Hockey

Category: Hockey

Vikings fall to Grinnell in MWC championship match

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team fell to Grinnell College 5-0 in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship match on Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Lawrence, in search of its first conference championship since 1968, dropped all three doubles matches, and Grinnell closed out the victory with wins at Nos. 4 and 6 singles. Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference is its best since taking second in 2003.

The Vikings earned a berth in the title match by beating Monmouth College 5-3 in the MWC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning. The Vikings trailed 2-1 after the doubles with Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte picking up the lone win for Lawrence.

Lawrence rebounded to win four of the six singles matches as the bottom half of the lineup dominated the Scots. Sherwood won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4 and DeCorte was a 6-0, 6-4 winner at No. 5. Jeremy Andereck picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for Lawrence. Cooper Smith completed the singles victories for Lawrence with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1.

Hockey conference takes on new name, different look

APPLETON, Wis. — The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association will take on a new look and a new name as it embarks on the next chapter in its history.

Dr. G. Steven Larson, commissioner of the league, has announced a new era for the conference, complete with a new name and representation of both women’s and men’s teams under one association.

The MCHA has continued to expand, announcing last summer that both St. Norbert College and The College of St. Scholastica will be joining the league for the 2013-14 campaign. That new era will embark with a new league name, as the MCHA will officially be moving forward as the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.

“We are very pleased to announce these changes as we are moving into the transitional phases of our women’s and men’s conferences,” Larson said. “It was very important for us to respect and recognize the traditions of both associations while simultaneously moving forward with a new perspective to reflect the changes that have taken place. Needless to say, this is a very exciting period of progression for member institutions and our hockey programs.”

Read the full press release from the MCHA

Ten Vikings earn honors from Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association

APPLETON, Wis. — Brad Scurfield and Brandon Boelter led Lawrence University’s selections to the All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association teams.

Scurfield (Midland, Mich.), a senior forward, and Boelter (Saginaw, Mich.), a freshman defenseman, were both named to the all-conference team for the first time. Freshman forward Logan Lemirande (Janesville, Wis.) and Boelter were both named to the all-freshmen team.

Scurfield, the team’s captain, posted 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points this season. In MCHA play, Scurfield had 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points. Scurfield finished fifth in the league at 0.55 goals per game and eighth at 1.10 points per game.

One of the top special teams players in the conference, Scurfield was fourth in the MCHA at 0.25 power play goals per game and was first at 0.10 short-handed goals per game.

Scurfield finished his career with 40 goals and 46 assists for 86 points. He ranks sixth in career goals and eighth in career points.

Boelter posted six goals and 15 assists for 21 points during his rookie season. In league play, Boelter had six goals and 12 assists for 18 points. He was the top-scoring defenseman in the league at 0.90 points per game, and he ranked sixth overall among rookie players.

Lemirande led the team in scoring with 27 points on seven goals and a team-high 20 assists. He had nearly all of those points in conference play with seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in MCHA games.

Lemirande led the MCHA at 0.90 assists per game and his 20 assists this season is the third-highest season total in Lawrence history. He ranked third in the conference at 1.25 points per game and that ranked second among first-year players.

Seven Vikings were chosen for the all-academic team. To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore and have a minimum 3.3 grade point average.

Named to the academic team were senior goaltender Kevin Aslett (Portland, Ore.), senior goaltender Michael Baldino (Woburn, Mass.), senior forward Phil Bushbacher (Glenview, Ill.), sophomore defenseman Kevin Killian (Orchard Lake, Mich.), sophomore forward Austin Rohaly (Huntington Beach, Calif.), junior defenseman William Thoren (Gothenburg, Sweden) and junior forward Paul Zuke (Ballwin, Mo.).

Baldino, a biology major, was named to the team for the third consecutive season. A government major, Bushbacher also was chosen for the third time. Aslett, an economics and government major, was chosen for the second time.  Thoren, an economics major, was selected for the second time. Killian (biology major), Rohaly (English and film studies major) and Zuke (economics and government major) were all chosen for the first time.

Lawrence finished the season with an 8-16-3 overall record.

Lawrence season ends with mini-game loss to Northland

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University saw its season end with a pair of losses on Saturday.

The Vikings lost Saturday’s Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal playoff series game 5-2 to Northland College. That loss tied the series at 1-1 and forced a mini-game.

Northland (10-16-1) won the mini-game 1-0 on a late goal, and the Lumberjacks won a quarterfinal series for the first time in their history.

Lawrence (8-16-3) dominated all but the first few minutes of the mini-game. The Vikings outshot the Lumberjacks 16-8 and survived an early penalty that put Northland on the power play.

The winning goal came with just 2:02 left in the 20-minute mini-game. Matt Lennon got the rebound off his own shot and put it past Lawrence goaltender Fabian Sivnert.

Lawrence had one last opportunity when the Lumberjacks were whistled for hooking just 17 seconds later. The Vikings put serious pressure on Northland goaltender Mason Riley, who made two saves during the power play, including one at point-blank range on Phil Bushbacher’s shot.

Northland finally cleared the puck from its zone with about 15 seconds left, and that sealed the win.

The Lumberjacks overcame a 2-0 deficit to win game two of the series. Lawrence got a goal from Rudi Pino just 6:16 into the first period for a 1-0 edge. The Vikings made it 2-0 when Paul Zuke scored off an assist from Pino just 1:01 into the second period.

Northland then took advantage of a pair of power plays and got goals from Kraig Wright and Matt Lennon to tie the game at 2-2 heading to the third period.

Northland, which went 3-for-5 on the power play, got a power-play goal from Mike Lennon 6:24 into the third to take a 3-2 lead. Wright scored again at 11:24 to push the lead to 4-32, and the Lumberjacks added an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Box score 

Vikings shut out Northland in MCHA playoff opener

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University pulled away in the third period and got some superb defensive work to post a 3-0 win over Northland College in the opener of a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal playoff series on Friday at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Lawrence (8-15-3) needs a win or a tie to clinch the series on Saturday afternoon and advance to the Harris Cup semifinals next weekend.

Freshman goaltender Fabian Sivnert picked up his first career shutout for the Vikings. Sivnert stopped 25 shots and made several spectacular saves to push his unbeaten streak to three games.

Lawrence got on the board midway through the first period when Renato Engler scored on a breakaway for a 1-0 lead at the 9:06 mark.

The score stayed that way until the third period, but the Vikings had to do some serious work on the penalty kill in the final period. Northland (9-16-1) was on the power play after Engler received a five-minute facemasking penalty, but Lawrence’s Erik Soderlund was later whistled for holding during that power play.

Northland had a two-man advantage for a full two minutes, but Lawrence killed off the Soderlund penalty. While Engler was still in the box, Rudi Pino got a breakaway for Lawrence and beat Northland goaltender Mason Riley for a short-handed goal at the 6:45 mark.

It was Pino’s second short-hander of the season and gave the Vikings a 2-0 edge. The Vikings then sealed the victory with Patrick Coyne’s goal at the 15:46 mark.

Riley stopped 45 shots for Northland.

Box score

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings build confidence in time for MCHA playoffs

The Lawrence University hockey team may have finally gotten over the proverbial hump.

After a season of dealing with close games and heart-wrenching losses, the Vikings won one close game and put together a gritty overtime tie last weekend to finish the regular season. Those three valuable points clinched home ice for this weekend’s Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.

“Although we have lost close games and given away too many third-period leads, we improved in the third period this past weekend,” said Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski, who has seen his team lose nine one-goal games this season. “That will build confidence within the locker room. We were a young team at the beginning of the year and have learned to pay attention to the details more consistently as of late.”

The Vikings finished with a 7-15-3 record and took second in the MCHA’s Northern Division. Lawrence hosts Northland College (9-15-1) in a quarterfinal playoff series at the Appleton Family Ice Center. Friday’s game is at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s game is at 4 p.m.

Lawrence enters the playoffs coming off a pair of good performances against Lake Forest College, which travels to No. 15 MSOE in the other quarterfinal series. The Vikings needed that strong showing just to get into the playoffs and delivered.

“We have had a number of opportunities slip away from us this year and found ourselves fighting for a playoff spot,” Szkodzinski said. “Our guys didn’t blink. They battled and did what they needed to do this past weekend. We are proud of their resilience.  The trials they went through this year will only help us as we start the postseason.”

The Vikings enter the postseason with a goaltender coming off a pair of strong performances. Freshman Fabian Sivnert, a Swede who transferred at midseason from Bemidji State University, was in net for both games against Lake Forest. He posted a .961 save percentage and 1.44 goals against average and was named the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

“Every team needs a good goaltender to win come playoff time,” Szkodzinski said. “We feel that we have multiple good goaltenders, but Fabian is on top of his game right now. His play has given us confidence and allowed us to be more aggressive at every position. If he continues to play at the level he displayed this weekend, we have a much better chance to be successful.”

The Lawrence defense has been better over the last month, and the Vikings are allowing only 2.9 goals per game in their last eight contests. Part of that improvement comes from the penalty kill, where Lawrence is killing off power plays at an .875 clip in that same eight-game stretch.

On the flip side, Lawrence hasn’t been scoring as much recently despite averaging 40 shots per game in the last eight contests. The Vikings are averaging only 2.2 goals per game in that stretch.

“We are generating plenty of opportunities,” Szkodzinski said. “At this time of year, teams tend to stop the first shot, and it is the second opportunity that counts. We need to make sure we are shooting the puck and working to find the second chances. The only thing that needs to improve is our desire to get to the rebounds after the initial shot is taken.”

Lawrence has seniors and freshmen leading the team in scoring. Senior forward Phil Bushbacher is tops on the team with 13 goals and senior captain Brad Scurfield is next with 12. Three freshmen, Logan Lemirande (team-high 26 points), Rudi Pino (22 points) and Brandon Boelter (20 points) are in the top five on the squad in scoring.

“We are deeper up front than we have ever been, but at times, we have failed to stick to our d-first mentality,” Szkodzinski said. “We sometimes try to outscore opponents, and that has never been our strength.”

Szkodzinski commented after last Friday’s win that the game was won “in the Lawrence way.” The Vikings will need to continue that style in order to advance in the playoffs.

“This group knows what they are capable of when they are playing well,” Szkodzinski said. “They have also found out what can happen if they do not bring their best game or get distracted. Each year is a journey, and this year has been quite a ride.”

Klusendorf wins MWC honor

Senior forward Conor Klusendorf was named the MWC Player of the Week following a pair of Lawrence basketball wins last week.

For the week, Klusendorf averaged 21.0 points while shooting 65.4 percent (17-26) from the floor. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per contest.

In a 63-61 win at Lake Forest on Feb. 12, Klusendorf scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds while hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor. In a 114-106 overtime win over Grinnell College this past Saturday, Klusendorf again scored 21 points and hit 9-of-13 shots from the floor. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Records fall

Lawrence swimmers broke seven school records at the Midwest Conference Championships last weekend.

Emily Flack set school records in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.23) and 200 backstroke (2:10.12), and Hayley Cardinal set new marks in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.11) and 200 breaststroke (2:30.03).

Lawrence also set records in the 200 medley relay (1:53.20), 400 medley relay (4:06.51) and 800 freestyle relay (7:57.04).

Track headed to MWC meet

The Lawrence track teams are headed to the MWC Championships this weekend at Monmouth. Both Lawrence teams finished seventh a season ago, and the Vikings have several contenders for individual titles.

On the men’s side, senior Sam Stevens is a contender in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters while freshman JP Ranumas is one of the top 60-meter hurdlers in the league.

Rose Tepper leads the women’s contingent and is looking for the title in the high jump. Freshman Clare Bruning could be a factor in the distance events and is coming off an all-conference cross country season.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

Sivnert named MCHA Defensive Player of the Week

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University’s Fabian Sivnert has been named the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week.

Sivnert (Hollviken, Sweden), a freshman goaltender, earned the honor after picking up a win and a tie in last weekend’s series with Lake Forest College. Sivnert posted a 1.44 goals against average and .961 save percentage in the two games.

In Lawrence’s 2-1 victory over Lake Forest last Friday, Sivnert stopped 37 shots. In a 2-2 overtime tie at Lake Forest on Saturday, Sivnert again made 37 saves. All three goals scored by the Foresters on the weekend came on the power play.

On the season, Sivnert has a .905 save percentage and 3.28 goals against average. Sivnert, a transfer from Bemidji State University, joined the team in late December. This is the first conference award for Sivnert, who is the third Lawrence player this season to be honored. Forward Logan Lemirande (Janesville, Wis.) was named Player of the Week, and defenseman Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich.) earned Freshman of the Week honors.

The three points earned by the Vikings last weekend moved Lawrence into second place in the MCHA’s Northern Division. Lawrence will host the MCHA quarterfinal playoff series against Northland College on Friday and Saturday.

Vikings tie Foresters; clinch MCHA playoff berth

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Lawrence University forged a 2-2 overtime tie with Lake Forest College on Saturday, and the Vikings clinched home ice for the quarterfinals of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs as well.

Matt Moore scored both goals for Lawrence (7-15-3, 6-11-3 MCHA), and Fabian Sivnert was outstanding in net again for the Vikings.

Lawrence will host Northland College in the quarterfinals of the MCHA playoffs next weekend. Friday’s playoff opener is set for 7 p.m. at the Appleton Family Ice Center, and Saturday’s game is at 4 p.m.

Jason McAloon gave Lake Forest (9-11-5, 6-10-4) a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at the 14:34 mark of the first. Moore scored his fifth goal of the season off a pass from Brad Scurfield to tie the game with 1:00 left in the first period.

Moore put the Vikings up 2-1 when he scored off a pass from Logan Lemirande at the 16:50 mark of the second. The lead didn’t last long as Lake Forest’s Luke Swardenski scored on the power play just 1:31 later to tie the game at 2-2.

Lake Forest went 2-for-7 on the power play, and the Vikings were 0-for-6.

Neither team was able to score in the third period, but Lawrence did have a 15-8 edge in shots in the third period. Lawrence got four shots in the overtime, compared to two for Lake Forest.

Sivnert made 37 saves for the Vikings, and Brendan Sullivan stopped 36 shots for Lake Forest.

Box score

Saunders’ third-period goal lifts Lawrence past Foresters

APPLETON, Wis. — Huck Saunders’ third-period goal was the difference as Lawrence University downed Lake Forest College 2-1 in a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association game Friday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

The win pulls Lawrence into a tie for with Finlandia University for second place in the MCHA’s Northern Division. The top three teams in each division advance to the playoffs. A Lawrence win on Saturday in the regular-season finale at Lake Forest would assure the Vikings of a playoff berth and home ice for the MCHA quarterfinal playoff series.

Lawrence (7-15-2, 6-11-2 MCHA) went to the third period tied at 1-1 with the Foresters (9-11-4, 6-10-3), but the Vikings got their first power-play chance of the night early in the period.

Lake Forest’s Pat Charron was whistled for tripping at 5:54, and the Vikings went on the offensive. Lake Forest killed off the penalty, but Mike Violette was called for tripping as the previous penalty was expiring.

Lawrence cashed in on the second power play when Saunders scored his third goal of the season off a rebound of Rudi Pino’s shot at 8:29. 

Lake Forest got one last chance when William Thoren was called for holding at 18:24, and the Foresters went on the power play. Lake Forest also pulled goaltender Brendan Sullivan for the final 1:23, but Lawrence’s defense didn’t allow the Foresters a good scoring chance in the final 90 seconds.

Lawrence goaltender Fabian Sivnert was outstanding in net and finished with 37 saves. Sullivan stopped 27 shots for the Foresters.

Lawrence took a 1-0 lead just 6:08 into the game when Thoren scored off assists from Brad Scurfield and Patrick Coyne. The Foresters tied it at 1-1 at the 15:35 mark of the second on Jason McAloon’s power-play goal.

Box score