Women’s lacrosse may be new at Saint Leo, but the fan support is not lacking. With the advertising of free food and the first home game in the program’s history, over 600 supporters showed up to the new University Field to cheer on the team on Friday, Feb. 17, only to witness a 5-23 drubbing at the hands of the Lindenwood University Lions of Missouri.
Week 10 of the 2012-13 National Football League season arrives with the majority of the teams still theoretically in the playoff hunt. This week’s slate of games features some key divisional match-ups, as well as some intriguing AFC-NFC games. Here are my predictions:
On Oct. 27 the NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted on a few proposals that will allow each conference to make the decision on whether or not its member institutions can increase the student-athlete scholarship package to include the full cost of attendance. The proposal also includes the possibilities of multi-year scholarships as well as making the academic standards tougher on student-athletes. After the proposals were accepted NCAA president Mark Emmert said, “It was one of the most aggressive and fullest agendas the board has ever faced.” They moved with dispatch on it, and I think they’re taking positive steps for schools and student-athletes” (Associated Press).
The most successful season in Saint Leo women’s soccer history ended Sunday Nov. 13 in the second round of the NCAA Division II women’s soccer tournament, when the top seeded Lions dropped a 2-1 decision to the fifth seeded Lynn University Fighting Knights. Saint Leo (15-3-1) came into the game fresh off a loss to Tampa in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament, after winning their first SSC regular season title in program history. Lynn (11-6-1) advanced to play the Lions in the second round of the NCAA after beating Florida Tech 1-0 in the first round.
The legendary Joe Paterno was fired as the coach of Penn State in the middle of his 62 years with the program and 44 as head coach. Paterno was relieved of his duties by the Penn State Board of Trustees on Nov. 9 a day after he had announced his retirement for the end of the season.
The Saint Leo Lions Men’s and Women’s basketball teams opened up their seasons on Friday, November 11, and both came away with impressive wins. The women’s team started the night off with a 5 o’clock tip off time. In the first of two head coaching debuts, Nikki Jesse and her team were able to defeat the visiting West Florida Argonauts by a score of 63-56.
Men’s and Women’s soccer may be garnering a lot of spotlight for the respective inclusions in the Sunshine State Conference Championships, but a lot of focus is not even on Saint Leo athletics.
For the first time since the 2007-2008 season, Jaromir Jagr will be playing in the NHL returning from his three-year stint in Russia (KHL). Jagr joins a new looking Philadelphia Flyers team that has burst into the spotlight early in the season. Coming into the past offseason, Jagr informed his agent Petr Svoboda that he wanted to return to the NHL.
In the 2008-2009 season when the Detroit Lions went 0-16 for the regular season, all hope was lost. At that time fans had to hide their faces in shame. But then in the next year’s NFL Draft they drafted overall number 1 pick Matthew Stafford, a Quarterback from the University of Georgia. Since being in the league Stafford has had a problem staying healthy but has shown glimpses of greatness. From the moment he had been set for rehab, Stafford went hard at 110 percent. He wanted to be the player he knew he was capable and help the Lions win and go to the playoffs.
This season has been everything but boring for Saint Leo sports. We have seen the rise of new coaches and players alike, yet we have also seen a tremendous boost in athletic competition. The Lady Lions soccer squad has been hard at work this offseason, showing now in their season.
