Champions League soccer returns with quarterfinals
March was truly filled with madness in sports. NFL free agency opened up and teams raced to sign the best free agents in the market. NCAA basketball fans witnessed some incredible upsets and millions were forced to shred their brackets. European soccer saw some magnificent matches and events. Chelsea’s 6-0 demolition against Arsenal, Barcelona’s 4-3 win and Messi’s historic hat-trick against Real Madrid in the el Clasico, and Bayern Munich’s clinching of the Bundesliga title with still a good amount of games remaining in the German league are just some examples of what European soccer produced in March. Apart from the leagues, Champions League soccer continued and the round of 16 came to an end. Thus, only eight teams now remain on the quest to be Europe’s best. Let’s take a look at the match-ups.
MIT sweeps Clark with solid pitching
Solid starting pitching from Nicholas J. Locascio ’16 and David A. Hesslink ’17 led MIT to a sweep of Clark University in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball doubleheader on Saturday, March 29. The Engineers took game one 8-1 before completing the sweep with a 2-0 victory that improved the Engineers to 7-3 overall and 4-0 in the NEWMAC. Clark fell to 4-13 and 1-4 with the losses.
Two fencers represent MIT
For the second year in a row, Joseph F. Rafidi ‘14 will represent MIT at the NCAA Fencing Championship and he will be joined by Cordelia G. Avery ‘17 at the competition scheduled to begin this Thursday at Ohio State. Qualifiers for epee and sabre, Rafidi and Avery are the lone Division III participants in their respective weapons.
MIT Sport Taekwondo Club places second overall Makes strong showing at Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference tournament
On March 9, the MIT Sport Taekwondo Club competed at the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (ECTC) tournament hosted by Princeton University. MIT faced many tough and experienced teams from schools such as Princeton and Cornell. With around 400 competitors, the team came in second in the overall competition with a total of 347 points.
Fans await rise of next prodigy in men’s tennis
For the first time in a while, men’s tennis is confronted with potential flux. With Federer now in his 30s and the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray in their mid- to late-twenties, the time seems ripe for the next tennis prodigy to burst onto the world stage.
MIT ballroom dance team dominates in tournament
On the weekend of March 7 – 9, several couples on the MIT Ballroom Dance Team (MITBDT) traveled to Columbia University to compete in the Big Apple Dance Competition (BADC), one of the largest such competitions on the East Coast. Of note, every MITBDT rookie, that is anyone who is a first year dancer on the team, made at least several semifinals. This year’s rookie class dominated in the newcomer finals. We also had a team couple place as a finalist in Champ, the highest skill level.
Men’s volleyball team stays undefeated en route to title
The MIT men’s volleyball team went 4-0 en route to its second straight championship title at the Johnson & Wales University Invitational held this past weekend. The No. 5 Engineers (20-4) defeated York College (N.Y.) (25-0, 25-22, 25-11), Vassar College (25-21, 25-27, 20-25, 25-19, 15-5), Wentworth Institute of Technology (25-20, 25-19, 25-23), and the host Wildcats (25-22, 25-20, 25-14) for the crown. Paul M. Syta ’14 was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player while Brendan S. Chang ’16 represented the Cardinal and Gray on the All-Tournament Team.
Engineers score eight straight goals in victory
The MIT women’s lacrosse team rattled off eight unanswered goals to start the game as it went on to defeat Eastern Connecticut State University, 17-6, in a non-conference women’s lacrosse tilt on Tuesday night. Hannah A. Levy ’17 led the way for the Engineers (4-0) with seven goals on seven shots while senior Erin Conn paced the Warriors (0-4) with four goals and six draw controls.
Women’s lacrosse retains perfect record
Six second-half goals by Isabella D. DiDio ’16 helped fuel MIT’s 14-12 come-from-behind victory over Roger Williams University in a non-conference women’s lacrosse game on Saturday, March 8. DiDio finished with a game-high seven goals and seven draw controls for the Engineers (3-0), who are enjoying their best start in program history. For the Hawks (0-3), Kristen Pingree led the way with three goals and an assist.
Men’s volleyball team comes out victorious
At the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Crossover Tournament hosted by Elmira College this past weekend, the No. 3 MIT men’s volleyball team swept Hilbert College and Penn State – Behrend but dropped a five-set battle to Medaille College. The 2-1 performance moved the Engineers’ ledger to 15-4 on the year and 8-2 in UVC action.
Roger Federer appears to be returning to form
2013 was a disappointing year for Roger Federer and his legion of fans. Throughout the year, Federer looked like a shadow of his former self — the serve wasn’t as accurate, the forehand not as precise or decisive, and he no longer played with his normal panache.
MIT takes down Lasell College lacrosse 18-12
The MIT women’s lacrosse team outscored host Lasell College, 8-3, during the final 23 minutes of regulation en route to an 18-12 victory on Tuesday afternoon. Kira M. Schott ‘16 amassed six goals, seven draw controls, and two groundballs as the Engineers improved to 2-0 on the season.
MIT kicks off lacrosse season with clear win
In the first meeting between both teams, the MIT women’s lacrosse team came out on top as it defeated Mount Ida College, 18-9, on Saturday, March 1. Isabella D. DiDio ’16 and Hannah A. Levy ’17 paced the Engineers (1-0) with six goals apiece while Rebecca Beaulieu led the Mustangs (0-1) with four goals.