APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University hockey team opens its 2016-17 season with a pair of stiff nonconference tests. The Vikings open play Friday night at No. 9/11 UW-Eau Claire and then travel to defending national champion and No. 1-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Saturday night.
Category: Hockey
Lawrence hockey standout Moore signs with Macon Mayhem
APPLETON, Wis. — Former Lawrence University hockey standout Matt Moore is headed back to the ice.
Moore has signed with the Macon Mayhem of the Southern Professional Hockey League, Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski announced today.
“I realized once my college career ended that I was not ready to give up the game that has been part of my life for so long,” said Moore, a forward who graduated in June with a degree in anthropology. “I am excited for the opportunity to keep playing the game I love. You never know what can happen unless you try.”
Moore proved to be incredibly valuable and durable during his Lawrence career. He played in all 107 games over the past four seasons and served as the team’s assistant captain for the past two seasons.
“We are very proud of Matt and his desire to continue playing,” Szkodzinski said. “He was one of the most dedicated players in our program — never missing a single game in all four years of his time at Lawrence. He has great work ethic and his speed will give him a legitimate shot to be solid pro hockey player.”
A native of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., Moore scored seven goals and picked up two assists for nine points in 26 games during the 2015-16 season. Moore won the team’s Most Dedicated Player award after the season.
Moore, who picked up the game-winning goal vs. Marian University last season, finished his career with 21 goals and 17 assists for 38 points.
“Matt is the latest example of the type of players and people our program strives to produce,” Szkodzinski said. “We know he will represent himself and Lawrence University very well during his professional journey.”
Moore is the 11th Lawrence player to sign a pro contract during Szkodzinski’s 10-year tenure as the Vikings’ coach.
Lawrence names Ayers as Athletic Performance Coach
APPLETON, Wis. — Tyler Ayers has been named the Athletic Performance Coach at Lawrence University, Director of Athletics Christyn Abaray announced today.
Ayers was hired after a national search to fill this position, which is new to the Department of Athletics.
“We are excited to have Tyler join our LU family as our first full-time Athletic Performance Coach,” Abaray said. “He comes from a knowledge-rich environment for the athletic performance industry so his credentials and experiences are impressive. Beyond this and even more striking was his ability to effectively communicate with all of the different people he encountered, including student-athletes. With him at the helm, I am confident that we will build upon where we are and make even more significant strides.”
Ayers was the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Webber International University in Babson Park, Fla. Ayers, a native of Daytona Beach, Fla., had served in that role since July 2015.
“I would like to thank the Lawrence University administration, search committee and Christyn for this opportunity,” Ayers said. “I believe my job is two-fold. Number one, it’s about impacting the lives of the student-athletes in a positive manner by taking what we learn in the weight room — hard work, determination, toughness, etc. — and applying it to daily life. This all translates into their life after athletics, molding them into great future employees, husbands and wives and mothers and fathers. Number two, it’s about increasing their athletic performance on and off the field while trying to keep them as healthy as possible. If I can do those two things, I will consider my time here successful at Lawrence University.”
Ayers served as the interim head strength and conditioning coach at Stetson University in 2015 before going back to Webber International. He had worked at Webber International as coaching assistant for strength and conditioning for a number of sports.
A 2014 graduate of Anderson (Ind.) University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, Ayers also holds certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting and the American Red Cross. Ayers played football at Anderson and served as the team captain as a senior in 2013.
Lawrence opens the fall sports season on Sept. 1 when the men’s soccer team travels to Concordia University of Wisconsin. The Vikings’ first home contest is Sept. 7 when men’s soccer hosts MSOE in the Banta Bowl.
Student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration
APPLETON, Wis. — More than a dozen Lawrence University student-athletes recently received awards at the 2016 Honors Celebration.
The awards and winners are as follows.
The Ruth Bateman Award is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete. Senior softball player Tierney Duffy (North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) won the award after finishing her career with a .347 batting average. A starting outfielder for four seasons, Duffy was an All-Midwest Conference and All-Great Lakes Region selection in 2016. The co-chair of Lawrence’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Duffy was a leader in organizing the inaugural BLUCrew Awards, helped raise $13,000 with the Special Olympics Polar Plunge and worked with the Kids Give program. Duffy has a 3.6 grade point average and is a member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.
The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Senior hockey player Renato Engler (Davos, Switzerland) served as the team captain and was a two-time Northern Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic team member. Engler led the team in 2015-16 with nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points and recently signed to play professional hockey in his native Switzerland.
The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Football player Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian) was the team’s starting quarterback. He completed 85-of-164 passes for 967 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran 82 times for 549 yards and three touchdowns. Butterfield was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week and was chosen as the USA College Football Rookie of the Week. He posted the first 200-plus yard rushing game for the Vikings since 2002 and posted the longest touchdown run (79 yards) by a quarterback in school history.
The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Outside hitter Arianna Neumeyer (Manitowoc, Wis./Lutheran) was an All-Midwest Conference selection for the Lawrence volleyball team. She led the team with 215 kills and at 2.42 kills per set. Neumeyer also finished second on the team with 25 aces and was third with 282 digs.
The Ralph V. Landis Award was established by the Lettermen of Lawrence in honor of Dr. Landis, physician to Lawrence students from 1926-78, and is awarded for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics by a senior male athlete. Senior men’s basketball player Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) was a first-team All-Midwest Conference selection and one of 10 national finalists for the Josten’s Trophy, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division III. Nikitas finished in the top 10 in the nation in scoring at 25.1 points per game and broke Lawrence’s season scoring record with 577 points. He was the only player in the Midwest Conference to finish in the top seven in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Nikitas was named the United States Basketball Writers Association Player of the Week, was chosen for the D3hoops.com Team of the Week and was twice named Midwest Conference Player of the Week.
The Charles E. Pond Award for Women is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior woman in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Swimmer and track athlete Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) was a multiple Midwest Conference champion for the Vikings. In the pool, Cardinal won the 100-yard breaststroke in 2014 and took titles in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke in 2016. Cardinal, who made an NCAA “B” cut three times, holds the Lawrence records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. She also is part of the 200 and 400 medley relay teams. Cardinal is a member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team and served as the swim team captain. She also run the hurdles and relays for the Lawrence track team.
The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. Softball shortstop Amanda Jaskolski (Shawano, Wis./Shawano) capped her career by earning first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America honors. A two-team All-Great Lakes Region selection, Jaskolski was a career .439 hitter with 17 doubles, two triples, 19 homers and 76 runs batted in. She holds Lawrence season records for hits (54), RBIs (46), runs scored (37) and homers (13). Jaskolski was a two-time Midwest Conference Player of the Year and hit .462 with 13 homers and 46 RBIs as a senior.
The Letterwinner Award is presented by the L Club to those outstanding seniors who have earned eight or more letters. The winners are:
Clare Bruning (Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi), cross country and track and field
Cam Davies (Grosse Point, Mich./South), cross country and track and field
Chris Fuelling (Saint Paul, Minn./Highland Park), cross country and track and field
Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah), track and field
Liza Girsova (Busan, South Korea), soccer and track and field
Tyler Herman (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township), track and field
Liz Landes (Westmont, Ill./Westmont), cross country and track and field
Genna Matt (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb), soccer and track and field
Isabella Schleisner (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville), cross country and track and field
Cora Williams (Brentwood, Calif./Liberty), cross country and track and field
BLU Crew award winners to be selected Friday
APPLETON, Wis. — The first BLU Crew Awards will be selected Friday evening at the Warch Campus Center.
The inaugural event is sponsored by Lawrence University’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). SAAC will hand out 12 awards to its fellow Vikings and announce the All-Viking Team.
The event begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.
The categories and nominees are:
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Jessica Demski (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township), softball, pitcher
Jake Gostisha (Appleton, Wis./East), football, defensive end
Patsy Kealey (New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline), soccer, goalkeeper
Elana Lambert (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood), tennis
Best Victory
Women’s cross country victory at Concordia (Wis.) Invitational
Hockey 6-3 win over Lake Forest to clinch berth in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs
Women’s soccer 2-0 win over UW-Stevens Point
Softball 5-4 win over Cornell
Men’s tennis 5-4 win over Cornell to qualify for Midwest Conference Tournament
Outstanding Play of the Year
Mattias Soderqvist (Stockholm, Sweden), back-to-back saves vs. Marian
Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) to Mitch Willer (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) for dunk vs. Knox
Cyra Bammer (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville), kill off face of Macalester player
Mike Deremo (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), goal vs. Lakeland
Renato Engler (Davos, Switzerland), goal vs. Aurora
Ryan Berkley (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), goals vs. UW-Stevens Point
Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), victory in 200 breaststroke at Midwest Conference Championships
Troy Miller (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley), NBA-range 3-pointer in overtime at Monmouth
Alic Riedel (Appleton, Wis./East), kickoff return for touchdown vs. Rockford
Alic Riedel (Appleton, Wis./East), big hit on defense vs. Rockford
Upset of the Year
Women’s cross country tops field led by UW-Stevens Point to win Concordia (Wis.) Invitational
Women’s swimming defeats Lake Forest 146-117
Hockey defeats Marian 3-2
Softball gets 7-3 win at Monmouth
Women’s soccer 2-0 win over UW-Stevens Point
Baseball gets 6-4 victory over St. Norbert
Best Individual Performance
Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian), football vs. Grinnell
Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), swimming at Midwest Conference Championships
Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), basketball vs. Carroll
Liz Arco (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), volleyball vs. Grinnell
Mattias Soderqvist (Stockholm, Sweden), series vs. MSOE
Troy Miller (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley), basketball vs. Monmouth
Patsy Kealey (New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline), basketball vs. Concordia Chicago
Katie Schumacher (Little Chute, Wis./Little Chute), softball vs. St. Norbert
Comeback of the Year
Hockey vs. Lake Forest, trailed 3-1 and came back to win 6-3
Softball vs. Cornell, trailed 2-0 and came back to win 5-2
Men’s basketball vs. Monmouth, trailed 71-62 and came back to win 96-89 in OT
Men’s tennis, Adam Busch vs. Cornell’s Tom Greene, lost first set and rallied to win in three sets to clinch team’s berth in Midwest Conference Tournament
Women’s soccer vs. Grinnell, trailed 1-0 and scored two goals in final 13 minutes to win 2-1
Men’s Rookie of the Year
Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian), football, quarterback
Nick Felan (Highlands Village, Texas), hockey, forward
Josh Janusiak (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee), cross country/track
Nathan Schlesinger (Austin, Texas), fencing
Nolan Spencer (Elmhurst, Ill./York), baseball, shortstop
Max Stahl (Tijeras, N.M./Sandia Prep), swimming
Women’s Rookie of the Year
Lilly Endsley (Rockford, Ill./Guilford), tennis
Mari Hubanks (Sharon, Wis./Walworth Big Foot), soccer, defender
Maddie MacLean (Arlington, Wash./Arlington), softball, pitcher
Arianna Neumeyer (Manitowoc, Wis./Lutheran), volleyball, outside hitter
Emmi Zheng (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park), swimming
Coach of the Year
Jason Fast, cross country
Steve Francour, men’s tennis
Mike Szkodzinski, hockey
Kim Tatro, softball
Men’s Athlete of the Year
Ryan Butterfield (McDonough, Ga./Strong Rock Christian), football, quarterback
Renato Engler (Davos, Switzerland), hockey, forward
Matt Holliday (Hong Kong), baseball, first baseman/pitcher
Josh Janusiak (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee), cross country/track
Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), basketball, guard
Women’s Athlete of the Year
Ryan Berkley (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), soccer, forward
Clare Bruning (Mondovi, Wis./Mondovi), cross country
Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), swimming
Tierney Duffy (North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), softball, outfielder
Meg Krautsch (Oshkosh, Wis./West), softball, shortstop
The Viking Award
Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich.), hockey
Tierney Duffy (North Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), softball
Natalie Kramer (Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley), basketball
Jacob Lueck (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard East), football
Jamie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), basketball
Lauren Ray (Hales Corners, Wis./Whitnall), volleyball
Lawrence hockey raises more than $2,000 for American Cancer Society
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University hockey program raised more than $2,000 through its efforts with the Body Check Cancer Game in January.
A check for $2,345 will be presented to the American Cancer Society on April 16 at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center as part of the Relay for Life.
“Supporting cancer research is very important to our family and our players,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “Cancer has touched my family and many others within our program. To see the result of the auction is almost overwhelming. We are grateful for the tremendous support from our friends and fans.”
The Vikings wore orange jerseys to signify kidney cancer awareness during the Jan. 15 game against Aurora University. The Szkodzinski family had a death in the family from kidney cancer in December 2015. Those jerseys were then sold through a silent auction that took place through the remainder of the season.
Honorary captain and cancer survivor Kathy Privatt, the James G. and Ethel M. Barber Professor of Theatre and Drama and Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, dropped the ceremonial puck before the opening period. Raffle prizes and a pair of chuck-a-puck contests raised additional funds during the game.
Five Vikings earn Academic All-NCHA honors
APPLETON, Wis. — Five Lawrence University hockey players earned a place on the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic Team.
Forward Ryan Eardley, forward Renato Engler, defenseman Felix Henriksson, forward Jake Roeper and goaltender Mattias Soderqvist all made the academic all-conference team. To be selected for the team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore and have a miniumum 3.3 grade point average.
Juniors Henriksson (Helsinki, Finland/Salpausselan Iukio) and Soderqvist (Stockholm, Sweden/Carlforsska Gymnasium) were both selected for the second consecutive year. Both Henriksson and Soderqvist are majoring in economics.
Eardley (Ile Bizard, Quebec/Gilmour Academy) is a junior majoring in economics, Engler (Davos, Switzerland/Sportgymnasium Davos) is a senior majoring in economics and Roeper (Thiensville, Wis./Mequon Homestead) is a sophomore majoring in economics and geology. All three were all chosen for the first time.
Lawrence finished third in the NCHA’s North Division and qualified for the league playoffs for the 10th consecutive season under head coach Mike Szkodzinski.
Lawrence’s Engler signs to play pro hockey in Switzerland
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University hockey standout Renato Engler is opening a new chapter in his playing career.
Engler, who wrapped up a stellar career with the Vikings last month, has signed a contract to play professional hockey in his native Switzerland. A native of Davos, Switzerland, Engler has signed to play with HC Thurgau in the National League B.
“Being able to compete in the (Northern Collegiate Hockey Association) was an invaluable experience for me,” Engler said. “I got to play hockey at a very fast and physical level. Every game made me a better player and definitely prepared me for the next step. Signing to play pro would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the Lawrence University hockey program.”
Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said Engler’s work ethic and ability proved to be a combination that HC Thurgau, located in the city of Weinfelden, desired.
“Renato did everything he could to make our team and himself better. He is a workhorse and brings as much energy and passion as any player we have coached over the past 10 years. His skating ability will allow him to be very successful at the next level,” Szkodzinski said.
“Without a doubt, Renato is one of the best all-around players to put on the Viking jersey. We are very proud of him signing his first pro contract. He deserves the opportunity, and we are confident he will be a key member of HC Thurgau.”
Engler led the Vikings with 25 points this past season on the strength of a team-high 16 assists to go along with nine goals. Engler played in 100 games for Lawrence and finished with 21 goals for 39 assists and 60 points. He ranks in the school’s career top 20 in goals, assists and points.
“Playing college hockey at Lawrence has been the best decision in my career so far,” Engler said. “Practice was designed in a way that individual skill development and team tactics both went hand-in-hand.”
Engler is the 11th Lawrence player in the past eight years to play professionally after his career with the Vikings. Defenseman Josh Peterson was the first in 2008, and forward Tom Lee, who played for the Danville Dashers of the Federal Hockey League, was the last in 2015.
The Vikings finished third in the NCHA’s North Division this season and have qualified for the conference playoffs in every season of Szkodzinski’s 10-year tenure as head coach.
Big second period leads St. Scholastica over Vikings
DULUTH, Minn. — Fifteenth-ranked St. Scholastica scored four times in the second period Wednesday and went on to a 6-2 win over Lawrence University in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinals.
Keegan Bruce had a hat trick for the Saints (15-8-3), who advance to the semifinal series Friday at second-ranked Adrian. Josh Koepplinger scored both goals for Lawrence (9-14-3).
The Saints led 2-0 after Bruce scored his second goal of the game just 1:43 into the second period. Koepplinger, a freshman forward, scored 14 seconds later off an assist from Ryan Eardley to slice the lead in half.
St. Scholastica then scored three times in a span of 3:48 to seize control of the game. Josh Hansen scored at the 11:15 mark, and Kristofer McKinzie then made it 4-1 at the 13:06 mark. A bad bounce off the boards gave McKinzie a breakaway two minutes later, and he was tripped up in front of the Lawrence net. He converted a penalty shot, the first against the Vikings since Jan. 13, 2012, to put the Saints up 5-1 at the 15:03 mark.
Koepplinger scored an unassisted goal 2:27 into the third period to cut the lead to 5-2 but that’s as close as the Vikings would get. Bruce added his second power-play goal of the game late in the third to complete the scoring.
Tyler Bruggeman made 27 saves to get the win for St. Scholastica, and Mattias Soderqvist made 31 saves for the Vikings.
NCHA quarterfinals playoff preview: Lawrence at No. 15 St. Scholastica
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University opens the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs with a quarterfinal game at No. 15 St. Scholastica on Wednesday. The game is set for 7 p.m. at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minn. Lawrence enters the game coming off a 6-3 victory over Lake Forest College in a must-win game in the season finale, and St. Scholastica already owns two wins over the Vikings this season.
The winner of Wednesday’s game advances to a two-game semifinal series at either No. 1-ranked St. Norbert College or No. 2 ranked Adrian College on Friday and Saturday.