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. 

 John Freeman, Editor 

La Salle Women’s Soccer began their second week of A-10 competition by defeating the Richmond Spiders 3-0 at McCarthy Stadium on ESPN Plus. The Explorers were able to overcome the disadvantages of playing on a wet pitch and endured heavy rain by scoring both in-play and from a set piece. Forwards Sunni DiElmo, Courtney Butlion and Justyce Hollenbach added to their scoring tallies for the season. Both teams were aggressive from the kickoff. Head Coach Paul Royal had the Explorers line-up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation which sporadically changed as the match progressed.
The Explorers gave chase to Richmond’s backline early on, as the Spiders maintained most of possession for the first five minutes. The Explorers would soon become more dominant in possession near the 6th minute but only for split seconds. Much of the first 25 minutes was a tug-of-war for possession. Both teams struggled to create chances up until this point, but each side became more creative as the game approached the 30th minute. Through balls played by each side’s back four and midfielders were futile due to the ball skidding from the rain; until Junior DiElmo fired a left-footed shot into the right side from the left flank after receiving a well-guided pass by Junior Forward Courtney Butlion in the 39th minute. DiElmo’s goal would not just open the scoring but ignite a strong end to the first half for the Explorers as La Salle began to assert themselves more in midfield and find their forwards more in the final third. Royal would substitute Hollenbach and Butlion for rest to commence the second half where the battle for midfield would regress to a tug-of-war between the two sides up until Hollenbach would return in the 55th minute. Progressing from here, the Explorers would quickly find their rhythm and begin consistently beating the Spiders to 50-50 balls and recording more shots on goal. Riding on this momentum, Hollenbach would later dribble horizontally to beat three defenders in spectacular fashion and score her third goal of the season in the 67th minute. Hollenbach scored on a low right-footed shot just inside the 18-yard box that ended up strolling into the far post after deflecting off of a Richmond defender. DiEmelo assisted Hollenbach with a short pass played across the inside of the key. The Explorers would lead Richmond 2-0 at this point.
Butlion would return as a substitute in the 70th minute, and almost immediately collected a yellow card for a rash tackle in the 72nd minute. Butlion earned the Explorers their sixth foul of the match and second yellow card as well. However, just four minutes later, the lone striker would courageously step up to take a penalty awarded to the Explorers after the main official credited Richmond Defender Gwen Howell for a foul committed in a crowded 18-yard box. Butlion confidently finished the ball in the roof of the right side of the net to tally her second goal of the season and help the Explorers secure a 3-0 victory. For the remaining minutes, Richmond gambled by attacking high but to no avail. The Spiders also earned some late set pieces in corner kicks and free kicks in the last 10 minutes but could not convert them into meaningful chances. This win marked back-to-back conference wins for the Explorers and what the team hopes to be a part of a three-game win streak; as they face the VCU Rams on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. on ESPN Plus.

Andrew Noel, Staff

After a decade-long absence, the Phillies are back in the playoffs for the second straight year! The first playoff game will be on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. The opponent and time of the game are not yet known. 

Here is a quick rundown in case you need a refresher on how the playoffs work. The six best American League teams and six best National League teams qualify for the playoffs, with the two best teams in each league receiving a bye until the second round of the playoffs. The Phillies unfortunately do not have a bye this year, so they will have to play in the first round, which is known as the wild card round. As mentioned, the wild card round will take place next Tuesday through Thursday (October 3-5) at Citizens Bank Park. The wild card round is a best of three series, so the first team to win two games, advances, and the losing team goes home. If the Phillies are lucky enough to pass the wild card round, then they would play in the best of five National League Division Series (NLDS) against either the LA Dodgers or Atlanta Braves. If they win that then they go to the best of seven National League Championship Series (NLCS), and finally, if they win that, they earn the right to represent the National League in the best of seven World Series, which will determine this year’s MLB Champion! 

It is safe to say that both the city and University are very excited for this addition of red October. “I am so excited,” said sophomore Maya Martin. “Last year,” she continued, “It was really fun being able to watch the games with my friends. Especially with the Eagles doing so well at the time, that was a great time for Philadelphia sports. I can’t wait to do it all again.”  

Everyone has their favorite moments from last year’s remarkable run to the World Series, whether it be Rhys Hoskins’ bat spike vs the Braves, or Bryce Harper’s home run vs the Padres, the city will be hoping to make more memories with their favorite team again this October.  

Some La Salle students are liking the Phillies chances for another World Series  appearance. “I like our chances,”said junior Anthony Vogel. “We have one of the best offenses in baseball, and as long as the pitching can do its part, then I have no doubt that we will be in for another memorable October run”  

No matter if you are a die hard Phillies fan, or just beginning to learn the sport, there is no doubt that what is coming next week will be a great occasion for Philadelphia, and, win or lose, it will be another occasion  that lives long in the minds of Phillies fans across the globe. 

John Freeman, Editor

The Women’s Soccer Team tied Temple 2-2 in their match against The Owls. Forward Justyce Hollenback netted two goals for the Explorers in the second half of play to initiate her scoring tally for the season and record her first brace as an Explorer. The Explorers trailed Temple by a goal shortly after the second half commenced after Temple forward Sumaya Togba scored a curving shot to the far post in a crowded 18-yard box. Shortly after, Hollenback opened the scoring for La Salle with a low shot to the left side of the far post in the 18-yard box after being assisted by midfielder Giovanna Castorina with a low cross from the right wing. 

Temple took the lead late in the game after midfielder Beky Myers scored with a clinical left-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Hollenback would score the equalizer nine minutes later on a second-chance shot from eight yards out. The Explorers maintained possession and found a rhythm with short passes throughout the game. Each team recorded the same number of goals (2) and assists (1) and were comparable with their shots on goal as La Salle created seven chances and Temple created eight. This squad has been creative in the final third this year—creating 40 shots on goal in just eight games and scoring 10 of them. The theme for success for this year’s squad seems to be threefold: maintain possession, attack in numbers when possible, and create chances with shots from 25 yards or closer. These tactics have helped the squad score most of their goals this season and will likely continue throughout the rest of the fall. However, the Explorers must maintain defensive positioning and anticipate second-chance shots from their opponents in order to win games. 

The squad’s record to date is (2-4-2), consisting of losses to Townson, Delaware, and Bucknell at home, and Princeton away. Most of the losses were tightly-contested matches where the Explorers played well throughout the match but exhibited lapses defensively. In addition to tying at Temple, the squad tied NJIT 1-1 at Lubetkin Field, where attacker Madison McCready assisted fellow attacker Emily Banashefski in scoring her first goal of the season. In the squad’s two wins against Albany and Seton Hall, Head Coach Paul Royal had the Explorers line-up in a familiar formation with four defenders in these wins. Paul Royal entered his 21st season as head coach of the Explorers this fall, and secured his 200th win as coach in the squad’s win against Albany. This year’s squad possesses viable experience with 16 upperclassmen—who will likely serve as the backbone for the Explorers. The Explorer’s were ranked 8th in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, and are currently 9th overall in the conference standings. Royal is supported by assistant coaches Courtney Tole and Matt Brooks this season as well. The Explorers will play their next game against The Saint Louis Billikens at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.  

John Freeman, Editor

La Salle’s Men’s Soccer team opened their season with an away game against Stonehill University on Aug. 24. The Explorers tied in the tightly-contested match where some familiar names initiated scoring for the 2023 season. Defender Americo Pereira scored the first brace of his collegiate career and forward Giammarco Rodio scored a penalty. The Explorers fought back from the 2-1 deficit that they faced early in the second half of play. Following their opener, the Explorers would embark on a three-game win streak—defeating both Army and Lehigh University at home on ESPN Plus, as well as Manhattan College on an away trip. The theme for the Explorers this year seems to be to attack early and often. While the team struggled to create chances against Lehigh, the Explorers have earned shots on goal in the first 25 minutes of four of their last five matches, excluding their recent loss against NJIT on Sept. 12. 

More shots on goal for the Explorers will likely lead to more shots finding the back of the net and more opportunities from set pieces. Until their recent loss at NJIT in Newark, the Explorers were (3-1-1), with a .700 winning percentage according to the team’s homepage. The Explorers conceded three goals in a loss to Quinnaipiac at home which decreased their winning percentage to .583 and updated their season record to (3-2-1). Despite their recent losses, the Explorers have been able to capitalize on chances from five of the six matches they have played—as the team only went scoreless in their loss against Quinnipiac on Sept. 9. The team has also found chemistry with six of their goals being generated by assists. Defensive stability is an area the Explorers must improve in to keep their winning percentage above .500 and to make the Atlantic 10 playoff tournament. The team has conceded more than one goal in every match they have lost and conceded as many goals as they have scored so far.

 Keeping clean sheets and maximizing opportunities from set pieces seems to equate to the team’s most successful matches and is likely to be on their agenda for the rest of the season. Taylor Thames entered his third season as head coach at the commencement of this season and will be supported by assistant coaches Ahmed Elgayar and Rich Kessler. The Explorers were ranked 12th in the Atlantic 10 preseason rankings after finishing (5-9-4) last season. This year’s squad has a healthy mix of Freshman (10), Sophomores (11), Juniors (3) and Seniors (6), with the underclassmen outnumbering the Juniors and Seniors. The Explorers will play conference rival Saint Joseph’s on Sept. 16 at McCarthy stadium on ESPN Plus for their next match. Kickoff time is 7 p.m.