basketball coach Duggar Baucom recently left for a 10-day overseas trip to visit U.S. Military bases, and has been utilizing the microblogging site Twitter to share his experiences (http://twitter.com/duggarvmihoops). He recently tweeted such events as his first meet-and-greet with the troops and an excursion in a Stryker Assault Vehicle. The VMI Athletic Media Relations office plans to post periodic updates on VMIKeydets.com, relaying tidbits about Baucom's trip throughout his time overseas. We have also been re-tweeting some of Baucom's comments thus far.

The official announcement of a new women's soccer coach is forthcoming, possibly as soon as late today. We broke that news on Twitter earlier today, and now we give you the name and some background: Megan Flowers, a 2005 graduate of Southern Utah, is the newest Keydet assistant. Flowers, a four-year starter as a goalkeeper during the inaugural years of SUU women’s soccer, joins the Keydets after most recently working as goalkeeper coach for the Northern Virginia Majestics and the Virginia Olympic Development Program (ODP). She has also worked as a trainer with the Max Touch Soccer Academy and the Stafford Soccer Association, while coaching with Brentsville District High School and the PWSI ’92 Girls soccer club.

In other women's soccer news, VMI's Audrey Falconi has been nominated for a prestigious national award. The Lowe's Senior CLASS award honors the nation's top seniors for their achievements on and off the field. Sports Information personnel may nominate seniors from their squads, and the award's staff will choose the top-30 nominees based on information provided. Only one VMI athlete has ever made the top-30 in any of the Lowe's Senior CLASS sports, that being baseball's Trey Barham in 2008. View more about the award here: http://www.seniorclassaward.com/about/.

Finally, one more announcement regarding Coach Bryan Williams' program: The season opener versus George Mason, set for August 21, has been moved to Washington & Lee's soccer facility (http://www.wlu.edu/x2094.xml). Directions can be accessed at that link. It is worth noting that that's the only game officially moved at this point.

As our last piece of news for the week, past VMI baseball jerseys are now being auctioned off, as seen here (http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9800&ATCLID=204773015). These jerseys, worn in particular during the program's 1993 run to the Southern Conference Championship Series (shown above), can be bid on at the website www.GovDeals.com (linked above) for the next week (auction ends on Monday, Aug. 17). The current plan is to add more jerseys over time, so if you're interested in this sort of thing, keep tabs on that site periodically to ensure you don't miss new additions!

Go Keydets!

Early Changes

I've made some quick changes to the blog, making it easier to go through and utilize. Comments will now be easier to post, although they will be moderated to eliminate spam, and the site clock has been corrected. You must be a "member of the blog" to comment (again, just reducing spam), but the word verification step has been undone. Never got the point of that. Other changes could be forthcoming, as I find more nuances of the Blogspot software.

Welcome!!

Hello Keydet fans, and welcome to the VMI Keydets blog! We're here to provide you with regular commentary and synopses of occurrences here on Post...Check back often for updates, particularly once games begin August 21, when updates are likely to be weekly.