The Highlights

Scores, news and more from Lawrence University Athletics

Vikings battle to overtime tie with No. 7 Adrian

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University hockey team battled to a 4-4 overtime tie with No. 7 Adrian College on Saturday night in a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Lawrence (5-8-2, 4-4-2 MCHA) got the tying goal from Brandon Boelter with 3:39 left in the third period to force a second consecutive night of overtime hockey. Lawrence and Adrian played to a 5-5 tie on Friday night.

Adrian (12-1-2, 8-0-2), one of the top power-play teams in the nation, started the overtime on the man-advantage when Lawrence’s Matt Moore was called for hooking as the third period expired.

The Bulldogs, who went 2-for-5 on the power play, were stymied by Lawrence goaltender Fabian Sivnert in the overtime. Sivnert saved all eight Adrian shots on net in the overtime. Sivnert finished with 44 saves.

Lawrence also had an excellent scoring chance in the overtime when Phil Bushbacher had a free run at the net, but his shot went just wide.

Justin Basso scored with 5:03 left in the regulation to give Adrian a 4-3 lead. Kevin Balas was whistled for high sticking just 33 seconds later to put Lawrence on the power play.

Boelter made the Bulldogs pay by scoring off a blast from the left point that beat Adrian goaltender James Hamby. Hamby, who came on in relief of Scott Shackell after the first period, finished with 17 saves.

Lawrence took a 1-0 lead when Ryan Rumble scored his first collegiate goal just two minutes in the game. The Bulldogs tied it on Andrew Dovey’s goal just 43 seconds later.

Lawrence, which went 2-for-6 on the power play, made it 2-1 on Boelter’s power-play goal at the 5:58 mark of the first. Ryan Gieseler countered with a power-play goal for Adrian at 6:56. The Vikings then got a goal from Bushbacher at 7:54 and took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.

Adrian tied it at 3-3 on Chris Leone’s goal just 1:34 into the second period.

Adrian finished the game with a 48-34 edge in shots on goal.

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Grinnell takes down Vikings

GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell College men’s basketball team pulled away midway through the second half and went on to a 90-74 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University on Saturday at Darby Gymnasium.

The Pioneers (10-3, 7-2 MWC) scored five consecutive points midway through the second half to grab a double-digit lead, and Lawrence (6-7, 4-4) was never able to get closer than 10 points after that.

Griffin Lentsch led Grinnell with 15 points, and Patrick Maher added 14.

Conor Klusendorf, Ryan DePouw and Chris Siebert had 18 points apiece for the Vikings. Klusendorf hit 9 of 10 shots from the floor, but the Vikings shot only 53.1 percent from the floor against Grinnell’s pressure defense.

It was DePouw’s layup that cut Grinnell’s lead to 67-59 with 10:28 remaining in the game. Lentsch countered with a 3-pointer for Grinnell and Garrett Nitz hit a pair of free throws to push the Grinnell lead to 72-59 with 8:32 remaining.

Lawrence got the deficit back to 74-64 on Davis DeWolfe’s layup with 6:58 left, but Grinnell then went on a 14-4 run to seal the victory.

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Defense leads Grinnell past Vikings

GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell College women’s basketball team rode a stifling defensive effort in the first half and went on to a 60-38 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University on Saturday at Darby Gymnasium.

Grinnell (6-7, 5-4 MWC) limited Lawrence (1-12, 0-8) to 8 percent shooting (2-25) in the first half as the Pioneers rolled out to a 30-7 lead at the half.

Lawrence was much better in the second half by shooting 10-for-34 (29.4 percent), but still well below its season average of 34.5 percent.

The Pioneers would lead by as many as 26 points early in the second half, and Lawrence never got closer than 18 points after that.

Toluwaloju Alabi led Grinnell with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Alissa Hirsh added 11 points for the Pioneers, and Michelle Briggs had a game-high 13 rebounds.

Alex Deshler and Amber Lisowe paced Lawrence with nine points apiece. Deshler pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds for the Vikings.

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Lawrence settles for tie with No. 7 Adrian

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University hockey team dominated No. 7 Adrian College for two periods Friday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center, but the Vikings had to settle for a 5-5 overtime tie in a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association game.

Lawrence (5-8-1, 4-4-1 MCHA) bolted to a 4-1 lead after the first period and led 5-1 after two periods, but the Bulldogs (12-1-1, 8-0-1) scored four times in the third period to pull out the tie.

Freshman Rudi Pino scored a pair of goals and picked up an assist for Lawrence, and freshman forward Renato Engler had three assists. Andrew Dovey scored a pair of goals for Adrian.

Lawrence trailed 1-0 when Pino scored at the 8:54 mark of the first period to tie it. William Thoren then scored just 25 seconds later to give Lawrence a 2-1 lead.

The Vikings kept up the pressure when Pino scored off a pass from Engler at the 14:30 mark to put the Vikings up 3-1. Paul Zuke then added a goal with 2:16 left in the opening period for a 4-1 Lawrence lead.

The Vikings made it 5-1 on Logan Lemirande’s power-play goal midway through the second period.

The score stayed that way until Dovey scored twice, at 7:08 and again at 9:28 of the third, to cut the lead to 5-3. Ryan Gieseler then scored on the power play, Adrian’s third power-play goal of the game in seven tries, to cut the lead to 5-4 at the 11:59 mark.

The Vikings then committed a costly turnover almost right in front of the net, and Shaquille Merasty, one of the leading scorers in the nation, picked up the loose puck. He scored to tie the game at 5-5 with 2:00 left.

Both teams managed two shots on goal in the five-minute overtime but could not score.

Fabian Sivnert made 35 saves for Lawrence, and Scott Shackell, who entered the game at the start of the second period, finished with 20 saves.

The teams wrap up the series Saturday evening at the Appleton Family Ice Center.

Box score

Siebert leads Lawrence as Vikings rally past Lake Forest

APPLETON, Wis. — Chris Siebert poured in 20 points and was clutch down the stretch as the Lawrence University men’s basketball team rallied for a 63-59 Midwest Conference victory over Lake Forest College on Wednesday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Siebert went 6-for-9 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line, and he hit a huge 3-pointer down the stretch to lead the Vikings (6-6, 4-3 MWC). Siebert also hit four big free throws in the final minute to help seal the victory.

Ryan DePouw added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds for Lawrence.

Jeff Beck scored 22 points and went 10-for-10 from the foul line to pace Lake Forest (4-9, 2-6). Brian Madson added 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds for the Foresters.

Lake Forest jumped on the Vikings early and raced to a 20-5 lead with 10:36 left in the first half. Lawrence trailed 30-20 but rode a scoring burst to finish the first half. Siebert drained a 3-pointer with 2:43 left, and Brian Gryszkiewicz followed with a layup. Gryszkiewicz then picked up a steal and fed Siebert for a fastbreak layup to cut Lake Forest’s lead to 30-27 at the half.

The Vikings trailed 43-37 before going on a 10-2 run to take their first lead of the game. Jamie Nikitas hit a 3-pointer to get the run started, and Conor Klusendorf picked up a steal and dunk to cut the lead to 45-43. Siebert and Klusendorf then hit back-to-back jumpers to give Lawrence a 47-45 lead with 6:14 left.

Lake Forest grabbed the lead back at 49-48, but DePouw’s three-point play gave Lawrence the lead back for good at 51-49.

The Vikings were up 53-51 when Siebert drained a key 3-pointer to put the Vikings up 56-51 with 2:01 remaining. The teams then traded free throws, and Lawrence held a 58-55 lead when Nikitas was fouled with 28 seconds left. He hit one free throw to put Lawrence up 59-55.

Klusendorf then stole the ball from Beck near midcourt and finished with a dunk to give the Vikings a 61-55 edge. Klusendorf was whistled for a technical foul for hanging on the rim, and Beck converted a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 61-57 with 16 seconds left.

The Foresters then got a layup from Mitch Caywood with six seconds left, and Lake Forest fouled Siebert with three seconds remaining. He hit both free throws to seal the victory.

Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Grinnell College to face the nation’s highest-scoring team.

Box score

Late spurt pushes Foresters past Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lake Forest College women’s basketball team used a late run to carve out a 60-46 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University on Wednesday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Liz Radtke paced Lake Forest (6-7, 4-4 MWC) with 14 points and tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds. Michelle Ricolcol and Gina Ambrose added 11 points apiece.

Patsy Kealey came off the bench and scored a team-best 12 points for Lawrence (1-11, 0-7). Alex Deshler added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings.

The Foresters were clinging to a one-point lead but went on a 12-0 run to seize command late in the contest.

Lawrence trailed by as many as eight points in the first half, but late layups, including one by Kealey at the buzzer, cut the lead to 29-26 at the half.

The Foresters pushed the lead back to as many as nine points early in the second half, but Lawrence chipped away at the advantage. Lawrence trailed 40-33 when Kealey hit back-to-back baskets to cut the margin to 40-37.

After a Katie Schumacher jumper, Ambrose countered with a pair of free throws for the Foresters. Cathy Kaye then buried a 3-pointer to cut Lake Forest’s lead to 43-42 with 9:23 left in the game.

Lake Forest then scored the game’s next 12 points, including a bank-in 3-pointer from Ricolcol, and held the Vikings scoreless for nearly eight minutes. Kealey finally stopped the run with a pair of free throws with 1:43 left, but Lake Forest had a 55-44 lead and had sealed the win at that point.

Lake Forest enjoyed a huge advantage at the foul line. The Foresters were whistled for only seven fouls and went 19-for-25 from the free-throw line. Lawrence was called for 19 fouls and made the only two free throws it attempted.

The Vikings return to action on Saturday when they travel to Grinnell College.

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Inside LU Athletics: Swedes making big impact for Vikings

These Vikings are real Vikings.

The Lawrence University hockey team has taken on a Scandinavian flavor over the past few years with an influx of players from Sweden, and that can be largely attributed to assistant coach Kalle Larsson.

Larsson is a native of Gothenburg, Sweden, a former Lawrence hockey standout and a 2007 graduate of the university. Larsson has helped attract four Swedes and a fifth player with deep Swedish roots to the school.

“I’m very proud of the guys to see how much they’ve grown, but I want to give them help with their Lawrence experience,” said Larsson, who earned a degree in government from Lawrence. “I believe in Lawrence as a school and in the hockey program, and I want the Swedish guys to experience what I have.”

Lawrence’s Swedish contingent is made up of junior defenseman William Thoren (Gothenburg), sophomore forward Gustav Lindgren (Stockholm), sophomore goalie Anton Olsson (Stromstad), freshman goalie Fabian Sivnert (Hollviken) and sophomore defenseman Erik Soderlund, who lived in Sweden for eight years before returning to California.

“When we hired Coach Larsson, we were looking for him to utilize his connections in the junior hockey world to open new doors for our program,” Lawrence head coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “He has done a tremendous job doing just that and has even exceeded expectations. The best part, in our mind, is that he continues to open more doors every year for our program.”

Thoren met Larsson when he was working with Scandinavian Hockey Consulting, a firm that helps European players find junior teams and expose them to college choices in the United States.

“I would never be here if it wasn’t for Kalle,” said Thoren, an All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection as a freshman. “Coach Szkodzinski had never heard of me or talked to me, and Kalle told him that he has a Swedish client who is interested in coming over to play. First then, Coach started to talk to me and showed his interest.”

Thoren chose Lawrence, and the assistant coach at the time, Ryan Petersen, later left to play pro hockey in Europe. Larsson left his consulting job and came back to his alma mater as the assistant coach in 2010. In the ensuing three years, more Swedish players followed.

“I think the product we are selling is very good, but with my own experience, it makes it even easier,” said Larsson, who spent several years after graduation in the corporate world before returning to hockey. “They see that it pays off. If they want to stay and work in the U.S., I’m an example of that.”

The Swedes are unanimous in their praise of Larsson and his help in their transition to life at Lawrence.

“Kalle can you give you the biggest insight into the school,” said Sivnert, who recently joined the team after transferring from Bemidji State. “With Kalle, you can go in-depth and see what you’re getting yourself into. If you have questions, he has done it himself. He has a close bond with the school and can deal with issues. He’s an invaluable resource right now.”

That relationship has continued to grow for Thoren.

“Kalle tells us upon our arrival that if we wonder anything or need help with anything, he is there for us,” Thoren said. “It is great to have him here if you need someone to talk to or have questions. Kalle is not only an assistant coach to me, he is also a close friend. We have a great relationship outside of hockey too, so I see him as a friend as well.”

Sometimes it’s also nice to speak your native language and get a little closer to your own culture, Lindgren said. He credits Larsson and the rest of the Swedish contingent with giving him someone to lean on.

“If it wasn’t for Kalle,” said Lingren, as if pondering where his journey would have taken him. “He’s the one who came to Sweden and talked to me and my coach. He talked about Lawrence and what a great opportunity it was for an education and to play hockey. It was tough in the beginning. I would describe it as an emotional rollercoaster. I had some homesickness, and I have a girlfriend back home (big smile). This year has been better.”

The similar backgrounds and common language bonds the Swedish players, but Olsson talked about this team as a family whose roots go deeper than just nationality.

“Our squad is like a family and families do a lot of things together. For the hockey part it does not really matter what nationality it is, I believe,” said Olsson, who also plays for Larsson on the golf team where he is one of the stars. “I learned, with help from Kalle, my first year in the U.S., how coaching, style of hockey and behavior differs from Sweden.”

Olsson said having Swedish teammates on the ice doesn’t really change anything for the Vikings, but having fellow Swedes on campus has made a huge difference.

“Studying in a foreign language can be quite a challenge sometimes, and then it is good sometimes to discuss with your fellow Swedes because it helps to really grasp what you actually are doing,” Olsson said. “William has helped me a lot with the academic part, which I’m very thankful for.”

That commonality of culture and language is what helps Larsson guide these young men through the highs and lows of sports and the academic rigors of Lawrence.

“I know what they are going through in the transition, not just related to sports, but in the academic life and the cultural life,” said Larsson, who was an academic all-conference selection during his time at Lawrence. “There are things they may not know how to express in English. I do think they feel, in certain situations, more comfortable speaking with me. I’m from where they’re from.”

All-tournament picks

Both forward Brad Scurfield and goaltender Fabian Sivnert were selected to the all-tournament team at the Pathfinder Bank Oswego State Classic at the end of the year. Sivnert made 29 saves in Lawrence’s 2-1 victory over Castleton State in the tournament semifinals. Scurfield had just one assist in the two tournament games but played a monumental number of shifts for the Vikings in the two games.

Mazur scores at all-star game

Lawrence football standout Tyler Mazur scored a touchdown in the All-American Bowl, an all-star game for NCAA Division III players. Mazur had a catch and also scored in the game, which was played in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The timing was perfect for Mazur, who was able to play the football game during a break in the basketball team’s schedule. Mazur is one of key players off the bench for the Lawrence basketball team.

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.