Politics, electronics, entertainment and sports all feature trends that encourage us to choose one object or person over another because of popular tendencies. If a company's product, such as Amazon's new Kindle Fire, is expected to do well, it will trend upwards since many customers will purchase it in December.
When it comes to sports, teams can trend up or down based on just one game. For example, take a look at my hometown football team, the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were on pace to go winless and capture the first overall pick in next year's draft, but, naturally, they claimed their first victory against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. I had already accepted the fact that the Dolphins just did not have the necessary tools this year I had even become a fan of the popular Twitter hashtag #SuckforLuck and was hopeful that Stanford University standout Andrew Luck would be able to salvage the franchise. Miami was clearly trending downwards, but a blowout victory now has their arrow pointing up.
Dartmouth sports teams always start their respective seasons trending upwards. A positive preseason outlook and general optimism accompany each first whistle of the season. Trends change based on a team's performance, however, as losses affect teams' reputations and can serve severe blows to morale. Let's take a look at several Dartmouth sports teams and how they are trending.
Men's Hockey UP
This weekend, the men's hockey team showed why I gave the Big Green an "A" after its preseason games. Dartmouth notched its first two ECAC victories of the year, taking down Quinnipiac University on Friday and Princeton University on Saturday. The crowd on Saturday was absolutely bonkers, and "Puck Frinceton" shirts could be seen all around the arena. This display of school pride gave Dartmouth the boost it needed to come away with a successful weekend.
Dustin Walsh '13 led the Big Green in points this weekend, goalie James Mello '12 kept Princeton in check by stopping 36 shots and freshman surprise Tyler Sikura '15 scored for the second time this season. This team seems primed to compete for the ECAC crown this year. Dartmouth faces conference rivals Cornell University and Colgate University next weekend at home in a pair of games which will most likely be excellent nailbiters to attend.
Sailing UP
During Halloween weekend, while we were all dressing up and drinking non-alcoholic cider, the sailing team was busy clinching one of the best weekends in the program's history. The co-ed team traveled to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to compete in the Professor Erwin Schell Trophy and brought home the gold for the first time since 1996. Matt Wefer '14, Ian Storck '15 and Charlotte Snow '15 all combined to capture the first-place finish and guarantee Dartmouth's spot in the Atlantic Coast Championship, which takes place on Nov. 12.
Not to be out-performed, the women's sailing notched a first-place finish at the Victorian Urn Trophy last weekend, edging out the University of Rhode Island by one point. The women's team had not won the regatta since 1999, and by doing so, it also earned a spot in the ACC Championships. It is safe to say that both these teams have their arrows pointing upwards, and I wish them the best of luck next weekend.
Football EVEN
Following a shellacking of Columbia University during Homecoming weekend, the Dartmouth football team traveled down to Harvard University and was beaten thoroughly, 41-10. I had given the team a second chance after the Columbia game, but the outcome of the Harvard contest had me rapidly losing faith. However, the Big Green came out against Cornell University this weekend and delivered a historic spanking, stopping the downward trend.
Nick Schwieger '12 continued to amaze fans and opponents alike as he racked up a Dartmouth-record 257 rushing yards and a touchdown. If Schwieger does not unanimously receive the Ivy League Player of the Year award, I will be greatly disappointed. I understand that the League conference isn't exactly the SEC or PAC-12, but the way Schwieger has been playing has me believing he could perform at his consistently high level against top-25 teams.
The Big Green defense has also come alive in the last two home games. After bottling up Columbia's offense, Dartmouth forced five turnovers against Princeton, including three interceptions. The defensive line must continue to play at this incredible level if the Big Green hopes to end the season on a winning note. The last two games of the season are against Brown and Princeton, and although my prediction of a 7-3 season was innacurate, a 5-5 record would definitely allow me to save face.
There is a reason why I do not have any teams trending downwards I believe in Dartmouth sports. In the eyes of the Dartmouth community, all Big Green teams can make a turnaround even if the losses pile up.
