The Women's Volleyball Team Says Goodbye to Four Great Seniors

The Ohio State Women's Volleyball Team loses four key contributors for next year.

Mari Hole, an outside hitter from Oslo Norway, will never be forgotten in Columbus.  Not only was she Ohio State's best player for two years but she could go down as one of the greats, if not the greatest, in program history.

They call her an outside hitter, but Hole could have been dominate with any role on this team.  I am continuously impressed by her ability on the defensive side.  Not only is she talented but she is a hard worker, always showing off even more hustle than her teammates, which isn't an easy task.

Hole finished her senior year with 548 kills, 48 assists, and 18 aces on offense.  Defensively the Norwegian had 326 digs and 56 total blocks.

Along side Hole's All-American banner in St. John Arena is another banner with the name Emily Danks.  Danks is a truly fun player to watch, especially from the service line.  She will go down as Ohio State's best server ever as she broke the school's ace record mid-way through Big Ten play.

While she had hot and cold streaks throughout the year Emily Danks was always important and a big part of Ohio State's success this year.

Danks finished the season with 327 kills, 33 assists, and 50 (!) aces.  The outside hitter from Round Rock, Texas also added 178 digs and 93 blocks (1st on the team, more than any middle blocker).

Amanda Peterson was Ohio State's usual setter, and she may be my favorite player form this year's squad.  While there were times when she saw her self on the bench in favor of Taylor Sherwin, Peterson was a steadying force for the Buckeyes.

Out of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Peterson finished her final season in Columbus with 1,022 assists, 106 kills, and 14 aces.  She also chipped in with 237 digs and 53 blocks.

Mariah Booth is the final senior from this team.  Will over-aggressive at times, Booth is a player that Ohio State will miss.  When she is on Booth is one of the most dangerous middle-blockers around.  Very athletic and aggressive, in my opinion Booth was underutilized during the season.

Out of Kennesaw, Gergia, Booth had a productive senior year.  She tallied 241 kills, 11 assists, and 6 aces along with 66 digs and 85 total blocks.


Thanks Seniors!

Ohio State Women's Volleyball: MVP and Breakout Player

After covering Ohio State Women's Volleyball all season, two players stood out above the rest for me.  One of them I would call the team's MVP (and it's not close) and the other is the team's breakout player of the year (in my opinion).

Starting off with the obvious, Mari Hole was far and away the most important and most talented player on this team.  She consistently brought astounding performances in all aspects of the game.  Not only was she Ohio State's most dangerous outside hitter, but Hole was also Ohio State's best passer in 2012. While Davi DiSalvatore picked up more digs, it was Hole who truly carried the defense at times.

This senior should absolutely be an All-American selection, it would be the second year in a row.

Now, onto the team's breakout player of the year.

Kaitlyn Leary truly stepped it up, especially towards the end of the season.  While Hole and Danks got the headlines it was Leary who improved the most.  When Emily Danks struggled (at least by her standards) towards the end of the year, Leary came in and was a dangerous second option behind Hole.  At times she was even the first option.

Leary's impact on this year's team was truly summed up in the teams NCAA Tournament opening victory over Notre Dame.  Leary finished the match with 16 kills and 0 errors.  

Watch out Big Ten, Ohio State may be losing Danks and Hole but Leary is looking like a budding All-American as well.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball: NCAA Tournament Round 2

After an impressive Tournament opening sweep of Notre Dame, Ohio State matched up against Kentucky in the second round.  That is especially unfortunate considering that Kentucky was hosting in Lexington, giving them a home court advantage.

Even still, the Buckeyes came out firing as they picked up a 25-18 first set win.  Unfortunately it was all downhill from there.  The Buckeyes fought to a 24-26 loss in set two before being demolished for the next two sets, 15-25 and 18-25.  This match brought their season to an end but it was still an impressive run for the squad.

In the last match of her Ohio State career Mari Hole did what she could, picking up 18 kills but also making a few mistakes with 9 errors.  Kaitlyn Leary continued her late season surge with 14 kills while Mariah Booth added 9.  Emily Danks wasn't as effective as normal, she only had 6 kills on a measly 22 attempts, although she did add 2 service aces.

Amanda Peterson had 40 assists, but they came on 99 total attempts.  Mari Hole also picked up 12 digs while Davi Disalvatore led the D with 16 digs.

For the Wildcats, Lauren O'Conner led the way with 16 kills.  Alexandra Morgan and Whitney Billings chipped in with 10 kills each.  Kentucky came up with only 15 hitting errors for the match which may have been the difference maker.  Ohio State had 23.

The service line was another measuring stick of how this match progressed.  Ohio State had only 4 aces compared to 8 service errors while Kentucky picked up a whopping 10 aces to go with 9 errors.

The Buckeyes finished their season with a 23-11 overall record after going 13-7 in the Big Ten Conference.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball: NCAA Tournament Round 1

When the Ohio State Women's Volleyball season ended, I was certainly hoping the OSU would get a chance to host in the NCAA Tournament.  Even after dropping the season finale at home to Michigan, I though that this team had proven they deserved a chance to have a home court advantage.  Not only was the team very good all season long, but the fans at St. John provided one of the best atmospheres in Women's Volleyball on a regular basis.

Alas, Ohio State did not get a chance to host and found out they were headed to Lexington, KY where they would be taking on Notre Dame in Round 1.

No matter what, you can't take a tournament game for granted and Ohio State did not.  The Buckeye women came out in dominating fashion winning the first set 25-16.  Ohio State then completed the sweep with set wins of 25-21 and 25-17.

Just as she has all season long, Mari Hole played well for the Buckeyes as she put down 14 kills compared to only 4 errors.  The real star, though, was Kaitlyn Leary.  Leary finished the match with 16 kills and no errors, which is truly astounding.  Mariah booth chipped in with 9 kills while Emily Danks did her part, putting down 8 with 0 errors.

Amanda Peterson had 42 assists and Davi DiSalvatore picked up 13 digs.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball: Regular Season Review

The Ohio State Women's Volleyball team has wrapped up their season, and what a year it was.  The Buckeye women wrapped up regular season play with a 22-10 overall record, they went 13-7 in the conference.  This included a 7-6 record at home and an 11-2 mark on the road.

To review the season's exploits we can start with the season opening Sports Imports DC Koehl Classic at St. John Arena.  The Buckeyes opened play vs. Houston, winning 3-0, the next day Ohio State played twice, beating Toledo 3-0 before dropping the tournament championship to Oregon, 2-3.

The next week, the Buckeyes traveled to College Park for the Maryland Invitational.  They opened up tournament play with a 3-0 victory against Binghamton.  On the first of September Ohio State captured the tournament victory two wins, a sweep of Seton Hall and a 3-2 win against Maryland in the finale.

After College Park the team looked towards Bowling Green, KY for the WKU Tournament.  Ohio State got another title as they won all three of their matches.  Opening the tournament the Buckeye Women picked up a big 3-2 win against then #10 Dayton.  OSU then beat IUPUI 3-1 before closing out Western Kentucky with another 3-1 win.

Ohio State's last pre-season tournament was the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup in Houston, Texas.  The Buckeyes picked up two losses at this tournament but still won their last game.  Geoff Carlston and his team opened play with a 0-3 loss to Pepperdine before falling to Florida State 1-3.  The Buckeyes closed the tournament on a high note with a 3-1 victory against Houston.

From their Big Ten play finally got under way with the Buckeyes opening their regular season in dominating fashion, beating Iowa 3-0 at home.  After that the Buckeyes fell to Nebraska (1-3) at home before traveling to Minnesota and dropping their second straight (0-3).  The Women took a four game winning streak into the Purdue game after wins over Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern, and Indiana.  The Buckeyes again dropped two straight, both at home, with a 1-3 loss to Purdue and an 0-3 loss to Penn State.  The Buckeyes won their next four games, over Michigan State, Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin, then lost to Minnesota yet again.  That loss marked a short blip before another four game winning streak, the Buckeye Women then closed their season with two straight losses, one at Penn State before dropping the season finale at home against That Team Up North.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball (Nov. 2-4)

It was an up and down weekend for the Ohio State Women's Volleyball team.  They came into the weekend playing extremely well, having beaten #4 Nebraska earlier on.

On Friday they came out firing, blowing away Wisconsin through the first two sets.  The third set was a different story, the Buckeyes lost all of their momentum and fell 23-25.  That was in stark contrast to the first two sets which they won 25-16 and 25-15.  The women came out in the fourth set and still hadn't regained that momentum, it was tight all the way through.  Ohio State ended up sneaking out with a 30-28 set victory and a 3-1 match victory.

Mari Hole had 15 kills to lead the Buckeyes, Kaitlyn Leary added 14, and Emily Danks chipped in with 12 kills.  Davi DiSalvatore came up with an impressive 31 digs and Amanda Peterson pitched in with 37 assists and 9 kills.  For the Badgers, Julie Mikaelsen led the way with 13 kills and Alexis Mitchell added 10.

Today, Sunday November 4th, Ohio State took on Minnesota in a matchup of top-15 teams.  The Buckeyes are ranked 15th nationally while the Golden Gophers are 10th.

Mari Hole tied a career high with 26 kills in what looked like it was going to be an Ohio State sweep.  The Buckeyes took the first two sets (25-23, 25-21) before falling in the third 27-25.  It only got worse from there as the Ohio State squad was smashed in the fourth set, 25-13, before falling in the fifth 15-12.

Hole was even better than her usual self while Leary added 17 kills and Danks came in with 11.  Amanda Peterson had another superb match, totaling 48 assists.  DiSalvatore posted 23 digs and an ace.  For Minnesota, Katherine Harms took over late and finished with 17 kills, Daly Santana pitched in 15 kills, although she had a very up and down match, and Dana Knudsen had 11 kills.  Tori Dixon turned out to be the star of the match as she finished with 14 kills and only one error.   Setter Alexandra Palmer added 53 assists.

Buckeyes prepare for final regular season match up

After getting a win, loss and a draw in the last three games, the Ohio State men's soccer team are looking to close out their regular season campaign with a home win against Wisconsin on Sunday.

The Buckeyes had three commendable performances in a row, with only one of them leading to a win.

That win came against in-state rival Wright State, who travelled to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium with only three wins. Ohio State showed their superiority through much of the first half, going a goal up through Sage Gardner's penalty kick. But a lack of concentration cost them that lead and the momentum, as the Raiders' leading scorer Brett Elder equalized with only 5 minutes to go in the half.

The home team did find their way again though, with senior Chris Hegngi netting only his second goal of the season. It was good enough to give Ohio State a 2-1 victory, their 5th home win and 6th overall.

A week later it was arguably the Buckeyes's biggest game of the year, as #2 ranked Akron came into Columbus for what was to be their most difficult test yet.

Even though Akron had the majority of the possession and play, Ohio State could honestly say that the game produced some of their best attacking of the year. The Buckeyes created at least 5-6 strong saves from Zips goalie David Meves, each one seemingly better than the last.

Eventually the Ohio State defense came undone, and Akron ran away with the victory thanks to a solitary goal from Reinaldo Brenes.

Ohio State's final road game of the year was in State College, Pennsylvania, as they face the Penn State Nittany Lions.

In what can only be described as a topsy-turvy tussle, the two teams battled to a 4-4 draw. The hosts took the lead in only the ninth minute, but the Buckeyes came storming back to take a 2-1 lead with goals from Kenny Cunningham and Chris Hegngi. Penn State did equalize minutes later through Marvin Ledgister, and it was 2-2 going into the dressing rooms.

The second half looked to have been going the Nittany Lions way, as goals from Julian Cordona and Daniel Parr gave them what looked like an unassailable 4-2 lead with 10 minutes to go.

But Ohio State had other ideas. A Louie Berra strike in the 81st minute, and an own goal in the 88th gave them an unlikely reprieve, and the game somehow went into overtime.

Neither side could find a winner, and Ohio State came out with what must be considered a precious point. It was the Buckeyes first result of any kind in the Big Ten, a stat which highlights the difficulties they've experienced.

They have a chance to finally get a win in conference, in their last game of the season against Wisconsin. Though the Buckeyes sit last in the Big Ten standings, the Badgers are right above them with only one win. An Ohio State victory on Sunday could pull them equal with the team from Madison, with their conference records becoming identical, though Wisconsin would have one less loss the season overall.

In any case, this Buckeyes squad will go into the Big Ten tournament as one of its two lowest seeds, meaning the message is clear: the road to a conference championship will be an extremely tough one.

Buckeyes Can't Turn Butler Win Into Momentum

After their biggest victory of the season - a 4-1 demolition of the Butler Bulldogs - the Ohio State men's soccer team looked to finally start performing in the consistent fashion that they had lacked up to that point.

With three of their next four matchups coming against Big Ten opponents, the Buckeyes knew that this stretch of games could put them right back in conference contention. In the end, those three games did the exact opposite.

Three one-goal losses to Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern respectively mean the Buckeyes are now sitting at 0-4 in conference play and are at the foot of the standings.

Their first game in Ann Arbor is probably the one that coach John Bluem knows his team should've had. Taking a 2-1 lead 15 minutes the second half, Ohio State then gave up a goal only to the Wolverines only 12 seconds later. The goal shocked the entire side and even though they made it into the second overtime period, they couldn't prevent a Michigan victory.

After that it was a home game against the Spartans, another winless team in the Big Ten. Even with their similar records, it was the the away who looked much more accomplished, restricting Ohio State to virtually no offensive pressure. Yianni Sarris's clinical strike late in the match looked to have potentially salvaged the situation for his team, but the result was never in doubt as Michigan State held on for the 2-1 win.

On the following Wednesday it was the Bowling Green State Falcons who rollied into Columbus, and Ohio State got a morale-boosting 2-0 victory. Dominating just about every aspect of the match, the Buckeyes looked solid in midfield and for once were clinical with their opportunities.

But their tough Big Ten campaign continued as they visited Northwestern, one of the top teams in the conference. Though coach Bluem was happy with his team's effort, they couldn't break down the Wildcat defense and therefore ensured that Ohio State still hadn't picked up a point on the road in four attempts.

With only four games left in the regular season the team know they are out of the conference championship picture. The positive they do have is that three of those games are at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, the site of the team's only victories.

Though the games against Akron at home and Penn State on the road will certainly be difficult ones, the Buckeyes are hoping that they could at least split the end of the season stretch, and finally start feeling a little better about their play heading into the postseason.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball (Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup Recap)

On September 14th and 15th the Buckeye Women's Volleyball team played in the Flo Hyman Collegiate cup in Houston, Texas.  The team had a tough showing, going 1-2 in the tournament with losses to Pepperdine and Florida State before beating Houston in their tournament finale.

Starting out on the 14th, Ohio State faced off against then No. 18 Pepperdine.  The Buckeyes played solid, but couldn't quite put it all together as they ended up getting swept (0-3).  This match moved Pepperdine to 8-3 overall and the Buckeyes dropped to 8-2.

For Ohio State, Emily Danks and Mari Hole led the way, nothing unusual about that.  Danks finished with 10 kills and 2 aces while Hole tallied 11 kills and an ace but also came up with 6 hitting errors and one service error.  Kaitlyn Leary chipped in with 8 kills and Amanda Peterson finished with 21 assists.  Davi DiSalvatore, the team's libero, only played two sets and tallied only 8 digs.  For the Waves, Jazmine Orozco and Katie Messing tied for the team lead with 13 kills each, Victoria Adelhelm added 10 while setter Kellie Woolever had 5 to go along with 40 assists.

The following day Ohio State fell 1-3 against Florida State.  The set scores were as follows: Ohio State 18-25, 25-22, 13-25, 13-25.

Florida State was ranked No. 11 at the time.

The lone bright spot was the second set as the Buckeye women were demolished in the other three.  Mari Hole (15), Mariah Booth (11), and Emily Danks (10) all got into double digits in the kills column. Danks added 3 aces and senior setter Amanda Peterson picked up 33 assists.  Davi DiSalvatore led the team with 11 digs and Booth was also in on 5 blocks.

Later on that day, Ohio State took on the host Houston Cougars and finally got a win in the tournament.  This victory marked their second triumph over the Cougars this season, the Buckeyes opened up their year with a 3-0 sweep over Houston on August 24th.

The Buckeyes may not have swept this match, but they still dominated for the most part.  The set scores were: Ohio State 25-19, 25-16, 19-25, 25-13.

Mariah Booth had a spectacular game, tallying 17 kills on 19 attempts with 0 (!) errors.  This came out to a .895 attack rate.  Hole added 10 kills but had 9 errors while Danks did her part with 11 kills and 4 aces.  DiSalvatore led the team with 24 digs and Peterson had 47 assists on the match.

Women's Hockey: Buckeyes Sweep First Conference Series

            Ohio State made known its prowess in the WCHA last weekend, notching a pair of road victories in its first conference series of the season. In two games, the Buckeyes swept Minnesota Duluth, improved their overall record to 4-0, and moved to tenth in the USCHO.com Division 1 Women’s Poll.

           

Ohio State 3, Minnesota Duluth 1

           

            The Scarlet and Gray opened the scoring early when Kayla Sullivan lit the lamp 55 seconds into the game.

            Later in the period, captain Hokey Langan scored to give the Buckeyes a 2-0 advantage and give herself a better chance of leaving the team with her name in the record books. Langan’s goal was the 47^th of her career and tied her for fifth all-time in goals scored at Ohio State.

            Senior forward Katie Wilson eventually put the home team on the board midway through the first to cut the Buckeyes lead in half.

            Neither team found the back of the net in the middle period, though Paige Semenza was able to score once in the third to cement Ohio State’s first road-win of the season.

            Buckeye goaltender Chelsea Knapp followed her impressive season opener against Lindenwood with 16 saves in her first meeting against Duluth.          

Ohio State 3, Minnesota Duluth 2

           

            Mintuu Tuominen timed her first goals of the season perfectly as her two tallies helped the visiting Buckeyes sidestep a date with revenge. The Bulldogs, though desperate to avenge their loss on Friday night, were unable to stop Tuominen’s late-game heroics.

            Unlike Friday night, Duluth did not wait for the Buckeyes to make the first move. Jessica Wong gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead only 15 seconds into the first period.

            The quick goal roused Ohio State and gave the squad energy to secure a lead before 20 minutes passed. First, forward Taylor Kuehl recorded her second goal of the season, then 12 minutes into the frame Tuominen scored on the powerplay to five the Buckeyes a 2-1 lead.

            Shortly into the third period the Bulldogs evened the score; however, Duluth could not add another goal to earn a home victory.

            With nearly three minutes remaining in regulation, Tuominen made it 3-2 with help from her teammates Paige Semenza and Kari Schmitt. The score would hold to give Ohio State a 2-0-conference record heading into a tough weekend series against No. 6 ranked North Dakota.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball (WKU Tournament recap)

After going 3-0 in the Maryland Invitational, the Buckeyes made their way down to Bowling Green, KY for the WKU Tournament.  The Buckeyes again went 3-0 as they beat Dayton (3-2), IUPUI (3-1), and Western Kentucky (3-1).

Dayton, ranked #10 in the nation at the time, gave Ohio State a tough 5 set match but the Bucks proved to be too much as they won 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-12.

Mari Hole again led the way with 21 kills on 52 attacks while Mariah Booth had her best match of the season to that point with 17 kills on 29 attacks.  Emily Danks had her share of struggles with only 12 kills on 40 attempts to go with 5 errors.  This came out to a .175 percentage.  Senior setter Amanda Peterson chipped in with 6 kills and 30 assists while libero Davi DiSalvatore had 2 aces and 18 digs.

For Daytong, Rachel Krabacher recorded 26 kills while Megan Campbell and Shayne Brown chipped in with 10 each.

Later on the same day, Ohio State had an up and down match against IUPUI.  The Buckeyes dominated the first set before struggling in the next two and shutting it down in the 4th set.  OSU ended up winning 25-9, 22-25, 26-24, 25-16.

Four different Buckeyes had double digit kills.  Hole again had a team high 18, Kaitlyn Leary had 17, Booth recorded 13, and (by her standards) Danks struggled again with 12 kills and 6 errors on 31 attacks.  Peterson had 17 assists in two sets at setter while normal backup Taylor Sherwin had 34 assists in extensive action throughout the other three sets of the match.

Kelsey Hoefer had 12 kills for IUPUI while Moriah Fair added 10.

On September 8th Ohio State matched up against the host team, Western Kentucky, and won 3-1.  The scores were as follows: 25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 25-23.

Hole had another solid match with 13 kills while Leary added 10, Danks struggled yet again with 6 errors and only 9 kills and Amanda Peterson did her part with 31 assists and 16 digs.

Jordyn Skinner had 15 kills for WKU but also had 10 errors and Heather Boyan added in 10 kills of her own.  Setter Melanie Stutsman had 40 assists on the match.

Ohio State Women's Volleyball (Maryland Invitaional Recap)

After going 2-1 with a loss to Oregon in the Championship Match of the DC Koehl Classic back in August, Ohio State made their way out to College Park for the Maryland Invitational.

On August 31st the Buckeyes opened up the tournament with a 3-0 shellacking of Binghamton.  In dominating fashion the Buckeyes were relentless winning 25-11, 25-20, 25-11.  Emily danks had a solid match for the Buckeyes with 7 kills on 16 attacks, Mari Hole had 13 kills and only 3 errors on 26 attacks.  After that the Ohio State offensive attack was spread around with Mariah Booth and Kaitlyn Leary recording 5 kills apiece while Erin Sekinger and senior setter Amanda Peterson each tallied 4.

Alex Roland led the way for Binghamton with eight kills, her team was plagued by 19 attacking errors while Ohio State only had 7.

On the first of September the Buckeye Women won their second match of the tournament against Seton Hall in another sweep.  The scores of each set were as follows 25-22, 25-21, 25-14.

While it was not quite the dominating performance that Ohio State put up against Binghamton, it was still another solid outing.  Mari Hole had a monster match with 25 (!) kills on 43 attacks.  This was the time of match many have come to expect out of Hole.  Emily Danks added 12 kills on 28 attempts but also had 5 errors and Mariah Booth chipped in with another 8 kills.

Seton Hall really spread the ball around on offense with Simona Sekulova recording a team high 7 kills on 10 attempts.  Stacy Manthorpe really struggled against the Buckeyes, managing only 2 kills on 21 attacks.

Later on the same day it was Danks' turn to shine, she turned in 24 kills on 50 (!) attacks in Ohio State's 3-2 victory over Maryland.  Ohio State ended up winning 14-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-22, 15-5.

The Buckeyes did an amazing job digging themselves out of a 0-2 hole to win a tough match.  Hole also had a decent outing with 13 kills, although she also had 6 errors on 44 attacks leading to a .159 hitting average.  Mariah booth added 9 kills and freshman Katie Mitchell tallied 7.

Three Maryland players Remy McBain (10), Ashleigh Crutcher (19), and Adreene Elliott (13) recorded double digit kills.

McAnena the main man for OSU

In a little over 70 minutes last Wednesday, Ohio State captain Austin McAnena went from being goalless on the season to the top of the team's scoring charts.

The midfielder netted the Buckeyes' first three goals in their matchup against the Butler Bulldogs at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, which they eventually won 4-1/

It was a day that McAnena wholeheartedly deserved after his performances through the first half of the campaign.

Ohio State's record (4-6-1) may not be one that they are particularly happy with, but their no.11 can certainly be pleased with his season so far.

No matter where he has been on the pitch, McAnena is always the first player his teammates look to. His ability to keep the ball in tight areas coupled with his skill at taking defenders on makes him the undoubted top dribbler for the Scarlet & Gray. Along with that there is the accuracy and quality of his passing, which is probably only bettered by his teammate Louie Berra.

But the match against Bulldogs gave him a chance to show he had an eye for goal as well, and that could prove to be an important part of Ohio State's end to the season.

He already was tied for the team lead in assists with three, but his treble of goals against Butler means he leads the squad in both offensive categories.

Now with McAnena the leader on the pitch and on paper, the hope is that the Buckeyes can kick their form into the next gear as their Big Ten schedule gets in full swing.

Having already lost to Indiana and Michigan respectively, Ohio State's next game against Michigan State is even more important. Starting off 0-3 in the Big Ten is the last thing coach John Bluem and his staff would want, but a win could give the team a huge boost.

With players like McAnena and Chris Hegngi (who scored his first goal of the season over the weekend) beginning to find that net, all signs point to a strong finish to the season for the men from Columbus.

OSU Women's Hockey: Buckeyes Win Opening Series

            When the horn sounded on Saturday evening, Ohio State had 124 shots, 11 goals, and a confident swagger to show for its dominating series sweep of Lindenwood in its first home stand of the 2012-2013 campaign.

            The Buckeyes’ power play efficiency and overall speed of play rendered the Cougars defenseless for the majority of the weekend.  The visitors were held to two goals in as many games, while Ohio State’s special teams managed to net six power play goals in addition to a shorthanded tally.

            Luckily for the Cougars, a quick glove hand from goaltender Nicole Hensley saved them from much more lopsided scores. Hensley made 60 and 53 saves on Friday and Saturday respectively.   

Ohio State 4, Lindenwood 0

            Lindenwood became dependent on its defense shortly into the first period when the Buckeyes began to expose a flaw in Hensley’s game.

            While Hensley did not have much trouble blocking high shots, she struggled to limit rebounds when pucks skittered low to the ice. Ohio State continued to shoot low on the freshman goalie until Tina Hollowell eventually buried a close-range rebound five minutes into the first frame to give the Scarlet and Gray a 1-0 lead.

            The Buckeyes resumed their shots from the point and battles in front of the net in the following two periods. Kari Schmitt and Taylor Kuehl each registered power play goals before Paige Semenza capped the victory with a breakaway beauty.  

Ohio State 7, Lindenwood 2

            The Buckeyes jumped out to a quick start on Saturday, surging ahead to a 4-0 advantage before the Cougars cut the lead in half midway through the second period.            

            Lindenwood ‘s goals foiled Ohio State goalie Chelsea Knapp’s attempt at a weekend of shutout hockey, but didn’t jostle the home team’s defensive corps. Knapp faced only 35 shots between the two games.

            Ohio State added three more goals after the Cougars made it 4-2 to cement its victory.

            Paige Semenza and Annie Svedin led the Scarlet and Gray, recording two goals and two assists each. Semenza now tops the Buckeyes’ leaderboard with five points heading into a weekend series at Minnesota Duluth. 

            

OSU Women's Volleyball: Non-conference Roundup

The Buckeye's kicked off the 2012 preseason schedule back on August 24th in the Sports Imports DC Koehl Classic.  Ohio State swept their first two matches before eventually losing to a very talented Oregon team.

In their season opening match against Houston, the Buckeyes eleven kills out of senior Emily Danks and ten kills out of senior team captain Mari Hole.  Danks came into the season just 14 kills shy of 1,000 on her career.  Setter Amanda Peterson also put on a great show, totaling 38 assists on the match, helping to lead Ohio State to a 25-21, 25-20, 25-21 victory.  Houston had a great showing from Katie Norris who totaled 17 kills on the match on her way to leading all scorers.

Service errors were a problem for Ohio State, with 7 on the day, but that could be chalked up to early rust as that has not been nearly such an noticeable issue as the season has rolled on.

On August 25th the team played two matches, starting with a sweep of Toledo.  In this match Danks chipped in with another nine kills, Hole had 13 kills as well as 5 hitting errors, while Kaitlyn Leary did her part with another 11 kills.  The Toledo offense was held in check the entire match as not a single rocket was able to reach double digit kills.  Lauren Rafdal and Jordan Kielty tied for the team lead with eight a piece.  Ohio State ended up winning 25-19, 25-20, 25-14.

In the championship match of the DC Koehl Classic, the Buckeyes (ranked 24th at the time) faced off against then number twenty Oregon.

Ohio State got off to a spectacular start winning each of the first two sets and really looking to upset a very talented Oregon squad.  The Duck's All-American Alaina Bergsma was held mostly in check through those first two sets while Emily Danks started off at a torrid pace.  Danks finished with 22 kills and Hole added 19, but Bergsma ended up stealing the show with 23 kills while leading the Ducks to a 3-2 come from behind victory.  The final scores were Ohio State 25-17, 25-21, 14-25, 24-26, 10-15.

I'll be back later with a continued look back at the Buckeye preseason.  As well as a look ahead to this...


With the 2012 Big Ten season finally under way, the Ohio State Women's Volleyball team heads to Minnesota tonight and Wisconsin tomorrow night to kick off a four game conference road trip.

Victory Over DePaul Seals Back-to-Back Wins

Against DePaul, the Ohio State Buckeyes men's soccer team found a way to produce two consecutive victories for the first time this season.

The win improved the Scarlet & Gray's record to 3-3-1, with one non-conference matchup - against Louisville - still remaining.

Their 2-1 win over the Blue Demons on Friday evening was arguably their most complete performance of the season: solid defensive play in both halves, coupled with some composed finishing produced a scoreline that honestly could've been wider.

The goalkeeper position was once again filled by Alex Wimmer, who had started the second game of the team's doubleheader in San Diego the weekend before. The junior netminder was making his fourth start overall, and looked comfortable through the entirety of the game.

His attackers were lively from the start: freshman forward Louie Berra started up front, giving the Buckeyes a great deal of incisive play and possession. The rookie's performances this year have always impressed, especially his ability to control and distribute the ball in tight areas.

But when he found some space in the penalty box, he took his opportunity with the utmost precision. After the ball came out to Austin McAnena on the outside of the eighteen, the Buckeye captain spotted the far post run of Berra, and his slide-rule pass was controlled by the youngster and smoothly driven past the goalkeeper Eric Sorby.

Berra found himself on the scoresheet for the second game running, and Ohio State went into the break handily in front of DePaul when it came to possession, but only one ahead when it came to the score.

But the second half proved to be more of the same, with Ohio State's central midfield partnership of Zach Mason and Brady Wahl performing with a combined solidity.

Though neither of them could particularly handle the Blue Demon's Antonio Aguilar, a silky center midfielder whose precise control took him past most of the defenders he came up against. For all the number six's fine contributions in open play, it was his set piece shooting that let him down. There were many times in the match where he stood over an inviting opportunity and duly smacked the ball well over Wimmer's goal.

After some increased pressure from the visitors, the Buckeyes finally finished them off. With less than a minute to go, Blue Demon goalkeeper Sorby was drawn out to confront Chris Hegngi's run in the box. The senior forward calmly dribbling around him, and looked up in time to find his fellow striker Kenny Cunningham, who slammed the ball home to wrap the game up for Ohio State.

A goal with only one second left from DePaul's Thiago Ganancio was merely a footnote overall, and the home team could celebrate for the second game running.

The Buckeyes travel to perennial power Louisville on Tuesday, and if they can find a way to beat the Cardinals and keep this winning streak alive, they will know that they'll be the form team once Big Ten play opens up.

Wild Weekend Ends In Wolstein Classic Title

In what can only be described as 200 or so crazy minutes,  the Ohio State men's soccer team finally produced the results they were crying out for in this early stage of the season.

Hosting the Bert and Iris Wolstein Classic, the Buckeyes first lined up against Coastal Carolina on Friday night at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The biggest change for the Buckeyes was in net - sophomore goalkeeper Alex Ivanov replacing his junior counterpart Alex Wimmer.

The first half of the Bucks' opener didn't amount to much. A few chances for the Chanticleers - and no shots on goal for the hosts - failed to excite the 722 spectators into any sort of frenzy.

After the interval, though, some life entered the match. Both sides came into the match without a win, and their collective desperation began to provide moments of inspiration.

Coastal's midfield stalwart Pedro Ribeiro proved to be a menace to many of the opponents. His slalom forays into the Ohio State half continually featured him shrugging off the challenges of one defender after another. It was from a corner, though, that the number 10 conjured up he most audacious of shots on goal. With his back to the net, he met a low cross with the heel of his left foot, and luckily for the goalkeeper Ivanov it just cleared the crossbar.

As the Chants pressure intensified, the opening goal finally arrived on 77 minutes - but they were the ones conceding it. Ohio State fullback Alex Bujenovic found some space and unleashed a fine drive with his left foot, the ball taking a deflection off a defender's back and wrong footing the goalkeeper Bertele. It may not have been something their play deserved, but the Buckeyes had their first home goal of the season.

However, the lead was short lived. Only two minutes later, an Ashton Bennett cross was turned home by Coastal forward Ricky Garbanzo, and the scores were level. What ensued in the closing staged was nothing short of extraordinary.

With only two minutes to play, some neat passing between Buckeye forwards sent Chris Hegngi through on goal and as he rounded the goalkeeper Bertele he was bundled over. A clear penalty, and not only did Ohio State have a chance to win the match, Coastal also found themselves down to 10 men and having to field their reserve keeper Scott Shewfelt.

But to this credit, the man between the sticks held his ground, and denied Hegngi his first goal of the campaign with a marvelous save low to his left. The drama didn't end there, though. With the final seconds literally winding down Joshua Breto squared the ball to Sebastian Rivas in the area, and his goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by Coastal defender Kjartan Sigurdsson. An unlucky end for the Buckeyes, and this match headed to overtime.

Much like the beginning of the game, overtime provided little excitement, and both teams claimed a draw, the first result of the season for the Buckeyes.

In Ohio State's second game against Davidson they had to pull off a quite remarkable turnaround to win the Wolstein Classic for a second straight year.

Falling behind to a first half header from Andrew Dilallo and a second half free kick from Luke Blades, the hosts afternoon went from bad to worse when forward Yianni Sarris - having just come off the bench - was sent off for violent conduct. Any chance of a comeback seemed remote.

The Scarlet and Gray fightback began with an 80th minute header from Rivas, straight from a Adam Gorski throw-in. Then merely five minutes later the turnaround was complete - Alex Bujenovic matching his strike from two nights before with a spectacular freekick into the top corner of the Wildcat net.

Cue wild celebrations at the Jesse, and the Ohio State hunt for a winner went into top gear, but to no avail. Overtime would be the solution again.

Only this time it didn't end in a draw, and luck was on the Buckeyes side as their opponents proceeded to create their own downfall.

With the ball crossed into the six yard box by a Buckeye attacker, a few bounces and a bit of miscommunication Kenny Cunningham's attempted shot being deflected into his own net by a Davidson defender. Ohio State had their first win of the season, and and undefeated weekend to boot. Now with a double header in San Diego, the men from Columbus will see if these two results are indicative of their talent, and not just some fluke.

Men's Soccer Endures Tough Start

In any sport, the beginning of a season proves crucial: it can give you the impetus to sustain a successful campaign, or it can spoil your confidence so much so that the year is lost as fast as it began.

For the Ohio State Buckeyes men's soccer team, the focus will be on changing the tone of their start to the former, and not letting it slip into the latter. After two losses to start to the season - to Dayton and UIC respectively - the Buckeyes find themselves in a hole they are desperate to get out of.

In their first matchup the scarlet & gray found themselves on the road in Gem City against the Flyers. A goal each from Sebastian Rivas and Alec Lowell gave them a chance, but both goals were scored while the Bucks were two goals down.

When they returned home to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Sunday they had real hopes of putting in a much better performance than they did in Dayton. The clear skies and excited crowd seemed ready for a first win of the season, but the men from the University of Illinois at Chicago had other plans.

A mere five minutes and three bounces into the game the Flames had the lead. An opportunistic strike from Ned Pavlovic gave them the crucial early advantage. A mishit from one of his teammates and an attempted block by an Ohio State defender aided in the ball sitting up perfectly for the junior forward. From that point on the Buckeyes knew they had to take the game to their guests, and they certainly began to turn the screw.

Chris Gomez saw his terrific half-volley tipped over the crossbar by Flames keeper Piotr Kikolski, the standout performer of the half. The junior was called into action again later in the first half when quick interplay between the aforementioned Rivas and Chris Hegngi lead to Rivas' low drive being deflected out for a corner. The big man in goal needed to be on his toes again when Sage Gardner's free kick almost crept in under the crossbar.

The standout chance of the first half though, went to Gardner, one of the Buckeye captains. After Austin McAnena was freed on the right side, his cross was met in front of goal by the onrushing Ohio State skipper, but he couldn't direct his header on target. If the ball had found it's way towards the frame, the outstanding Kikolski wouldn't have even had a chance. But the Buckeyes still trailed at the half.

After the interval the hosts did all they could to muster more goalscoring opportunities. But industrious moves from the likes of midfielders Zach Mason and Louie Berra were continually suppressed by the Flames defense, and the path to goal seemed to be permanently blocked.

For all the Buckeyes effort and persistence the chance never came, and it wasn't until the 82nd minute that the result was finally put beyond all doubt. Picking up the ball in the center of the park, UIC captain Ivan Stanisavljevic - their best outfield player on the day - began dribbling in the center channel, unchallenged by any Ohio State defender. As he approached the box he did the deftest of shimmies to his left before cutting back onto his right foot and fizzing a shot into the bottom of Alex Wimmer's net.

The goal left the entire stadium with no doubt of the result, and it also left the Buckeyes a lot to ponder before they host Coastal Carolina on Friday.

Final Baseball Bracketology

All 30 conference champions have been crowned, several in dramatic fashion. Fresno State won the WAC with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 13th. Manhattan needed extras to win the MAAC. Samford needed 11 innings to win the SoCon. UCLA needed to hold off USC to win the Pac-12 title. Yesterday, Purdue took the Big Ten Championship after a bench-clearing brawl with in-state rival Indiana. This weekend was simply insane.

Of those 30 teams to earn automatic bids, only 2 will be hosting regionals, UCLA and Purdue. The other 14 hosts were reserved for at-large entrants. That means, on Monday, there will only be 20 spots up for grabs with the selection committee announces the field of 64 at 12pm EDT.

But now, for the final baseball bracketology of the 2012 season...

Baseball Bracketology - May 28, 2012
ALL CAPS - Conference champion

Tallahassee Regional #1 Florida State Vanderbilt SAMFORD (SoCon) UAB (C-USA)	Palo Alto Regional Stanford CAL STATE FULLERTON (Big West) Utah Valley FRESNO STATE (WAC)
Columbia Regional #8 South Carolina COASTAL CAROLINA (Big South) Louisville AUSTIN PEAY (OVC)	Raleigh Regional NC State Oregon State Appalachian State BELMONT (ATLANTIC SUN)
Gainesville Regional #5 Florida Ucf KENT STATE (MAC) BETHUNE COOKMAN (Won MEAC)	Coral Gables Regional Miami MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC) STONY BROOK (America East) ARMY (Patriot)
Eugene Regional #4 Oregon Clemson Gonzaga CREIGHTON (MVC)	Gary Regional PURDUE (Big Ten) Arkansas Indiana State VALPARAISO (Horizon)
Chapel Hill Regional #6 North Carolina Mississippi UNC WILMINGTON (CAA) MANHATTAN (MAAC)	Tucson Regional Arizona San Diego New Mexico State MISSOURI (Big 12)
Waco Regional #3 Baylor Tcu UT ARLINGTON (Southland) ORAL ROBERTS (Summit)	Houston Regional Rice Oklahoma Missouri State CORNELL (Ivy)
Baton Rouge Regional #7 Lsu GEORGIA TECH (ACC) Texas LOUISIANA MONROE (Sun Belt)	College Station Regional Texas A&M Dallas Baptist Wichita State PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (SWAC)
Los Angeles Regional #2 UCLA (Pac 12) PEPPERDINE (WCC) NEW MEXICO (MWC) SACRED HEART (NEC)	Charlottesville Regional Virginia Kentucky SAINT JOHN'S (Big East) DAYTON (Atlantic-10)

First 6 Teams Out: Charleston, East Carolina, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington

Two Days Til Selection Monday

Two days ago, I claimed that the conference baseball tournaments in May made the conference basketball tournaments look tame in comparison. After two days filled to the brim with upset after upset, the bubble looks a lot different and is much smaller. The only teams who have played their way into the NCAA Tournament talk are teams who needed to win their conference tourney. Well, many are just one win away from doing so.

The Big 12 is one of the major conferences who are looking to send an extra team. With A&M and Texas gone and Baylor on the cusp of elimination, the Big 12 will get an extra bid if Missouri or Kansas pulls an upset on Sunday.

In the Big East, Louisville was the only lock to make the NCAA Tournament. But with their early exit, the Big East is guaranteed a second bid, maybe a third if the committee shows a liking to Saint John's.

Conference USA, which had two locks and a bubble team going into their tournament, is down to two teams: 5th-seeded Memphis and 7th-seeded UAB, two teams who had no chance at playing in the NCAA Tourney as an at-large.

The list goes on and on...

In the Big Ten, Purdue is just one win away from winning their 1st Big Ten Tournament title in school history. This is bad news for the Big Ten as they may be a one-bid conference with Indiana needing to win the tourney to advance to the NCAA Tourney while Michigan State is one of the teams on that rapidly shrinking bubble.

Baseball Bracketology - May 26, 2012
ALL CAPS - Projected conference champion

Tallahassee Regional #1 Florida State Ucf SAMFORD (SoCon) SACRED HEART (Won NEC)	Palo Alto Regional Stanford CAL STATE FULLERTON (Big West) Utah Valley SACRAMENTO STATE (WAC)
Tucson Regional #8 Arizona San Diego NEW MEXICO (MWC) NORTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit)	Gary Regional PURDUE (Big Ten) Arkansas Indiana State VALPARAISO (Horizon)
Gainesville Regional #5 FLORIDA (SEC) MIAMI (ACC) KENT STATE (MAC) BETHUNE COOKMAN (Won MEAC)	Raleigh Regional NC State Vanderbilt East Carolina ARMY (Won Patriot)
Los Angeles Regional #4 Ucla PEPPERDINE (WCC) Wake Forest CANISIUS (MAAC)	Charlottesville Regional Virginia Mississippi State STONY BROOK (Won America East) SAINT JOHN'S (Big East)
Baton Rouge Regional #6 LSU (SEC) Oregon State Texas LOUISIANA MONROE (Sun Belt)	College Station Regional Texas A&M Dallas Baptist Missouri State PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (Won SWAC)
Eugene Regional #3 OREGON (Pac-12) Ole Miss Gonzaga EASTERN ILLINOIS (OVC)	Lexington Regional Kentucky Clemson Louisville DAYTON (A-10)
Chapel Hill Regional #7 North Carolina COASTAL CAROLINA (Big South) UNC WILMINGTON (CAA) CORNELL (Won Ivy)	Columbia Regional South Carolina Georgia Tech Appalachian State BELMONT (Atlantic Sun)
Waco Regional #2 BAYLOR (Big 12) Tcu MEMPHIS (C-USA) UT-ARLINGTON (Southland)	Houston Regional Rice Oklahoma (Big 12) Washington SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (MVC)

Last 10 Teams Out: Virginia Tech, New Mexico State, Maryland, Wichita State, Sam Houston State, Charleston, Michigan State, Cal Poly, Tulane, California

Big Ten Tournament & Baseball Bracketology

All across the country, conference baseball tournaments are taking place as I write this entry. From the Norwich, Connecticut down to Clearwater, Florida out to Las Vegas, Nevada, teams are fighting for their conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. From experience I can tell you, if college basketball has madness in March, college baseball has Jack Torrance-level insanity.

Looking at things from a local perspective, the Big Ten Tournament at Huntington Park in Columbus has the chance to end the dreams of one of the many bubble teams.

Purdue - The Boilermakers are coming of their first conference championship since the Taft administration. In fact, the Boilermakers could be the first B1G team to host a regional since Michigan did so back in 2008. That is what Purdue is playing for this weekend. If they make it into the championship series on Saturday, they will most likely host a regional from U.S. Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana. If the Boilers lose to Ohio State today and make an early exit from the tournament, they may still host, but it would be as a #2 seed.

Michigan State - Sparty put together an impressive resume for the second straight season. Last year, the green and white missed out on the NCAA Tournament despite a 36-win season under head coach Jake Boss. This year, the bubble is weaker and the Spartans are firmly on it. They've already matched last year's win total. The committee may not like their series loss to lowly Michigan back in April, but have to like their road wins against Baylor and Purdue.

For the remaining four, Indiana, Penn State, Nebraska, and Ohio State, it's a win-and-in scenario. Anything less this weekend and their seasons are finished. In fact, Penn State and Nebraska play today in an elimination game which will end one team's season. Indiana and Ohio State face tough opponents in Michigan State and Purdue respectively later on today.

Up in Avon, Ohio, the MAC Tournament began yesterday. The MAC is a one-big league this year no matter how you slice it. The clear front runners are the Kent State Golden Flashes who finished 24-3 in conference play to win the East. If Kent State doesn't come out of the MAC, then it's anybody's guess. But with victories yesterday, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Miami University have the best chances of challenging last year's tournament darling.

The Horizon League Tournament is being played at Les Miller Field in Chicago, which has one of the most amazing backdrops in college baseball. Valparaiso is the #1 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, but the automatic bid could go to anybody in this conference. Wright State earned a bye in the tournament and is led by the Horizon Player of the Year in senior outfielder Tristan Moore. UIC is the #4 seed, but is the host of this tournament and has plenty of depth in the offense from 1 to 9.

Baseball Bracketology - May 24, 2012
ALL CAPS - Projected conference champion

Tallahassee Regional #1 FLORIDA STATE (ACC) UCF Vanderbilt FLORIDA ATLANTIC (Sun Belt)	Lexington Regional Kentucky MISSOURI STATE (MVC) Maryland KENT STATE (MAC)
College Station Regional #8 Texas A&M Tcu Wake Forest ORAL ROBERTS (Summit)	Houston Regional RICE (C-USA) Dallas Baptist Georgia Tech SAM HOUSTON STATE (Southland)
Los Angeles Regional #5 Ucla CAL STATE FULLERTON (Big West) UNC WILMINGTON (CAA) MANHATTAN (MAAC)	Charlottesville Regional Virginia Oregon State COASTAL CAROLINA (Big South) STONY BROOK (America East)
Gainesville Regional #4 Florida Miami Washington BETHUNE COOKMAN (Won MEAC)	Raleigh Regional NC State Mississippi State East Carolina AUSTIN PEAY (OVC)
Baton Rouge Regional #6 LSU (SEC) Oklahoma Tulane SAINT LOUIS (A-10)	Palo Alto Regional Stanford Clemson Gonzaga CORNELL (Won Ivy)
Eugene Regional #3 OREGON (Pac-12) Pepperdine Utah Valley SACRED HEART (Won NEC)	Gary Regional PURDUE (Big Ten) LOUISVILLE (Big East) Indiana State VALPARAISO (Horizon)
Chapel Hill Regional #7 North Carolina Ole Miss APPALACHIAN STATE (SoCon) ARMY (Won Patriot)	Columbia Regional South Carolina Texas Charleston BELMONT (Atlantic Sun)
Waco Regional #2 BAYLOR (Big 12) Arkansas Wichita State PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (Won SWAC)	Tucson Regional Arizona SAN DIEGO (WCC) NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC) NEW MEXICO (MWC)

Last 10 Teams Out: Virginia Tech, Cal Poly, California, Long Beach State, Michigan State, Georgia, Elon, Washington State, Saint John's, SE Louisiana

End of an era

So it has been a huge past week, Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles, Junior Seau supposedly committed suicide, and the NBA and NHL playoffs are in full swing. But those aren't the stories I am going to talk about today. I want to talk about the end of an era.

I want to talk about Mariano Rivera.

For those of you who don't know Mariano Rivera is the closer for the New York Yankees, or at least was. The man considered by many to be the greatest at his position in the history of America's pastime tore his ACL in practice yesterday, and while not usually a career ending injury you have to wonder.

Mariano is old, 42 years old to be precise (ok not old in general but for an athlete he is), and I cannot see how he can recover from an injury as devastating as this. He will be out for the entire rest of the season and will probably continue to rehab well into spring training. The amount of time he is going to be forced to take off before he can get his body back into baseball shape, not to mention that his body is already weaker due to his age, may make it nearly impossible for a return.

It is truly hard to see for baseball fans all over America. It does not matter if you are a normal person and hate the Yankees, or a terrible human being and love the Yankees (just kidding?), when the sport loses a legend as substantial as Mariano everyone's heart has to be breaking.

He has all the records for a closer, and even this past season when he came into the ball game it was essentially a death sentence for the opposing squad. Never has a single pitcher been able to accomplish so much just one pitch. Mariano's fastball has become the stuff of legend, to the point where I honestly don't know if another one pitch has ever been more feared.

And as a fan I can honestly say that I wish this were the extent of the story but sadly it isn't. Not only does this most likely mean the end of Rivera, but possibly the Yankees as we know them.

Throughout history, the sport of baseball has been dominated by the Bronx Bombers. Always the richest, strongest, fastest, and best team the Yankees have more championships and hall of famers than any other baseball franchise. For the past 20 or so years though the Yankees have been composed of their core 4. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Petite, and Mariano Rivera.

These 4 players have anchored multiple world series titles and have been the faces of the franchise since the minor leagues. But that core is crumbling. Petite has retired, we already talked about Rivera, and Posada is out of the game as well. This means that the old version of the franchise lies on the shoulders of Derek Jeter, a heavy burden for one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

Not to mention the death of George Steinbrenner. A man who not only changed New York but the entire sport forever passed away recently and the future of the Yankees organization is in question.

I am not saying that the Yankees will completely stop being the Yankees, but with this current aging roster and the loss of these great men it could spell the end for this incarnation of the richest sports franchise in America.

This isn't a prediction of doom and gloom for the Yankees more than it is a letter of regret to one of the sports finest. It is not 100% that Mariano will not return, he himself has vowed to come back, but it is a bleak outlook to say the least.

Mariano I wish you a speedy recovery and will be watching your career till the very end.