Drexel

In his 14th year as athletic director at Drexel, Eric Zillmer absorbs the constant seismic shifts of the college sports landscape as business as usual. Virginia Commonwealth just left Drexel's league, the Colonial Athletic Association, for the Atlantic Ten Conference. Was anybody shocked? Did that register on any collegiate Richter scale? Zillmer made a point about how the shifts have similarities to recent meltdowns in the financial industries. The colleges like to think they are making moves to help their long-term interests, he said.

Valerie Garfield had a vision 18 years ago that someday - she wasn't sure when - she would own the house one door away from her mother's on South 46th Street. That dream became a reality Jan. 30. The house, which she had been renting for several years, was hers at last. "Look at what God did!" exclaimed Garfield, 52. To which her daughter, Kimberly Johnson, 23, added: "It's about time she got this house. It was really stressing her out. " With assistance from a relaunched city program called Home Buy Now and her longtime employer, the University of Pennsylvania, Garfield was able to buy the house for $50,000, cover closing costs, and have enough left over to pay for some much-needed improvements.

During two days of competing in the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Purdue had to endure "a lot of hiccups," in the words of its coach. The Boilermakers sat their No. 3 seat on the men's varsity eight boat because of illness. They brought up a substitute from the junior varsity, which affected the JV. And in the varsity eight race, their boat struck a log in the river, knocking off the rudder and forcing the coxswain to stick his arm into the Schuylkill to make the turn at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

When Elena Delle Donne, the leading scorer in the nation in women's college basketball, couldn't sink a shot against Drexel on Feb. 19, she kept hitting the tattoo of her sister, Lizzie, on her rib, saying to herself, "You've got to help me. " She rubbed the tattoo with her shooting hand. "Come on, Lizzie, help me!" Finally, Lizzie did. After having missed 15 of her first 18 shots from the field, Elena hit the game-winner with two seconds left, and the University of Delaware beat Drexel, 40-39.

Who: Drexel (2-0) at Florida Gulf Coast (1-0) When: 7 o'clock Where: Alico Arena, Fort Myers, Fla. TV/Radio: None/WNTP (990-AM) Note: This is Florida Gulf Coast's first home game since moving up to Division I. The Eagles are 80-11 all time at Alico Arena.

Coach: James "Bruiser" Flint (149-124 in nine seasons at Drexel; 235-196 in 14 seasons overall) Last season: 16-16 (11-7 Colonial Athletic Association) Postseason: None Last league title: 1996, North Atlantic Conference Last NCAA berth: 1996 Projected Starters Pos., Yr., Pts., Reb. G Gerald Colds, Sr., 9.3, 2.2 G Franz Massenat, Fr., -, - G Derrick Thomas, So., 6.4, 2.6 F Samme Givens, Jr., 8.3, 8.3 F Daryl McCo, So., 1.3, 4.1 Key Reserves G Chris Fouch, So., 11.3, 1.9 F Dartaye Ruffin, Fr., -, - It all comes down to: Staying out of foul trouble and avoiding injuries.

The Atlantic Ten Conference made another big move to fill the void left by the impending departure of Temple to the Big East, and dealt a blow to the Colonial Athletic Association, when Virginia Commonwealth announced Tuesday that it is leaving the CAA to join the A-10. The surprise was that VCU is leaving immediately, to begin playing A-10 sports in 2012-13. That's particularly noteworthy in men's basketball. VCU will be the 15th A-10 school next year. Butler is due to join the following year from the Horizon League, at the same time Temple leaves for the Big East Conference.

In their final game wearing a Drexel uniform, Kamile Nacickaite and Tyler Hale finished with 11 points apiece, but the Dragons lost, 65-43, to Syracuse in second-round women's NIT action last night at the Daskalaskis Athletic Center. Drexel kept it tight in the first half and trailed, 44-41, with 6:18 to play before the Orange opened an insurmountable 21-2 run. Syracuse (20-14) was led by a double-double from Kayla Alexander (16 points, 11 rebounds). Drexel finished 19-14, its best record since the 2008-09 season.

Delsea forward Kate Kane, considered among the fastest soccer players in South Jersey, has signed with Drexel. Kane earned a partial academic and soccer scholarship. She became the second South Jersey player this season to commit to Drexel. In the fall, Paul VI defender Noel Niederkorn also made a commitment to Drexel. Kane and Niederkorn, who are teammates for the Medford Strikers, will be roommates at Drexel. "I originally had it narrowed down to Delaware and St. Joe's," Kane said yesterday.

Drexel's unbeaten varsity eight won its third race of the season at yesterday's sixth annual La Salle University Invitational Regatta. Boats from 22 schools participated on the Cooper River in Camden County Park. Drexel, coached by Steve Orova and victorious over George Washington and St. Joseph's in previous regattas, stroked powerfully over the 2,000-meter course to win in 6 minutes, 12.1 seconds, in a cold, sharp crosswind. Bucknell was many lengths back in second place and later triumphed in the women's varsity eight.

In his 14th year as athletic director at Drexel, Eric Zillmer absorbs the constant seismic shifts of the college sports landscape as business as usual. Virginia Commonwealth just left Drexel's league, the Colonial Athletic Association, for the Atlantic Ten Conference. Was anybody shocked? Did that register on any collegiate Richter scale? Zillmer made a point about how the shifts have similarities to recent meltdowns in the financial industries. The colleges like to think they are making moves to help their long-term interests, he said.

The Atlantic Ten Conference made another big move to fill the void left by the impending departure of Temple to the Big East, and dealt a blow to the Colonial Athletic Association, when Virginia Commonwealth announced Tuesday that it is leaving the CAA to join the A-10. The surprise was that VCU is leaving immediately, to begin playing A-10 sports in 2012-13. That's particularly noteworthy in men's basketball. VCU will be the 15th A-10 school next year. Butler is due to join the following year from the Horizon League, at the same time Temple leaves for the Big East Conference.

MICHIGAN WON the varsity eight heavyweight race to capture the men's team point trophy championship at the 74th Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River on Saturday. Michigan finished in 5:58.604. Florida Institute of Technology was second in 5:58.946. Drexel (6:02.401) finished third and Temple (6:06.266) took fifth. Duke won the women's heavyweight eight championship in 06:43.796. Bucknell finished second in 6:44.037 and won the overall women's team point trophy.

Harriet Fleisher Berger, 94, of East Falls, a Drexel University professor from 1967 to 1988 whose life was shaped by progressive causes, died of Parkinson's disease on Friday, May 4, at her home. Mrs. Berger was the former wife of David Berger, city solicitor from 1956 to 1963 in the Democratic administration of Mayor Richardson Dilworth, which ended in 1962. Mr. Berger's later career focused on class-action lawsuits involving the likes of the Three Mile Island and Exxon Valdez disasters.

During two days of competing in the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Purdue had to endure "a lot of hiccups," in the words of its coach. The Boilermakers sat their No. 3 seat on the men's varsity eight boat because of illness. They brought up a substitute from the junior varsity, which affected the JV. And in the varsity eight race, their boat struck a log in the river, knocking off the rudder and forcing the coxswain to stick his arm into the Schuylkill to make the turn at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

During two days of competing in the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Purdue had to endure "a lot of hiccups," in the words of its coach. The Boilermakers sat their No. 3 seat on the men's varsity eight boat because of illness. They brought up a substitute from the junior varsity, which affected the JV. And in the varsity eight race, their boat struck a log in the river, knocking off the rudder and forcing the coxswain to stick his arm into the Schuylkill to make the turn at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

Drexel director of rowing Paul Savell appreciates the support his men's and women's crews receive - from the student body to the alumni to the athletic administration - and doesn't mind if all that enthusiasm creates some pressure on his Dragons. "We like that pressure," Savell said Friday on the banks of the Schuylkill. "You wouldn't have any diamonds if you didn't have pressure. No, we like that. " The Dragons thrived in Friday's day-long heats at the 74th Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, advancing eight boats - equally divided between men and women - into the semifinals.

For the first time in 50 years, the Drexel men's and women's varsity eights won the Bergen and Kelly Cup titles, respectively, on the Schuylkill on Saturday afternoon. The men's varsity eight boat won the Bergen Cup for the second straight year, crossing the finish line at 6 minutes, 4.0 seconds, with Temple second at 6:09.2. La Salle, St. Joseph's, and Villanova followed. Drexel's newly named Lois Krall boat featured coxswain Randall Lee (William Tennent High), stroke Kurt Linton (St. Augustine Prep)

WHEN THE University City District (UCD) was being organized in 1997, then-Penn Executive Vice President John Fry said that planners decided against setting up a neighborhood- or business-improvement district that would have forced landowners to pay up. "We wanted to do something that was more collaborative in spirit," said Fry, now Drexel's president. "We didn't want to force anyone to do something they didn't want to do. " Most improvement districts assess an additional tax of between 7 percent and 10 percent.

La Salle's women's lacrosse team tied the program record with its 10th win this season by beating St. Joseph's, 11-3, on Sunday in steady rain at McCarthy Stadium. La Salle raised its record to 10-6 overall and 3-4 in the Atlantic Ten. The 2005 and 2010 teams also won 10 games. Lauren McDermott (North Penn High School), Jackie Roebuck (Marple Newtown), Melanie Sarcinello (Marple Newtown), and Kelly Furman (Boyertown) each scored two goals. Goalie Megan Corliss (Archbishop Carroll)