Welcome to the Cougar Den

By Mark Siefert

Even though school is just beginning, every athletic field on campus is filled with teams practicing or competing in games. Here’s a quick preview of all of SXU’s fall sports.

To continue the tradition of a “decade of winning,” the Cougar football team is looking great. With a ton of returning starters, and a core group of seniors who are looking to continue a tradition of winning, the SXU football team should make a run deep into the playoffs. If all goes well, this season promises to be memorable.

Volleyball has had a few setbacks due to early injuries, but Coach Heersema always makes sure his team is as prepared as it can be for the bulk of the season. The Cougars are penned in to finish fourth in the CCAC this year. But with a very young team I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn a few heads this year and make a run, possibly earning a postseason berth.

The SXU Men’s Soccer team has tons of talent this year. With the return of four year starting goalie Ian Pickett, the team has the ability to knock off some of the perennial powers not only in their conference, but throughout the NAIA. If the team can put it all together, which was seen when they beat Rio Grande (NAIA preseason ranking #2), this team can compete with anyone.

Women’s Soccer, which garnered votes in the top 25 national preseason poll, will battle for a top spot in the CCAC, a conference that proves to be a national powerhouse. SXU won the conference tournament last year and hopes to recapture the crown this year.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams will continue their winning ways after very successful seasons last year. The women won conference for the first time last year, while the men look to continue to build on a very competitive 2008 fall season.

Saint Xavier athletics has always had a tradition of success, and the upcoming season looks to be nothing short of that. Based on my predictions, this fall should be an exciting one.

Right now, the life of a collegiate athlete is probably the most hectic that it will be all year. Most athletes are attempting to nail down their new schedules and classes, along with trying to determine how they are going to balance homework and studying with practice and games. Not only are athletes dealing with new classes and schedules, but most of us are dealing with new places of residence and adjusting to new roommates. No more home-cooked meals, free laundry, and living without a schedule…it’s back to the daily grind! With each passing week, we get more comfortable and our Southside campus seems more like home.

For those of you who follow my blog weekly, I plan on interviewing a different Saint Xavier athlete each week. Therefore, if you have any questions that you want answered, I will list the player’s name and sport the week prior to my interview, so as to allow fan participation in this blog. Next week’s interview will be with football quarterback senior Anthony Kropp.

Please leave any questions or comments on the blog. Stay classy Cougars…

Mark Siefert is a senior social science major from Crest Hill. He is a member of the baseball team. Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.