Scanning the roster for the Case Western Reserve University Ice Hockey club team, you find many first names that you would expect to find on a college club hockey team: two Erics, two Michaels, a Joe, a Henry, and a Kayla. Hold up. That last name is quite unusual.
On Saturday, for the first time this decade, the UAA cross country championships will be hosted here. With six of the top 35 teams in the country as ranked in the latest US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll on the women's side, and four of the top 35 on the men's side, it figures to be a very competitive day at Squire Valleevue Farm.
In what is emerging as a fierce rivalry, the homecoming powder puff football game was played last Thursday night under the lights at Case Field.
Last week, fans witnessed the Spartans in top form, crushing the Hiram College Terriers 63-14, a season high. Actively working out the kinks in this year's team, coach Greg Debeljak finds his team constantly evolving, with each week's game as an indicator of their progress.
When the team makes their annual highlight reel at the end of the year, two players are sure to have plenty of highlights from the Hiram showdown. One of those players is Greg Meyer. Meyer is a senior running back on the team and typically is the Spartans' leading rusher.
The focus of this column has generally been Cleveland's sports teams and not fantasy exploits. However, the futility of watching the never-ending quarterback disaster we call the 2009 season has driven your loyal writer back to fantasy considerations, and I now present you with my winning fantasy strategy: start all your players playing against the Browns.
Mike Pelyak is a "rover" for the football team, which is comparable to a strong safety. Pelyak is a senior biology major from Newton Falls, Ohio. Last season, he was named 1st Team All-UAA on defense and earned UAA All-Academic honors. He's currently tied for the team lead in interceptions, with two.
The Spartans have certainly come a long way this season. Not only did they break into the University Athletic Association conference with wins against Brandeis University and New York University, they also succeeded in becoming regionally ranked. Now the Spartans can once again add to their long list of 2009 season accomplishments - locking in a minimum.