The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae

John Marzano Found Dead

Former MLB player and Phillies analyst John Marzano has been found dead in his South Philadelphia home.

Marzano, a native of South Philadelphia, was found dead inside his home on Passyunk Ave. in the city, a published report indicates. It was there, the report states, that a family member called police to break down the door where Marzano apparently fell. It has not been determined if Marzano suffered a heart attack or simply fell.

Marzano graduated from Philadelphia’s Central High School and Temple University, where he was a member of the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. As a catcher for Temple, Marzano earned a spot on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team before being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (14th overall pick) of the 1984 draft.

Marzano was a talented analyst and seemed like a great guy. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Comcast SporsNet put together a nice package on Johnny Marz, which you can watch here.

>>John Marzano Dies at Age 45 [Comcast]
>>Johnny Marz Will Be Missed [The 700 Level]

Game 2 Thread: Moyer vs. Perez

It's a beautiful day in Philadelphia for a baseball game. I'm heading down to South Philly to take in second game of the series with the hated Mets.

Last night: Johan Santana was every bit as filthy as all Phillies fans feared he could be when the Mets made the move to get him this winter. But he also had a whole lot of help from the umps. If you check out the video below, the ump was clearly giving him pitches that Mitch Williams says are six inches off the plate. Whatever. It's one game but it shows what the Phillies may face from Johan for years.

Flyers, Fans Converge on DC: Game 5

The orange and black masses have hit up their local Wawas and are on the road to the Verizon Center, where some of the hometown fans have already given up and gone back to not caring about hockey. As of this morning, plenty of tickets were still available—at face value—for today's game in DC, and we've heard from a few Flyers fans who are snatching them up in the hopes of seeing a series finale.

It's tough to come back from a 3-1 series deficit, but the Flyers have shown that it's possible (by blowing at least two that I can remember), so let's not start thinking of Canadiens-related trash talk just yet. This series isn't over until the final horn sounds, as I imagine John Stevens has been telling his players since late Thursday night.

Alexander Ovechkin Isn't Fond of Flyers Fans

Alex Ovechkin hasn't had the series most people thought he would in the opening round of the playoffs. The Flyers have neutralized him for the most part, and the fans in Philly have booed him loudly every time he's touched the puck. After assisting on the goal below, Ovie let the Flyers fans behind the net know what he thinks of them, skating toward the glass and screaming (we think) "Fuck you!" And we're the classless ones...

The Muppets Take South Philly: Santana Vs. Hamels

It's a gorgeous day for baseball in Philadelphia, and what better way to start the weekend than to take in a game featuring two of the best pitchers in the league facing off in one of baseball's fiercest rivalries. If you're going to the park, you'll have to put up with some jorts-wearing Mets fans tonight, but last year, this proved to be rather fun, as their derision turned to embarrassment at having traveled a few hours just to watch their team get swept.

Our Interview With Mike Missanelli

Last month, both of the sports talk radio stations in Philly announced some major changes to their daily lineups. One of the biggest moves was the return of Mike Missanelli, formerly of 610 WIP, to Philadelphia, only he'd be heard a few clicks down the dial at 950 WPEN, which became an ESPN station. As most sports talk fans in Philly know, Missanelli's tenure at WIP didn't end very amicably, but he says the past is the past and he's moved on. However, Missanelli's show took over the afternoon drive time, opposite Howard Eskin, and so far, neither man has been shy about stoking the flames of competition in the time slot (thankfully). Being regular sports talk radio listeners, we thought we'd ask Mike if he'd be interested in answering a few questions about his time in New York, his on-air style, his dismissal at WIP, Stephen A. Smith, and more. 

You're back in Philly after a few years in the Big Apple. What major differences have you noticed in your years of fielding calls from the fan bases in these two cities?

The New York audience is much more subdued in their analysis and commentary of their sports. That's probably because their attention is so much more diluted by the presence of so many more teams and activities there, or it could be because we just naturally live sports so much more on a daily basis. Sports is much more an escape for us here in Philly.

How would you describe your co-host during your time in New York, one Mr. Stephen A. Smith?

I enjoyed it immensely. Steve is a really a good guy and we had a good bob and weave to the issues. Obviously, he is a major black media voice. One of the things I always admired about Stephen A, even when he was just a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that he wasn't afraid to say something that was on his mind, without regard to how people would react. That's the way I've always tried to conduct my sports talk radio life. Even though I didn't agree with everything Steve had to say, I admired that he would say it. And the fact that I disagreed with him on issues made for a better radio show. Now, I will also say that Steve is a very verbose guy, and I had to make sure that the 20 words I got in each day counted.

Chris Snelling, Interesting Guy

Our friends over at Balls, Sticks, & Stuff put together a cool feature on Chris Snelling, the Aussie the Phils called up to take Shane Victorino's roster spot while he's on the DL. Turns out, he's got quite a few whacky stories, and we agree with BSS that Snelling's definitely the type of lesser-known player Phillies fans could enjoy. Here's a little sample:

• During one of his rehab sessions down in Peoria [Arizona] he decided to set the world record for consecutive hours bouncing a ping pong ball off the wall, because it was more fun than hanging out in Arizona.
• A few winters ago, he went backpacking in the outback and didn't tell anyone in the Mariners organization.  They didn't hear from him for about 4 months and were concerned that he died.

>>Always Be Snelling [Balls, Sticks, & Stuff]

Flyers Win in Second OT!

There are few things more thrilling in hockey than the multiple OT game winner, something Flyers fans experienced Thursday night when Mike Knuble jammed a rebound past the Capitals' Cristobal Huet. After a game in which the Caps outplayed the Flyers for several stretches but couldn't quite put it away, the Flyers showed resiliency and stayed with it through the extra frames.

The Carter-Knuble-Upshall line led the way, with Carter scoring twice, Upshall laying some heavy hits, and Knuble netting the game-winner. Danny Briere scored the tying goal, re-inflating the Flyers' hopes of leaving Philly with a 3-1 series lead. Marty Biron clamped down and kept the Caps off the board after the second period, and Alexander Ovechkin was silenced after 2 assists in the first period. Japers' Rink has him at 1 shot in 86 minutes of game time. Mission accomplished.

Photo by Flickr user Neat1325. Video highlights and more, after the jump.

Unbelievable Save by Cristobal Huet

With the Flyers down a goal against the Capitals in the third period, Scottie Upshall had a shot on a seemingly wide-open net, but a diving glove save by Cristobal Huet denied him. Danny Briere would score a moment later to tie the game at 3, but Huet's save was clearly the best of the series so far. The Flyers went on to win in the second OT, but Huet was damn good in this one, as was his counterpart Marty Biron.

Washington Post to Flyers: Cease and Desist

Daily News Live reported has reported that the Washington Post has informed the Flyers that they do not have permission to distribute Mike Wise's column as they were planning to do. (Under copyright laws, such permission is required to distribute published materials.) We've heard that the Post issued a cease and desist to this effect, but we haven't found a confirmation just yet (update: confirmed, and the Flyers complied, but ran excerpts from the column on their jumbotron). Way to stand behind what you print, WaPo...

Regardless of what is or isn't distributed at the door, the Flyers and their fans are primed for a frenzied atmosphere in South Philly. A win will put the Caps on their heels heading back to DC, but we doubt anything will come easy tonight. Look for the Flyers to continue their gameplan of firing often on Cristobal Huet, and letting their physical presence be known around the crease. Huet has been more rattled in this series than at any time all season, showing a definite weakness in his game. Some Caps fans are even calling for Olaf Kolzig, but it's doubtful we'll see him unless Huet gets shelled again.

So sit back, grab your drink of choice (a Yards Philly Pale Ale in my case), and feel free to let the comments fly. Should be a great night at the Wach.

BPS Game Thread: It's Always Sunny In Citizens Bank Park

We could be looking at another great day in Philly sports, with the Phillies getting us through a case of the Thursdays this afternoon and the Flyers taking it to the Caps tonight. Fortunately, the games won't be letting out at the same time like they did on Tuesday.

Brett Myers looks to build on his last outing, facing Astros right-hander Brandon Backe. Backe is off to a good start at 1-1, with a 2.25 ERA and 12 Ks. A look at his 1.69 WHIP and 11 free passes shows that he's ripe for a beating though. Also, Miguel Tejada, the 'roider who Ed Wade traded for the day before the Mitchell Report was released, has aged 2 years in a single day. He'd been lying about his age since 1993, but oddly, all of his US documentation showed it correctly and no one ever discovered it. How's Ed feel about it?

“Fact of the matter is that he plays like he's 25, so I don't think it really matters a whole lot,” said Wade, who indicated the age discrepancy first came out during the course of a media interview. “We're still trying to figure out Jose Cruz Sr's age.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Ed Wade! Good to know ol' Ed's not into buyer's remorse.

Photo courtesy Another Delco Guy.

Flyers Get Wise to Whiny Washington Post Column

By now you've probably already seen Mike Wise's column from yesterday's Washington Post. Several of our fine readers sent it our way yesterday, and we heard 610 and 950 attack its merits with due fervor. But the Flyers have apparently taken it up a notch...

Rhea Hughes reported on today's WIP Morning Show that along with various orange accoutrement, the Flyers will be handing each fan who walks through the door tonight a copy of Wise's column, along with a thank you for being the most intimidating fans in hockey. Well played, Flyers!

Much more after the jump...

Quotable: Charlie Manuel on Phils' Cold Streaks

Last night, the Phillies bats were almost entirely silent against the great Roy Oswalt. Prior to the game, Oswalt had looked pretty terrible (0-3, 9.00 ERA), but we all knew he'd get on track. Lucky for us, he waited until he was facing the Phillies. Oswalt routinely has good numbers against the Phils, and last night's 2-1 loss was no different. The Phils just looked ice cold at the plate, a scene Charlie Manuel prophesied before the game:

"Any time we don't hit," Manuel said, "we don't look good. We look like we're really not into things, like we're dead."

Of course the first half of the quote comes from Charlie's Book of Obvious Genius, but the second half is a pretty stern commentary on the team's current resilience and character. When things aren't going well at the plate, the team loses interest? A wordsmith Charlie is not, so it's probably best not to think too deeply on it, but hopefully he's throwing some cleats in the locker room after the poor offensive showings to let the guys know that going limp isn't an option.

Game Chat: Kendrick Takes On Oswalt

Houston's Roy Oswalt is off to an uncharacteristic 0-3 start with a 9.00 ERA this year. He'll face Kyle Kendrick who is working off a few extra days rest due to an off day Monday and Charlie's decision to keep Eaton on schedule.

The bats were cold for the entire game last night but came alive in the 9th. Hopefully the Phils won't wait so long tonight to get on the board.

Sorry Nova, Tyreke Evans Chose Memphis

As MJD over at Yahoo! Sports pointed out earlier today, one of the main reasons local superstar Tyreke Evans chose Memphis over Villanova was to distance himself from his past.

And it's rare that a coach would get to use something like that in his recruiting pitch. "Hey, Tyreke, we've got great facilities, I know how to send players to the pros, and oh yeah, no one in Memphis wants to murder you."

I suppose you can't blame the guy. Jay Wright is running a very respectable program at Villanova, but John Calipari is running what seems like an NBA developmental league team down in Memphis. Plus, some hoods from Chester with a vendetta would probably have a lot more trouble finding their way to Tennessee than the Main Line.

Video: Mike Richards First Ever Playoff Goal

Wrong Building, originally uploaded by MattP33

Before we show you the crowd's view of Mike Richards sweet little penalty shot, I thought I'd point out this awesome photo from last night's game.

Anyone wearing a Chase Utley jersey is alright in my book. I'm just glad he at least has the orange "Vengeance" tee around his neck.

Mets/Nats Caption This Photo

Via Mister Irrelevant via Big League Stew

Stephen Colbert Attempts to 'Tongue the Crack of Liberty'

The following video contains two of my favorite things: Stephen Colbert and the city of Philadelphia. In it, Colbert attempts to "tongue the crack of liberty" and disobeys orders inside of Independence Hall. He also does his best to reach the summit of the Art Museum steps. Notice a brief cameo by everyone's favorite furry green guy from Galapagos.

Mets Fan Falls From Shea Escalator, Dies

Sad news from Shea Stadium. A Mets fan, Antonio Nararainsami, 36, lost his footing on an escalator and fell two stories to his death. Before any Mets fans jokes start flying, for a little perspective, let's keep in mind the Guyanese Brooklyn native was with his two daughters at the time, while his pregnant wife was at home. It's a terrible event no matter what colors he was wearing.

ESPN reports that the man's cousin said the escalator wasn't moving at the time, but there's no word as to why. Terrible way to mark the last year at Shea.

Pat the Bat Goes BOOM!

Could it be???, originally uploaded by stksave27

Pat Burrell hit the game tying, two run homer in the bottom of the ninth to put the Phils in position to win an exciting come from behind game over the Astros.

The700Level.com flickr group member extraordinaire stksave27 captured this great photo of the ball coming off Pat's bat.  He also has a nice one of Jenkins winning run.

Lauren Hart and Kate Smith Kick Off A Great Flyers Win

As a commenter said, Kate Smith gives us goosebumps every time. A great win for the Flyers and an impressive 9th inning ralley for the Phils makes a happy Philly sports fan. Mike Richards' penalty shot and Pat Burrell's homer were just what good old Kate Smith ordered.

Game Thread: Playoffs Come to Philly as Flyers Take On Caps In Game Three

The orange and black loyalists are packing into the Wachovia Center tonight to support the Flyers in a battle against the Caps. The winner will take a one game lead and if the Flyers can pull it out they will have two straight wins over the Caps and some nice momentum.

I'm looking forward to the sea of orange that will fill the arena this evening. Hopefully Marty Biron can pick up right where he left off on Sunday and keep the Russian from lighting the lamp.

Puck drops in about 20 minutes. Also, Adam Eaton takes the mound for the Phils at the ball park as Ed Wade's team comes to town. Feel free to discuss the action in the comments.

The Force is Strong in You, Young Phanatic

Nothing like a good lightsaber battle between the Phillie Phanatic and the evil Darth Vader. It was all in promotion of the Star Wars exhibit at the Franklin Institute. Video of the battle, via Geekadelphia after the jump.

Your 2008 Eagles Schedule, Birds to Play on Thanksgiving Night

The NFL has released its 2008 schedule, and the Eagles are set to fly with some interesting prime-time and holiday matchups. Let the bird-related Thanksgiving clichés fly!

Week 1: Rams @ Eagles, 1PM
Week 2: Eagles @ Cowboys, Monday Night Football
Week 3: Steelers @ Eagles, 4:15PM
Week 4: Eagles @ Bears, Sunday Night Football
Week 5: Redskins @ Eagles, 1PM
Week 6: Eagles @ 49ers, 4:15PM
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: Falcons @ Eagles, 1PM
Week 9: Eagles @ Seahawks, 4:15PM
Week 10: Giants @ Eagles, Sunday Night Football
Week 11: Eagles @ Bengals, 1PM
Week 12: Eagles @ Ravens, 1PM
Week 13: Cardinals @ Eagles, 8PM Thanksgiving Night
Week 14: Eagles @ Giants, 1PM
Week 15: Browns @ Eagles, Monday Night Football
Week 16: Eagles @ Redskins, 1PM
Week 17: Cowboys @ Eagles, 1PM

The Eagles provide their commentary on each game of the schedule here and here, and we're sure you'll have plenty to say as well. I've already gotten an IM saying the Week 17 game could be huge, and another saying it could be meaningless. The December showdown with the 'Boys was more than memorable last year, so we're guessing it will be a huge game whether or not it has playoff implications.

Curt Schilling Wants to Pitch for the Yankees

Curt Schilling's shoulder surgeon, Dr. Craig Morgan, was a guest on ESPN 950 with Mike Missanelli to talk about the former Phillie's shoulder issues. Apparently Curt and the Red Sox don't exactly agree on the proper solution to his aching arm. Schilling and his surgeon think that a crazy-sounding procedure in which he takes out the whole bicep tendon and moves it below his shoulder would be best. The Red Sox would like Schil to simply rehab and deal with a few cortisone shots here and there instead of going surgical.

The big deal about all of this, besides Schilling's surgeon being as loony as Curt, is that the Red Sox get the final say in which path Schilling takes. If he were to get the operation against the team's wishes it would void his $10 million contract with the Red Sox.

How does Curt feel about the Red Sox trying to tell him what to do? He's not too keen on the idea. His surgeon drops this bomb, "It's entirely conceivable that he will have the operation, rehab, and pitch for the Yankees next year. That's what he wants to do."

How do you like them apples? The problem with Schilling's brilliant evil plan to pitch for the Yanks, in my opinion, is that a 41 year-old coming off some crazy surgery is usually the kind of pitcher the Red Sox would love to face.

Junk Intact, Thoresen Is Ready to Block Shots Again

After nearly losing a man-bit, Patrick Thoresen is relieved to be recovering and nearing game-ready form. He reports that he was wearing a cup, a question some have raised, but a slapshot from Mike Green dented it and caught flesh due to Thoresen's prone position. After Paul Holmgren relayed the information that Thoresen may have suffered a ruptured testicle, and might lose it, we were happy to hear this wasn't the case. So will he dive to block a shot when he's cleared to play? You bet.

Howard Eskin Interviews Hillary, Remarkably Doesn't Ask Her What's For Dinner

As many of you know, the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary next week is a wee bit important for the two remaining candidates. Hillary Clinton was a guest on Howard Eskin's show yesterday afternoon and "The King of Bling" brought the hardball. Okay, not really. It's actually a pretty nondescript interview and Hillary never admits to wanting to be Julius Erving. But the kids over at Umpbump.com felt the need to rip into the Howard for his hard hitting journalism.

Audio of the interview after the jump. And in more exciting political news, Stephen Colbert is in Philly all week eating cheesesteaks with a little bonus Nutter footage.

Just Watch This Sixers Clip

And then read about it below.

Caps Video Montages Need Improvement

A few random things I forgot to mention about my experience at the Verizon Center on Friday Night. The most egregious issue I had was with their use of Rocky IV montages during key stoppages of play late in the game. They showed clips of Ivan Drago, a Russian, beating up on a bronzed, chiseled, glistening Rocky Balboa deep in the heart of communism. Get the symbolism? Alex Ovechkin is Russian and the Flyers, like Mr. Balboa, hail from Philadelphia. So Drago pummeling Rocky in the early rounds was some cute footage.

But yo, video guy, Rocky wins.

Phantoms' Boulerice Still Causing Trouble

Jesse Boulerice, who you may remember from such episodes as "crosscheck to the face," was back in the news over the weekend. Not surprisingly, it had to do with a little ruckus.

Via Busted Coverage we bring you this all out brawl from Saturday's Phantoms game against the Hershey Bears. We can't really make out what Boulerice did to start the mayhem but does it really matter? Oh, and the Phantoms lost.

Action Packed Sports Weekend: Recapped

There were so many games to watch this past weekend it was almost impossible to keep up. Let's try to recap. ::takes deep breath::

       

My attendance Friday at the Flyers/Capitals game and subsequent late night patronizing of Chinatown/Dupont bars to drink my sorrows away led to me not catching a single minute of the Phils' victory Friday. But I did watch much of the game on MLB.tv replay on Saturday. (minor gripe: MLB.tv -- when replaying games the next day, they should really come up with a better way to fast forward through games. And there should be absolutely no need for a pause between innings. Please fix that.)

The Flyers ended up losing the series opener and Patrick Thoresen almost lost a testicle. But he didn't, so that was good.

The Sixers had a rough weekend of their own, falling to Indiana on Friday and the Wizards on Saturday. With the Flyers and Phils off today, the Sixers' fan appreciation night at the Wachovia Center with LeBron James in town should get all of the attention.

Also, in a game nobody cared about but me, Boston College won an NCAA title.

Saturday night saw Cole Hamels get a win but it cost us Shane Victorino for at least 15 days. This is certainly troubling news and something that will not just go away in a fortnight. In fact, I think this may have been the worst thing to come out of this past weekend. Not liking that one bit.

There was a fight in Toronto and Flyers fans tried to give the city of Washington the finger before Sunday's game. It worked as the Flyers looked sharp and tied the series back up at one game a piece.

Then it was over to the Phils game where it was a lovely day for some baseball. ("Going where the climate suits my clothes") Chase looked nice in his alternate uni but not as nice at second base. The umps didn't help our boys and gave the Cubs a phantom home run. Charlie disagreed and got tossed. You tell 'em, Charlie.

Flyers Dominate Red Army, Take Game 2

::flips back to Phillies game:: The Flyers played hard for all 60 minutes, and Marty Biron blanked the Caps, 2-0, to earn the team a split in Washington. Both Flyers goals came in the first period, the first on a great pass from Braydon Coburn to RJ Umberger, who is back on a scoring line with Patrick Thoresen taking a few days to ice his junk. Jeff Carter scored the second goal, and Biron stopped all 24 shots the Caps fired at him. Alexander Ovechkin was held in check, as were Alexander Semin and Mike Green. 

The momentum never seemed to leave the Flyers, who killed off early penalty kills and managed the puck well on late power plays. Hard to ask for much more heading into Tuesday's game in South Philly, where the fans don't need cues to know when to give the Let's Go Flyers chant. (Seriously, I don't remember any team in any sport pumping in so many sounds while play is going on. How annoying is that Pavlovian foghorn for the Let's Go Caps chant?)

Highlights after the jump.

This One's for Thoresen

Game 2 of the Flyers-Capitals opening round series is about to get underway in Washington, where legions of fair-weather fans are filing into the Verizon Center clad in red. The Caps showed that they're ready to make some noise, continuing their hot streak with a come-from-behind win in game 1. The Flyers need to bring the same intensity and game plan that had them leading through 2 periods, and then carry it for all 60 minutes.

ROUND 1: NHL PLAYOFFS, originally uploaded by M. Hendron.

Moyer for the Sweep?

After two strong outings from Brett Myers and Cole Hamels, the Phillies could sweep the Cubs with a strong performance by Jamie Moyer today. Moyer faces Jason Marquis, a righty who gave up 4 runs in 5 innings during his first start. Shane Victorino has landed on the DL, and Jimmy is out for another day. Geoff Jenkins will lead off, followed by Jason Werth, and the standard order thereafter.

It'll be a chilly one at the Brick Cit House today, and there might even be some rain, but the weather's always good for an April sweep.

Blue Jays Ban Upper Level Beer Due to Brawlin'

A few Dollar Dog Nights into last season, we wondered whether the 300 Level at Citizens Bank Park was rapidly becoming the new incarnation of our namesake back at Veterans Stadium. Early reports are that the upper level shenanigans are continuing this year, but also that they're not just a Philly thing. There were some battles in the stands at Shea this week, and the fans in Toronto have taken to punching each other as well. In fact, Blue Jays management has already taken drastic measures to curb the beer tossing and man pushing. They've done the unthinkable—banned beer in the 500 Level.

Chris Mottram of The Sporting Blog and Mr. Irrelevant fame reports that Jays ownership is blaming the hops, yeast, and malt for recent violence north of their stadium's expensive-ticket border, but they also point the finger at the internet's most vile source of evil: YouTube. I think the sample size is a little small to be blaming an after effect of a fight (posting the video) on the act itself, the first of which happened on Opening Day. Godfrey also notes that any promotion aimed at young people runs this risk, something we found out with last year's College Nights.

One note to the Phillies front office. If you ban beer in the upper levels, we think there might be more violence. Removing beer from the baseball environment is akin to introducing aluminum bats. Of course, at $7 a profitable pop, I don't think anyone's banning anything down at CBP any time soon. Plus, Crab Fries and water brings out the barbarian in me. Canadians gone wild, after the jump.

Victorino Flyin' to DL, Snelling Called Up

After a good night at the plate (2-4, run scored) and a great catch in center, Shane Victorino came up limping with a strained right calf in the seventh inning, and has already been placed on the DL. Last year, Vic suffered a similar strain on the same calf playing against the Cubs at Wrigley in that freak game when Michael Bourn got hurt on the bullpen pitcher's mound, and the speed with which the Phils put him on the DL is a little alarming. His injury last year impacted his season even after he returned, and now that he's in center, any leg problem is amplified.

So Taguchi and Jayson Werth will platoon in center while Vic is out, thinning out the Phillies bench. Chris Snelling has been called up to fill the roster spot temporarily, and the injury keeps Vic out for long, we may get a look at Greg Golson. It's uncertain whether Jimmy Rollins will be back in the lineup today, but with an off day tomorrow, Charlie was probably hoping to give him another day of rest, so he's doubtful at best. [via]

Boston College Hockey Wins 2008 National Championship

Congratulations to my alma mater, Boston College, who beat hated Notre Dame tonight in the Frozen Four title game. It was BC's first national title since 2001.

>>Gerbe leads BC to NCAA title [NYTim