Tonight the Men look to get back into some kind of hope of a post-season as they try and get a win against a good Mt. Vernon ball club. The men have struggled this season. A team that is high in youth, but high in losses as well. This team is capable with playing against good teams, it shows in a couple of wins this season (Notre Dame, Daemen), however, they are also capable to lose to bad teams as well (Houghton, RWC). This season not yet lost, however, another loss tonight will put the Pioneers behind the eight ball, and force them to virtually win out. The positive, if there is one, is that after tonight, the majority of the games are against AMC North teams (Malone, Daemen, RWC, Houghton). which can shift the standings. A statement win tonight would do wonders for this young ball club. But are they able to do it?

    Of Course: The team is very dynamic, they have great guard play with Freshman T.J. Heatherington, as well as playing coming in off the bench like 3-point threat Josh Trocchio. If the Pioneers get rolling on the outside, it opens the inside play for players like Gerald Warrick, Marcus Robinson, Devon Alexander, and Dante Anglin. When this team runs up and down the floor on all cylinders they are a scary team to go up against.

   Of Course Not: This team is extremely young. At some points it seems like the effort is there, at others it seems like every man for themselves. That just does not get it down on the basketball floor. A team is supposed to be like a family: giving and taking, loving on another, and helping each other out.

   I have seen this at times but I have not seen it at others. There is still hope for this season for this team, however a long shot it might be, but there is still a shot. If this team comes together and gets a BIG statement win tonight, things could change, things might change, but they have to want to do it. Will they? Tune in to the game LIVE at 7:30 with myself and Aaron Cooney, before that, its myself and Kevin Calhoun bringing you all the LIVE women’s action. Post-game recap and analysis will be in my next blog, don’t miss a second of your favorite Pioneers sports action, all here on 670 AM WPPJ

Originally posted 2010-02-04 22:03:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Ahhh can you smell it? Probably not because most can only smell the salt that the city of Pittsburgh has been spreading throughout to try and melt the ice. But lucky for you, I can tell you what the smell is, and that would be playoff basketball on the horizon. Its like when you first get to an amusement park and you can smell the popcorn, or when driving to the ocean, you get that nice whiff of ocean breeze. If you are hopeful to see some playoff basketball, then either come, or stay in and listen to the Pioneers and Highlanders tonight because this will be a playoff-like atmosphere, especially on the women’s side. Seems like a good place to start, so start I will.

Women:   In their previous meeting this season, the Pioneers were able to go up to New York and get a big win against Skip Lord and his Lady Highlanders. Houghton is a storied program. Coach Lord always has his ladies ready to play no matter who it is against, and tonight will be no different. Houghton is kind of a one trick pony in that the team goes as Ashley Dupler goes. Dupler is just like Amanda Himes of MVNU. She is an outstanding player averaging 16.9 PPG and has been the teams leading scorer in 18 of the teams 23 games. If Dupler gets in rhythm then your going to have problems UNLESS you play the Dupler will get hers, lets eliminate everyone else, like Leah French who averages just over 12 PPG. I don’t mind going that route, however, if Dupler gets started early like she did against the Pioneers in the teams first meeting, then PPU will be playing from behind again. If the Lady Pioneers want to get a win and thrust themselves back into the playoff picture then they NEED to get their big two going in April Austin and Ashley Henderson. When these two play well not only do they feed off each other, but the team feeds off them as well. And can we get a Pioneer big to get me 15 and 10 tonight?? Jones, Peterkin, Reinhard, Roddy anyone?

Keys to the Game:

PPU: 1. Get started from the outside: This is the Pioneer strength, no doubt about it. Austin, Henderson, Swedish, Veseleny, Bergman all need to get started from beyond the arc.

2. Transition Defense: This is, by far, the weakest asset of the women’s team. I don’t know what it is, but they have to fix it in a hurry. Team after team have exploited this, and hopefully the Pioneers are able to fix this problem before it hinders their playoff chances.

3. Bench stepping up: I would love tonight to see some production off the bench. Especially Ashley Bergman. She is ready to go off soon, you can just feel it, maybe tonight might be the night.

Houghton: 1. Inside Out: Get the ball to your horse on the inside, and that will force the Pioneers to either double, or move into a zone which will free up your shooters, like French, from the outside.

2: Defend the perimeter: Make the Pioneers go to the inside, their strength, as previously stated, is the outside game, if the get started from their, the game will be over.

Stat of the Night: Houghton is 9-2 at home, but only 5-6 on the road.

Men: The men wasted an ample opportunity against Shawnee State to put themselves back into the picture in the AMC North. Now, it is all about pride and future for the Pioneers. They are not yet out of it, but winning out will only get them to 8-8, and the last playoff spot sits at 7-6, do the math. Point Park has no one to blame except themselves, they could be hovering around that last playoff spot and potentially slip into in. But now they need to worry about what’s to come.

Keys to the Game:

PPU: 1. Get some production from the inside: If Point Park can get a couple of their forwards working on the inside, then the Pioneers should have a good time tonight against the Highlanders.

2. Defend, Defend, Defend: The Pioneers need to play defense. If they do not, and let Houghton do what they want on the offensive end, then the game will be a struggle.

Houghton: 1. Devin Paige: Since Yannick Anzuluni has become ineligible, Paige has picked up the slack left in the void. If he can have a stellar game tonight, look for Houghton to stay in the game.

2. Rebound: I said the same thing with Shawnee State, if they out-rebound Point Park, then they have a good chance to win. Much like SSU, Houghton also is a minus in the rebound category.

Stat of the Night: Houghton is 2-8 on the road.

Hopefully you give a listen tonight LIVE on 670 AM WPPJ, and www.msasports.net. Game times are 5:30 and 7:30, pre-game starts 15 minutes before game time. Look here after the game for a recap and my analysis of the games.

Originally posted 2010-02-12 14:49:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

In the United States only 42 percent of sexual assault victims actually report their crimes. Why is that when the numbers of rape are significantly higher of other crimes like robbery and murder?

Could it be the fact that people do not want their names out to the public? But why is that when a murder occurs everyone wants the people to know the name of the deceased or the place that was the victim of the robbery.

The following will provide information both for and against releasing the names of people who are victims of sexual crimes, as well as describe the recent situation of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as he has been accused who two sexual assault cases where in one the victim’s name was released and in the other, the name was withheld. There is no reason, unless the victim is under the age of 18, that his or her name should not be named.

Sexual crimes is a matter that few like to speak about, however what about the press? Does that not intrude on a First Amendment right to freedom of speech and press?

Some feel that releasing the victim’s name, regardless of age, in a case of a sexual crime only does more damage to the victim.  In the 60’s and 70’s when this became big it was said that the victim was raped twice, once by the rapists and once when the media released their identities.

However, aren’t we, as journalist supposed to get both sides of the story? Is it not the job of journalists to give all the facts that we can in the story? Why publish the criminals name when they won’t give the victims?

“It seems unfair to me with the presumption of innocence to report one party of a trial and not the other, you’re not doing your duty if you make an exception,” said Henry Gay of the Shelton-Mason County in Washington which is one of the few papers that still publishes victims names of sexual crimes.

The situation has come up again in the news as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been accused twice in less than a year of sexual assault.

In one instance in Nevada, the victim’s name, Andrea McNulty, was released into the public, and she herself was very public on the matter.

However in Roethlisberger’s case in Milledgeville, Georgia the victim’s name has not been released and she has stayed as far away from the investigation as possible.

Why does the victim not want her name released?

Now the argument can arise that there is a stigma that comes with sexual crimes and it is not a good one. It is a terrible crime that takes a very terrible person to commit and can effect ones life that is the victim of the crime.

“And the argument was if the victims’ names were made public, other victims would be less likely to come forward… It’s good because it protects them from unwanted stigma and scrutiny, it’s bad because it possibly feeds into the cycle that there is something to be ashamed of,” says Kelly McBride a journalism ethics expert at the Poynter Institute.

Now the feeling of most parents would be the same when given the option of having their son or daughters name in print or heard over the evening news.

“The big question is, ‘Do you want to see your daughter’s name in 28-point type on the front of The New York Times as a rape victim?’,” said Victoria L. Lutz of the Pace Women’s Justice Center.

In the case against Roethlisberger in Georgia, the reason was given by the prosecutor not to release her name was that she did not want to be looked at differently since the case involved a big name athlete.

But at the end of the day it is our duty of the journalist to provide information, and in this case it is to release these names. And after all, in most cases there is not a law that says the media is not allowed to release the names, in most cases it is a company policy.

With the McNulty case, at one point wanted to settle with Roethlisberger for only a few simple things, Roethlisberger to admit to the crime, an apology, and a $100,000 donation to the Committee to Aid Abused Women which is a non-profit in Reno helping victims of domestic violence.

Why can this not happen more often? No one is asking a women who was the victim of a sexual crime to just automatically go and be the face of efforts to stop the crime, but just because something terrible has happened to you does not mean that you have to crawl into a hole and not help others before their crime ever occurs.

When the media withholds information on reports that they are giving, it does not give the full effort that they would in any other case by withholding the information.

It also shows a bit of human quality and opinion in the media organization when not releasing the name, which is not supposed to by there. Journalists are main job is report the facts, without getting their personal opinions in the way.

There are exceptions to the rule like editorials and certain talking heads you might see on national TV. But the fact is that journalists are not supposed to influence the story but by not releasing the name they are doing just that.

”The newspaper publisher is big daddy saying, ‘Don’t you worry, little lady,’ ” says Gay.

This is a very good point; it is like saying to the victim and others that the media feels bad for the victims of sexual crime so we will not release your name because you have already been through a lot.

Regardless of what the victim has been through, it is not the journalists decision whether the person has been through too much, they are to report the news, and by withholding information, they are not doing their job.

The media should release victims of sexual crimes names; they should be shouted from the hills.

And in the case of the victims and the victim’s families, they must know that the media has a job to do, and not to get in the way of that, and realize that being a victim, is not an embarrassment.

“In the long term, it is our goal and our hope that most victims will be comfortable letting their names be known publicly, as is the case with victims of most other crimes. After all, being a victim of sexual assault is nothing to be ashamed of,” said President and Founder of Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network Scott Berkowitz.

Berkowitz is right, being a victim is nothing to be ashamed of. The media will take care of you in instances like this; they will not scrutinize the victims. Most journalists will take extreme caution to make sure of it, but in that same thought, make sure the job gets done, and do it to its fullest, not withholding any information. The names should be released, there is no reason why they should not be.

As I notice that it has been a LONG time since I have posted and I apologize for those who like to read my post, I wanted to come off with a bang. Spring sports have started and the Point Park Softball team is on a hot start. A 9-2 record and the Pioneers have not been swept yet this year. The team was only a game away from making the playoffs last season and are returning players like KristenZelenka (Pitcher), Christie Schroeder (Catcher), Courtney Cain (1st Base), and Abbie Heigel (Pitcher) just to name a few. With the returning players, they have added great freshman like Olivia Sorce (2nd Base), Danielle Dorunda (3rd base), and Kelsey Robertson (Pitcher) just to name a few. This team has a lot of talent and a very good chance to be a top team in the AMC. With that said, there are some problems with this club. Mainly putting everything together on a consistent basis. Sometimes this pitcher will be there, and the hitting will not be. Other times it is just the opposite. This pitching staff is extremely talented from top to bottom. Zelenka, Heigel, Robertson, Carnicella are all extremely talented pitchers. This is something these team has had trouble with in the past, which is depth and consistency on the mound. I am very excited about this team, I can not wait to get into conference play and see what these ladies are all about. The freshman are going to need to grow up quick, and mesh with the veterans.

On the other side of the diamond with the baseball team, they as well have a interesting mesh of youth and experience. However their talent has not been shown in the win column quite yet. With that said though there has been bright spots with the team, one of which has been a huge surprise. Joe Cox was out all of last year due to injury but has returned this year and is 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA. No one else on the staff has more than 1 win, and 7 pitchers are without a win. Cox is also the only one with a shutout, and one of three to pitch a complete game. This is stellar for a game that myself personally thought would not be a factor in the rotation. The biggest problem though with this team is driving players in from the plate. The Pioneers have left 116 men on base, which is an uncanny number. This number is fairly surprising for the fact that six players have batting averages over .350. Point Park just has not been able to get the clutch hit when they really need it. There has been spots when the Pioneers would be down by only a few runs, with runners in scoring position, and they would not be able to get a hit. A player that has been out due to injury as of late has been Ricky Cordido. He has started each game he has played (11) and has batted .263, has scored 4 times and has 6 RBI’s.

The thing is here, you should be excited about these Spring sports. Good talent especially with the softball team. Come out and watch the team play. Also, you will be able to hear select home games on 670 AM WPPJ, and you can also catch highlights on the Pioneer Sideline. Until next time, this has been Josh Frketic, a part of the award-winning sports department, and the best play-by-play broadcast in the nation, 670 AM WPPJ.

This morning as the roster freeze ended in the NHL the Penguins wasted no time in going in and making a trade. Surprising? No. Who they got was however. The Pens acquired 29-year-old Jordan Leopold from the Panthers for a 2nd round draft pick. Leopold is joining an already stacked blue line of the Penguins. Which leads me to believe that someone will be seeing their way out of Pittsburgh off that blue line for a much needed winger. When most look at the Penguins they always see the players like Crosby, Malkin, and Staal, however they do not notice how deep the Pens are on defense. Gonchar, Orpik, Letang, Golo, Eaton, Leopold now, and don’t forget the very impressive youngsters on the Baby Pens. Pittsburgh has the depth, and the reason to go make a move for someone like Whitney, Ponikarovsky, Kariya, ect… There are good players available, but I am fairly sure the Pens do not want to “rent” a player. They are going to want someone for more than 2 years. The good thing is, giving up one of those defenseman should spark interest in teams that players really haven’t been mentioned to be traded (like Leopold). Pens got a top 4 defenseman in Leopold. He would be very good working with either Gonch or Letang. To me right now, it looks like it might be Alex Gologoski the man with the short straw at this point for the  Pens. His ice time has been shrinking, and I feel that Letang is the better rounded blue liner. Two other names to watch for would be Mark Eaton, he would be a compliment to another player in the deal, and maybe, just MAYBE Gonchar. That’s right I said it, maybe Gonchar. Lets look at facts. He is getting old, the Pens would like to stay young at blue line, they are not talking contract anymore at this point with the Russian. He has been great for the Penguins, and vise versa. But I would not be totally shocked if he went at the deadline, with that said I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed. I haven’t heard anything through my grapevines, I am merely saying that it is a viable option. Back to Leopold, good, physical defensive who can get some points too. He is an experienced defenseman, and will be a very good defenseman with the black and gold. I also feel he has something to prove in Pittsburgh. He has been traded the past two seasons (went from Calgery to Florida, now from Florida to Pittsburgh) and is sure to want to make his mark here, like he did in Coloardo. With that said, the Pens will make another move before the deadline, and it will be big, mark my words.

As I have come home today and am enjoying some relaxation, I finally have some time to post something new for everyone. And I find this a matter that deserves the time to be typed. I have read some status updates today from more than one person complaining, yelling, and expressing their dislike of people wearing Canada hockey jerseys in America. People asking where their national pride is at. Some even saying they should be deported. This is absolutely stupid. 1st and foremost it isn’t about national pride when professionals are playing the sport. 2nd, what do you expect? In a city like Pittsburgh when you have two of the top five players in the league on your team and wait a second yes thats right, they aren’t American. 3rd, this is 1980 when we were in a Cold War with the Soviets and all hell could be broken loose at any second… Canada is harmless. 4th, the marketing of those players. I am sorry, but if i wanted to sport an Olympic jersey from one of the Penguins it would probably be a Canadian Crosby, or a Russian Malkin jersey, no offense to Brooks Orpik (who I love) but its kind of hard to get your jersey man, that even goes for your Penguin jersey. 5th, its not America’s game, this isn’t basketball or football… As unfortunate as it is, and this is coming from a person that has played multiple levels of hockey my entire life, it isn’t big here in the States. It is life up there, its a hobby down here. Tomorrow’s game is going to be great, but when it is all said and done, Crosby will come back to Pittsburgh with Orpik, they will laugh, play jokes, and look towards another Cup… Eliminate professionals from the Olympics, and we have a different story on our hands, the nationalism is brought back into the Olympic sport of hockey. Until then, lets root for a good game, do I want the US to win? Sure. I am gonna cry about it if they don’t? No. I like a lot of the Canadian hockey players, as I did the Swedish, Slovaks, Russians, Swiss, and Czech… Let’s root for the American Bobseld team who has won gold for the first time since ’48, that’s where the big national pride should be.

As I sit at the scores desk typing and thinking about today’s HUGE AMC Conference match-up between the Pioneers and the Raiders, I think how much this game did not have to mean anything at all. What if the Pioneers took care of Notre Dame at home instead of blowing the 18 point lead that they had. Or if they would have finished the job against a team like Cedarville of Shawnee State. Or if they would have show up for certain games like the home game against Daemen or the road game against Northwestern Ohio? Too bad playing the what if game does not really matter much at all, and the Pioneers have to win today against the Raiders to have hope of the playoffs. Here is what has to happen:

1. Point Park needs to win in every scenario

2. If Daemen beats Houghton, UNOH beats Wilberforce, and Notre Dame loses to Walsh, the Pioneers would be a in 3-way tie of the 6th and 7th seeds. Due to tiebreakers, PPU would get the 6th, and Houghton the 7

3. If Daemen beats Houghton, UNOH beats Wilberforce, and Notre Dame beats Walsh, that would put the Pioneers in a 4-way tie for the 6th and 7th spots. Due to tiebreakers, that would put UNOH in 6th, and PPU in 7th.

4. There are other scenarios but these two are the most likely.

Point Park dominated the Raiders in their meeting at CCAC, April Austin just went off and killed RWC from the outside. Austin might need a similar performance tonight if the Pioneers hope to go to the AMC playoffs.

Keys to the Game: PPU: 1. Shoot well from the outside: In their last game, PPU went inside early and often. We are going to have to see if the Pioneers do that again this afternoon. If they do, they will have to utilize the open looks from the outside and knock them down, if they do that, they should have easy pickings against RWC

2. Guard bigs well: McMillion is the star for Roberts, she is the only threat for this team. If the Pioneers can stop her then they should be able to get the win.

3. Focus: Playoffs are on the line today, focus and get the win.

Roberts: Establish McMillion: Go into her early and often, all day long. They have played better as of late and it has been because of her. If she can get on a roll on the inside look at for the Raiders.

2. Rebound: When the Pioneers struggle it is usually because they do not rebound well. In the past game against Daemen, the Pioneers only allowed 3 offensive rebounds. Roberts has to do better than that on the offense end of the floor.

Thats in for today, don’t forget to listen to the game today on the MSA Sports Network at www.msasports.net Game time is shortly at 2 oclock.

Ahh can’t you smell that in the air? No, it is not the cafe smell spreading through to Lawerence Hall Lobby, but it is playoff basketball right around the corner. Now, I must state, I am in a bit of a rush to catch that basketball bus that will take all of us to Amhurst, NY for the game today, so excuse typos and such (did not want to write this on my iPhone). The women are more than alive in the AMC playoff race, and a win today will put a BIG statement onto their resume to be worthy of making the playoffs. When you look at the Pioneers resume it is not impressive on the basis of who they have beat. Zero wins over the top 5 teams in the conference. They have beat who they are supposed to, and for the most part, hung in against the teams they should. A win tonight will give the Pioneers a much needed resume win in case the last couple playoff spots come into a tiebreaker system. PPU has historically played well at Daemen, even though it is a tough place to play, and that Daemen is usually in the playoff race. Sarah Soroka is the Wildcats go to player, a player that can dominate on the inside, and then go outside and put a three in your face. Daemen will play through her, but they are not a one-trick pony. Marybeth Nugent and  Bridgette Burke are also players to look out for tonight.

Keys of the Game: PPU: 1. Inside out: Feed the bigs the basketball, let them establish a presence, and then the outside will open up and that is where you are at your best. It is of the up most importance to see Jones, Peterkin, Reinhard, or Roddy to get some touches on the inside.

2. Limit 2nd chance oppurtunities: You have to rebound, you can not give a good team like Daemen multiple chances to get points. That goes right back to the before mentioned forwards to do their job on the inside.

Daemen: 1. Shoot em out: At home, Daemen shoots the ball well historically. If they get going, you should just start the bus and get ready to take the four hour ride back home. If the Wildcats get started early, they will win.

2. Transition Offense: The Pioneers have fixed this for now, but I think if Daemen can exploit this, they should have an easy time getting open looks from the outside which will help out key number one.

Stat of the Night: The Pioneers have forced at least 20 turnovers per game in their last three games.

Men: Sad to say but the Men are unable to make the playoffs this season.  This is not a normal thing for the Pioneer men, on most years they are a danger in the AMC Conference. But all is not lost. This is the time where you have to see what you got for next season. Players like Devon Alexander, Donte Anglin, Josh Trocchio, Dave Menzies. See what you have in these guys so you know what you need to go and get in the offseason. When Daemen and PPU meet, it is always fun, this one will be too.

Keys to the Game: PPU: 1. Shoot well from distance: I seem like I sound like a broken record but the Pioneers strenghth with both teams is the outside game. If they can get Joel Cashatt, Josh Trocchio and TJ Heatherington going, it can be scary.

2. Take care of the ball: When PPU has a good assist to turnover ratio, they win, when they don’t, they lose. Basketball is such a simple game.

Daemen: 1. Focus: Daemen is playing for a playoff spot here down the stretch. They need to focus and take care of business tonight, or they could be on the outside looking in on the playoffs.

2. Get Maisto going: If Mike Maisto can shoot the ball well tonight, watch out for the Wildcats making this a laugher. The Pioneers have struggled defending the perimeter this season, and this is good news for Maisto.

Stat of the Night: Daemen has 4 players in double-figures in scoring

Well, hope you all enjoy the day, I have to go catch a bus, don’t forget to listen to all the action LIVE tonight on the MSA Sports Network at www.msasports.net. Myself and Kevin Calhoun have the women, and myself and Aaron Cooney the men!

In about 45 mintutes the Point Park Lady Pioneers will put their win streak, and my mustache, on the line on Senior Night against the Carlow Celtics. In their previous matchup this season PPU was able to go to Carlow (Oakland Catholic HS) and get a win 65-44. This was a game where the Pioneers really stepped on the gas and ran away with one. But reader beware, this Carlow team is much improved not only from last year, but from earlier this season. They have proved a lot of people wrong by going out there and competing on a nightly basis and give teams headaches.

Keys to the Game:
PPU: 1. Get the bigs work: It is that time of the year when the forwards will wear down opposing teams, the Pioneers bigs have been inconsistant this year, and to get a
big win tonight one of them will need to produce.
2. Focus: Its senior night tonight so emotions will run high, everyone needs to keep their heads and focus on the matter at hand, keeping the winsteak and keeping my mustache growing.

Carlow:
1. Burn em down: Catch fire from the outside if you want to get a win tonight Carlow, you are gonna need a lot of points.
2. Rebound: You must keep second chances to a minimum if you want to beat the Pioneers.

Stat of the Night: Point Park has won three straight over the Celtics.

Tune in LIVE on the MSA Sports Network at www.msasports.net at 7 o’clock to hear myself and Kevin Calhoun. Afterwards check back for recap and analysis from myself in the aftermath.

Last night the Pioneers were able to pick up some much needed wins in the AMC Conference defeating the Houghton Highlanders 46-44 (Women) and 90-82 (Men).  The wins keep the playoff chances for the teams very much alive. The Lady Pioneers were able to overcome a poor shooting evening by forcing over 20 Highlander turnovers. And to be honest, they needed every single turnover in this one. By far the worst shooting outing by the Pioneers this season going only 2-12 from downtown. That is one area they need to fix up immediately. But for yesterday they were able to do it by defense, but I would love to see the offense come back into form for the Pioneers. As for the Men, they were able to do it with some “showtime” dunks by Gerald Warrick. Warrick went 11-12 from the field having 24 points. Most of these shots were high percentage, but Warrick hit a number from the short corner. And regardless of the fact if they were bunnies or not, they still went in, and they were huge in the movement of the Pioneers forward because if they win out, there is a slim chance they can make the playoffs, but the chance is still there. Now moving to previewing today’s games that can be heard on 670 AM WPPJ and of course at www.msasports.net.

Women:   This one is easy, if the Pioneers show up and remotely play well they will get the win tonight. Malone is on a 12 game losing streak, and they only have 4 wins on the season. Malone has two players in double-figures led by Amy Kittle who has just over 14 PPG. This is a team that does scare me, but I think that is because I am thinking too much about this game and reading too much into it. I think one of the reasons why is also how the Pioneers have shot recently as well. But to be honest, this one should not even be close, and if it is, there is something we need to talk about later.

Keys to the Game: PPU: 1. Show up: Please, just show up, play decently, and blow this team out by 30, and my mustache will continue to grow.

Malone:  1. Transition Offense: Run the basketball up and down the floor today, make the Pioneers have to play some transition defense and prove themselves.

2. Shoot well: Not a good offensive team are the Malone Pioneers, so for them to pull the upset today, they are going to have to shoot the ball well everywhere from the field. 36% or better from the field, and 33% or better from beyond the arc.

3.  Take care of the basketball: Malone turns the ball over 22 times a game. To win the game they can not do that today against the Pioneers because that will be more opportunity for PPU to put a lot of points on the board.

Stat of the Night: Malone is winless at home, all of their wins have come on the road or on a neutral site.

Men: Such a big win last night for the Men. But they can’t celebrate too much because they need to get another one today. In their first match-up, Point Park had a seven point lead at the half, but Malone came out and just dominated the second half and pulled away to kill PPU. The win for Malone propelled them to an eight-game winning streak that have put them in the hunt to win the AMC North. However, they have dropped two straight. So PPU might be meeting Malone at the right time. Malone played tough against #1 Walsh, but couldn’t pull out the win, Malone might come in emotionally drained. Eric Coblentz is there star and leader of this team, if they want to stop Malone, it starts with him.

Keys to the Game: PPU: 1. Shoot well: Josh Trocchio, Joel Cashatt, T.J. Heatherington, and others need to come out tonight and shoot the ball well. I would like to see it consistent as well. Consistency is key, do that and it will help in getting a win.

2. Limit turnovers: Last night the Pioneers took care of the ball, only having 12 turnovers but also having 21 assists. Those numbers are great, and seeing them again today will help.

Malone: 1. Establish an inside presence: Yesterday Gerald Warrick got going early, and no one on Houghton could take care of him, Malone has to be big early, I am talking to you Mr. Porbeni, Mr. Young, and Mr. Watts

2. Counter-Emotion: Its Senior Night for Point Park tonight so you know the PPU is going to come out strong. Malone has to counter that early on if they want to win. We will have to see what that Walsh loss did to Malone.

There it is the stages have been set, nothing else now except to play the games. And you can hear those games LIVE on 670 AM WPPJ, and www.msasports.net. Women at 2, Men at 4. Check back later tonight for the aftermath of these games.

DO NOT RIP APART SOMETHING YOU HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH OR FOR.

So, The Globe always rips apart Point Park Athletics. Yeah, we do not have thousands of people attend basketball games and support the green and gold on a daily basis. Everybody knows it is not as big as theater at Point Park, but why shouldn’t be? and After Further Review, many of the people you see everyday bust their asses off to make sports at Point Park a crucial part of their lives, and hopefully yours.

Tennessee University has an enrollment of close to 28,000, and sports is obviously huge in the south. What else do they have to do? But, speaking with a friend who is a journalism major at Tennessee, they do not have the accessibility to create their own “Sportscenter”, which we do with Pioneer Sideline. This is a student run show for 4 years, all which have been successful. From Steeler players, to Bob Pomp, and internet celebrities, Sideline is a reason why you should care about sports. People bust their asses off to cover games, to record them, edit the highlights, and give you weekly presentations of what is going on in the sports world at PPU. When thinking about my freshman year, with Labar and myself starting this show, I wish we did more with it. There is always room for improvement, but seriously, look at this show and realize how much work is put into it. It is a 24/7 job for Josh Frketic, among others. Do I wish I could still do more for the show? Absolutely. But this guy throws all of the free time( which isn’t much free time to begin with) into this show and tries to get people to care about sports at PPU. Just because the attendance is not there in large increments, does NOT mean people do not care. I invested 4 years in making myself apart of sports at PPU, and now I can see why people care. They do not get paid for it, they do it for love, for committment, and for the desire to become better. PPU Sports may never have a huge following, but with a school of over 1,500 commuters and a total just above 3,000, what else can you ask for than trying?

Josh Frketic, in my opinion, works harder than anyone else on this campus. Pioneer Sideline is more of his life than breathing at times. I am not here to kiss his ass, because we have had differences on ideas, etc in the past, but friendships and arguments aside, show me somebody who puts every single drop of sweat and time into a project more than him. Don’t judge a whole sports program on the fact of attendance.

Sports is more than the game, it’s how people live. Broadcasters, Analysts, Media, Coaches, and Players invest days, weeks, and years into something that they can care for, work for, and strive for. Point Park Sports really is something to care about and to work for. There is a sports program here, and just because OTHER people do not invest time into it, does not mean it doesn’t exist.

JI4

As I sit and jam to The Who rock out Miami I can’t help but laugh about who old they are! The Who is an amazing band, I myself rocked out while laying in my bed to “Teenage Wasteland”. But I am surprised in the reaction The Who is receiving. I do not think most beyond my age know who The Who were/is/are (not sure what word I should use). But lets look at the game a touch. For all of that high powered offenses, the defenses are played great and are asking who are, who, who are these offenses (hope you liked that). Manning is showing everyone why he is the BEST quarterback in the league. He can read, and pick apart defenses unlike any others. For those of you that hate Manning, you should stop, take a breathe, and enjoy that greatness that is the Volunteer graduate. Brees is also a elite quarterback in this lead, however you can see the differences between the two. Indy is playing their soft, bend but don’t break defense, and Brees is taking what Indy is giving them. The Saints are not giving Manning much, he, and his receivers are doing it themselves. And what about this run game of the Colts. Where did this come from? Addai has his longest run since 2006 (and it was only about 26 yards). This second half should be fun, both teams will pull out all the stops. And since we are getting ready to get back underway, I am going to get under the blankets and enjoy, and you should too.

The Pioneers just fell to Shawnee State U. by the final scrore of 84-68. Gerald Warrick had 18 points and 12 rebounds and freshman T.J. Heatherington had 18, all of which in the second half. If you read my pre-game blog you saw what I said that SSU would have to do to get a win this afternoon. One of which was out-rebound PPU, they did so 50-36. They pulled down 36 on the defensive end and 14 on the offensive end. Another thing I said was that they had to shoot the ball well, they didn’t do half bad shooting 41% from the field and a stellar 83% from the free throw line. Had to say o was right, they dominated from basically the opening tip and never looked back. The things I said about PPU were right too. I said they would have to focus, they didn’t, bring up the intensity, an they didn’t. Today the Pioneers lost to a team that was 10 more losses than wins. It’s not easy to win on the road and today proved it. The effort and want wasn’t there. I don’t mind seeing teams lose, but when they do it as bad as they did tonight, against a team that isn’t on the same level you are, makes me upset. The Pioneers could have crawled back into the playoff hunt, but instead they fell backwards further back out of it. Sad part is the Pioneers are still in it at 4-8 in the AMC. Wins are a must, and it has to start Tuesday…

Well I would like to start off by hoping everyone is safe at home due to all that fluffy white stuff, looks like we got out of the city just in time… Today the Men’s Pioneers will be taking on the Bears of Shawnee State in about roughly 70 minutes ( that’s what’s on the scoreboard) and today mean much much more than it did when we last talked. Last night, Malone beat Daemen which gives them some room in 2nd place and puts Daemen in a tough spot. Also last night Roberts Wesleyan fell to Walsh, another blessing for the Green and Gold. A Pioneer win today and a Roberts and Daemen loss (Against Malone and Walsh respectivly) will put Point Park only a game out of the last playoff spot. With all of that, let’s get into today’s game. First l, Head Coach Bob Rager did no make the trip due to illness, in steps assistant Gabe Bubon who is 1-0 in his career as a head coach (filled in for Rager once before). He told me he doesn’t plan on moving to 1-1. Another not making the trip is F Devon Alexander who is under a team suspension for reasons that were not disclosed to me. Now to the people that are here, this team was extremely loose last night at dinner and the hotel, which is not a bad thing. This team hasn’t had many overnight trips this year which. Feel is a great team-builder. As this team is warming up I see that Josh Trocchio is hitting about everything for the outside which would be an awesome thing if that could continue into the live game. On the flip side, looking at this Shawnee team in warmup, they don’t impress me too much. They are a 3-7 ballclub in the AMC and are riding a six game losing streak. Now to the keys go the game tonight:

Point Park: 1. Focus: At times this team has had trouble focusing on their opponent. Pioneers can’t lose their focus tonight becuase they have an amazing oppurtunity tonight and they can let it go. 2. Intensity: They have to come out fired up and ready to run on all cylinders or it will be a long, painful busride home.
3. 3-point shooting: This is an area the Pioneers have struggled with the past few games. I’d love to see PPU improve on that tonight.

Shawnee State:
1. Use athletic ability: Shawnee is an athletic team I think they are going to have to use that to their advantage mainly because that is one of their strengths.
2. Catch Fire: If SSU wants to win they have to shoot well. About 40% from the field and about 33% from downtown. They have to shoot well this afternoon if they want to pick up a big W for the home folks.
3. Clean the Glass: As Dicky V says he’s a window cleaner baby!! Well Shawnee’s bigs better out-rebound the Pioneers. Tyler Morgan and Mark Bryant each average over 6 boards per game and they have to do their part tonight and some others are going to step up too because on the year Shawnee is a -4 in the rebound column.

Well that’s it for me, I think I’m gonna grad a water an a hotdog, sit back and relax and watch some basketball, I hope you join me right here on 670 AM WPPJ or you can also just jump over to www.msasports.net an listen LIVE as myself and Aaron Cooney have the call. Pre-game starts at 11:45. Check back later for my recap and analysis of the Bears and the Pioneers.

Hello all you sports fans. It was an interesting day in sports yesterday from seeing another blockbuster trade in the NHL, to some great college basketball action. I have no had about 10-12 hours to ponder the day that was for the Pioneers and although I blogged about it last night, I have some different thoughts about last night, plus would like to give you an initial preview of the Men’s game @ Shawnee State which hopefully you will be able to listen to on WPPJ, if not www.msasports.net is always a safe bet. I mentioned yesterday that the women’s team had the opportunity to impress me and prove me wrong in saying they wouldn’t get a big statement win. However this time I was right… I must state, before I go any farther, that I have said in the past and will say it now: It is extremely difficult to win on the road in any division, conference, or level of college basketball. However, with that being said, yesterday the ladies played a horrendous, lackluster game against a playoff team yesterday. Neither April Austin, nor Ashley Henderson could get going, and those are the two that you look for in games like this. The Pioneers struggled to find answers for Amanda Himes who had 28 points and 11 rebounds. Yes she is 6-1, yes she is an elite player, but the Point Park has height and depth at the forward position. And at that, PPU stayed in a women-to-women defense all night (as I can remember). Why not pack it down on the inside and roll with a 2-3. MVNU had trouble shooting for most of the night last night, that would have at least slowed Himes. The transition defense on this team is also painful to watch. For whatever reason they just don’t get back on defense 100% of the time, its more like 25% of the time. When this team goes out and plays hard, smart, and to the ability they are capable of, they are a great time. Its all about getting hot, and they need to because this upcoming week is going to big huge. An away game at rival Daemen (Daemen defeated PPU earlier this year.), then two home games against Houghton and Malone (Lady Pioneers beat both teams on the road this year). Their last four games are winnable (Houghton, Malone, Carlow, Roberts Wesleyan), three of which being at home. Don’t count the ladies out now, they can play basketball, and there is a lot of it left to be played. Moving to the men, they were able to pick up a big one last night (you would know this if you read my post-game blog last night) and are still alive in the playoff hunt, although they are doing so through a feeding tube. I was quite excited about this win last night as everyone was. I have had time to think about it, and although I am happy, I feel better about the women, than I do about the men. When you read me in the upcoming future, I will have a better handle on what this men’s team is all about. They sit in 4th (our of 5) in the AMC North at 4-7. Above them is Roberts 5-5 and Daemen at 6-4. Daemen is the lottery winner right now sitting in the last playoff spot. PPU is more than 3 games back with 5 games left, four of those against AMC North teams, which does some good for the Pioneers. But the mountain to climb is a steep one, Mt. Everest esque, but people have climbed it before, will the Pioneers be able to? We will have to see. They have a very, very winnable game against Shawnee State tomorrow. We leave today at 1, will head to Portsmouth, Ohio and stay overnight down there. I think its a great idea to head down a day early, rather than take the 5 hour or so trip tomorrow since game-time is at Noon. The Bears are a team the Pioneers should beat, no question about it. Shawnee is an athletic team, but not as talented as the Pioneers. If Shawnee wants to win they will have to force freshman PG T.J. Heatherington to turn the ball over. But more will have to happen for SSU to beat Point Park. Like: Shoot the ball well, use their athletic ability, call the Pioneers hotel rooms at 4 A.M., rebound, give PPU food poisoning. All the Pioneers have to do is play the game they know how to and they will come out with a win tomorrow, but it is more than a matter of showing up. The must be ready or Shawnee will pick up a home win tomorrow. That’s going to do it for me, tune in tomorrow at Noon for the Pioneers and Bears, check back tonight and tomorrow to see a preview of the game. Feel free to give your thoughts to me jpfrket@pointpark.edu.

The Point Park Men’s basketball team came into Mount Vernon, Ohio and was able to steal one against the Cougars 88-86 in OT. The Pioneers needed a last second dunk by Gerald Warrick to send the game to OT. In the overtime period, Robbie Taylor of MVNU knocked down two 3′s to give the Cougars the lead but a Warrck bucket and foul gave the Pioneers the lead for good. This win was just what the doctor ordered for Point Park. Not only was it a win, but it was a win that could change a season around. I’m not sure what it is with the Pioneers and beating good teams (Notre Dame, Daemen, and now MVNU) but that’s what they have done. Played up to their competition and have played down to it as well. But on a day like today, it’s not necessary to talk about the bad. Let’s look forward for what’s coming for the Pioneers. Firs and foremost is Shawnee State on Saturday. Now is the time of year to string together wins and make a push to make the playoffs. I refuse to get my hopes up though, I will support this team 100% but they need to put it together now and not look back. There are big games on the horizen and players like Heatherington, Warrick, and Johnson need to continue to play well and players like Cashatt, Trocchio, and Washington need to step up. The time is now, great victory tonight but there are more to come..

Tonight the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams are traveling to Mt. Vernon of Nazerene. It fact we are on our way there now currently in some small town in Ohio. Of the two teams then Women’s Pioneers are in much better shape than the men. A win tonight for the ladies would do them wonders in their hopes of making the AMC playoffs. However is this team ready to make that leap forward? That question has wondered in my head all season long. Seeing this team all season impress, disappoint impress again and then come right back around and have myself and others disappointed This team has so much talent and potential it is uncanny. But it’s just that which has people disappointed One of my coaches once told me “potential means that you haven’t done sh*t yet”. That is the same thing with this team. Oppurtunities have presented this team to prove themselves.

Games against ranked teams that has had promise, but end with disappointment. I must stress the fact that this team is a good one. It’s the little things that are not done which leads in the disappointment. A win tonight could proves me dead wrong, make me look like an ass but I would be alright with that. I want to say that this team is ready to make the move forward, I’ve said it in the past and was let down, so I am gonna try and use the theme of me being wrong and say they aren’t ready… Hopefully they prove me wrong, because this time, I want to be wrong… Listen in tonight at 5:30 and 7:30 to listen to live game action. Afterwards, check back here were you can read my recap an thoughts on the men and women!