Last Night's aCCtion

Jeffrey Kauffman of The Sentinel writes that Thanksgiving Week games can be a coach's nightmare, as shown by Dickinson's loss to the Swarthmore women in Carlisle last night.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel women's basketball team is not taking comfort in small incremental improvements after last night's loss to Ursinus.

Bad news for Centennial men's basketball teams. Ed Gruver of the Lancaster Newspapers writes that Franklin & Marshall has a long memory and exacted some revenge against Washington College last night.

Roundup: Harrisburg Patriot-News, Carroll County Times, Gettysburg Times 1, Gettysburg Times 2, Baltimore Sun,

Last Night's aCCtion

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that McDaniel's defense was not a concern in the Terror's 62-40 win over Johns Hopkins.

Dave Byrne of the Lancaster Sunday News writes that although the calendar says November, Franklin & Marshall sure played like it was March in a 96-52 dismantling of Elmira.

ROUNDUP
Harrisburg Patriot-News, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pottstown Mercury, Annapolis Capital

Sunday Morning Quarterback

Mike Finney of the Wilmington News Journal writes that third-ranked Wesley made a statement in its 53-14 victory over Muhlenberg.

Jeff Schuler of the Morning Call writes that Wesley eliminated the Centennial champion for the fifth straight season, defeating Muhlenberg, 53-14.

Andy Mease of the Lebanon Daily News writes that sometimes, a great play could lead to a nightmare, as Johns Hopkins routed Lebanon Valley, 44-14.

Dave Rosengrant of The Times-Leader writes that Moravian turned the tables on Wilkes in the turnover category as the Greyhounds defeated the Colonels, 26-14.

Michael Cignoli of the Times-Tribune notes that turnovers made the difference in Moravian's victory at Wilkes.

Matt Shetlet of the Observer-Reporter says that Washington & Jefferson's 54-41 victory over Franklin & Marshall was a treat for fans of offensive football.

Roundups: Philadelphia Inquirer, Annapolis Capital, The Express-Times, Lancaster Sunday News,

Last Night's aCCtion

MEN
Barry L. Silverman of the Carroll County Times writes that the McDaniel men looked for a good showing against Washington College and Devon Lesniak played a major role in making that happen in the Terror's 70-68 victory.

Jeffrey Kauffman of The Sentinel says that strong foul shooting was the difference in Dickinson's 56-50 victory over Messiah.

Jeff Cook of the Gettysburg Times writes that there is a new high wire act in town as Gettysburg threw down six dunks in a 79-39 blowout of Penn State-Altoona.

Doug Kraft of the Lancaster Newspapers writes that Franklin & Marshall wasted little time in establishing itself in a 91-50 dismantling of Penn State-Abington.

Staff Reports
Staten Island Advance, Pottstown Mercury, Delaware County Times

WOMEN
Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that the opening game for the McDaniel women got off to a rough start and didn't get better as the Terror fell to seventh-ranked Kean.

Staff Reports
Lancaster Newspapers, Pottstown Mercury, Delaware County Times

Last Night's aCCtion

Welcome back for another season of basketball in the Conference. "Last Night's aCCtion" takes a look back at games of the previous evening from local and regional newspapers.

Mandy Housenick of the Morning Call writes that Spencer Liddic heard the message that he was given at halftime in Muhlenberg's victory over Moravian.

Housenick also writes that Alex Berlin made sure that the Mule women didn't miss two starters in 'Berg's triumph over the Greyhounds.

Tom Hinkel of the Express-Times writes that Alex Berlin showed off her versatility in Muhlenberg's 68-55 win against Moravian.

Ryan Dixon of the York Daily Record writes that the Johns Hopkins' women were done in by an unlikely York starting lineup.

Staff Reports
Delaware County Times

Sunday Morning Quarterback

Moravian's Joe Tegan (top) tries to break the tackle of Muhlenberg's Shane O'Connor. (ROB KANDEL, THE MORNING CALL)

Jeff Schuler of the Morning Call writes that the 2010 Centennial season will show tri-champions, but the best team at the end of the season is not one of them.

Tom Hinkel of the Express-Times writes that Moravian's biggest hero in its 14-13 win over Muhlenberg was not one of the usual suspects.

Jim Wagner for the Pottstown Mercury writes that Ursinus made 2010 a memorable season with a 41-21 victory against Dickinson.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that this was not the way McDaniel wanted to end its season - a 34-10 loss at Johns Hopkins. Notebook

Travis Johnson of the Evening Sun notes that Gettysburg's Charles Curcio and his fellow seniors delivered a message to their teammates and to Franklin & Marshall in a 57-35 triumph.

Phil Soto-Ortiz of the Patriot-News that Gettysburg missed starting QB Kyle Whitmoyer not a whit in a 57-35 win against F&M.

Dave Byrne of the Sunday News pens that the last group to have as unpleasant a trip to Gettysburg as F&M was the Army of Northern Virginia, as the Diplomats dropped their season finale.

Jeff Gill of the Altoona Mirror writes that there were no wins for the seven seniors on Juniata's football team to celebrate this season, after a season-ending loss to Washington and Lee.

STAFF REPORTS
Pottstown Mercury, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, The Sentinel.

The Friday Tailgate

For the final time this season, we present "The Friday Tailgate." It has been quite the football season in the Centennial Conference and it's not over yet. Muhlenberg has clinched a share of the CC championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but Johns Hopkins and Ursinus can also still get a share of the title. A Moravian win over the Mules, combined with wins by either the Blue Jays or the Bears will result in a shared crown.

Muhlenberg at Moravian
Audio: WMUH-FM 91.7, WSAN-AM 1470. TV: Service-Electric TV-2
It is the 59th time that the two Lehigh Valley rivals will meet on the gridiron with the 'Hounds holding a 32-24-2 advantage. Moravian has a 15-11-1 lead in games played in Bethlehem, including a thrilling 27-24 overtime win in 2008, breaking the Mules' five-game win streak at Rocco Calvo Field. Muhlenberg (7-1 CC, 7-2) lead the Conference in scoring defense (16.4), while Moravian (5-3, 5-4) is ninth in scoring offense (18.4). But the Greyhound offense has come alive behind QB Matt Johnson, amassing over 300 yards in each of his starts after failing to do so in the first four games. Johnson leads the Conference in yards per play (7.7). 'Berg RB Terrence Dandridge needs just 18 yards to reach 1,000 for the season.

McDaniel at Johns Hopkins
Live Stats: Yes. Video: HopkinsSports.com. Audio: WTTR-AM 1470.
The battle for Free State supremacy is renewed for the 89th time as the Green Terror (4-4, 5-4) visits Baltimore to take on the Blue Jays (6-2, 6-3). Hopkins holds a 48-35-5 all-time lead and has nine straight wins - the longest JHU streak in the 110-year history of the matchup. McDaniel is 17-34-2 all-time in the Charm City and has not defeated the Blue Jays since 2000 (41-7) at Homewood. The Terror played its second-ever triple-overtime game last weekend vs. Gettysburg and came away with a 36-30 victory. Freshman RB Joe Rollins had the second-biggest day ever by a McDaniel back, rushing for 294 yards. DB Chris Kolb recorded his second defensive PAT of the season vs. the Bullets. The Terror can record its first winning season since 2004 with a victory. Hopkins' win at F&M last weekend was the 1,000th game in JHU history. The Blue Jays are 24-4 in November since 2001. WR Tucker Michels will break the school record for career starts with his 44th. WR Sam Wernick has a school-record 14 TD receptions on the year and is one shy of the Conference mark. A Hopkins win and a Muhlenberg loss gives the Jays a share of the Centennial title.

Dickinson at Ursinus
Live Stats: Yes. Audio: WDCV-FM 88.3, ursinusathletics.com.
The Red Devils (3-5, 3-6) and the Bears (6-2, 7-2) meet for the 82nd time in a series that dates to 1894. Dickinson holds a 44-31-6 overall lead and a 22-13-4 lead in games in Collegeville. Ursinus captured last year's clash in Carlisle by a 35-32 count. A Bear victory, combined with a Muhlenberg loss, would give Ursinus a share of the Conference title - its second in school history. Dickinson PK Gordon Craig is second on the all-time Centennial kick-scoring list with 217 points. He has made 11-of-15 field goal attempts (73.3 percent) this season. WR Craig Helfer is fifth among CC leading receivers in yards per catch (16.3). QB Justin Decristofaro is the first Ursinus QB to throw for over 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. RB Bryan Ellis needs 93 yards to set the school record for rushing yards by a freshman. WR Nick Giarratano is two TD catches shy of the UC career record of 19.

Franklin & Marshall at Gettysburg
Live Stats: Yes. Video: gettysburgsports.com. Audio: godiplomats.com.
This is the 96th time that the Diplomats (5-3, 6-3) and the Bullets (4-4, 5-4) have met on the gridiron since 1890. F&M holds a 45-43-7 lead in the series, but Gettysburg has won the last two games at the Battlefield. In fact, the home team has won the last five contests in the series. Diplomat DL C.T. Marsh has a sack in eight straight games. QB John Harrison has accounted for 66 career touchdowns and needs three to tie the school record of 69. WR Jarrell Diggs has caught at least one pass in 30 consecutive games. RB John Kaschak needs one reception to register 100 for his career. Gettysburg can clinch its first winning season since 2007 with a victory. Kyle Whitmoyer tied the school single-season record for rushing TDs by a QB (10). RB Jamel Mutunga needs 46 yards to move into sixth place on the school career rushing list and 290 to reach 3,000 for his career. WB Charles Curcio needs nine receptions to break the Gettysburg career catch mark of 130.

Washington and Lee at Juniata
Live Stats: Yes. Audio: WLUR-FM 91.5.
The Eagles (0-9, 0-9) and the Generals (7-2) meet for the first time. The teams have one common opponent - Franklin & Marshall. W&L lost at F&M in the season opener, 35-7, while the Eagles also dropped a 55-13 decision to the Diplomats. The Juniata offense has struggled in 2010, totaling more than 200 yards in a game just twice. This is the eighth time that the Eagles have played an opponent with a record above .500. The JC defense is second in the CC in stopping teams on fourth-downs (63.2 percent), while the red-zone defense is third (72.9). LB Kevin Gorman leads all Centennial freshmen with 73 tackles. W&L does not have "A Friend in Pennsylvania," as the Generals have not won in the Keystone State since 1998 (0-6). Washington and Lee won the ODAC title with a 38-27 win over Hampden-Sydney last week.

Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Chat

Welcome to the Centennial Conference preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Chat! This will be a moderated chat, so please keep your comments and questions appropriate for the occasion. Feel free to send along a question that we might use in our comment box prior to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason Chat

Welcome to the Centennial Conference preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Chat! This will be a moderated chat, so please keep your comments and questions appropriate for the occasion. Feel free to send along a question that we might use in our comment box prior to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Sunday Morning Quarterback

Tim Shoemaker of the Allentown Morning Call writes that punter Kevin Ryan made up for a miscue in a big way, leading to the Mules' 27-20 win over Ursinus.

Dave Byrne of the Lancaster Sunday News writes that Franklin & Marshall's hopes of getting a share of the Conference title were cruelly dashed by Johns Hopkins.

Josh Land of the Carroll County Times writes that all the frustration of the last three weeks and McDaniel's midseason collapse became a distant memory with one catch on Saturday. Notebook

Travis Johnson of The Evening Sun notes that what started as a bad week for Gettysburg got worse on Saturday in a triple-overtime loss at McDaniel.

Staff Reports: The Sentinel, The Patriot-News, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Daily Item

The Friday Tailgate

Welcome to November football! It's time to crown a Centennial gridiron champion and Saturday's games will go a long way to identifying the Conference's best team and automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. The top four teams in the CC match up against each other as Ursinus travels to Muhlenberg and Johns Hopkins visits Franklin & Marshall. Not to go unnoticed is the fact that the hottest team in the Centennial - Gettysburg - puts its four-game win streak on the line at McDaniel, while Dickinson visits Juniata. Finally, Susquehanna carries its new Conference banner into battle against a member of its old league - WPI of the Liberty League.

Ursinus at Muhlenberg
Video: Yes. Live Stats: Yes. Audio: WMUH-FM 91.7, Ursinus Sports Network.
The Bears (6-1 CC, 7-1) and the Mules (6-1, 6-2) meet for the 74th time in a series that dates to 1900. Muhlenberg holds 42-24-7 all-time lead, including a 24-11-5 advantage in Allentown. Ursinus broke a nine-game losing streak to 'Berg last year with a 24-10 win, but has not won at Scotty Wood Stadium since 1999 (35-23). The winner clinches at least a share of the Centennial championship. A Bear victory would give Ursinus the Conference's AQ to the NCAA tournament, while a Mule triumph, combined with a Hopkins win at F&M, would send Muhlenberg to the dance. Two of the top young RBs in the CC are on display in the Mules' Terrence Dandridge and the Bears' Bryan Ellis. Dandridge has rushed for over 100 yards in five straight games and is averaging a Centennial-best 111 yards per game. Ellis is third in the CC at 78.8 yards per outing and needs 120 yards in his final two games to break the school's all-time record for a freshman. Do you like defense? Ursinus and Muhlenberg rank in the top two in the Conference in six different defensive categories. The two squads also control the ball on offense, ranking in the top 25 nationally in time of possession.

Johns Hopkins at Franklin & Marshall
Video: Yes. Live Stats: Yes.
The Blue Jays (5-2, 5-3) and the Diplomats (5-2, 6-2) meet for the 62nd time in a series that began in 1912. F&M holds a 34-25-2 series lead and a 16-13 advantage in Lancaster. Hopkins has won 12 of the last 13 meetings and has not lost in Amish Country since 1996 (20-14). The winner of this game keeps their Conference title hopes alive, while it appears that only F&M can remain in the hunt for the NCAA tournament bid. It is the 1,000th game for the Blue Jays, who sport a 468-473-58 record since playing game No. 1 in 1882. Four other Centennial teams have played 1,000 games - F&M (1,086), Gettysburg (1,064), Dickinson (1,025) and McDaniel (1,009) - while Muhlenberg will play game No. 1,000 next Saturday. The Jays posted over 5000 yards of total offense again last week, marking the first time in 999 games that Hopkins has gone over 500 yards in back-to-back contests. WR Sam Wernick has set a Hopkins single-season record with 13 TD receptions. QB Hewitt Tomlin is the school's all-time leading passer with 6,702 yards. F&M ensured its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1995-96 with its dramatic win vs. McDaniel. The Diplomats have won the coin toss in seven of eight games in 2010. WR Jarrell Diggs is five catches away from 100 for his career. QB John Harrison is 18 pass attempts away from the College's career record.

Gettysburg at McDaniel
Live Stats: Yes. Audio: WTTR-AM 1470.
The Bullets (4-3, 5-3) and the Green Terror (3-4, 4-4) meet in the annual Route 97 battle. The teams' series began in 1891 and Gettysburg holds a 45-17-1 all-time edge, including a 14-8 advantage in Westminster. McDaniel has won five of the last six at Bair Stadium. The Orange and Blue has won four straight games - its longest since reeling off seven straight in 1994. QB Kyle Whitmoyer accounted for six TDs in the wild win vs. Susquehanna, throwing for five scores and running for another. The Bullets had only eight of 32 TDs through the air on the year prior to last week. Gettysburg leads the Conference in rushing, total and scoring offense. It's Homecoming in Westminster and the Terror is 52-23-1 in front of its alums. WR Matt Cahill needs one reception to set the school's career catch record and 121 yards to reach 2,000. Freshman RB Joe Rollins rushed for 124 yards on just 13 carries vs. F&M. The loss in Lancaster last weekend was the first time in 21 games that McDaniel failed to hold a fourth-quarter lead.

Dickinson at Juniata
Live Stats: Yes.
The Red Devils (2-5, 2-6) and the Eagles (0-8, 0-8) meet for the 22nd time in a series that began in 1921. Dickinson has a seven-game win streak and holds a 13-8 all-time advantage. Juniata's last win was a 26-9 triumph in Carlisle in 2002 - the first game in the series since 1956 - the Eagles' last victory in Huntingdon (44-13). Turnovers have hurt both teams this season, as Dickinson (-3) and Juniata (-14) are eight and 10th, respectively, in the CC in turnover margin. Devil PK Gordon Craig is third on the all-time Centennial list with 34 field goals. RB Tim Smith needs 315 rushing yards in his final two games to reach 2,000 for his career. Juniata has dropped 10 straight games and has been kept out of the end zone in six of its last eight contests. WR Julian Valdiserri leads the team with 22 catches for 244 yards. RB Derek Kramer has 449 rushing yards and a 4.3 yard per carry average.

Susquehanna at WPI
Live Stats: Yes. Audio: WQSU-FM 88.9.
The Crusaders (1-8, 1-8) close out their 2010 season with a trip to Massachusetts to take on the Engineers (3-5) in a matchups between old Liberty League foes. Susquehanna scored the most points it has in six years but came up on the short end of a 61-50 loss at Gettysburg. The 111 combined points fell short of the school record, set in a 1998 victory against Juniata (62-61). WR Mike Ritter is second in the CC in catches (59) and yards (862) and needs 138 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. He would become just the second SU player to amass a grand in a year, joining Mark Bartosic who did it all four years from 2000-03. PK Bobby Eppleman is a perfect 8-of-8 on field goal tries. The last time Susquehanna won just one game in a season was 1978.

Championship Weekend

The biggest weekend of the fall season is upon us - Championship Weekend. To the winner goes the spoils ... the championship trophy and a trip to the NCAA championship tournament. To the losers, it's wait-and-see if an at-large invitation is forthcoming to the NCAAs. It's high drama on the Centennial's biggest stage!

Field Hockey
Can Ursinus make it seven titles in a row? Or is this the year that Johns Hopkins, Haverford and Washington College will break the streak? The tournament takes place in Collegeville for the eighth straight season and everyone is chasing the third-ranked Bears. Ursinus (16-1) takes on the Shorewomen (9-9) in the first semifinal, while the Blue Jays (11-6) and the Fords (12-4) meet in the nightcap. UC is 12-1 in its eight CC tournament appearances with 12 straight wins since a 1-0 loss to Hopkins in the 2003 semifinals. Washington is winless in four trips to the semis. The Jays are making their 10th trip to the CC tourney and are 8-1 in semifinal contests and 11-7 overall. Haverford is making its second straight trip to the semis, looking for its first-ever appearance in the final. Championship website

Soccer (W)
The Johns Hopkins Class of 2011 looks to join the JHU classes of 2009 and 2010 in winning Centennial championships in all four seasons. The Blue Jays have won five straight crowns and take on Haverford in the semifinals in Carlisle. Top-seeded Dickinson plays host to Ursinus in the opener. The Red Devils (14-2-1) have won all four tournament games prior to the final in their history, but are 0-3 in title matches. Ursinus looks to get back to the final for the first time since 2005. The Bears (10-6-1) are dangerous historically in penalty kicks, winning all three matches decided by PKs. Hopkins (15-3) has a 14-3 CC tourney record, including an 8-1 mark in semifinals. Haverford (12-5) has yet to win a tournament match in five outings. Championship website

Soccer (M)
For the longest time, Centennial titles in even-numbered years belonged to Johns Hopkins. The Jays won CC championships in 1996-98-00-02-04-06, but were denied in 2008 by Swarthmore. It is the showcase match of Saturday's semifinals at Clothier Field, as the top-seeded Garnet takes on Hopkins ... which won the '09 title. Swat (14-1-2) is 2-4 all-time in the tourney, while JHU (13-3-3) is 13-4, including a 7-1 mark in semis. The opener pits Franklin & Marshall and Muhlenberg. The Mules (10-1-6) have won two Centennial titles, but have not been to the final since 2005, and have a 4-7 mark all-time in the tourney. The Diplomats (9-3-3) are 2-4 all-time and look for a trip to the title match for the first time since 2006. Championship website

Volleyball
The road to the Centennial championship goes through Haverford, as the four-time defending Conference titlists welcome Hopkins, F&M and Swarthmore to the Main Line. The Fords (18-12) are riding an eight-match CC tourney win streak and meet the Garnet (18-10) in Saturday's opening semifinal. Swarthmore, fresh off its second straight first-round win, looks to advance to its first-ever Centennial final. The nightcap pits the Blue Jays (19-11) and the Diplomats (20-6) in the sixth-ever playoff meeting between the teams. F&M holds a 4-1 playoff advantage and a 21-12 all-time lead, but Hopkins won the regular-season clash in straight sets. The Jays look to return to the final for the first time since 2004, while the Diplomats have not been to the title match since 2006. Championship website

Five-Star Matchups

It's Tournament Time! Today's the day that most folks describe as the "play-in" game. They would be mistaken. Today is the first-round game and I would venture to guess that most of the athletes playing in the matches would agree. So nomenclature aside, here is what to watch for on First-Round Wednesday. Can't make it to a site ... watch LIVE via streaming video! Or get up-to-the-minute updates via Twitter.

Washington College at Gettysburg (Field Hockey)
The Shorewomen (8-9) travel to the Battlefield to take on the Bullets (9-8) in a first-round game for the right to move into the semifinals opposite top-seeded Ursinus on Saturday. Washington won the regular-season meeting on Oct. 16 by a 3-1 count, defeating the Orange and Blue for the first time since 2003. GK Shannon Davis made a career-high 12 saves, while D Brittany Palasik scored a goal and set a Conference record with her 15th defensive save of the season. The Shorewomen, who trail in the overall series, 14-5, have not won at Gettysburg since the 2000 season. Emily Trees (9-4-22) and Gussie Reilly (8-7-23) make a potent 1-2 combo for Washington, while the Bullets look to Sarah Cole (7-3-17) who also has three game-winning goals on the season. Watch LIVE.

Ursinus at Gettysburg (Women's Soccer)
The Battlefield is the place to be on Wednesday with two first-round Conference playoff games. The nightcap pits the Bears (10-6) and the Bullets (12-6) in a rematch of the Oct. 2 match won by Gettysburg, 1-0. Freshman Rachel West scored the match's lone goal in the 62nd minute and GK Allie Rivera made it stand up, making two saves for the shutout. The Orange and Blue is 11-3-3 overall in the series, but the teams have split their two playoff meetings - 2004 (Gettysburg, 1-0) and 2005 (Ursinus, 1-1, 2-0). Ursinus looks to Jess Porcelan (7-3-17) on offense, while the Bullets are led by Casey Attanasio (8-4-20). Watch LIVE.

Gettysburg at Johns Hopkins (Men's Soccer)
The Bullets (5-9-2) and the Blue Jays (12-3-3) meet for the 76th time in their long-standing series and the seventh time in Centennial playoff action. Hopkins holds a 45-21-9 series lead, after a 1-0 victory on Oct. 27 on a goal by Scott Bukoski. JHU outshot Gettysburg, 23-10, in that contest. Gettysburg's last playoff triumph was in 2005, downing the Jays in penalties. Eric Hynes leads the Bullets in scoring (5-1-11) and has three game-winning goals. Sean Coleman leads Hopkins with 10 goals and an assist for 21 points. Watch LIVE.

Gettysburg at Swarthmore (Volleyball)
The Bullets (16-13) and the Garnet (17-10) square off for the right to take on top-seeded Haverford in the semifinals this weekend on the Main Line. Gettysburg is one of the perennial powers in the Conference with seven titles and 13 appearances in 13 years of the Conference tournament. Swarthmore makes its third trip to the Centennial playoffs. The Garnet won its first-ever match against the Bullets in 29 tries back on Oct. 23, winning in straight sets, as Kathryn Montemurro had 15 kills. Montemurro is second in the CC in hitting percentage (.315), while Gettysburg's Nicole Burns is third at .312. Watch LIVE.