Mules, Greyhounds split Matte Award for third time

Muhlenberg and Moravian’s local rivalry for the Matte Award resulted in a tie as each school claimed victories in nine sports during the 2007-08 season.

It’s not the first time the Mules and the Greyhounds did not determine a winner, as they split on two other occasions during the 2000-01 and 1994-95 seasons.

The two schools have competed for the Matte Award every year since 1987-88. Named for the late Aaron Matte (Muhlenberg ’70), a strong supporter of local college athletics, the trophy goes to the school with the better record in the direct clashes in all 18 sports.

This year’s battle between Muhlenberg and Moravian was an especially intense affair as the result was tied six times throughout the season.

Late in the spring, the Greyhounds took a 9-7 lead with two sports remaining to be contested but the Mule men’s golf and men’s lacrosse teams made sure there was no outright winner of the award, tying the score at nine.

Baseball senior Danny Asip and women’s soccer senior Maura Hendsey represented Muhlenberg’s athletes at the annual Matte Award luncheon, where Moravian athletics director Paul Moyer announced that the trophy will stay for half a year with the Mules and the other half with the Greyhounds.

“Moravian games had a different feel than other non-conference games because of the history between the two schools,” Asip said. “It was great knowing that I was involved in a rivalry that has been going on for decades.”

Muhlenberg hasn’t recently tasted defeat in the head-to-head competition as the school claimed four consecutive awards since the 2003-04 campaign.

“Although we tied this year, I take pride in knowing that we didn’t lose the award to Moravian during my four years here,” Asip said. “Winning and competing for the Matte Award is important in maintaining the tradition of athletic excellence at Muhlenberg.”

For the first time, the Mules and Greyhounds competed in a Centennial Conference encounter following Moravian’s addition to the CC football roster. Muhlenberg came out on top, 35-7, in the first intraconference game between the two schools in 14 years.

See below for a complete rundown of Matte events.