Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Attack Leaves Athletic Fields Empty

Attack Leaves Athletic Fields Empty Weekend Games Postponed By Athletic Department; Makeups Unlikely

By Mike Hume Hoya Staff Writer

Charles Nailen/The Hoya The stands of Kehoe Field will remain empty this weekend as the Georgetown-Wagner football game was canceled along with all other weekend athletic events.

Georgetown postponed all of its scheduled athletic events for the weekend in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon Tuesday.

“We have decided to postpone all of our athletic events through the coming weekend,” Georgetown Athletic Director Joseph Lang said in a press release. “We offer our sympathy and prayers for all of the people who were affected by Tuesday’s tragedies.”

Immediately following the terrorist incidents and the closing of the university on Tuesday, Georgetown postponed its two planned athletic events for the day – a field hockey game at Towson and a volleyball match, at home, against Virginia. Wednesday’s only scheduled match, a women’s soccer game at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County was also postponed.

The decision to cancel this weekend’s athletic events followed hours of meetings and conference calls by the Georgetown Athletic Department.

“It’s an appropriate time for mourning and reflecting, not for playing games,” Lang said.

Among the events postponed this weekend was what was to be the first-ever tournament for the newly-founded women’s golf team – a two-day event in Sunset Beach, N.C., hosted by Elon College.

The Georgetown-Wagner football game was also among the contests postponed this weekend. Georgetown Football Head Coach Bob Benson said he supported the decision to postpone the weekend’s athletics from the beginning.

“I know we need to move on, but I feel it’s appropriate that we’re not playing this weekend,” Benson said.

Benson also doubted that the game with Wagner would be made up.

He went on to say that there might be some members of his 1995 team that are still missing in New York. According to Benson, the team has an “air of reality” and want to “move on” from Tuesday’s events.

“We’ve practiced [Wednesday] and [Thursday],” Benson said. “We’re trying to get back to a normal schedule.” The team did not practice on Tuesday.

The Patriot League, Georgetown’s conference for football, concluded on Thursday that it would not make a decision regarding the status of this weekend’s athletic contests.

“Understanding that there is not a right or wrong way to deal with such a tragedy, the league has decided that decisions regarding the playing of athletic events will be left to the discretion of our member institutions,” Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said in a Thursday press release.

Bucknell University, another member of the Patriot League, also canceled its games this weekend. According to Director of Athletic Communications Jon Terry, it was a presidential-level decision, made outside the realm of the athletics department. The main concern was not safety but for grieving students awaiting the news of friends, family and alumni.

“Students are still coping . the weekend seemed too soon [to resume athletic events],” Terry said.

An associate member of the Patriot League, Georgetown is a member of the Patriot League for football only. Wagner College, Georgetown’s would-be opponent, is located in Staten Island, N.Y. It was to be a non-conference game.

The university plans to begin playing again next week, with some events possibly being scheduled as early as Monday. While there are currently no planned events for that day, Senior Sports Communications Director Bill Shapland said the athletic department would attempt to schedule several contests, though they may not necessarily be the matches that were postponed over the weekend.

“If there is a chance to reschedule the games, we will do that,” Lang said of the multiple postponements. “Our coaches will be contacting other coaches to see if that’s possible.”

Another problem facing the athletic teams will be the new restrictions on air travel, especially in the immediate reduction of flight traffic around the nation.

Shapland said that the Athletic Department had not considered the hypothetical travel problem yet, but said: “We will make decisions that are prudent.”

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