Around the Water Cooler: Change We Can Believe In

These days, it seems like we’re all stuck in transition. With the end of Thanksgiving feasting, Christmas decorations are popping up everywhere and the Holiday Spirit is taking over. Classes may be ending tomorrow, but reading period and finals are just around the corner. Similarly, fall sports are winding down, but that just means winter sports are picking up. Let’s huddle around the water cooler and see what's happening around the Ivy League this week.

The Penn women’s volleyball team earned the League’s NCAA bid last week, defeating Yale, 3-2, in a win that had Quakers fans yelling the familiar chant: “Just like football!” Now, Penn (17-10) will head down to Durham, N.C., to play against Ohio (22-12) in its second-straight NCAA appearance on Friday. The Quakers won their first NCAA match last year in a 3-1 victory over Army and hope to repeat their success this weekend.

Yesterday, the four finalists were announced for the 2010 Asa S. Bushnell Cup, given annually to the Ancient Eight’s most outstanding football player. Harvard senior running back Gino Gordon is in contention alongside Princeton senior wide receiver Trey Peacock, Dartmouth junior tailback Nick Schwieger, and Penn sophomore quarterback Billy Ragone for the title.

The race looks like it will come down to a faceoff between Gordon and Schwieger. By numbers alone, both athletes lead the pack and are neck-and-neck in almost every category.  Schwieger leads the Ancient Eight in rushing for the second consecutive year and tied the school record of 14 touchdowns in a single season. He reached 1,133 yards this season, barely edging out Gordon’s 1,059 yards. On the other hand, Gordon outscored Schwieger this season, with 25 total touchdowns to his name.

But don’t rule out Peacock and Ragone so soon. As with any subjective competition in athletics, there’s always a possibility for an upset. The winner will be announced Monday at 11:30 a.m. Stay tuned.

The weather may be cooling down, but that just means men’s basketball and other winter sports are only beginning to heat up. American East rivals Hartford and Vermont are scheduled to play a total of five games against the Ivy League this week. The Hawks lost 81-76 at Yale last night while the Catamounts host Dartmouth later tonight. Hartford, which will visit Brown tomorrow night, is led by forward Morgan Sabia and guard Joe Zeglinski. Together, the senior standouts consistently average a combined total of over 32 points per game. Meanwhile, Vermont can thank senior forward Evan Fjeld for its strong 4-1 start, which includes two dominant wins over Siena and NJIT. Averaging 21.6 points per game, Fjeld will pose a strong threat to Dartmouth tonight and to Yale this weekend.