We are apparently throwing lacrosse mud.

I took off on a trip Thursday, but before I did I wrote about Penn State’s newest lacrosse recruits and apparently hurt some feelings.

A Michigan blogger went on a thousand word rank about how Bill Plaschke I am but provided almost nothing in the way of links or even accurate statements. The whole spark of last week’s post was to call out BWI for a comment that was no where close to true about the Brother Rice (MI) High School lacrosse team. The spark of his whole post was that I was right:

So the Warriors didn’t finish this year #1 in the nation. BWI regrets the error, since the #1 ranking for Rice was not this year, but last year. And the year before. And the year before that. Yes, until this year, Rice was 3-years running considered the best lacrosse team in the nation. BSD: "Geekness aside: only historians in the great state of Alabama would ever consider Brother Rice a national champion."

On what planet did this happen?

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Max Holt seen here just moments after killing a man with a spike between the eyes. 

For those interested, here is an open thread for the men's volleyball game tonight. The men will be competing against USC in the NCAA tournament semi-final match. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 at 9 PM ET.

Anastasia Ferdman		Doris Willette

When a Nittany Lion wins a National Championship in anything they immediately go to the head of the class and collect the BSD Nittany Lion of the Week Award. But when two of them win, well, they have to share it.

Ferdman dominated day one of the NCAA Championships only losing two bouts in the epee. Day two started poorly with her losing four bouts in a row. She turned things around and didn't lose another bout the rest of the day. Against Notre Dame's Courtney Hurley in the semifinal she trailed 7-12 and things looked bad. But she rallied to win 15-13, and then went on to defeat Harvard's Naom Mills 15-9 in the finals to claim the championship.

Willette scored a thrilling 8-7 victory over Harvard's Emily Cross in her semifinal bout. With time ticking down Willette lunged to score the winning touch with five seconds left on the clock of the final round. Then she went on to win the final against Notre Dame's Hayley Reese 15-5 to claim her second individual National Championship.

Really, we should congratulate all the members of the fencing team for another tremendous National Championship season. If for no other reason, it gives me the chance to put up this picture. (Ferdman in center)

Brings new meaning to "killer beauty"

Honorable Mention

• A one-armed Jamelle Cornley led Penn State over the Florida Gators in the quarterfinal of the NIT scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds.
• Jordan Steranka jacked a grand slam giving Penn State a 9-2 victory over Kent State.
• Max Holt won another EIVA Player of the Week award for the men's volleyball team.
  

Gradulations are in order for the Penn State Fencing team for winning their 11th National Championship in the past 20 years beating out Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Anastasia Ferdman and Doris Willette also won individual National Championships in thier respective weapons.

Thanks to all the Nittany Lion Fencers for once again making us proud! WE ARE!

It's been a long road paved with a lot of pain and suffering. There have been insults on top of embarassments. There were times when it seemed like half of Nittany Nation (and not just the student section) had no faith in him. The other half didn't care one way or another. But Ed DeChellis believed. He came to Penn State not to just collect a paycheck and use the program as a stepping stone to a sweeter gig in the Big East. He came to Penn State to make his alma mater relevant again. It took six years full of stress and setbacks and sleepless nights, but Ed finally has his team on the cusp of their first trip to the NCAA tournament. In recognition for all he has done, Ed DeChellis has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media.

Though it still remains to be seen if Penn State makes the tournament, it's already been a successful year for Penn State. To finish just one shot away from the number two seed in the Big Ten tournament is far more than anyone could have imagined at the beginning of the year. If Talor Battle's three point attempt at the end of regulation of the Iowa game goes in, that's where we would be right now. What Ed has done with this program has been nothing short of a miracle. He has resurrected a dead program, and in the process he has energized a fan base that never knew it could care about any sport played indoors. For that, Ed DeChellis is our Nittany Lion of the Week.

Honorable Mention

• Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley also get a shout out for earning All-Big Ten Honors.
• Goalkeeper Drew Adams had 16 saves and only allowed 5 goals in leading the men's lacrosse team to a victory over #20 Villanova.
• Miguel Pineda won his first career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week award. It's only the third time this season someone other than Casey Sandy didn't win the award. Well the hell is wrong with Sandy? Oh. He didn't compete this week.
• A handful of Penn State engineers may have solved the global warming issue and also created a perpetual motion device.
• Aleesha Barber set a school record 8.16 in the 60m hurdles.
• T.J. Macy continues to tear it up on the diamond.

This week's Nittany Lion of the Week is women's gymnast Brandi Personett who was once again named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week for the fourth time this season. It is also the eighth time of her career she has won the weekly honor.

Personett earned the Ann Carr Award for the most inspirational gymnast of the meet, helping lead Penn State to a first place finish over No. 11 Alabama and No. 19 Ohio State last week after posting a career-best 39.600 in the all-around. Her score marked the highest all-around total since the 2003 season. The Katy, Texas native tallied a first-place 9.900 on vault, a first-place and career-high 9.925 on bars, a sixth-place 9.825 on beam and a first-place and career-high-tying 9.950 on floor en route to the all-around crown, her fifth individual all-around title of the season. The vault title was the seventh of the season for Personett, who also picked up her third uneven bars crown, her seventh floor title and her sixth individual all-around first-place finish.

Congrats to Brandi on a successful season.

Honorable Mention

• I'm going to have to give this to men's gymnast Casey Sandy one of these weeks. He just won his record setting 10th career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week award. He's pretty much got a lock on the award.
• Sophomore men's lacrosse player Chris Hogan scored three goals and an assist in a losing effort against No. 16 Loyola.
• Fawn Dorr and Shavon Greaves each scored track and field wins at the Big Ten indoor championships.
• T.J. Macy pitched a complete game against Texas over the weekend. He only gave up five hits while striking out seven, but he gave up one run and lost the game 1-0.
• Softball pitcher Jackie Hill pitched a one hitter striking out seven in boosting Penn State to an upset of #13 Depaul.
• Tyra Grant was named first team All-Big Ten.

In light of yesterday's press release, I sent Brian a quick email asking his opinion of NCAA hockey expansion.

His response was thorough, interesting, and what you might call pessimistic. A taste:

Any program willing to take up the daunting task of starting an expensive sport and balancing the Title IX implications out would face a near-pointless life as an independent. Much cost, no benefit, no expansion.

He goes on from there; for those interested it is a very good read.

Some initial thoughts:

• With the vast majority of Penn State students coming from hockey towns, it wouldn't take much to push the sport into a big deal on campus.
• As much as I would love to see the conference formed, I'm more than appreciative of the fact that hockey operates in a different environment and realize there is quite a lot of value in keeping the regional rivalries that make the sport great. Jumping to a Big Ten conference would empower the already powerful name brand programs and hurt the lesser known ones.
• That being said, there is no reason why you couldn't create a six team BT league that allows for plenty of the traditional non-BT games to be players.
• And going further, I don't see why more schools couldn't copy the Beat Pot format to raise the stakes. That tournament is one the best in sports (IMO) and if there is one thing college athletic programs do to perfections it's copy the traditions of others.
• Unless the other Big Ten schools like the idea of a BT conference as much as Brian and I do, it might be best to prepare for a long road to mediocrity. While the club team's success and regional interest are all very favorable, things are just too crowded right now.
• However, I don't see why the Big Ten would be incapable of doing the same thing the Big East has planned for lacrosse in 2010 (Penn State impact for those who care), a.k.a. make some major moves in order to build stronger leagues as well as make room for the sport to grow.

It's so much easier when you can jump three feet higher than your opponent.

Men's volleyball middle hitter Max Holt brings home his second BSD Nittany Lion of the Week award of the season after outstanding performances against Harvard and Ohio State.

Against the Crimson, Holt hit a perfect 12-for-12 equalling match and season highs in kills. He also added two aces and two blocks for 15.0 total points as Penn State quickly dispatched Harvard in a three game sweep.

Against the #14 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, Holt pounded eight kills on ten swings with just one error for a 0.700 hit percentage. He also had one assist and three blocks to score 10.0 total points.

For his efforts, Holt was named the EIVA Player of the Week for the sixth time in his career.

Honorable Mention

• Penn State Altoona professor Lee Ann De Reus is gaining national recognition for her fight against genocide.
• Talor Battle led Penn State with 21 points in the Nittany Lions' win over Minnesota.
• Track and Field star Bridget Franek earned her second Big Ten Athlete of the Week honor for posting an automatic qualifying time in the 5000 meter race.
• Male Gymnast Casey Sandy won Big Ten Athlete of the Week, and also won the Ken Giles Award presented to the amateur athlete of the year.
• Everyone involved with the women's basketball team deserves a commendation for their efforts to fight breast cancer.