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Big second period helps Lawrence roll past Finlandia

Lawrence University scored four times in the second period and rolled to a 5-1 victory over Finlandia University in Friday’s opening game of a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal playoff series at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Lawrence (13-10-3) needs a win or tie in Saturday’s series finale to advance to the Harris Cup semifinals.

The Vikings were already up 1-0 thanks for Brad Scurfield’s first-period goal when they scored four times in a stretch of 11 minutes in the second period.

Patrick Coyne got things started for the Vikings when he scored on the power play at the 6:28 mark to give Lawrence a 2-0 edge. Lawrence went 1-for-4 on the power play on the evening. 

Phil Bushbacher made it 3-0 at the 9:56 mark, and the Vikings scored again on Huck Saunders’ goal just 25 seconds later to make it 4-0.

Coyne, a freshman forward, scored again at the 17:53 mark to give Lawrence a 5-0 lead. It was the first multi-goal game of Coyne’s career.

Alex Heinonen broke up the shutout for Finlandia (7-18-0) when he scored on the power play with just 17 seconds left in the second period to trim the lead to 5-1.

Peter Emery stopped 28 shots to earn the win for Lawrence. Cedrik LaFrance made the start and allowed four goals for Finlandia in taking the loss.

Box score

Inside LU Athletics: Stevens looking to set the pace for Vikings

Sam Stevens is multi-tasking this weekend.

The Lawrence University track and field star has his sights set on a pair of individual titles at the Midwest Conference Championships at Illinois College, but he also wants to spark the rest of the Vikings.

The junior from Suamico, Wis., is one of the favorites to win both the 5,000 meters and 3,000 meters, and he hopes his performances can push the rest of the Vikings to excel in the meet on Friday and Saturday at Illinois College’s Bruner Center.

“It will be nice having the 5k early,” Stevens said. “If that goes well, we can set the tone for the rest of the meet right there.”

Stevens owns the top time in the conference in the 5,000 at 15:24.61, and freshman teammate Kyle Dockery is second at 15:29.99 so the Vikings are looking for a strong finish in only the second event of the championships.

“I think I thrive on that to some extent,” Stevens said of his leadership role. “The biggest thing when I think back to my freshmen year was that I won the mile (at the 2010 conference championships). It wasn’t beating everyone else in the race, but that I was able to set the tone for the team. I try to go out every time with that and hopefully people look up to that. I’m trying to make an impact with our team and the mindset everyone has.”

The Vikings finished seventh at the indoor championships in 2011, and with Stevens leading the way, Lawrence is poised to continue moving up in the league.

“We could be as high as fifth, but I don’t see us finishing any lower than seventh. Our goal always is to move up in conference so we want to move up when we can,” Lawrence coach Jason Fast said.

“We could double our point total from last year. That would be pretty nice.”

Stevens has been at the forefront of the improvement in both the cross country and track program during Fast’s brief tenure as head coach. Stevens won the individual title in cross country this past fall and led Lawrence to its first men’s title in cross country since 1986.

“I think the biggest thing is Sam’s maturing as a distance runner,” Fast said. “Coming out of (Bay Port) high school, he was a 400, 800 runner. … This is the first season we’ve kept his mileage up from cross country, and he’s set personal bests in the mile, the 3k and the 5k.”

Stevens said, “I can’t get us into fifth place on my own. I want to do everything I can, but I do have a couple of individual goals.”

In addition to owning the league’s fastest time in the 5,000, Stevens is second in the 3,000 with a time of 8:50.83. Stevens also will run the anchor leg of the distance medley relay. That team finished third last season and wants to move up this year.

“We were third last year (in the DMR) so we were on the podium, but it would be a lot cooler to be at the top of the podium,” Stevens said.

And Fast believes Stevens could be standing on top of the podium more than once this weekend.

“Sam has an opportunity to win all three,” Fast said. “I know he wants to be top three in all three of those.”

Stevens’ success is important to the cross country and track programs as Fast continues to push both of those teams to greater heights.

“It gives validity to your program when you have a guy like Sam, and you can say, ‘This is here he was and this is where he is now.’ It legitimizes what you’re doing as a program,” Fast said.

MCHA playoffs set

Lawrence opens the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs with a quarterfinal series on Friday and Saturday at the Appleton Family Ice Center. Lawrence takes on Finlandia Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m.

The winner advances to the Harris Cup semifinals on March3 at Adrian. The winner of the Harris Cup receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Lawrence (12-10-3) enters the playoffs having won seven of its last eight. Finlandia (7-17-0) endured a pair of close losses to conference champion Adrian last weekend.

Trio of swimmers win

Lawrence won three individual titles at the MWC Championships, which wrapped up Sunday at Boldt Natatorium.

Senior Peter Brengel won the 100-yard backstroke for the Vikings, which finished fourth in the team standings. On the women’s side, freshman Taylor Winter won the 500 freestyle, and sophomore Hannah Gabriel won the 200 freestyle. The Lawrence women also took fourth in the team standings.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director 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.

Lawrence men, women finish fourth at MWC Championships

The Lawrence University men and women both finished fourth at the Midwest Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, which wrapped up its three-day run on Sunday at Boldt Natatorium.

The Lawrence men finished fourth with 333 points, and Grinnell won the title with 921.5 points. The Lawrence women placed fourth with 352 points, and Lake Forest won the title with 878 points.

The top finisher on Sunday for the Lawrence men was senior Peter Brengel. He placed second in the 200-yard backstroke in a time of 1:56.93. Brengel also teamed with his brother, Walker, Charlie Mann and Nick Craker to grab fourth place in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:18.36.

On the women’s side, both Taylor Winter and Hannah Gabriel recorded second-place finishes on Sunday. Winter took second in the 1,650 freestyle in 17:52.52. Gabriel grabbed second in the 100 freestyle in 55.23 seconds.

The team of Winter, Gabriel, Chelsea Hameister and Julia Heller swam to second in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:43.58.

Results

Brengel, Gabriel take titles for Vikings on day two of MWC Championships

Peter Brengel and Hannah Gabriel each won individual titles for Lawrence University on Saturday at the Midwest Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at Boldt Natatorium.

Gabriel swam to victory in the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 1:56.71, just .16 seconds off the conference championship record of Lake Forest’s Becky Shaak.

Gabriel also was part of the 800 freestyle relay team that included Chelsea Hameister, Julia Heller and Taylor Winter that finished second in 8:01.12.

The Lawrence women are in fourth place in the team standings with 248 points.

Brengel grabbed the crown in the 100 backstroke with a winning time of 53.25 seconds. Brengel also teamed with David Dulak, Pat Vincent and Charlie Mann to finish third in the 200 medley relay in 1:39.71.

The Lawrence men are fourth in the team standings with 244 points.

The championships wrap up their three-day run on Sunday.

Results

Vikings edge Lake Forest 2-1

The Lawrence University hockey team dominated the play on Saturday night, but the Vikings battled to a 2-1 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association victory over Lake Forest College.

Lawrence (12-10-3, 11-6-3 MCHA) enjoyed a 45-15 edge in shots but the outcome wasn’t decided until the final seconds.

Lawrence got on the board early when Brad Scurfield scored off a pass from Jon Bellotti just 5:37 into the contest.

The score stayed that way until Phil Bushbacher gave Lawrence a 2-0 lead when he scored on the power play with just 1:23 left in the game.

Lawrence was still on the power play when Mike Violette scored a short-handed goal for Lake Forest (4-21-0, 4-16-0) with just 25 seconds remaining.

The Foresters then pulled goaltender Brendan Sullivan and got a shot off against Lawrence goaltender Peter Emery. Lawrence was able to get control of the puck and run out the final seconds.

Emery stopped 14 shots to pick up the win. Sullivan made 43 saves in the loss.

Lawrence returns to action next weekend when it hosts a MCHA quarterfinal playoff series on Friday and Saturday.

Box score

Lawrence pummels Falcons 8-1

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team opened its spring season with an 8-1 nonconference victory over Concordia (Wis.) University on Friday night.

Lawrence (1-0) swept the doubles from the Falcons (0-2) and won all but one singles match.

Jason Dunn led the way for the Vikings by rallying from one set down to post a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 1-0 (10-5) victory at No. 1 singles. Caleb Ray, Cooper Smith, Craig Sherwood and Jeremy Andereck swept the Nos. 3-6 singles.

Box score

Winter, Gabriel lead 1-2 sweep in 500 freestyle on opening day of MWC Championships

Taylor Winter and Hannah Gabriel swept the top two places in the 500-yard freestyle to pace the Lawrence University swim team on Friday’s opening day of the Midwest Conference Championships at Boldt Natatorium.

Winter, a freshman from Bayside, Wis., won her first MWC individual title by swimming to victory in the 500 freestyle in 5:10.75. Gabriel, a sophomore, was right on her heels and finished second in 5:10.96.

Led by Winter and Gabriel, the Lawrence women are in fourth place in the team standings after the first day with 123 points. Lake Forest leads with 299 points.

On the men’s side, the top finisher for the Vikings was the 200 freestyle relay team, which finished third. The team of Peter Brengel, Walker Brengel, Pat Vincent and Charlie Mann took third in 1:28.33.

Lawrence is in third place on the men’s side with 107 points. Grinnell leads the team standings with 300.5 points.

Preliminary action resumes Saturday morning, and the meet concludes on Sunday.

Results/Team Scores

Podair to receive Wurdinger Award

Jerry Podair will be presented with the Bob Wurdinger Athletic Service Award during the Lawrence University basketball doubleheader on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Podair, the seventh winner of the Wurdinger Award, has been a great friend to Department of Athletics and its student-athletes during his time as a professor at Lawrence.

Podair has served on the Committee on Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics and continually works as an academic advisor to student-athletes. He also works closely with the Director of Athletics as a liaison with the faculty and has served as a guest coach for men’s and women’s basketball, hockey and volleyball.

A professor of history and Robert S. French Professor of American Studies, Podair is a specialist in 20th-century United States history, and his research interests include urban history and ethnic and racial relations. His current book projects are a study of the civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, a biography of baseball mogul Walter O’Malley, and a primary-source anthology in United States history after 1877 titled The American Conversation, written in collaboration with Professor James H. Merrell ’75, of Vassar College.

The award was established to honor Wurdinger, a Kaukauna native, and long-time Lawrence assistant football coach. Wurdinger, who has been a tireless advocate for Lawrence athletics for more than four decades, received the first award in 2006.

Other winners of the Wurdinger Award are: Chuck and Cinny Reff, Ken and Carole Ebert, Joe, Clyde and Jeanne Kieffer, Don Strutz and Dick Knapinski.

Crisman, Mazur lead Lawrence past Red Hawks

RIPON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team pulled away late and posted a 77-69 Midwest Conference victory over Ripon College on Wednesday night at the Storzer Center.

Tyler Crisman scored 21 points to lead Lawrence (9-12, 8-9 MWC) and all scorers. Tyler Mazur came off the bench to pour in a career-high 17 points for the Vikings, who swept the season series from the Red Hawks.

Taylor Koth and Aris Wurtz both had double-doubles for Ripon (14-8, 10-7). Koth had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Wurtz added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Lawrence led by as many as seven points in the first half, and Ripon was up by as many as six points before the break.

The Vikings led 49-48 when they went on a 10-4 run midway through the second half, capped by Mazur’s 3-pointer, to grab a 59-52 edge with 8:44 left. Mazur was 5-for-8 from beyond the arc on the night.

After a Nic Schaalma free throw trimmed the margin to 59-53, Lawrence got back-to-back jumpers from Brian Gryszkiewicz and Chris Siebert and a 3-pointer from Mazur to go up 66-55.

Koth’s three-point play cut the margin back to 66-58, but Lawrence put the clamps on the Red Hawks over the next four minutes. In a stretch of 3:59, all Ripon got was two free throws as the Vikings stretched the lead to 73-60. Siebert scored five points in that stretch, including a pair of free throws with 2:20 left that gave Lawrence its biggest lead of the night at 13 points.

Ripon battled back with seven consecutive points, capped by Tyler Ketz’s 3-pointer with 1:14 left, to cut the margin to 73-67. Andrew Kline’s layup off a feed from Gryszkiewicz pushed the lead back to 75-67, and Ripon went cold after that.

The Red Hawks missed their next three shots from the floor, and Mazur sealed the win with a pair of free throws with just 14 seconds remaining.

Lawrence wraps up its season on Saturday when it hosts St. Norbert College. 

Box score