Daily Archives October 10, 2007

After the Hula Hanks Senior Welcome Back party on Thursday night, I think it's safe to say that everyone was more than ready for a low-key weekend at home. Was it just me, or did the party dresses, school buses and chicken fingers remind everyone of an eighth grade dance? The only thing differentiating the two events was the beverages.

What a joke of a holiday. At least on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas we get to dominate food. Why do we even celebrate Columbus Day? Is it because he drove away the Native Americans quicker and more effectively than the U.S. government could? Either way, he did get us a day off by being the captain of the Santa Maria.

The high school varsity jock's ego dies a slow death. I'm sure you were the star of your team in high school, champ. However, you don't need to gallivant around the B-league softball field after you hit a bomb, pumping your fist like you're former Los Angeles Dodger Kirk Gibson.

When one fails, one must try again. That seems to be Fairfield's mantra when looking back on the garden apartment plan, which failed early this summer due to insufficient funding. Although it is said that a new plan will be devised by a special committee, time is of the essence.

Chris Simmons, Ali Bart and Joe Carretta talk baseball, Stags' sports and who the hottest mirror member is in this week's edition of Mirror Sports 3 x 5.

Deng Gai wins USBL award: Former Fairfield forward Deng Gai '05, played for the Albany Patroons, this past season and was named to the USBL All-Defensive Team. Gai helped lead the Patroons to a 16-7 record, the second-best record in the regular season. Gai finished the season first in blocks with 2.

There are two types of stories that all sports fans love: "Cinderella" team miracles and inspirational moments. The 2007 Colorado Rockies have both. Mike Coolbaugh was a 35-year-old coach in the Colorado farm system. A former player, Coolbaugh had begun to find a niche coaching some of the Rockies' raw talent, working exclusively with rookies and draft picks.

Almost a year has passed since an opposing team has scored a goal against Fairfield at Lessing Field. The Stags have not lost at home since Oct. 20 of last year, when Loyola came in and upset them, knocking Fairfield from its No. 15 ranking. The Stags (6-2-2, 1-0-1 MAAC) have shut down every team that has made the trip to Fairfield since then, including two shutout victories in the MAAC Tournament over Loyola and Siena, and boast a 6-0-2 record at home since that loss.

The Stags steamrolled the St. Peter's Peahens en route to their 10th win of the season and their seventh in the MAAC on Saturday, Oct. 6. The Stags won their first set 30-20 and didn't look back on their way towards their sixth straight shutout this season.

Both Ed Cooley and Joe Frager, the men's and women's head basketball coaches, came into Fairfield with the reputations of being top recruiters. So far, both have lived up to the hype. Frager was hired by Fairfield late in the 2007-2008 recruiting season but made a big splash with the signing of Joelle Nawrocki '11.