Monthly Archives: November 2012

Antonini Anthology

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Cody Antonini recently finished his career as a Muhlenberg men’s soccer player with a bang, recording a hat trick in his final game. That brought Antonini’s career total to 49 goals – the fourth-most in program history.

The 49 goals came over a five-year span (Antonini took the 2011 season off) and in a variety of situations. Who did he score against most? Who helped him score the most? And were his goals important ones that helped the Mules win?

The answer to those questions and more in this breakdown of Antonini’s 49 career goals:

by opponent

  • Moravian – 6
  • Gettysburg – 5
  • Ursinus – 4
  • New Jersey – 4 
  • Franklin & Marshall – 3
  • Dickinson, Centenary, Cortland State, Haverford, Marywood, McDaniel, Washington, Wilkes, William Paterson – 2 each
  • Baruch, DeSales, Drew, Elizabethtown, Johns Hopkins, Montclair State, NYU, Richard Stockton, Swarthmore – 1 each

Note: Antonini scored against 23 different opponents, including all eight in the Centennial Conference.

by class year

  • freshman – 5
  • sophomore – 12
  • junior – 16
  • senior – 16

by assister

  • unassisted – 23 (2 penalty kicks)
  • Matt Cecconi – 3
  • Tom Reilly – 3
  • Samuel Hayden, Josh Luginbuhl, Jeff Reinhart, Danny Way, Mike Williams – 2 each
  • 12 others – 1 each

by game situation

  • gave Mules a 1-0 lead – 14
  • gave Mules a 2-0 lead – 9
  • gave Mules a 3-0 lead – 8
  • gave Mules a 4-0 lead – 5
  • gave Mules a 5-0 lead – 3
  • gave Mules a 2-1 lead – 2
  • gave Mules a 5-1 lead – 1
  • tied game at 1-1 – 3
  • tied game at 2-2 – 1
  • cut Mule deficit to 2-1 – 3

by site

  • home – 29
  • away – 19
  • neutral site – 1

by half

  • first half – 16
  • second half – 33

by time

  • 0:00-15:00 – 4
  • 15:01-30:00 – 6
  • 30:01-45:00 – 6
  • 45:01-60:00 – 12
  • 60:01-75:00 – 15
  • 75:01-90:00 – 6

Muhlenberg’s record when Antonini scored a goal: 32-3-3

Muhlenberg’s record when Antonini did not score a goal: 15-15-6

A Break in the Storm

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Shane O’Connor knew it wasn’t going to be good when he saw TV weatherman Al Roker reporting from his hometown of Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.

It wasn’t good, of course. The Jersey shore was pummeled by Hurricane Sandy this week, resulting in unprecedented destruction.

Even though O’Connor’s house was spared significant damage, many of his friends weren’t so fortunate. And Bay Head Beach, where the senior co-captain on the Muhlenberg football team works as a lifeguard in the summer, was among the hardest hit.

“It’s just sad,” said O’Connor, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s where I grew up. It’s my childhood.”

O’Connor got a welcome respite from the horrible news from home yesterday when he helped the Mules beat Ursinus, 24-17, on Senior Day at Scotty Wood Stadium. He said it was like a “sigh of relief” at the end of a harrowing week.

“Concentrating on football and schoolwork were tough,” he said. “I was calling friends here and there, seeing whose house got damaged. I knew how bad it was, but I didn’t know who it affected.”

Getting even that information proved to be challenging and frustrating.

“Cell service was down for a few days after the storm hit,” O’Connor said. “I couldn’t get in touch with my parents.

“A lot of my friends went home,” he added. “I saw the news and the pictures and it was tough being here and not being able to help out.”

O’Connor’s other family, the Muhlenberg football team, helped ease his anxiety. Known as “Shane-O,” the three-year starting safety is popular among his teammates. Wrote fellow co-captain John Merklinger, “He puts David Hasselhoff to shame with his killer good looks and ‘Dude, I’m such a beach bro’ attitude. Having Shane as both a teammate and friend is something I’ll always treasure.”

“I had a lot of help to take my mind off of it,” said O’Connor with a nod to the locker room. “These guys are great, and I know they’re there for me no matter what.”

For a few hours yesterday, it was Saturday business as usual for O’Connor. He smiled for pictures with his family during Senior Day ceremonies and went out for the coin tosses prior to the game and the overtime.

Proudly wearing “732” – his home area code – on his wrist, O’Connor played his customary solid defense as the Mules held the most prolific passing attack in the Centennial Conference in check, with the exception of a few big plays. He recorded three tackles and had a near-interception in the second quarter. He hammed it up on the field with his fellow seniors following the game, their last at home.

“It just brightened my day,” said O’Connor. “I’m able to look past everything for just a little bit.”

There will be tougher days ahead when he goes home and the reality sets in. But even though Bay Head Beach will be off limits for a while due to gas leaks, O’Connor is confident it will bounce back.

“I know we’ll rebuild the shore and get it back to the way it was,” he said.

photos by Lisa Youngentob ’12

Athletes of the Month

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The new month begins with All Saints’ Day, and while these two athletes might not qualify for sainthood just yet, their performances in October earned them recognition as Muhlenberg athletes of the month.

Female Athlete of the Month – Maggie Neary, Soccer

Muhlenberg’s improbable run to the Centennial Conference playoffs – which begin tonight with a first-round home game against Swarthmore – was built on defense, and its defense is built around Neary. A rock at center back, Neary anchored a back four that allowed only two goals in seven October games. That’s two goals in 650 minutes – a goals-against average of 0.28. The Mules went 4-2-1 in October, clinching the fourth seed in the CC playoffs after starting out 0-2 in league play. A four-year starter and two-time (likely to be three-time) All-CC selection, Neary also helped out the offense with her free kicks, recording an assist against Washington College.

Male Athlete of the Month – Dan Deighan, Football

The football team entered October on the heels of a 17-0 loss to Susquehanna that broke a long streak of not getting shut out in a Centennial Conference game. After a week off, the Mule offense returned in full force, averaging 457.7 yards and 43.7 points in three October games. At the helm was senior quarterback Deighan, who passed for 650 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 178 and another score in the three games. He became the first QB in program history to record a 100-yard rushing game and a 300-yard passing game, and he did it in back-to-back weeks, running for 105 vs. Juniata and passing for 313 at Dickinson. He also broke the school record for career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,254 and counting) and moved into the top 10 in CC history in total offense.