By Mathew Schlissel 

COPPIN STATE EAGLES

Senior Anthony Littlejohn led the men's cross country team to a fifth-place tie at the University of Delaware Invitational last weekend. Littlejohn completed the 8K race in 27:21, good for 18th place overall. Coppin tied Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Delaware State for fifth in the team standings. 

The women's volleyball team (1-7) got its first win this season, downing St. Francis 31-29, 30-22 and 32-30 in the finale of the Providence Friar Volleyball Classic. Senior Indira Laurencin reached double figures with 21 kills and 11 digs. Fellow senior Danyel Davis added 10 kills and seven digs. The Eagles will participate in the St. Francis (Pa.) Tournament this weekend. 

LOYOLA GREYHOUNDS

The men's soccer team (6-0) continues to roll after shutting out Hofstra, 1-0. Senior Janson Blake contributed the lone goal against Hofstra for the Greyhounds. Loyola will travel to the West Coast to take on nationally ranked Gonzaga and Oregon State this weekend in the Oregon State Soccer Tournament.

The women's volleyball team has started out strong in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The Greyhounds beat Niagara last Saturday and Canisius College Sunday in Buffalo, N.Y. The Greyhounds (8-6, 2-0 MAAC) have won four in a row and snapped a four-match losing streak against Canisius. Loyola will host conference foes Siena on Saturday and Marist on Sunday at Reitz Arena.  

MORGAN STATE BEARS

The football team wasted another great effort by running back Chad Simpson, losing its MEAC opener at home to Winston-Salem State, 19-17, last Saturday. The Bears took the lead, 17-16, on a 43-yard field goal from backup kicker James Meade with 1:13 left. However, the Rams drove all the way down the field, and Matt Mitchell nailed a 24-yard field goal with one second left for the improbable win. 

Simpson led the Bears with 221 yards on 41 carries, setting career highs highlighted by a 33-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter. Morgan hits the road Thursday to take on Hampton. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

The women's volleyball team lost its MEAC opener to University of Maryland Eastern Shore last Friday, 3-1 (30-15, 30-27, 27-30, 30-28) at Hill Field House. It was Morgan State's (0-9, 0-1) first MEAC opening loss in 16 years. Senior Esther Johnson led Morgan State with 16 kills, six digs and a block. The Bears will be back on the court Saturday when they compete in the UMBC Tri-Match with the Retrievers and Fairleigh Dickinson.  

NAVY MIDSHIPMEN

The men's tennis team has had a strong start to its fall season, winning all 13 matches against St. Joseph's last Sunday on the final day of competition at the Navy Invitational. Nate Nelms, the No. 1 singles player, highlighted the matches with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Patrick Adams. The No. 1 doubles team of Nelms and Johnny Waters defeated Phil Bayliss and Will Pearson, 8-6. Navy will continue its season Sept. 28-30 at the North Carolina Invitational.

Virginia Commonwealth University shut out the women’s soccer team, 3-0, last Sunday as the Rams' June Hartman produced a rarity in college soccer -- a hat trick. The Middies also dropped a game on Friday, 4-0, to William & Mary at the VCU/Ewing Sports Invitational in Richmond, Va.  

TOWSON TIGERS

Towson quarterback Sean Schaefer managed 262 yards against UMass, but was sacked four times.  (Towson Athletics)

No. 3 Massachusetts ended Towson's six-game road winning streak with a 36-13 football victory in Amherst, Mass., last Saturday. Several mistakes cost the Tigers, including three turnovers and two special teams errors. Junior quarterback Sean Schaefer threw for 262 yards, but was under constant pressure, getting sacked four times and throwing three interceptions. Senior wide receiver Paul Perry had a career day with 11 catches for 131 yards. Towson will host No. 10 Delaware Saturday at 7 p.m.

Sophomore Phyllicia Rosselli scored two goals to lead the women's soccer team to a 2-0 non-conference victory over Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. Senior goalkeeper Brandi Daniels also led the Tigers (5-1) with a season-high nine saves en route to her 15th career shutout. With the victory, the Tigers are off to their best six-game start in the 16-year history of the program. They travel to Mount St. Mary's on Friday afternoon for their final non-conference game. 

UMBC RETRIEVERS

Tiffany Johnson.

The men's soccer team (3-1-1) watched its unbeaten streak end at four and a shutout string end at three as VCU edged the Retrievers, 2-1, Saturday in a non-conference match at UMBC Soccer Stadium. The Retrievers’ lone goal was scored by Ime Umoh, who headed the ball down from 8 yards away. It bounded just inside the far right post with 3:28 remaining in the game.

UMBC was out-shot 14-7 by VCU, while UMBC netminder Steve King added a season-high seven saves. UMBC takes on another Colonial Athletic Association squad in James Madison on Saturday at 1 p.m. at UMBC Soccer Stadium.

The volleyball team had its five-match winning streak snapped at the Towson Invitational last weekend. The Retrievers opened the Invitational with a thrilling five-set win over Towson. However, the Retrievers fell to No. 21 Dayton, 3-0, and Western Kentucky, 3-1, on Saturday at the final day at the Towson Center. Sophomore Tiffany Johnson averaged 1.30 blocks per game over the weekend and was named to the All-Tournament team. The Retrievers host the UMBC Tri-Match, facing Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday at 10 a.m. and Morgan State at 5:30 p.m. at the RAC Arena. 

DIVISON III NOTES

The Johns Hopkins football team dropped its second straight game, this one a rout to Gettysburg, 41-10, last Friday night at Homewood Field. The Jays fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the Centennial Conference. Colin Wixted led Hopkins with a career-high 14 tackles.

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Goucher's men's soccer team suffered a tough 1-0 loss to Lebanon Valley last Saturday, after defeating Washington on Wednesday. The Gophers (3-3) never got on the scoreboard against Lebanon Valley and were out-shot 14-9.

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Villa Julie's men's soccer team (2-4) lost to Christopher Newport 4-0 last Sunday in Owings Mills. The Mustangs host Arcadia at 3:30 p.m Saturday.

Issue 2.38: September 20, 2007