On Oct. 4, the Presentation varsity water polo team went up against the pugnacious Gators from Sacred Heart Prep. After an extremely physical match between the two teams, Presentation lost 10-6 to the top-ranked SHP.

The varsity game started off with two quick goals by Sacred Heart Prep. Presentation was unable to stop the aggressive offensive attack from SHP and let three more goals in during the second quarter. Presentation senior, Stephanie Maniglia made several attempts to score on SHP. In the third quarter SHP made two goals, as well as Presentation. One of the goals was made Presentation senior, Monique Kerstens. The SHP coach was given yellow card and player Stephanie Maniglia of Presentation was taken out of the game. The last quarter was pretty close Presentation scored four goals and Sacred Heart Prep scored three.

After the match varsity player Lena Robledo, junior commented, “It was really tough playing against Sacred Heat because they had strong shooter and were a very physical team”.

The junior varsity game was similarly tough, resulting in a loss of 4 to 2. During the first quarter, Sacred Heart Prep scored two goals, but goalie, Jamie Carr, junior blocked a barrage of hard shots. Kristin Pfaff, junior attempted several shots on SHP but was denied. During the second and third quarter the Gators made another two goals. In the last quarter Presentation blocked all attempts made by Sacred Heart Prep and scored two, including a goal by sophomore Jessica Kwok and was assisted by number Kristin Pfaff.

On Wednesday the 27th, varsity volleyball put on their game faces and stepped on their home court to challenge St. Francis for their final WCAL league game. With three defeats over St. Francis, Presentation had the upper hand, but in a shocking finish St. Francis took the win 4-1.

Tough playing by both teams kept the excitement high and the crowd on their feet, but St. Francis brought their A game, and it was difficult to break their determination. With the loss, Presentation ended up with a record of 22-3.

After our senior stars were announced and applauded, the starting lineup stepped onto the court. Seniors Sarah Cole, Katie Pearson, Molly Pearson, Katy Shatzman as Libero and Katy Tagart set up in their starting positions accompanied by junior Ronnie Bither.

The first game started with high enthusiasm from St. Francis as they took the first two points of the match, but a quick change of

stamina sparked when Tagart hit a hard spike to gain Presentation’s first point. The game was back and forth as hard-hitting action took place on both sides of the court. A back-to-back spike by Cole and Sklar put Pres in the lead; but due to some hard Lancer spikes, St. Francis took the first game 25-19.

St. Francis’ athleticism provided them with a 4-0 lead over Pres in the beginning of the second game, but an out-of-bounds hit from St. Francis provided Pres with the side out needed to rekindle their high spirits. A spike by Sklar and a conjoined block by Tagart and Pearson led Pres to their next couple points, but an error by Pres put St. Francis back in the lead.

The energy change in this game moved with celerity and an amazing tip by Tagart brought Pres back in the game. Back and forth points from both teams resulted in St. Francis taking the win in this close match with a final score of 25-22.

The third game started again with St. Francis grasping the lead, but they did not hold onto it for long. Fans and players were on their feet when Sklar blocked a powerful hit from St. Francis; this exciting play gave Pres room to add to their score and get back into the game. A run from Presentation–including a block from Pearson and a powerful spike by Cole–brought Pres to a 22-18 lead over St. Francis; this was their biggest lead of the night.

One out hit brought St. Francis’s spirit back up and they succeeded in catching up and now only trailed by two points. Another incredible block by Pearson and Bither put the 24th point on the board, and with a hit in the net by St. Francis, Pres took the match 25-23.

St. Francis led the beginning of the fourth game, but, with no surprise, junior Sklar put points on the board for Pres with a strong spike. St. Francis led the Panthers 12-6. Cole raised the energy for Pres once again with a nerve-racking tip. The determination level remained high in the fourth game. Sklar finished off a long-lasting rally with an amazing spike. Pres battled hard to gain back the points lost by minuscule mistakes, but unluckily St. Francis ended up taking the fourth match 25-18 to win the game.

Senior Sarah Cole says that despite their loss this game was a turning point for their team. “I think we all would agree that it was an opportunity for us to really come together as a team, which we hadn’t ever fully done,” she said.

Presentation Volleyball was able to bounce back the following weekend and commandeer the title of #1 team in the country. The team went undefeated at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, where they faced St. Francis once again. Presentation received first place in the tournament and St. Francis was placed in 9th.

Presentation played St. Francis on November 4 for co-champions of WCAL.

The newly revived rivalry between Stanford and the University of Southern California (USC) has left devoted fans thirsty for a good game. The competition between USC and Stanford began in 1905, the early years of football on the west coast. The two major private universities encountered a natural rivalry. This lasted until the early 2000s, when Stanford’s team began performing poorly. After this plummet occurred, the competition ended. It was then rebooted in 2007, when Jim Harbaugh, the current Stanford football coach, was hired. He resuscitated the diminished team, which defeated USC in a three game match-up.

USC fans were anxiously anticipating how the USC Trojans would play this season. After the abrupt departure of head coach Pete Carroll, the team was left in the hands of a new coach, Lane Kiffin.  The Trojans were also at a disadvantage from the loss of their leading offensive lineman, Seantrel Henderson. There were high hopes for the new team and for Kiffin, especially because losing was not an option.

Stanford also suffered a loss this season. Toby Gerhart, the team’s star running back, graduated in 2010. Stepfan Taylor, a sophomore, was predicted to take Gerhart’s spot, but Taylor has big shoes to fill.

The game was surely one to remember and caught the attention of many California football fans. If you’re interested in attending a local future PAC 10 game, tickets are available at www.gostanford.com/tickets or http://www.calbears.com/tickets/10_fb_tix_main.html . The prices range from $25 to $45, but sell out quickly. Many college football games are shown on television on channel ABC or ESPN-GP.

Most athletes spend the whole of their summer vacation training in the hopes of gaining a spot on varsity. Most student athletes think they know what skills they need to display to their coaches in order to prove themselves, but what are the coaches actually searching for? Is it speed, stamina, or the ability to perfect movement? All of these qualities are vital in the tryout process, but they are not all that coaches focus on.

According to several Pres coaches, this year’s tryouts have been more difficult than previous years;

“The girls are more competitive this year, on both JV and varsity, they are all very good this year.”

the level of competitiveness among the returning athletes has risen. Athletes have taken the initiative to play not only during high school season, but at least six months out of the year on club teams as well.

“ The girls are more competitive this year, on both JV and varsity, they are all very good this year.” says Mr. Schmuck, JV golf coach.The increased commitment to sports has given this year’s coaches the opportunity to raise the standards this season and create a better, more skilled team. When going into tryouts at the beginning of the year, coaches look for those players that have put in effort during their off seasons.“I look for girls who have made an effort to maintain their physical shape over summer,” says Mr. Garbo, coach of the varsity volleyball team this year. That means not spending weeks sitting on the couch watching movies and eating popcorn.

“Tryouts started with double days on the field. We looked for

the girls who could complete the 20-minute run around the soccer field,” said Mr. Garbo. The double days may have helpful for coaches, but Natalie Samson, freshman, said, “Tryouts were too many days. They could have been shorter.”

However, this increased summer effort by the athletes has proven to give them an upper hand, as many have stated that the tryouts were “not really hard” this year.

But physical wellness and ability to perfect and carry out skills are not all that coaches are focusing on this season. Mr. Garbo, Mr. Schmuck, and Travis Wyckoff, varsity Water Polo coach, have all expressed the importance of teamwork this time around. Mr. Garbo specifically named “vocal leaders” and players who are willing to be “selfless” as potential leaders of the group.

In some sports, teamwork meant that varsity and JV practiced together. Mr. Schmuck confirmed, “There is no distinguishing between varsity players and JV players; we all practice together.” This unity has led to success in the recent golf seasons.

For other sports, however, this team unity has presented difficulties for the players. “The difficult part of tryouts was that they didn’t separate players based on ability, so it was hard to play with people of different levels,” said Kathryn Daugherty, a member of this year’s freshman volleyball team.

In the pool, teamwork is just as important as individual skills. “We plan to play girls where they do their best work,” says Travis.

Though coaches plan to focus on teamwork this season, they are also looking for serious commitment from their returning players. “We look for the increase in interest and competition,” said Mr. Wyckoff. “Expectation for returning players is higher.”

All of this year’s coaches would agree that teamwork is ultimately what leads to success, but the competitive spark is what carries a team through a tough season. They are all looking forward to the accomplishments and enjoyment that this year will bring.

So put on your uniform and get on the field or in the water and show your coaches all of the effort you have put in during the summer. Remember to work as a team and be mindful of everyone else. This should be a good year for Presentation sports, so show us what you’ve got.

            This Panther Pride event has been an idea floating around for many years, and it was just recently put into action by the very active, spirited club on campus. It was not just the officers who created the idea; it was a group in the actual club dedicated to bringing this sport to Pres.

            The rules of powderpuff football are very similar to American football, but there is less violent action involved. There are 11 players from each team on the field at a time. Subs are permitted. With seven people on the offense and four on the defense, the teams fight to get the ball to the opposite side of the field into the touchdown zone. There are four downs, as in four chances, to get the ball ten yards closer to the goal line. If the team hits their fourth down, the team has the opportunity to either try and cross the line with the risk of losing the ball at that spot if they do not cross it, or they can punt it. The difference between American football and powderpuff football is that there are flags involved instead of tackling. Any tackling in the game will result in a penalty.

            Playing on the team is not the only thing Panther Pride has to offer for the sport. There will be cheerleaders involved as well. “I have been waiting all my life to be a cheerleader, and going to an all-girls school I can’t…until now!” said Caitlyn Rogers, junior.

Another aspect of this first annual event is that people from the student body that are not in Panther Pride were able to sign up to play. Because of this rule, Emily Wallace, junior, is able to participate. “I am really excited to cheerlead and to support my classmates. I’m lucky to even be able to because I am not in Panther Pride. It will be so exciting to cheer on our own school with pompoms,” she said.

            The actual game of juniors and seniors versus freshmen and sophomores will take place in early December, with practice taking place throughout the end of November and beginning of December. The rivalry is intense and the bickering between teams has become too juicy not to quote. Taylor Johnson, senior, commented, “There is going to be a major domination over the lower classmen. This competitiveness is in my blood, I can’t help but to be pumped.”

Meryl Parks, freshman, disagreed. “Even though we are younger, we still have a lot of power and strength in our grade level, so it should be a good game. I can’t wait to be out there supporting my teammates.”

            As the teams gather, the cheerleaders will dust off their pompoms, and the rest of the student body will prepare for a great game.  Join Panther Pride and the other student body participants on the Mani Hernandez field during collaboration on December 3 or 11. Practices will take place for juniors and seniors on November 27 and December 3, while the sophomores and freshmen will practice on December 3 and December 7. Be there!

Presentation’s golf team has had a great season this year. They were undefeated the entire season until West Catholic Athletic League tournament (WCAL) where they narrowly lost to Saint Ignatius. Due to their excellent record throughout the year, the loss to SI made them co-champions in the WCAL tournament and granted Presentation a bid for CCS Championships.

For those Pres students who do not know that much about golf, here is a quick explanation. There are 18 holes in the CCS tournament. The holes are graded by how far the tee (where the golfer starts) is from the green (where the hole is). There are three different levels, a par-three, par-four and par-five. Par means the number of times it takes to hit the ball before it lands in the hole. The goal is to hit below or at par. For example, the golfer tries to get the ball in the hole with one shot and two putts on a three-par hole. 

Each person on the team plays the full 18 holes and then the top four scores are added up. At CCS, there is both a team title and an individual championship title. Last year was the first year that Pres had an individual champion, junior Mariko Tumangan. Last year Pres also placed second overall, which is the highest team title Pres has had at CCS. This year, coach Angie Papangellin seemed very positive and thought the team would do very well. She said, “The team is looking pretty good, but golf is a difficult sport to predict.” Varsity golf member Ramey Parks agreed with her coach saying, “Throughout the whole season we have had many moments where we have had to knuckle down and we have handled the pressure very well. I am very excited because I think if we are all in the right state of mind we could do very well.” She was right, for this year’s team was solid and their results proved it!

The team started off on a great foot when Tumangan finished with a record 62 strokes (10 strokes under par). Next up was Alessandra Cain who scored an 82, then Ramey Parks who scored a 91 and Swetha Prabhakaran finishing with an 85. These top four scores earned Presentation a second place finish. Saint Ignatius finished first 19 strokes below Pres and Santa Catalina finished third with 6 strokes above Pres. “I was a little nervous going in,” said Ramey. “The best part of the whole day was when we got to the course.  Everyone was so excited and the whole place was filled with golfers of unbelievable skill. We ended up doing really well and I am excited for NorCals.”

Since Pres finished in the top four, they qualified to compete in the Nor Cal tournament. This tournament took place on November 9 at the Almaden Country Club, Presentation’s home course. They performed admirably and finished sixth overall. Unfortunately, this finish did not qualify them to move onto the state championships. Overall, the Presentation Golf Team had an incredible year. Congratulations again to the amazing team. They did a phenomenal job this year and represented our school with pride.

      Similar to the Olympic Games, each World Cup is hosted by a different country. The first tournament was held in Uruguay in 1930, and in 2006 Germany played host to the crowd of millions who came to shout support for their countries. But this summer a very unexpected nation was given this honor for the 2010 Cup. Come June 11 the coastal city of Cape Town, South Africa will be home to the legendary games.

 In preparation for the mass crowds that will be flocking to the city, Cape Town recently tore down its old soccer complex and replaced it with the flashy Green Point Stadium. Green Point holds up to 70,000 fans and was built right by the ocean, with the beautiful Table Mountain in the backdrop. The stadium was completed in December of 2007, not long after the announcement was made that South Africa would be the next host.

So, how does this huge tournament work? Well, perhaps the term “World” Cup can be a bit deceiving. Every country on the planet will not simply fly down to South Africa and wait around for their turn on the pitch. Each team that participates in the actual tournament has to qualify. The year after the final match is played is when the qualifying matches for the next tournament begin. For example, the 2006 finals between France and Italy took place on July 9; the qualifying rounds began September 2007.

Qualification matches are intended to select the top teams from every continent (with the exception of the Americas, which are split into two regions). For each continent there are a certain number of slots available, which will be given to the top countries. The North, Central Americas and Caribbean region has a total of three slots, which 35 countries have been competing for. This means that only three teams from each region will be going to South Africa. So far the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica are the favorites to win these three positions.

Soccer is not amongst the popular sports in America. Yet the national team, who proudly bare the stars and stripes across their jerseys, is brimming with coaching and player talent alike. Team USA’s manager, Bob Bradely, has been a Major League Soccer and college level coach since 1981. His experience ranges from leading his alma mater, Princeton University, to two first place titles in the Ivy League to coaching Major League teams like the Chicago Fire, the Metrostars, and the Chivas. In 1998 he was named Major League Coach of the Year.  In 2006 he was promoted to coach of the national team, which makes this summer’s tournament his first World Cup. So far he has brought the USA to the top of the regional pool with five wins, two ties, and only one loss.

On top of an exceptional coaching staff, the U.S. team also boasts a highly talented roster. Among the most notable is Landon Donovan, who sports the prestigious captain band on his arm. Donovan made his debut in the Major League on the San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose’s local hero led the Earthquakes to two MLS Cup Championships, scoring a total of 32 goals and assisting 29 others in the four years he spent with the team. He will be one of the starting forward in the USA’s next match against Trinidad and Tobago.

So, what about all the other teams out there besides the USA? For those who are keen followers of the famed England national captain-turned-Armani underwear model, it’s safe to exhale. David Beckham will, after much speculation, return to defend his homeland, the “Birthplace of Football”. Though many know the name from the Blockbuster hit Bend it Like Beckham, his real claim to fame was his position as starting midfielder for Manchester United, the top-ranked team in the English Premiere League. Beckham recently moved to the MLS team The Galaxy, but has been recruited once again to play for England. So there is no reason to panic: teenage girls, you will still get a glimpse of those sculpted underwear model abs on national television.

All seems well for the English team, who has secured their slot in the South African World Cup. But such security is not the case for other teams, some of which might come as a surprise. The 1996 champions, Argentina, are struggling to claim their position in the South American region. After losses to Paraguay and Brazil, things are not looking up. Diego Maradona, arguably one of the best soccer players of all time, recently assumed the position of manager for the Argentinean team. Despite his fame for ball skills, he has not led the team to a decisive position at the top of the ranks as many had hoped. Should Argentina indeed fall short, it will be welcome news to Brazil, who is among the favorites to claim the world title this summer.

So wake up America and join in the excitement that is steadily building each and every day all across the world. This will be your last chance for the next four years to witness some of the finest athletes in the world compete for the sought-after gold cup of champions. If the other countries could boast a roster as talented as that of the U.S., they would be itching for the chance to cheer on their team come June 11. So, once you all have your pompoms and noisemakers at the ready, how else can you prepare to cheer on your country? Order ESPN2!

Captain Position

Yes, it’s true. Patrick Marleau, former Shark’s captain of approximately four years, has been removed from the position. According to the San Jose Mercury News, he is ok with the change and will still give all that he can to the team and its success. Rumor is still in the air that he may be traded, but if that were the big news, the fuss would be over that instead. Joe Thornton is in a different boat; he is no longer assistant captain, but he is one candidate to take Marleau’s place. There is no final decision on this though, and Head Coach Todd McLellan has said the decision should be made by the middle of September, during training camp. The Mercury News also said that Dan Boyle is an “obvious candidate to replace Marleau as captain,” and the third option is Joe Pavelski. One thing is certain though; with new leaders in both captain’s positions, the upcoming season will definitely have some changes. 

Who Won’t Be Returning

There’s a large list this year of who to say farewell to: Alxei Semenov, Tomas Plihal, Marcel Goc, Travis Moen, Lukas Kaspar, Brian Boucher, Jeremy Roenick, Mike Grier, and as of Saturday, Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek. Roenick originally planned to retire after the 2007-08 season, but with a new coach he had decided to give it one more shot. Not even making it to the second round, though, he finally called it quits. At the last home game, he gave a farewell speech to fans that many will always remember. Also, with Boucher gone, there will be changes in the goaltending. With the case of Cheechoo and Michalek, some are shocked but some are not surprised. Cheechoo in the past few seasons has not been playing to his usual expectations, and many have been disappointed in his performance. The two players were traded Saturday for Dany Heatley from the Ottawa Senators.

Who’s New

The team’s coaching staff signed four new members (all with one-year contracts) to the team: defenseman Joe Callahan and Danny Groulx, center Dwight Helminen, right wing Jed Ortmeyer, and as mentioned above, Dany Heatley. Callahan played his first NHL season with the New York Islanders last season. General Manager Doug Wilson described Callahan on the Sharks website as, “a poised defensemen that is a good puck mover. He is an experienced professional who brings a great deal of competiveness to our organization.” Groulx played 80 games last season in the American Hockey League (AHL) and placed 14^th in points. He acquired 130 points in 415 regular season games in his AHL career. Wilson feels his experience is valuable and strong. He said, “He’ll add good depth to the organization and has a wealth of postseason experience at the American Hockey League level.” Helminen has played five years of professional hockey, and during last season he made his NHL debut with Carolina. Wilson said that the organization has been watching him for a long time and feels he “helps build our organizational depth.” Ortmeyer has played with Nashville for the past two seasons, and also earned 23 points playing for Milwaukee (AHL). Wilson feels his energy will help push his teammates, something the Sharks seem to need. Dany Heatley, the most recent addition to the team, was obtained through the trade of Cheechoo and Michalek. The coaching staff hopes that he will pick up the slack the team seems to have been experiencing. His 50 goal-per-season average should help the team tremendously, especially when it comes time for the playoffs.

Goaltending

The Sharks signed two goalies for the new season: Thomas Greiss (with a two-year contract) and Henrik Karlsson (with a one-year contract). Wilson said of Greiss, “After a tremendous season in Worcester and an outstanding playoffs, we are excited to have Thomas under contract for the next two seasons. His development towards becoming an NHL goaltender has continued to progress. We were very impressed with the work ethic and dedication he has put forth and the results have shown in his play.” According to the Sharks website, his save percentage is 0.86, which isn’t too far behind Nabokov’s regular season save percentage of 0.91. Karlsson spent last season playing the sport in Sweden, where in 32 games his save percentage was .921 in 32 games. With these two new goaltenders and Nabokov, the goaltending for this year can be predicted to improve from previous seasons.

Coaching

There is a new member to the coaching staff: Matt Shaw. The announcement was made on July 17 that he would now be working alongside McLellan. “Next year is a big year for all of us as players and as coaches and he and I have worked together in the past so there is a comfort level,” said McLellan. “He has tremendous character and a strong ability to interact with the players and coaches.” With his work for the past two years on the Minnesota Wild, he has desirable skills in pre-scouting opposing teams and in-game analysis. He has worked for 1000 professional and college level hockey games, and played 138 games as a defensemen on his college teams, so it’s no doubt that his experience will be useful on the coaching staff.

The 2009-10 season is expected to bring new and great advances for the team. With almost every aspect of the team being revamped, only time will tell how great these advances will be.