Women’s Soccer

Lawrence University women’s soccer coach Lisa Sammons has been elevated to full-time coaching status, Director of Athletics Mike Szkodzinski announced today.

Sammons, the 2010 Midwest Conference Coach of the Year, has been guiding the Vikings for the past three seasons as the Associate Head Women’s Soccer Coach. During that time, she was working with Director of Soccer Blake Johnson, who was coaching the men’s team and supervising the women’s program.

“Thanks to the support of President Jill Beck and our university administration, we are proud to announce that we have created a full-time head women’s soccer coach position beginning this fall,” Szkodzinski said. “Blake Johnson has done a great job over the past six years overseeing both soccer programs and will continue as the head men’s soccer coach. We believe that committing to a full-time person in each program is the next step to creating two powerful soccer programs.”

Sammons was named the associate head women’s soccer coach prior to the 2008 season and has compiled a 27-27-1 record over the past three seasons.

“Going to full-time status is exciting because we have had a taste of success in the past few seasons,” said Sammons, a 1993 graduate of the University of Minnesota. “Being able to work in this role year-round will enable me to really concentrate on recruiting and only serve to continue our success.”

Guided by Sammons, the Vikings returned to the Midwest Conference Tournament in 2010 after a nine-year absence from the event. Lawrence defeated both Lake Forest College and Carroll University to win its third MWC Tournament title in program history. The Vikings also played in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third time.

“We have a good group of incoming student-athletes to complement the players we have coming back,” Sammons said. “I’m excited for continued success this fall.”

Szkodzinski said Sammons’ impact in the Department of Athletics will reach beyond women’s soccer.

“We are very thankful to have Lisa as our head women’s soccer coach,” Szkodzinski said. “She brings a tremendous amount of professionalism and leadership to the women’s soccer program and Lawrence University intercollegiate athletics. It will truly benefit the entire Department of Athletics to have Coach Sammons in a full-time capacity.”

Lawrence opens its 2011 season on Sept. 2 when it travels to Edgewood College.

Three Lawrence University players and head coach Lisa Sammons have been honored on the All-Midwest Conference women’s soccer team.

Sammons was named MWC Coach of the Year, and Mallory Koula (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly), Sarah Ehlinger (Wauwatosa, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) and Annie Kaiser (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) were all named to the all-conference team. Koula and Ehlinger were first-team selections, and Kaiser was a second-team pick.

Sammons, in her third season as the Vikings’ head coach, earned the coaching award after leading the Vikings to the Midwest Conference Tournament championship. Lawrence won the conference tournament for the first time since 2001 and played in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Vikings, who compiled a 9-9-1 overall record and a 7-2-1 mark in Midwest Conference play, defeated Lake Forest College 4-3 in the tournament semifinals and then beat top seed Carroll University 2-1 for the tournament title on the Pioneers’ home field.

Koula, a junior forward, piled up 19 goals and four assists for 42 points and was chosen for the first team for the second consecutive season. Koula led the league in points, points per game (2.21), goals and goals per game (1.00). She also finished second in the league with six game-winning goals.

Koula finished the season strong by scoring 11 goals in her final six games. She picked up hat tricks against Beloit College, Ripon College and Lake Forest.

Ehlinger, who was a second-team all-conference pick in 2007, 2008 and 2009, was chosen for the team all four years of her career. Ehlinger scored 10 goals and had a league-best 10 assists for 30 points this season. The senior forward had a league-high 0.53 assists per game.

Kaiser, a senior midfielder, was chosen for the all-conference team for the first time. Kaiser scored two goals and had two assists for six points.

WHEATON, Ill. — The Lawrence University women’s soccer team dropped a 3-0 decision to Wheaton College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Friday.

Lawrence, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since playing in back-to-back Division III tourneys in 2000 and 2001, finished the season with a 9-9-1 record. Lawrence earned its spot in the tournament by winning the Midwest Conference Tournament.

Wheaton (17-2-1) got on the board early courtesy of a penalty kick. Laura Karsten converted the penalty kick at 6:29 to stake the Thunder to a 1-0 lead.

Wheaton made it 2-0 when Jamie Orewiler’s header found the back of the net at the 24:46 mark. The Thunder made it 3-0 just before halftime when Kristen Clark scored on a header at 43:14.

The Vikings held Wheaton scoreless in the second half, but Lawrence was limited to two shots by the stout Thunder defense.

Wheaton advances to play in the second round on Saturday against Carleton College, which defeated Augustana (Ill.) College 2-1 in overtime.

NCAA Tournament page

The Lawrence University women’s soccer team opens NCAA Division III Tournament play at Wheaton (Ill.) College on Friday.

Lawrence (9-8-1) is part of a four-team regional also involving Augustana (Ill.) College and Carleton College. Lawrence faces Wheaton at 5 p.m. on Friday at Joe Bean Stadium, and Augustana takes on Carleton at 7 p.m. The winners meet at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Lawrence, playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001, earned its berth in with a 2-1 victory at Carroll University in the Midwest Conference Tournament Championship Game this past Saturday.

Wheaton (18-2-1) earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament after falling to Illinois Wesleyan University in the title game of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament. Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan played to a 0-0 overtime tie, but the Titans advanced after winning 3-1 on penalty kicks.

WAUKESHA, Wis. – Mallory Koula scored both goals for Lawrence University as the Vikings defeated Carroll University 2-1 in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship game Saturday at Schneider Stadium.

The tournament championship gives Lawrence an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. This is Lawrence’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament and the first since the Vikings played in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2000 and 2001.

“It’s what we set as a goal when we started preseason,” Lawrence coach Lisa Sammons said of playing in the NCAA Tournament. “We had the desire and the belief that we could get there.”

Lawrence (9-8-1) learns its opponent when the pairings are announced on Monday.

Third-seeded Lawrence gave up an early goal, but that was all the Vikings would allow. Sarah Tennett scored for top-seed Carroll (14-6-0) just 51 seconds into the match.

It didn’t take long for the Vikings to strike back. Koula, a junior forward from Kimberly, Wis., scored off a pass from Sarah Ehlinger at the 5:35 mark to tie the match at 1-1.

Koula then blasted a shot past Carroll goalkeeper Taylor Mclean that hit the underside of the crossbar and went in to give Lawrence a 2-1 lead at 18:03. Koula has now scored eight goals in her last three matches.

“Mallory has really picked up her momentum,” said Sammons, adding that during the season teams had worked hard to neutralize Lawrence’s prolific scorer. “Going into this postseason she worked on different ways to be creative that teams didn’t know how to defend, and she has been finding the back of the net.”

Lawrence goalkeeper Cassie Burke and the defense made that lead stand up. Burke made 11 saves, including nine in the second half, to preserve the win.

“Our defense was amazing,” Sammons said. “With 15 minutes left, (Carroll) threw another forward up there. We countered, stuck with them and got them frustrated. It helped take them out of their game.”

Lawrence entered the MWC Tournament as the third seed and topped second seed Lake Forest College 4-3 in the semifinals on Friday.

Box score

WAUKESHA, Wis. – Mallory Koula scored with less than six minutes left to lift the Lawrence University women’s soccer team to a 4-3 victory over Lake Forest College in a Midwest Conference Tournament semifinal Friday at Schneider Stadium.

Lawrence (8-8-1) advances to play either Carroll University or Monmouth College at 5 p.m. Saturday in the championship game. The winner receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Koula, who picked up a hat trick in her second consecutive game, got the scoring started in what proved to be a see-saw match. Koula’s corner kick was deflected into the net to put the Vikings up 1-0 just 1:43 into the match.

Emily Weber tied it for Lake Forest (11-8-0) at 21:26, but Koula broke the tie early in the second half. She scored unassisted at 48:55 to give Lawrence a 2-1 edge. Natalie Jin then scored for the Vikings at 65:49 for a 3-1 lead.

Lake Forest battled back with goals by Erica May at 66:49 and Courtenay Raymond at 81:24 to tie it at 3-3.

Koula, working off passes from Sarah Ehlinger and CJ Kirk, scored at 84:10 to give Lawrence the lead for good.

Cassie Burke made five saves to pick up the win for the Vikings. Bri Schleibinger made two saves and took the loss for Lake Forest.

This is  Lawrence’s first appearance in the MWC Tournament championship game since the Vikings beat St. Norbert College 1-0 to win the title in 2001.

Box score

Lawrence University women’s soccer standout Sarah Ehlinger has been named to the ESPN Academic All-District 5 Team for the second consecutive year.

Ehlinger (Wauwatosa, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels), a senior forward, was a second-team selection. She also was a second-team pick in 2009.

A geology major with a 3.92 grade point average, Ehlinger has earned the maximum of three Academic All-Midwest Conference selections. A member of the Dean’s List at Lawrence, Ehlinger has earned numerous academic honors.

Ehlinger, who was named a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar for 2011-12, participated in a sustainable development research program in Romania in summer 2009. She then took part in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Research Experience in summer 2010.

The Frick-Cherven Fund and Class of 1968 Peace and Social Activism Fund chose Ehlinger to do an independent research project in Sierra Leone.

Ehlinger also won Lawrence’s Tank-Palmquist-Ross Award in Geology, which is given each year to the outstanding geology student in the junior class.

Ehlinger is a three-time All-Midwest Conference selection and one of the top scorers in Lawrence history. Ehlinger has 38 goals, 21 assists and 97 points for her career. She ranks second in career assists and third in goals and points at Lawrence.

Ehlinger has been a key player in leading Lawrence to a berth in the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Vikings play Lake Forest College in the semifinals on Friday morning at Carroll University.

Lawrence University women’s soccer star Sarah Ehlinger has been chosen as the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Ehlinger (Wauwatosa, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels), a senior forward, scored three goals, picked up a career-high three assists and recorded a career-best nine points as Lawrence routed Ripon College 8-3 in its only action of the week. The victory allowed Lawrence to clinch a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Ehlinger recorded her first hat trick of the season and the fourth of her career. Ehlinger’s last hat trick came on Sept. 19, 2009, when she scored three times against Finlandia University.

The nine points is the second-highest game total in Lawrence history, trailing only the record of 12.

Ehlinger assisted on both of Lawrence’s first two goals to stake the Vikings to a 2-1 lead at the half. Ehlinger then scored unassisted just 37 seconds into the second half and added another goal in the 56th minute. She completed the hat trick with a goal in the 83rd minute and picked up an assist on Lawrence’s final goal in the 88th minute.

Lawrence returns to action on Friday when it faces Lake Forest College in the semifinals of the Midwest Conference Tournament at Carroll University.

RIPON, Wis. – Sarah Ehlinger and Mallory Koula both recorded hat tricks as the Lawrence University women’s soccer team routed Ripon College 8-3 in a Midwest Conference match on Saturday at Prairie Field.

The win puts Lawrence in the Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Koula and Ehlinger connected on both of Lawrence’s first two goals. Koula took a pass from Ehlinger and scored just 1:16 into the match to put Lawrence up 1-0. Koula scored off another pass from Ehlinger at the 15:49 mark for a 2-0 lead.

Lawrence led 2-1 at the half, but Ehlinger scored just 37 seconds into the second half to put Lawrence up 3-1. Ehlinger made it 4-1 with a goal at the 55:39 mark.

Koula got her hat trick with a goal just 1:07 later to put Lawrence up 5-1. Ellie Galvin then scored at 71:32 to give the Vikings a 6-1 edge.

Ripon got a pair of goals to cut the margin to 6-3, but Ehlinger countered with a goal at 82:13 to record her hat trick.

Natalie Jin finished the scoring for Lawrence with a goal at 87:19.

Cassie Burke made only one save to pick up the win.

Box score