How do you follow up a great Cortaca victory? By dropping 45 pts. in the men’s basketball opener
Have the past few days even been real? If you bleed Blue and Gold it may seem like too much to be true. First, let’s start with the obvious. Here is my Cortaca recap for those of you who may not remember some of the things you saw on Saturday.
The biggest key to the Bombers’ win? Two words. Special. Teams. Sophomore kicker Andrew Rogowski was automatic, nailing three field goals. This raised his season total to 12, setting a new school record. Sophomore Kevin Cline recovered a fumble on a Cortland punt return, and senior Adam Drescher blocked an attempted Cortland extra point which proved to be an important turning point in the game.
Senior quarterback Brian Grastorf threw for 158 yards and completed 12 passes, winning his second straight Cortaca game as a starter and the third in a row for Ithaca. Dan Ruggiero had two rushing touchdowns and the Bombers came away with a thrilling 23-20 win, ending the season 7-3 and though they missed the playoffs, ending the season on a high note has to feel good.
So what could possibly rival a great win like this? The men’s basketball team making a huge statement in its season opener. Though they lost four of last year’s starting five, Head Coach Jim Mullins has said he is incredibly confident in this team and it looks like it is justified.
The Bombers traveled to Geneva, N.Y., to take on Hobart College and soundly dispatched them 108-93. The huge story of the game was sophomore guard Jordan Marcus dropping 45 points, tying a school record. Every member of the team got into the game and recorded points, which is always a good sign.
So how do we continue this run of Ithaca dominance? The women’s soccer team is still playing out of their minds and will be playing in the sectional semifinal of the NCAA tournament against Rowan University on Saturday. This team is absolutely on fire and look for them to continue deep into the tournament. Until then, keep riding out this incredible stretch and let’s hope for some more Bomber wins.
Women’s soccer rules E8, Cortaca looming, does it get any better?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The women’s soccer team is so good it’s almost scary. After completely annihilating the field in the Empire 8 Championship tournament, the 14-4-1 Blue and Gold are set for another NCAA playoff appearance. They’ll be taking on Muhlenberg College on Saturday, just up the road in Geneva, N.Y.
Now, you may be asking, “How does a team get so good after graduating it’s best player?” You’re correct, Chelsey Feldman ‘09 is without a doubt the best player to put on the Ithaca uniform, but this season there has been an all-around effort to get the team as strong as it is.
Senior Amy Scheffer leads the team with 13 goals, but she isn’t alone at the top. Lauren Koppel and Rachel are right behind her with 11 and 10 goals respectively. Also, Alyssa Sotomayor has been strong in goal, replacing the departed Aimee Meacham ‘09. A long playoff run is looming for this team and no one should be surprised if we see a lot more soccer this fall.
As far as football goes, what a win over Alfred. The previously undefeated Saxons came into Butterfield Stadium expecting Ithaca to put up a fight, but I’m sure they didn’t expect a 31-10 drubbing at the hands of the Bombers. The passing game looked as good as it has all season, with quarterback Brian Grastorf tying a career high with four touchdown passes and junior wide receiver Thomas Vossler catching two of them.
This game should be quite a momentum swing with the Cortaca Jug on the line Saturday. The 7-2 Red Dragons have looked strong this season and it should be a pretty evenly matched game. Both teams really do not have too much on the line as far as the post season is concerned so this should end up being a good battle for Central New York bragging rights.
Either way, I hope everyone is gearing up for what should be quite a weekend. Be safe out there. More coverage to come in the coming days.