The Lawrence University hockey team travels to the shores of Lake Ontario in upstate New York for the Oswego State Classic on Dec. 30-31. The Vikings face Castleton State at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Dec. 30. No. 2 Oswego takes on Plymouth State in the other Dec. 30 game. Lawrence will play either Plymouth State at 1 p.m. or Oswego State at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31.
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Lawrence football star Mazur to play in All-American Bowl
A Viking is headed to play at the home of the Vikings.
Lawrence University football star Tyler Mazur is playing in the All-American Bowl on Saturday at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The All-American Bowl is an all-star game for NCAA Division III senior football players.
“I’m super-excited,” Mazur said Thursday from his hotel in Minneapolis. “It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It’s not every day or every year you get to partake in something of this caliber.”
The All-American Bowl has been played at the Metrodome, home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, every year since 1996. Mazur is the first Lawrence football player to take part in a NCAA Division III all-star game.
“I played at Camp Randall (home of Wisconsin Badgers) one time but nothing as big as this,” Mazur said.
The wide receiver from Reedsburg was chosen to play in the game after completing a stellar senior season for Lawrence. An all-Midwest Conference selection in 2011 and 2012, Mazur also earned D3football.com all-West Region honors this season as well.
Mazur caught 53 passes for 1,139 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Mazur led the Midwest Conference at 113.9 receiving yards per game. He finished sixth at 5.3 catches per contest and averaged a league-best 21.5 yards per catch. Mazur was fourth in the conference in scoring at 8.0 points per game and was the top receiver in that category.
Mazur, who had two 200-yard receiving games this season, became the first Lawrence player to post 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Appleton native Zach Michael did it back in 2003. Mazur finished his career with 2,253 receiving yards despite being a wide receiver for only two seasons.
Mazur finished his career ranked fourth in receiving yards, fifth in catches (130), fifth in touchdown catches (25), fourth in total touchdowns (37) and fifth in points (224).
“I just want to have fun. My goal right now is to just get a catch. I don’t know the level of competition that I’m going up against, but I imagine these guys are pretty good,” Mazur said. “If I get a catch, everything from there will be a nice addition.”
Scouts from NFL teams will be on hand to see if they can find a diamond in the rough from the Division III ranks. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Mazur admits he has thought about playing beyond college.
“I can’t lie that it’s popped into my thoughts a little bit,” Mazur said. “I’m not going to let that alter how I play. I’m going to have fun. I think about (playing professional football), and it’s crazy to even imagine. That’s the goal when you’re a little kid running around the backyard. To consider that you’re being watched in that regard is crazy. It’s kind of neat.”
The timing of the game also worked out perfectly in terms of Mazur’s basketball career. Mazur joined the Lawrence basketball team last season and has become a key player and three-point shooting star for the Vikings.
Mazur, who is averaging 6.7 points per game, played with the Vikings on Tuesday and Wednesday in a tournament in Wisconsin Dells, but Lawrence doesn’t play again until Jan. 9.
“The 10-day break coming up will be much needed and utilized,” Mazur said.
Vikings fall to Ashford in title game of Winter Classic
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team fell to Ashford University 68-52 in the championship game of the Just A Game Winter Classic on Wednesday.
DeAndre Lowery scored a game-high 24 points to pace Ashford (11-4), and Brandon Weston added 14 points.
Davis DeWolfe scored 17 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to lead Lawrence (5-6). Chris Siebert added 15 points and a game-high four assists for the Vikings.
Ashford, an NAIA Division II school located in Clinton, Iowa, used a 21-2 run midway through the second half to pull away in what had been a tight ballgame.
Lawrence led by as many as five points in the first half, but the Saints rallied to take a 31-30 lead at the half. The game see-sawed early in the second half as well and was tied for the 10th time at 41-41 on Tom Antosz’s layup with 13:26 remaining.
Vesteinn Sveinsson then hit a 3-pointer to start the decisive run for Ashford. The Saints scored 21 points over the next 4:59 to grab a 62-43 lead with 7:52 left. Lowery did much of the damage by scoring eight points in that stretch.
Lawrence committed six turnovers and went 1-for-4 from the floor and 0-for-2 from the foul line during the same stretch.
The Vikings never got closer than 16 points the rest of the way.
Lawrence does not return to action until Jan. 9 when the Vikings host Lake Forest College in a Midwest Conference game.
Vikings deal Lakeland first loss of season at Winter Classic
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team built a double-digit lead and then held off a Lakeland College comeback to beat the Muskies 80-73 in a nonconference game in Just A Game Winter Classic on Tuesday.
Lawrence (5-5) advances to face Ashford University in Wednesday’s championship game at 7:30 p.m. Lakeland (7-1), which saw its school-record tying seven-game win streak snapped, takes on Viterbo University in the consolation game. Ashford defeated Lakeland 55-52 in the other game on Tuesday.
Chris Siebert led Lawrence with 23 points and turned in the play of the game to help the Vikings pull away. Conor Klusendorf added a season-high 20 points for the Vikings. Davis DeWolfe added 15 points and Ryan DePouw had 12 for Lawrence.
Jake Schwarz paced Lakeland with 25 points and nine rebounds, and Justin Ward had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Lawrence built several double-digit leads but the Muskies rallied. The Vikings went on a 9-0 run, punctuated by DePouw’s steal and layup, to build a 34-22 lead with 3:17 left in the opening half. Lawrence would go on to lead 36-26 at the half.
Lakeland trimmed the lead to three in the opening minutes of the second half, but Lawrence again pulled away. The Vikings went on a 12-2 run, with Siebert scoring five points and DePouw finishing the outburst with a three-point play, to give Lawrence a 57-41 lead with 12:37 left.
The Vikings led 69-56 when Lakeland rattled off 10 consecutive points to cut the margin to 69-66.
On the ensuing possession, Lawrence was inbounding the ball from under its own basket with just three seconds left on the shot clock when a Lakeland defender turned his back on Siebert. Siebert, who was inbounding the ball, bounced the inbounds pass off the Lakeland player’s back, caught it and layed the ball in. He was fouled on the play and converted the free throw for a 72-66 Lawrence lead with 1:57 left.
Lakeland was forced to foul, and Lawrence went 8-for-12 from the foul line in the final 1:32 to seal the victory. The Vikings were 21-for-30 from the line for the game, while Lakeland was 8-for-11.
Soccer standout Salansky named to All-Wisconsin Team
Lawrence University men’s soccer standout Stephen Salansky has been named to the All-Wisconsin Team.
Salansky (Parker, Colo./Legend), a sophomore defender, received honorable mention.
Salansky picked up a pair of assists and was part of a defensive corps that allowed only 1.18 goals per game. Lawrence allowed an average of only 6.6 shots on goal this past season.
Salansky, a first-team All-Midwest Conference selection, was one of 10 Midwest Conference players from four league schools to be chosen for the team.
The Vikings finished with an 8-8-1 overall record and a 5-4-1 mark in Midwest Conference play.
Lawrence soccer teams honored for academic excellence
The Lawrence University soccer teams have again been honored for academic excellence by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Both Lawrence teams have received the Team Academic Award for having a cumulative grade point average higher than 3.0.
The Lawrence women, coached by Lisa Sammons, posted a 3.35 grade point average during the 2011-12 academic year. The Lawrence men, led by long-time coach Blake Johnson, had a 3.16 grade point average.
This marks the eighth consecutive year that both Lawrence teams have earned the award. This is the 11th time since 2000 that the Lawrence women captured the award and it is the 10th time for the Lawrence men during the same period.
The Lawrence men finished the 2012 season with an 8-8-1 record and took sixth place in the Midwest Conference. The Lawrence women had a 4-13 mark and took ninth place in the league.
Inside LU Athletics: Vikings look to build on first-half experiences
You can look at the first half of the Lawrence University hockey season and think of it as a glass half-full or a glass half-empty scenario.
Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski is taking the optimistic route.
A 4-7 record is not the kind of start Lawrence had hoped for but factor in that five of those seven setbacks were by one goal, and the Vikings have reason for optimism.
“At this level, details matter and our league has become so competitive that one mistake can, and has been, the difference on many nights this year,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “Losing these one-goal games is the sign of a very young team. However, we are halfway through the season now so being young is no excuse. We need our players to take the lessons learned in the first half and use that experience in the second half.”
Lawrence also has done something uncharacteristic this season and that is lose a third-period lead. Entering this season, Lawrence was 55-3-5 under Szkodzinski when leading after two periods. Lawrence has lost three games this season after taking a lead into the final period.
“This team has been resilient,” Szkodzinski said. “They have continued to battle for each other after some heartbreaking losses. It would be very easy to question each other, the coaches, or even themselves as individuals. We have not seen that, which is a great sign. We believe we have great character people and being close can challenge one’s character. So far, these young men are staying the course, and we are very proud of that fact.”
The Vikings have a few weeks off before coming back after Christmas to play in the Pathfinder Bank Classic at the State University of New York-Oswego on Dec. 30-31. Lawrence faces Castleton State College on Dec. 30 and then faces either No. 2-ranked Oswego or Plymouth State University on Dec. 31.
“We are simply focused on the next game and that is Castleton,” Szkodzinski said. “With young players, we need to make sure we are keeping everything in perspective and not looking too far ahead. We need to think about the next shift, the next period, and keep things simple.”
Several of the Vikings’ first-year players have had a big impact, and with seven seniors lost to graduation from last year’s team, Lawrence needed an influx of new talent.
“As a group, our freshmen have been excellent,” Szkodzinski said. “Logan Lemirande, Rudi Pino, Renato Engler, Matt Moore and Ryan Rumble have all made significant contributions up front. Brandon Boelter has stepped up on and off the ice while Steve Hughes has been one of the most competitive guys for us night in and night out.”
Lawrence has three of the top four freshman scorers in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association. Lemirande is second at 1.60 points per game, Pino is third at 1.18 and Boelter is fourth at 1.09.
Lemirande leads the league at 1.30 assists per game, ranks second at 1.60 points per game and is fifth at 0.60 power-play points per game. Boelter is the top scoring defenseman in the league at 1.09 points per game and he ranks first in the conference at 0.64 power-play points per game.
“It will be interesting to see how they take the experience they have gained over the first 11 games into the last 14,” Szkodzinski said.
While the record hasn’t been ideal, it’s the least of Szkodzinski’s worries.
“Our record is not our focus, it never has been,” Szkodzinski said. “Our focus is getting better every time we step on the ice. Our goals haven’t changed. We have gone through some tough lessons during this stretch. If we can stick to the plan and get better every single day then we will be in the hunt come late February.”
Early-season showdown
The Lawrence men’s basketball team (4-3, 3-2 MWC) faces a big early test when St. Norbert College comes to Alexander Gymnasium on Saturday. The Green Knights have won two of the last three Midwest Conference championships. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
Doubling up
After posting four double-doubles in her first two seasons, junior guard Alex Deshler has four double-doubles already this season. Deshler is averaging 14.1 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game. She ranks fifth in the conference in scoring and seventh in rebounding.
Lawrence vs. Elmhurst/St. Norbert preview
The Lawrence University men’s basketball team faces a nonconference opponent this week before returning home for Midwest Conference play. Lawrence travels to Elmhurst College on Wednesday, and the Vikings then return home to Alexander Gymnasium on Saturday for a league game with St. Norbert College.
Lawrence vs. Finlandia/St. Norbert preview
The Lawrence University women’s basketball team has a pair of contests this week. The Vikings travel to Finlandia University for a nonconference game at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. Lawrence then returns home for a 1 p.m. Midwest Conference game with St. Norbert College on Saturday.
Lawrence shoots past Rams
The Lawrence University men’s basketball team had four players score in double figures and shot better than 50 percent from the floor en route to a 79-70 Midwest Conference victory over Cornell College on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.
Chris Siebert led Lawrence (4-3, 3-2 MWC) with 18 points and a game-high seven assists. Conor Klusendorf played a superlative all-around game for the Vikings with 11 points, six rebounds, six steals, two assists and a block.
Max Burgess and Trace Sonnleitner both went 3-for-5 from 3-point range and had 11 points apiece for Lawrence.
Lawrence shot 54.4 percent from the floor (31-57), and the Vikings were 13 of 28 from 3-point range (46.4 percent).
Joey Guth came off the bench to score a game-high 26 points for Cornell (2-4, 1-2). Reggie Greenwood added 14 points and Nick Bobb had 10 points for the Rams.
After Cornell led by as many as seven points early, Lawrence started to take control of the game late in the first half. The Vikings led 26-25 when they went on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 34-25 with 5:26 left. Burgess and Troy Miller both hit 3-pointers during that stretch and Klusendorf finished the run with a layup.
The Vikings led 40-34 at the half and opened the second half with seven consecutive points. Siebert drained a 3-pointer on the first possession of the half, and Tyler Mazur and Brian Gryszkiewicz both added layups to give Lawrence a 47-34 lead.
Lawrence kept the Rams at arm’s length for the rest of the game. The Vikings led by as many as 17 points, and Cornell never got closer than nine points.
The Rams trimmed the margin to 76-67 with 2:15 left on Guth’s 3-pointer, but Klusendorf answered with a three-point play to push the lead back to 79-67 and seal the victory.
Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Elmhurst College for a nonconference game.