Aidan Tyksinski, Editor 

Groundhog Day is this week, which means that college basketball fans’ favorite month is fast approaching: March. It feels as though conference play has just started, but soon the regular season will end, and the La Salle men’s and women’s teams will be making their trips to Brooklyn and Virginia for their respective A10 tournaments. With that being said, here is the recap of how both teams fared in the last week. 

La Salle Women’s Basketball

The Explorers suffered a tough loss this past week against a very hot Rhode Island squad, 75-47. The Explorers started the game off slowly, making only two baskets in the first quarter, both of which were made by guard Makayla Miller. The Rams struggled to make shots as well in the opening frame but were aided by seven free throws to get a 17-5 lead at the end of the quarter. La Salle scored 42 combined in the last three quarters, but Rhode Island tore apart the Explorers defense in the third quarter, totaling 28 points and shooting 52% from the field. Nicole Malicious led La Salle with 15 points, while Miller finished the game with 13. The Explorers record fell to 6-13 overall and 3-5 in A-10 play, placing the team 10^th in the Conference. An upcoming game to look out for is a home game on Sunday against Dayton. The Flyers are currently 3-6 in A10 play and half a game behind La Salle in the standings. If the Explorers want to gain momentum this season, this will be the game to do so. To win, La Salle will have to shut down the Flyers’ three best scorers, guards Ivy Wolf and Destiney Bohanon and forward Arinna Smith. All three players are averaging over 10 points per game.

La Salle Men’s Basketball

Unfortunately for La Salle basketball fans, the men’s team is off to an even worse start than the women’s team in conference play. They were able to beat George Washington on Saturday, thanks to 20 points by Khalil Brantly and 19 points by Jhamir Brickus. Freshman Tunder Vahlberg Fasasi, who started in place of Anwar Gill while Gill works his way back into shape after an injury, also scored 19 in their 80-70 win. This came after a 66-54 loss to 16th-ranked Dayton, a game in which the Explorers fought hard but struggled to stop the Flyers best player, DaRon Holmes II. The win on Saturday was much needed and snapped La Salle’s five-game losing streak. The Explorers are still sitting with a winning record at 11-9 but are 2-5 in A10 play, placing them in 14^th place in the Conference. It’s been a disappointing January for a La Salle team that closed out non-conference play with a 9-5 record, with two of the last three games being a close loss to a ranked Miami team and a blowout win over Rosemont College. The team can hopefully keep this momentum going as they face archrival Saint Josephs on Saturday.

Andrew Noel, Staff

After a two-month-long break for the holiday season, we are back, and oh boy is there a lot of Philadelphia sports news to chat about. Everything listed here could be full articles on their own, but there is a lot to get caught up on, so let’s get the worst out of the way first, with everyone’s favorite football team.

Eagles 

What the heck happened? The last time we talked, the Eagles were 10-1 and looking like a real threat to go to the Super Bowl. Instead, they ended the season with a dismal 1-6 record and limped into the playoffs, only to be soaked by the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round for the second time in three years. There has been lots of talk about what happened, and the response from the team has been swift, with both the offensive and defensive coordinators Brain Johnson and Sean Desai being fired and replaced by Kelen Moore and Vic Fangio, respectively. Only time will tell if these changes are enough. One thing is clear, however: the Eagles are not the same team that they were in the second half of the season, and going into next year, there will be more pressure than ever to perform. This is especially true for underachieving superstars such as Jalen Hurts and James Bradberry. 

Phillies   

The Phillies have had a quiet off-season, with their major move being to resign Aaron Nola with a six-year contract extension. When the Phillies  made the headlines this winter, it wasn’t because of who they gained, but rather, who they lost. Craig Kimbrel left in free agency for Baltimore, and although he won’t be missed  by many of the Philly faithful, he still took up a roster spot that will need filling. The other notable name that departed this offseason will hurt many. Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies longtime first baseman and 2022 playoff hero signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. How sad it is that one of the longest-tenured Phillies had to have his Philadelphia career come to an end in the outfield grass in a meaningless game in March. Hoskins will be missed in Philly because of his play on the field, but more importantly, his charitable work off the field, with him and his wife becoming large advocates for children with Muscular Dystrophy in the Philadelphia area. On the field, the Phillies will have no problem replacing him, with some guy named Harper set to take over the full-time first base role next season. 

76ers  

New year, same Sixers. Despite a recent slump, the Sixers are where everybody thought they would be,  fighting with the Bucks and Celtics for the top three spots in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid has backed up his MVP season nicely, despite lingering injury concerns and doubts over whether he can play the same way in the playoffs. You would be forgiven for thinking that the Sixers would have taken a step back given the loss of James Harden, and the transition to a new coach. Luckily, that hasn’t happened, and so far, it has been smooth sailing for the most stable team in Philadelphia at the moment. 

Flyers   

They are no doubt the most unpredictable team in Philadelphia right now. The Flyers shocked everyone by getting off to a blazing-fast start, but have recently lost five games in a row, cooling expectations. The team is in the unfortunate spot known as purgatory, being too good for a good draft pick and too bad to make noise in the playoffs. How the new front office regime navigates these tough positions will be interesting, but given how they handled the shocking trade request of top prospect Cutter Gauthier, Flyers fans should have full faith that the Flyers front office will handle this delicate situation smartly and efficiently.

Andrew Noel, Staff

Cowboys vs Eagles is always one of the best games of the NFL season, and the latest installment of this long-time rivalry certainly lived up to their hype, with the Birds edging out their longtime foes, 28 to 23. The sides will rematch in Dallas on Dec. 10 in what is sure to be another thriller. 

Sunday’s game pretty much summed up the Eagles season so far, with them not playing a great brand of football but still finding a way to win. The two main issues plaguing the Eagles this season are turnovers (ranked 23 out of 32 in most turnovers in the NFL, going into yesterday’s game) and defensive consistency, with them being ranked 20th out of 32 in points given up per game. The turnover issue did not show its ugly head Sunday, with the Eagles ending the game with zero turnovers, but fans will want to see a few games similar to Sundays before they get comfortable. The defensive issues were a problem, once again, with the team giving up 23 points. A win is a win, but the Eagles cannot constantly rely on big offensive games if they want to keep playing deep into January. The Eagles have so far gotten away with these issues but will need to clean them up before it’s too late.  

The Eagles week nine win gives them a fantastic record of 8-1 going into the bye week. While this is a fantastic spot to be in, the Eagles cannot afford to get complacent, as their next six games are the most challenging schedule possible in the NFL. After they return from the bye, the Eagles go to Kansas City in a Monday Night Football blockbuster. Following the Super Bowl rematch, they have the perennial contending Bills at home, followed by an NFC Championship game rematch in Philadelphia against the hated 49ers. After this, they have the previously mentioned rematch with Dallas (in Dallas), then they have to make the 3,000-mile trip to Seattle and face the surprising Seahawks.  

The main criticism of the Eagles, both last year and this year, was that, while they won lots of games, they did it while facing weaker opponents. The next “easy” game on the Eagles’ schedule isn’t until Christmas, when the rival Giants come to town. Between now and then, we will find out a lot about the Eagles and if they are Super Bowl contenders or pretenders. 

The Eagles, despite the NFL’s best 8-1 record, have not played great football all season. Sure, they have won the games, but both games versus the Commanders and the week one tilt versus the Patriots could have both easily ended up in losses. When facing the NFL elite, the Eagles will not be able to get away with their mistakes and the inconsistency they had over the next six weeks, or the results will be ugly.  

The next seven weeks of football will tell us a lot about this Eagles team. It will be the most adversity they have faced since Carson Wentz tore his ACL in the Super Bowl-winning 2017-18 season. We all want to go to another parade in February. This next stretch of games will tell us if that’s a realistic possibility.  

Andrew Noel, Staff

On Tuesday night, the Phillies season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion. After having a 3-2 series lead in the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies lost the last two games at home, which means their season ends in the most heartbreaking fashion possible.

The Diamondbacks struck first with an RBI ground ball to give them the 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Phillies responded quickly with an Alec Bohm second inning solo home run to left field tying the game at one. The Phillies began to part in the bottom of the third, as a Bryson Stott double put the home team on top. The lead quickly evaporated as the Diamondbacks scored two runs in the fifth inning to give them a 3-2 lead. The D’Backs then rode a stellar bullpen performance to a 4-2 victory.

The Phillies certainly had their opportunities to extend their lead when it was 2-1, or regain the lead when they were down 4-2. In the fourth inning, the Phillies loaded the bases but couldn’t score any more runs, with Johan Rojas striking out to end the threat. The seventh inning, however, is what will keep Phillies fans awake at night. With runs on first and second, and one out, the Phillies sent their two best and most paid hitters to the plate. With the season on the line, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper both flew out. This inning was the back breaker, with the Phillies not even getting a baserunner after this moment.

In both games six and seven, the pitching wasn’t as good as it had been, but was also terrible. These two losses fall squarely on the offense, with the team scoring just three runs in the last two games of the series. Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos had particularly disappointing final two games. The pitching only gave up five and four runs, respectively, in games six and seven, which as stated wasn’t great. For a team that has swung its way to victories all year long, this is no doubt a sad way to end the season.

Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the Phillies’ outlook is just okay. The team will be good next year, but not great. Key players such as Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwaber are over 30 years old, and starting pitcher Aaron Nola is a free agent. There are no game changing prospects on the way to help the cause.The Phillies will look to have to improve the roster by acquiring talent from free agency, which given their already high payroll, will not be easy. The Phillies will be good next year, and can still win a championship, but it will not be easy, and there is no doubt that their championship window just got one year shorter.

Despite the disappointing end, it was great to experience another Red October and to see the entire city embrace the team. The best thing about sports is that there is always next season, and next season will be another fun ride. Until then, the Eagles are off to a 6-1 start and the 76ers started another season last night. Another season of Phillies baseball is over, but there are still plenty of Philadelphia sports to look forward to.

Phillies Logo Via wikimedia commons 

Andrew Noel, Staff

Red October is in full swing, and up to this point, it has not disappointed. The Phillies faced off in the wildcard round against the Miami Marlins. Behind strong outings from Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola, the Phils easily disposed of them and moved on to face the Atlanta Braves in the best of five National League Division Series. 

At the time of writing, the series is tied at one game a piece, and up to this point, it has been everything a fan could hope for in a playoff series: tense, and nerve wracking. The Phillies won game one behind a great team pitching performance led by Ranger Suarez, and some outstanding defense, especially from shortstop Trea Turner. A Bryson Stott fourth inning single, followed by a Bryce Harper sixth inning home run propelled the Phillies to 3-0 victory and a 1-0 series lead. 

Game two was a heartbreaker. Ace Zach Wheeler put on one of the most dominant pitching performances you will ever see, going seven strong innings. A first inning Alec Bohm single put the Fightins up 1-0. This was followed by a J.T. Realmuto third inning two run homer to put the Phillies ahead 3-0. Behind your ace, this lead should be enough to win most games, but unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as a tiring Wheeler gave up a two run home run to Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud in the bottom of the seventh inning, to cut the Phillies lead to just one run. Unfortunately, the Phillies bullpen could not hold onto the lead, and an eighth inning Austin Riley two-run home run was enough for the Braves to shock the Phillies and send the series back to Philadelphia tied at a game apiece. 

This series has essentially become a best of three, with games three and four to take place at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday Oct. 11 and Thursday the Oct. 12. A fifth and decisive game, if necessary, will be in Atlanta on Saturday Oct.14.  

Writer’s note: If you are not already watching this series, then you are missing out. Put simply, these teams hate each other, combined this with the best atmosphere in baseball, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games will be unlike anything anyone has, or ever will experience. This series is on a knife edge, and it is all but guaranteed that there will be a moment, good or bad, that goes down in the history of Philadelphia sports Because sports are such a big part of this city’s identity, it is not an overstatement to think what happens between now and Saturday will go down in history as one of Philadelphia’s defining moments. No one knows what is going to happen, but it is going to be very fun finding out.   

John Freeman, Editor

The La Salle women’s soccer team began their third week of A-10 competition by earning a commanding 5-0 victory over the George Mason Patriots on their senior day this past Saturday at McCarthy Stadium. The majority of the game was played in George Mason’s defensive third—as the Explorers overwhelmed the Patriots with their maintenance of possession, movement on and off the ball and execution in the final third. The Explorers set a season-high for goals scored and scored more goals against the Patriots than they have against any other A-10 team in regular-season play in the last five years. Forwards Haley Gschrey and Justyce Hollenbach and midfielders Madison McCready and Elizabeth Estrada added to their season tally for goals by finishing their chances in-play and giving the Explorers their fifth straight victory.

“That was one of the best halves we’ve had in many years. Right now we’re pressing as well as anyone in the country. I thought today our movement on and off the ball was tremendous. A lot of that credit goes to Brooksi, our assistant coach, who’s done a great job staying in their heads and keeping them upbeat.”

These are just some of the many good things Head Coach Paul Royal had to say about his assistant coach, Courtney Brooks, and his team’s performance after their historical victory on Saturday.

The Explorers hit the ground running in the first half, as Royal had the team line up in a defensive 4-3-3 formation to start the game. After kick-off, the Explorers maintained possession with precise ball movement and forced the Patriots to press them early. The Explorers played crisp short passes on the turf and were able to penetrate the Patriots’ defense early as well. Junior Haley Gschrey opened the scoring with a low shot to the near post from inside the 18-yard box in the third minute after being led by a through ball from midfielder Caitlin Donavan.

After scoring their first goal, the Explorers pressed the Patriots in their own half and quickly regained possession. Seven minutes after scoring their first, the Explorers would find the back of the net again as senior captain Madison McCready finished a low shot to the near post from six yards out on a counterattack in the 10th minute after receiving a short pass from Gschery after the forward intercepted a hospital pass made by George Mason’s Christiana Grant. This goal gave the Explorers a 2-0 lead. The Explorers continued to press George Mason and quickly regained possession after scoring.

The Explorers proceeded to distort the Patriots’ defense with a combination of medium and short  passes and eventually broke through in the final third again as sophomore Justyce Hollenbach scored in the side netting of the near post from just inside the top of the key after being led by a penetrating horizontal pass from McCready that found its way past two George Mason defenders. Hollenbach’s goal increased the team’s lead to 3-0 in just 28 minutes of play.

Yet again, the Explorers regained possession almost immediately after the Patriots restarted play at the center circle. The Patriots would see glimpses of possession after the Explorers’ third goal but never for more than a minute. The Explorers hustled, outpaced, and fatigued the Patriots in every third of the field. If the Explorers were not first, they were second to every 50-50 ball—winning the aerial battle against the Patriots as well.

In the 43rd minute, the Explorers would score on another counterattack as sophomore Elizabeth Estrada scored a half volley that landed in the roof of the net after receiving excellent service on a chipped cross from the right wing. Estrada’s goal would raise the Explorers’ lead to 4-0 and be the last of the first half.

George Mason would kick-off the second half at center circle but quickly forfeited possession. The second half proved to be worse than the first for the Patriots as the Explorers led the Patriots in every attacking and defensive statistical category except for cards, fouls, and saves. The Explorers earned more set pieces (10), shots on goal (8), and dominated possession of the ball.

La Salle would send George Mason home with one more goal in the 65th minute. Senior captain Madison McCready would get in on the action again. After receiving a pass on the left wing, McCready dribbled the ball in from 30 yards out—leaving multiple George Mason defenders in her path, and cut in on her right foot to score a powerful low shot to the near post from inside the 18-yard box. McCready earned her first brace of the season with this goal and scored the last for the Explorers in the team’s 5-0 victory.

Before kick-off, Royal told his squad that “athleticism and speed of tempo” would be determining factors in how well they performed. The Explorers not only gave heed to Royal’s advice by drowning George Mason’s defense with sharp attacking play from quick restarts from set pieces and constant through balls, but also managed to limit George Mason’s presence in their defensive third by maintaining their defensive shape. This win marked the Explorers’ fifth straight shutout—all of which were earned in conference play. The Explorers play their next match at home against Fordham on Thursday, Oct. 12 on ESPN Plus.

John Freeman, Editor 

La Salle Men’s Soccer (3-3-3) has tied two of their last three games—being outscored by their opponents 2-4. Only one of the team’s goals was scored in-play, and from the same three-game stretch, just 10 out of the Explorers’ last 18 shots were on target. The team has generally done well to create chances from set pieces this season but has struggled to fluidly score in play. This was mostly the case in the team’s last game against Rhode Island, where Sophomore Goalkeeper Filip Sabatti helped the Explorers maintain a clean sheet by making three crucial saves. 

This time last year, the Explorers had only won two out of nine games and lost a total of five out of nine. While the team’s record has improved, their volume of attack has not. This time last year, the Explorers had scored 11 goals and placed 47 out of their 112 shots on target— in contrast to having placed 34 out of 76 shots on goal up to this point in the 2023 season. The departure of attacking forces such as Nigel Buckley, Omari Coterell and Isak Sedin could be considered as a reason for the team’s decline in effective attacking play. Another reason for the team’s regression could be their lack of experience against tougher out-of-conference teams with such a young squad—as 21 of the team’s 30 players are underclassmen. However, the Explorers still have capable attackers in Sophomore Americo Pereira and Senior Omri Ezra, as well as other young talent to contribute to the team’s attacking production. The Explorers are currently playing with a four-man backline and have created much fewer chances for themselves than in previous seasons where they held a backline consisting of five men. The diagnosis seems to be the lack of successful medium and long passes leading to meaningful chances. Many of the longer passes the Explorers attempted to make against teams like Saint Joseph’s and Rhode Island did not find the feet of their intended targets. The Explorers did well in making short passes at times to create build-up plays but things seem to break down for this team once those passes reach the final third. 

A solution for the Explorer’s attacking struggles may be to focus more on maintaining possession in the midfield and taking longer shots from outside of the 18-yard box. The team is not benefiting from as many chances from counter attacks as they did last year with the speed and prowess of more experienced attackers in Buckley and Cotterell. Fortunately, Sabatti has been able to neutralize the team’s lack of attacking production with some clean sheets. Sabatti made some impressive saves in the team’s away game against Rhode Island on Saturday, one of which was a bullet from Rhode Island forward Inigo Etxegarai that led to a corner kick. These types of saves are ones that have kept the Explorers afloat this season and considerable contenders for the A-10 playoffs. Hopefully, this squad is able to combine their stellar shutouts with some dynamic goals scored in play to increase their likelihood of finishing the season in the top six of the A-10 as well. The Explorers will play their next game at McCarthy Stadium against George Mason on Saturday, Sept. 30. at 7 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN Plus.