Monday, November 16, 2009
Evaluation
We've hit an interesting point, heading out of the fall sports and into the winter ones, and with that, comes a time for evaluation. The Twitter account that we launched in the summer has been a big hit, one that seems to be very popular among the alums (and even among those who have very little connection to VMI). However, we haven't heard a lot about this blog since it opened...So what I'd ask is this: If you read the blog, send me a note at saloisbj@vmi.edu, tweet to us, or contact us in whatever manner you wish. Just somehow let us know that you like what you see here. It's not much, but it is something. If no one's reading what we put here, we may reassess and try to come up with some other ways to utilize our time in order to best serve you, the supporter of Keydet athletics. Time is the great currency, and if we need to reallocate ours in order to improve the product, we will.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
This Week in VMI Athletics - Nov. 10
Another gut-wrenching loss for football...Let's try to move on past that and discuss the remainder of This Week in VMI Athletics.
The Keydet gridiron squad will head to West Point this weekend to take on Army in VMI's lone FBS game of the year. Unfortunately, no live video will be available for the contest. However, Wade Branner and Cal Murray will be in attendance to call the game and the contest will be televised by CBS College Sports on a tape-delay basis. Get the gameday central page, as well as full information on how you can see the contest, here.
Strangely, that's not the only time the Keydets will face a Black Knight squad this coming weekend. Friday night brings Army basketball to Cameron Hall for VMI's 2009-10 season opener. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and Christian Hoffman will, for the second-consecutive season, call the first contest of the year on the VMI Radio Network. That brings us to a couple of interesting tidbits about basketball...
1) The 2009-10 media guide is scheduled to be put on the web site later today, as the covers are being sized for that operation as I type this.
2) Former VMI standouts Reggie Williams and Travis Holmes have been drafted by teams in the NBA Development League (NBDL) in Nov. 5's eight-round D-League Draft. Williams was taken by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the third round, and Holmes was snatched by the Utah Flash in the sixth round. Rosters for the D-League teams now sit at 15 players apiece, but must be trimmed to 10 by Nov. 25. If Holmes and Williams both end up on the active, regular-season roster, VMI fans should take note of the scheduled Feb. 17 matchup between the Skyforce and the Flash, the only regular-season meeting between the clubs.
Back to current VMI news...
Women's soccer gave it a great run, didn't they? The thrilling game with Coastal Carolina was one of the most exciting moments for Keydet athletics in some time...Although the ladies came up short against Winthrop, it was a great season and one all VMI supporters should be proud of.
Men's soccer is seeded eighth for Thursday's Big South Tournament, with top-seeded Coastal Carolina the opponent. The Chanticleers come in on a four-game winning streak, while VMI has dropped six straight, but the regular season game between the clubs was a battle. Coastal pulled it out, but it took nearly 100 minutes to arrive at the 1-0 victory. There should be a preview available tomorrow.
Cross Country is back in action this weekend, traveling to Louisville for the regional meet. Coach Spangler stated at last week's football lunch that his goal for the women was to finish the year as the top team in the Big South, which will be a tall order and would involve beating Liberty at this meet. He also stated he believes the Keydet women could end up as one of the top 15 teams in the region, despite running four freshmen (sometimes five!) in their top six. High praise indeed!
Speaking of the mid-week lunches that are put into 'Roo-Tube, I'm hearing talk that Wednesday's luncheon at Salerno's will feature both Coach Woods and Coach Baucom...Not sure if that's official, but it should be fun if so. Both are engaging and certainly good with the question-and-answer format.
The 2010 baseball roster has now been posted online. Not really sure what else to say about that, but it's certainly an intriguing one with a lot of talented newcomers.
Work has begun on doing some minor revamping to the track and field pages, with their season opener right around the corner (Dec. 2-3). Old links have been pulled, while an "Away Meet Central" has been worked up, featuring everything available about VMI's meets on the road this season.
Make sure to check out the Photo Store as well on VMIKeydets.com, as we've added a considerable number of photos from the past year in all sports, from men's soccer to women's swimming.
We'll be back with you next week to prepare for the season finale of the football team, as well as another home basketball game.
The Keydet gridiron squad will head to West Point this weekend to take on Army in VMI's lone FBS game of the year. Unfortunately, no live video will be available for the contest. However, Wade Branner and Cal Murray will be in attendance to call the game and the contest will be televised by CBS College Sports on a tape-delay basis. Get the gameday central page, as well as full information on how you can see the contest, here.
Strangely, that's not the only time the Keydets will face a Black Knight squad this coming weekend. Friday night brings Army basketball to Cameron Hall for VMI's 2009-10 season opener. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and Christian Hoffman will, for the second-consecutive season, call the first contest of the year on the VMI Radio Network. That brings us to a couple of interesting tidbits about basketball...
1) The 2009-10 media guide is scheduled to be put on the web site later today, as the covers are being sized for that operation as I type this.
2) Former VMI standouts Reggie Williams and Travis Holmes have been drafted by teams in the NBA Development League (NBDL) in Nov. 5's eight-round D-League Draft. Williams was taken by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the third round, and Holmes was snatched by the Utah Flash in the sixth round. Rosters for the D-League teams now sit at 15 players apiece, but must be trimmed to 10 by Nov. 25. If Holmes and Williams both end up on the active, regular-season roster, VMI fans should take note of the scheduled Feb. 17 matchup between the Skyforce and the Flash, the only regular-season meeting between the clubs.
Back to current VMI news...
Women's soccer gave it a great run, didn't they? The thrilling game with Coastal Carolina was one of the most exciting moments for Keydet athletics in some time...Although the ladies came up short against Winthrop, it was a great season and one all VMI supporters should be proud of.
Men's soccer is seeded eighth for Thursday's Big South Tournament, with top-seeded Coastal Carolina the opponent. The Chanticleers come in on a four-game winning streak, while VMI has dropped six straight, but the regular season game between the clubs was a battle. Coastal pulled it out, but it took nearly 100 minutes to arrive at the 1-0 victory. There should be a preview available tomorrow.
Cross Country is back in action this weekend, traveling to Louisville for the regional meet. Coach Spangler stated at last week's football lunch that his goal for the women was to finish the year as the top team in the Big South, which will be a tall order and would involve beating Liberty at this meet. He also stated he believes the Keydet women could end up as one of the top 15 teams in the region, despite running four freshmen (sometimes five!) in their top six. High praise indeed!
Speaking of the mid-week lunches that are put into 'Roo-Tube, I'm hearing talk that Wednesday's luncheon at Salerno's will feature both Coach Woods and Coach Baucom...Not sure if that's official, but it should be fun if so. Both are engaging and certainly good with the question-and-answer format.
The 2010 baseball roster has now been posted online. Not really sure what else to say about that, but it's certainly an intriguing one with a lot of talented newcomers.
Work has begun on doing some minor revamping to the track and field pages, with their season opener right around the corner (Dec. 2-3). Old links have been pulled, while an "Away Meet Central" has been worked up, featuring everything available about VMI's meets on the road this season.
Make sure to check out the Photo Store as well on VMIKeydets.com, as we've added a considerable number of photos from the past year in all sports, from men's soccer to women's swimming.
We'll be back with you next week to prepare for the season finale of the football team, as well as another home basketball game.
Monday, November 2, 2009
This Week in VMI Athletics - Nov. 2
It's time for another update on what's been going on around VMI Post this week.
Women's sports have been the highlight of the past seven days, without question, headlined by the women's cross country team at the BSC Championships. The squad finished second, which was the best effort ever by the team at the conference meet. Hannah Granger won the individual title, which was a program first, and Jenna Moye was the Freshman of the Year, thanks to a fourth-place effort. Moye was the program's first-ever Freshman of the Year. Coach Paul Spangler was very deserving of his women's Coach of the Year honor, which he received post-meet.
Women's soccer continued its impressive end-of-season run, following up last week's win over Liberty with a 2-1 win over Radford this past Friday at Patchin Field. The Keydets celebrated Senior Day with two goals from seniors, as Chrissy Beach and Kat Underwood found the back of the net to give VMI its first-ever win over RU on the pitch. The players then found out Sunday that they would be the #5 seed in this week's Big South Tournament, and would take on #4 Coastal Carolina at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Charleston, S.C. A full schedule is available in the last paragraph of this article.
Also from the women's pitch, Angela Redmond's 89.0 save percentage ranks eighth in the country at the conclusion of the regular season. Certainly a stat worth noting.
Men's cross country was fourth at the BSC Championships, as they did not (in the words of Coach Spangler) have their best performance. Men's soccer will look to break a three-game losing streak tonight against Liberty, while swimming and diving just competed in New Jersey this past weekend. Swim results are notoriously hard to get, regardless of the school, but a full release for the men's side of that trip should be up shortly (women's release is here, as they earned their second win in program history...both by one point over NJIT).
Football suffered another disappointing loss, falling 31-21 to Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon. These league games have been remarkably similar, but the road gets tougher from here. Lynchburg is a tough place to play now, and the Flames will come in ranked 16th in FCS.
That's it from Post this week...Check back next week for another update!
P:S: The full baseball schedule should be posted within the next day or so.
Women's sports have been the highlight of the past seven days, without question, headlined by the women's cross country team at the BSC Championships. The squad finished second, which was the best effort ever by the team at the conference meet. Hannah Granger won the individual title, which was a program first, and Jenna Moye was the Freshman of the Year, thanks to a fourth-place effort. Moye was the program's first-ever Freshman of the Year. Coach Paul Spangler was very deserving of his women's Coach of the Year honor, which he received post-meet.
Women's soccer continued its impressive end-of-season run, following up last week's win over Liberty with a 2-1 win over Radford this past Friday at Patchin Field. The Keydets celebrated Senior Day with two goals from seniors, as Chrissy Beach and Kat Underwood found the back of the net to give VMI its first-ever win over RU on the pitch. The players then found out Sunday that they would be the #5 seed in this week's Big South Tournament, and would take on #4 Coastal Carolina at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Charleston, S.C. A full schedule is available in the last paragraph of this article.
Also from the women's pitch, Angela Redmond's 89.0 save percentage ranks eighth in the country at the conclusion of the regular season. Certainly a stat worth noting.
Men's cross country was fourth at the BSC Championships, as they did not (in the words of Coach Spangler) have their best performance. Men's soccer will look to break a three-game losing streak tonight against Liberty, while swimming and diving just competed in New Jersey this past weekend. Swim results are notoriously hard to get, regardless of the school, but a full release for the men's side of that trip should be up shortly (women's release is here, as they earned their second win in program history...both by one point over NJIT).
Football suffered another disappointing loss, falling 31-21 to Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon. These league games have been remarkably similar, but the road gets tougher from here. Lynchburg is a tough place to play now, and the Flames will come in ranked 16th in FCS.
That's it from Post this week...Check back next week for another update!
P:S: The full baseball schedule should be posted within the next day or so.
Monday, October 26, 2009
This Week in VMI Athletics - Oct. 26
We're back with another edition of This Week in VMI Athletics...Led by Howard Abegesah.
The senior running back ran for 165 yards and three scores as VMI's running game rolled up over 500 yards of total offense, and the Keydets finally broke their five-game losing skid, winning 31-20 over Presbyterian Saturday in Clinton, S.C. Kyle Hughes also ran for over 100 yards, and in the process, became the fourth quarterback in Big South history to run for over 1,000 yards in his career.
Men's soccer dropped two games this week, including an overtime loss to Coastal Carolina yesterday. Women's soccer fell 1-0 in its only game, as seven of the team's 10 losses this season have been by just one goal.
Men's swimming picked up a win over Pfeiffer, 157-118, as James Goodwillie notched three event wins. The women's team fought hard, but came up short to the Pfeiffer women despite a pair of varsity relay records.
That's been just about it here from Post this week...We're preparing for Friday's Hall of Fame Banquet, on a day that will be quite busy here at VMI. Two soccer games (women at 12:30, men at 4) and the banquet, with football vs. Charleston Southern to take place the following day. Also, cross country heads to the Big South Championships next weekend, and fans should look for an interview with coach Paul Spangler on 'Roo-Tube later this week.
Until next week...
The senior running back ran for 165 yards and three scores as VMI's running game rolled up over 500 yards of total offense, and the Keydets finally broke their five-game losing skid, winning 31-20 over Presbyterian Saturday in Clinton, S.C. Kyle Hughes also ran for over 100 yards, and in the process, became the fourth quarterback in Big South history to run for over 1,000 yards in his career.
Men's soccer dropped two games this week, including an overtime loss to Coastal Carolina yesterday. Women's soccer fell 1-0 in its only game, as seven of the team's 10 losses this season have been by just one goal.
Men's swimming picked up a win over Pfeiffer, 157-118, as James Goodwillie notched three event wins. The women's team fought hard, but came up short to the Pfeiffer women despite a pair of varsity relay records.
That's been just about it here from Post this week...We're preparing for Friday's Hall of Fame Banquet, on a day that will be quite busy here at VMI. Two soccer games (women at 12:30, men at 4) and the banquet, with football vs. Charleston Southern to take place the following day. Also, cross country heads to the Big South Championships next weekend, and fans should look for an interview with coach Paul Spangler on 'Roo-Tube later this week.
Until next week...
Monday, October 19, 2009
This Week in VMI Athletics - Oct. 19
All right, we're hopefully back to the Monday/Tuesday time schedule with this blog now. Let's review the past few days here on Post.
Once again, football fell just short, losing 27-20 to Stony Brook thanks to a touchdown with about a minute to go. It's been a really tough year, without question, but perhaps the Keydets' best chance for a win comes Saturday in Clinton, S.C., as VMI takes on winless Presbyterian College. Game Day Central should be up in the next 24 hrs.
Cross country competed at the Blue Ridge Open in Boone, N.C. this past Friday, with the men struggling a bit. The team finished sixth, but was the third-place Big South squad present, as the Keydets finished behind Coastal Carolina and High Point, who won the meet. Coach Spangler was disappointed, as you can read about here. The women's team was very solid, placing fifth and beating Coastal, HPU, Elon and Clemson, among others. Great showing for them...Could they challenge for a Big South title in two weeks?
Swimming and diving competed at Georgetown Saturday, and you can read all about that here and here. The teams will return to action Saturday, hosting Phiffer at 2 at the Clark King pool.
Women's soccer split its games this past weekend, winning and losing one apiece, and squared its conference record at 3-3 in the process. The men earned a huge win Wednesday, besting Gardner-Webb in shutout fashion, before UNC Asheville escaped with a win at Patchin on Saturday. The soccer blitz that had been going on at VMI's home field these past three weeks is now over, with each team having just one more home game this season. October 30 will see both the men and women's senior days, with the women's game being first, vs. Radford at 12:30.
Once again, football fell just short, losing 27-20 to Stony Brook thanks to a touchdown with about a minute to go. It's been a really tough year, without question, but perhaps the Keydets' best chance for a win comes Saturday in Clinton, S.C., as VMI takes on winless Presbyterian College. Game Day Central should be up in the next 24 hrs.
Cross country competed at the Blue Ridge Open in Boone, N.C. this past Friday, with the men struggling a bit. The team finished sixth, but was the third-place Big South squad present, as the Keydets finished behind Coastal Carolina and High Point, who won the meet. Coach Spangler was disappointed, as you can read about here. The women's team was very solid, placing fifth and beating Coastal, HPU, Elon and Clemson, among others. Great showing for them...Could they challenge for a Big South title in two weeks?
Swimming and diving competed at Georgetown Saturday, and you can read all about that here and here. The teams will return to action Saturday, hosting Phiffer at 2 at the Clark King pool.
Women's soccer split its games this past weekend, winning and losing one apiece, and squared its conference record at 3-3 in the process. The men earned a huge win Wednesday, besting Gardner-Webb in shutout fashion, before UNC Asheville escaped with a win at Patchin on Saturday. The soccer blitz that had been going on at VMI's home field these past three weeks is now over, with each team having just one more home game this season. October 30 will see both the men and women's senior days, with the women's game being first, vs. Radford at 12:30.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
This Week in VMI Athletics - Oct. 14
First off, my apologies for this blog being late. With the ruckus surrounding Big South Media Day in Charlotte, it's been difficult to sit down and do it, but here we are.
Football, after another tough, tough loss, will host Stony Brook this week in the Seawolves' first-ever visit to Foster Stadium. This is a tough team folks, as they were picked behind only Liberty in the Big South preseason poll. However, it will be a battle. You may recall Conte Cuttino and Edwin Gowins, their two star running backs, each ran for over 233 yards in the game between the team's last year...And Stony Brook still only won by 14. Here's the gameday central for what has a chance to be the best game at Foster Stadium this year, and one of the best games overall.
Basketball also has news...The Keydets, a year after going 24-8, were picked fifth in the conference's preseason poll, which was released yesterday (Tuesday) at media day in Charlotte. A prospectus has also been released for the upcoming season.
Women's soccer had a rough week, going 0-2 down in South Carolina, but they'll be back in action Friday at home against Gardner-Webb (that game may be streamed on the Big South Network, we're still waiting on weather). Speaking of the Runnin' Bulldogs, men's soccer earned their second win of the season just three hours ago, topping Gardner-Webb 2-0 behind goals from Forrest Moul and David Rochow. The visiting team did not have a shot on goal in the second half of that contest, so it was quite an impressive outing. The men are back in action Saturday, right before football, as UNC Asheville comes to town for a 11 a.m. start. After Saturday, men's soccer has just one more game at Patchin Field in 2009, so come on out and support the team!
Cross country is back in action this weekend in their final meet before Oct. 31's Big South Championships...Don't sleep on that team folks. Members of the Big South staff were talking at basketball media day yesterday, and they brought up the vast improvement that program has made in a very short time. Yes, VMI cross country was brought up at the conference's basketball media day. This is a conference championship possibility, health permitting, but it will be a battle.
We'll be back with you next week for another update on This Week in VMI Athletics!
We'll be back
Football, after another tough, tough loss, will host Stony Brook this week in the Seawolves' first-ever visit to Foster Stadium. This is a tough team folks, as they were picked behind only Liberty in the Big South preseason poll. However, it will be a battle. You may recall Conte Cuttino and Edwin Gowins, their two star running backs, each ran for over 233 yards in the game between the team's last year...And Stony Brook still only won by 14. Here's the gameday central for what has a chance to be the best game at Foster Stadium this year, and one of the best games overall.
Basketball also has news...The Keydets, a year after going 24-8, were picked fifth in the conference's preseason poll, which was released yesterday (Tuesday) at media day in Charlotte. A prospectus has also been released for the upcoming season.
Women's soccer had a rough week, going 0-2 down in South Carolina, but they'll be back in action Friday at home against Gardner-Webb (that game may be streamed on the Big South Network, we're still waiting on weather). Speaking of the Runnin' Bulldogs, men's soccer earned their second win of the season just three hours ago, topping Gardner-Webb 2-0 behind goals from Forrest Moul and David Rochow. The visiting team did not have a shot on goal in the second half of that contest, so it was quite an impressive outing. The men are back in action Saturday, right before football, as UNC Asheville comes to town for a 11 a.m. start. After Saturday, men's soccer has just one more game at Patchin Field in 2009, so come on out and support the team!
Cross country is back in action this weekend in their final meet before Oct. 31's Big South Championships...Don't sleep on that team folks. Members of the Big South staff were talking at basketball media day yesterday, and they brought up the vast improvement that program has made in a very short time. Yes, VMI cross country was brought up at the conference's basketball media day. This is a conference championship possibility, health permitting, but it will be a battle.
We'll be back with you next week for another update on This Week in VMI Athletics!
We'll be back
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
This Week in VMI Athletics - Oct. 6
As VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry sits over my shoulder doing preseason award nominations with Christian Hoffman...
It's been a strange week athletically here on post, and this will be a somewhat condensed blog. Everyone knows about the loss to Gardner-Webb, one that took the wind out of Foster Stadium. Let's quickly move on from that to Coastal, the next opponent on the docket. Here's your gameday central.
Women's soccer went 2-0 on the weekend, defeating Presbyterian and UNC Asheville to take each of their first two conference games. A very strong performance by the Keydets, without question, and now they get a Coastal/Charleston road swing this coming weekend. Live stats will be available for both of the crucial games.
Lacrosse had an impressive performance in its lone fall ball scrimmage, disposing of Washington & Lee in a thriller, 15-13 Friday night. If Tim Moran isn't a frontrunner for MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, something's wrong...The attackmen's performance was a good sign for the Keydets as well, as they appeared to be able to clear out the area in front for Moran and Brett Leonard to go to work.
Hannah Granger broke another school record at this weekend's Paul Short Run. Another day, another record. Ho hum.
Men's soccer will take on Howard tomorrow, in a game that will be videostreamed live on the Big South Network. Look for a preview later today on VMIKeydets.com.
It's been a strange week athletically here on post, and this will be a somewhat condensed blog. Everyone knows about the loss to Gardner-Webb, one that took the wind out of Foster Stadium. Let's quickly move on from that to Coastal, the next opponent on the docket. Here's your gameday central.
Women's soccer went 2-0 on the weekend, defeating Presbyterian and UNC Asheville to take each of their first two conference games. A very strong performance by the Keydets, without question, and now they get a Coastal/Charleston road swing this coming weekend. Live stats will be available for both of the crucial games.
Lacrosse had an impressive performance in its lone fall ball scrimmage, disposing of Washington & Lee in a thriller, 15-13 Friday night. If Tim Moran isn't a frontrunner for MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, something's wrong...The attackmen's performance was a good sign for the Keydets as well, as they appeared to be able to clear out the area in front for Moran and Brett Leonard to go to work.
Hannah Granger broke another school record at this weekend's Paul Short Run. Another day, another record. Ho hum.
Men's soccer will take on Howard tomorrow, in a game that will be videostreamed live on the Big South Network. Look for a preview later today on VMIKeydets.com.
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