Got Snow?

Among other things, a profound sense of guilt has driven me back to my keyboard in hopes of reviving What's Bruin. The feeling surfaced due in no small part to the castigation I've received via emails, phone calls and personal conversation with squash players and their fans regarding an erroneous, though outdated, post accusing them of remaining winless. The squash team HAS INDEED defeated Loyola and Friends. Forgive my ignorance squashers and, in the future, help to forestall it by granting me the occasional update!

Back to the grind, as it were, though I suppose many of us might consider our recent extended "vacation" to have been more laborious than any comparable period spent at work. Anyway, it appears the majority of us have adequately dug our way out of our igloos, motivated by Park's determination to return to some sense of normalcy before April and no shortage of cabin fever. Consequently, upon enduring the voyage characterized by craning necks around gargantuan mounds of graying snow substituting for stop signs at nearly every intersection and tiptoeing through the ice fields that mar the walk from car to office, we find ourselves back on campus. To our dismay, those few of us hunkered down in the PAC today have found ourselves thrust into a sports upheaval the likes of which none can recall occurring prior. The "storm(s) of the century" has, among other unpleasantries, shifted most postseasons springward by at least a week. The final week of the boys basketball season has been canceled, flash-freezing the standings but allowing all to enter the playoffs. Other teams find themselves returning to almost unrecognizable gymnasiums, ghostly venues holding vague memories of contests played oh so long ago. And it's game time! There's no warm up period in place so snow-weary squads can relearn their games. Oh no. Girls' basketball Quarterfinals are TODAY! Indoor soccer Semifinals are TODAY! Squash Team Semifinals are TODAY and Individual Playoffs begin TOMORROW (right gang?)! Boys' basketball Quarters are Thursday and Semis are Friday. Welcome back Bruins!

This week the girls' basketball team hopes to put a definitive end to the saga that has, due to no fault of the current roster, dragged on for 2 years after unexpected losses in 2 successive championships. You've heard the story before, as have the girls, and the added expectations and subsequent pressure to which they've been exposed as a result are unfair. Still they hang as a cliched dark cloud shadowing their romp through the regular season. Perhaps I'm making it all up, but it sure makes for good drama, no? First up is a quarterfinal showdown against Glenelg who has succumbed to the Bruins twice already, by 26 and 30 points, earlier in the year. Provided the win, the next opponent would be the Lutheran/BT/Oldfields winner. Their combined record versus Park is 0-4 with an average point differential of over 30, but I digress lest I jinx the outcome any further.

Indoor soccer is poised for a run at a championship as well, seated number 1 in the B-Conference. However, they face the task of regaining their cohesion and shaking the ice from their (soccer) boots after the long layoff. Their semifinal foe, Glenelg, conveniently played a quarterfinal game yesterday providing them a useful return to action before today's showdown at Du Burns arena. Are the Bruins rested or rusty following nature's interruption of their momentum? Will the defense return impenetrable or immobile after so many days of home-bound seclusion and Olympic television their only means of athletic outlet? We'll see. Further complicating the situation is St. Tim's decision to forfeit their semifinal against Garrison allowing the 2 seed a free pass to Thursday's final.

Boys basketball, it could be said, had the most conventional return to play, were it not for the outright wiping of the slate that was the remainder of the regular season. With no apparent alternative, the MIAA struck the final week of the schedule so as to maintain some semblance of their proposed playoff picture intact. The move cinched the 4 spot for the Bruins, which means a quarterfinal matchup with Indian Creek, whom Park beat 52-43 in their gym a month ago. What follows would be an imposing semifinal against 9-0 Chapelgate. The unfortunate truth is, had mother nature left well enough alone, the Bruins stood to face the dregs of the conference in their final games. Key (the 3 seed), on the other hand, was slated to play against 2 of the best. Third place would have been up for grabs with luck leaning slightly the Bruins' way. Alas, it was not to be but, regardless, the road to the title appears to wind its way through Chapelgate and Beth Tfiloh. No matter the side of the enlarged bracket, Park must take on all comers.

Welcome back everyone! Show your colors this week and support our contenders!

GO BRUINS!