The Lawrence University football team hits the road again this week as it travels to Knox College for a Midwest Conference game on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and the game is available via a free video webcast.
Burke wins Defensive Player of the Week honor
Lawrence University women’s soccer standout Cassie Burke has been named the Midwest Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
Burke (Golden Valley, Minn./Hopkins), a senior goalkeeper, earned the honor for the second time this season after turning a superlative weekend in net.
Burke made eight saves in a 3-0 win over Beloit College this past Saturday to post her second shutout of the season. She also made 10 saves, including several of the spectacular variety, in Lawrence’s 1-0 loss to St. Norbert College on Sunday.
For the two matches, Burke had a .947 save percentage and 0.50 goals against average.
Burke also was named the conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17.
St. Norbert hangs on for 1-0 win over Vikings
The St. Norbert College women’s soccer team survived some second-half pressure and hung on for a 1-0 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University on Sunday at Whiting Field West.
St. Norbert (12-3-3, 7-1-2 MWC) got the game’s only goal on Zoe Kurth’s header in the 35th minute off a corner kick from Jaci Kulow.
Lawrence senior goalkeeper Cassie Burke kept the Vikings (4-13-0, 3-7-0) within striking distance with some stellar play in the net. Burke finished with 10 saves in her final collegiate contest.
Lawrence put the pressure on late, and St. Norbert goalkeeper Sarah Platzer was forced to make a save on Sarah Tiano’s shot with four minutes left. Platzer finished with four saves. The Vikings had the ball inside the St. Norbert penalty box when time expired.
Barthelmess, Mazur lead Vikings past Grinnell
GRINNELL, Iowa — Quarterback Luke Barthelmess ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and receiver Tyler Mazur had another big day as the Lawrence University football team beat Grinnell College 24-14 in a Midwest Conference game Saturday at Rosenbloom Field.
Barthelmess ran 17 times for 103 yards and topped the 100-yard mark for the second time this season. Barthelmess also completed 14 of 29 passes for 207 yards. Barthelmess, who also topped the 100-yard rushing mark in the season opener against Cornell, became the first Lawrence back since Craig Ebert in 2008 to rush for more than 100 yards in a game twice in the same season.
Mazur caught six passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, and he ran 11 times for 40 yards.
The Vikings (2-6, 2-5 MWC) built a 17-0 lead and then used a 98-yard scoring drive in the third quarter to help put the game away.
Lawrence took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in nine plays for a 7-0 lead. Ben Hartman had a 25-yard run to give the Vikings a first down at the Grinnell three-yard line, and Barthelmess hit Mazur with a touchdown pass on the next play.
After Grinnell (2-6, 2-6) gave up the ball on downs on its first possession of the game, Lawrence took over at its own 21. The Vikings got runs from Barthelmess of 19 and 27 yards, the latter giving Lawrence a first down at the Grinnell 12. Lawrence scored three plays later on Barthelmess’ five-yard run for a 14-0 lead.
Lawrence drove all the way to the Grinnell five-yard line on its next possession but had to settle for Cody Robel’s 23-yard field goal and led 17-0 at the half.
Grinnell scored on its first possession of the second half with a 62-yard drive for a touchdown. Quarterback Sam Poulos hit Jacob Meixler with an 11-yard scoring pass to trim the margin to 17-7.
After an exchange of punts, Lawrence took over at its own two-yard line with 5:22 left in the third quarter. The Vikings moved 98 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown with just 15 seconds left in the third quarter. The Vikings converted all three third downs on the drive and got a 24-yard completion to Dominque Dirden to the Grinnell one-yard line. Barthelmess scored three plays later to put Lawrence up 24-7.
Grinnell got a 68-yard touchdown pass from Poulos to Meixler to cut the lead to 24-14 with 6:28 left in the game, but the Lawrence defense held the Pioneers right there.
The Pioneers got the ball back but gave it up just four plays later, and Lawrence got a first down to run out the clock.
Lawrence hits the road again next Saturday with a game at Knox College.
Vikings open season with victory over Beloit
BELOIT, Wis. — The Lawrence University swim teams opened their season with a dual meet victory over Beloit College on Saturday.
The Lawrence women defeated Beloit 130-63, and the Viking men posted a 110-70 victory.
On the women’s side, Hannah Gabriel, Hayley Cardinal and Julia Heller won multiple events for the Vikings. Gabriel won the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle. Cardinal took wins in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. Heller won the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle.
Leading the men’s contingent were Cameron Gmehlin and Evan Flack. Gmehlin won the 200 IM and took first in the 100 breaststroke. Flack took home victories in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.
Lawrence falls to Grinnell in four sets
GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell College volleyball team defeated Lawrence University 3-1 in a tight Midwest Conference match on Saturday at Darby Gymnasium.
The Pioneers (7-21, 5-5 MWC) won 25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21.
Jenna Picha paced Lawrence (8-17, 2-8) with 10 kills, and Shannon McLain and Bethany Larsen added nine kills apiece. Kathleen Rowland paced the Vikings with 23 digs, and Diane McLeod had 24 assists.
Men grab second, women take eighth at MWC Championships
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s cross country team took second place and the women were eighth on Saturday at the Midwest Conference Championships at Colburn Park.
Lawrence, the defending champions on the men’s side, finished with 93 points. Grinnell College won the title with 33 points.
Junior Curran Carlile led the Vikings by placing sixth in 25:52.3 on the 8,000-meter course and earning a spot on the all-conference team. Senior Sam Stevens, the defending individual champion, was seventh in 25:58.1 and earned all-conference honors for the fourth consecutive season.
Rounding out the scoring for Lawrence were Kyle Dockery (21st), Jamie Brisbois (26th) and Dan Thoresen (33rd).
On the women’s side, Lawrence finished with 222 points, and Monmouth took the title with 51.
Clare Bruning led Lawrence by placing seventh on the 6,000-meter course in 23:12.8. Bruning posted the best finish by a Lawrence freshman at the conference championships since Robin Dvorak finished sixth in 1990. Bruning was the top freshman finisher in the league as well.
Also scoring for the Vikings were Cora Williams (45th), Katherine Dannecker (52nd), Anna Ratliff (58th) and Vanessa Cattleman (60th).
Cullen’s goal gives Lawrence win over Bucs
Joe Cullen scored in the 67th minute to lift the Lawrence University men’s soccer team to a 1-0 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College on Saturday at Whiting Field West.
Cullen got the game’s only goal at 66:58 off passes from Karl Mayer and Oliver Newsom.
Senior goalkeeper Kevin Aslett made that goal stand up by making three saves to pick up his fourth shutout of the season. The Lawrence defenders allowed Beloit (11-4-1, 6-3-1 MWC) only six shots in the match.
The Vikings (8-8-1, 5-4-1) fired 15 shots at BJ Kiser, who made seven saves for the Bucs.
Vikings shut down Beloit
The Lawrence University women’s soccer team got goals from three different players and rolled to a 3-0 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College on Saturday at Whiting Field West.
Freshman Genna Matt assisted on all three Lawrence goals.
Caroline Borst put Lawrence (4-12-0, 3-6-0 MWC) on the board when she scored off a pass from Matt at the 26:49 mark.
Lawrence took that lead into the break, but quickly made it 2-0 early in the second half when Amanda Ollerer scored at 50:57.
The Vikings then sealed the victory with Patsy Kealey’s first collegiate goal at the 68:11 mark.
Cassie Burke made eight saves to pick up the shutout for Lawrence. Willow Macy stopped seven shots for Beloit (7-9-1, 3-7-0).
Cornell stops Vikings in three sets
MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — The Cornell College volleyball team topped Lawrence University 3-0 in a Midwest Conference match on Friday night.
The Rams won 25-12, 25-10, 25-20.
Kathleen O’Connor paced Cornell with 11 kills, and Sabrina Hargis picked up 19 assists.
Megan Conley and Terese Swords had five kills apiece to lead Lawrence. Kate Rosenbalm had 12 assists, and Kathleen Rowland added 11 digs.