Inside LU Athletics

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Inside LU Athletics: Rookies giving Lawrence skaters a boost

The Lawrence University hockey season is like a road test in a driver’s education class.

You’ve got some young guys with their hands on the wheel, you know there will be wrong turns and poor decisions, but in the end, you know they’re getting it.

With nine freshmen on the roster playing a huge role, Lawrence head coach Mike Szkodzinski has chosen to let the young guys drive this team, and the Vikings appear to have turned in the right direction.

“Going into this year, we knew we were going to have to rely on some young guys, and the only way to get them experience was to let them play through their mistakes,” Szkodzinski said. “We stuck to our guns and allowed them to grow. They still have a lot of growing to do, but they have certainly adapted well to this point.”

Lawrence has received 53 percent of its total points from the freshmen, and the rookies played a huge role in last weekend’s pair of ties against seventh-ranked Adrian College. The ties moved Lawrence to 5-8-2 on the season, and the Vikings are in fifth place in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association with a 4-4-2 record. Lawrence also is second in the Northern Division, just two points behind Marian University with two games left against the Sabres this season.

“There certainly have been some bumps in the road,” said Szkodzinski. “Young men are bound to make mistakes at times. This year, more than in the past few seasons, we have had to do a lot of teaching away from the rink. We have made sure our guys know what is expected to be a part of our program, how to prepare for practices and games, how to act on campus and how important it is to be active in their education.  They have bought in to this point.”

Rookie forward Logan Lemirande leads the team with 19 points on four goals and 15 assists. He ranks fourth in the MCHA at 1.46 points per game and is second at 1.15 assists per game. Freshman forward Rudi Pino, also a golf standout for the Vikings, and freshman defenseman Brandon Boelter are tied for third on the team with 17 points. Pino has six goals and 11 assists, and Boelter has five goals and 12 assists.

Boelter is first in the conference in scoring by defensemen at 1.13 points per game, and Lemirande ranks second in the league in freshman scoring at 1.46 points per game. Pino and Boelter are tied for third in the same category.

Freshman forwards Matt Moore, Renato Engler and Ryan Rumble are also seeing significant action.

“(Assistant) coach (Kalle) Larsson did a tremendous job evaluating the talent at the junior level last year,” Szkodzinski said. “This allowed us to bring in some very talented young men. We certainly had hoped they would be able to fill the roles that they have filled, but it is never a guarantee that freshmen can make the jump to not only college hockey, but college life in general. We are happy with their progress.”

While Boelter has proven to be a high-scoring defenseman, freshman Steve Hughes has also proven to be a gritty defender. Hughes, the younger brother of former Lawrence star Matt Hughes, has a goal and two assists for three points.

The recent addition of freshman goaltender Fabian Sivnert, a transfer from Bemidji State, has given the defense a boost as well. Sivnert is 1-1-2 while facing three teams ranked in the top seven. He has a 4.08 goals against average and .894 save percentage.

“We are always looking to bring in quality people, not just quality players,” Szkodzinski said. “Each of these young men were, at some point, captains of their junior or high school programs. We expected a mature group, and they have proven to be that so far.”

The Vikings will need some poise down the stretch to make a move for a top seeding in the MCHA playoffs.

“They are on the right track, but we still have 10 important games to go starting with MSOE on Friday night. We will assess the progress of the entire program after the season,” Szkodzinski said.

“Each game is a new experience for them. At this time of the year, each game gets more important and more intense. As long as they play in these situations, they will continue to grow, and that should mean positive things for the future of Viking hockey.”

Boelter nabs award

Boelter was been named the MCHA Freshman of the Week after helping the Vikings to a pair of ties this past weekend against seventh-ranked Adrian.

A first-year defenseman, Boelter had a goal and two assists on the weekend. Boelter had an assist in last Friday’s 5-5 overtime tie. He scored on the power play in the first period on Saturday, and then assisted on the game-tying goal in the 4-4 overtime tie.

Boelter’s key assist came on Saturday with the Vikings trailing by a goal with less than four minutes left. His blast from the left point was tipped into the net by Brad Scurfield to tie the game and force the overtime.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Lawrence cagers have lofty expectations

Joel DePagter doesn’t expect perfection from the Lawrence University men’s basketball team, but that is exactly what his players are shooting for.

The Lawrence head coach knows that winning every game in a season that starts Thursday when the Vikings host UW-Stevens Point is just about impossible. DePagter then quickly points out that his team’s leaders, swingman Chris Siebert, forward Conor Klusendorf and guard Brian Gryskiewicz, don’t think about anything other than winning.

“It’s a long season and we’re going to have some bumps in the road, but Conor, Brian and Chris don’t expect to lose any games and that’s a great mindset to have,” DePagter said. “For us to be great, we need those guys to do whatever it takes to win and not just score points.”

This team’s strength lies with its guards, depth and experience. It all starts with Siebert, an all-Midwest Conference selection last season and one of the league’s most versatile performers.

“To do great things, Chris Siebert has to have a great year,” DePagter said. “That doesn’t mean Chris needs to score 30 points a game, but he needs to lead the team, get rebounds and he’s doing those things in practice right now.”

Siebert led the team in scoring last season at 16.6 points per game and assists at 4.0 per contest. The junior from Baraboo also added 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest to his versatile floor game.

Gryskiewicz, also a junior, brings a gritty determination, and DePagter said he has had a great first month of practice. Klusendorf, one of only two seniors on the squad, brings an athletic impact to the frontcourt with dunks on offense and blocks on defense.

“We have an experienced group back,” DePagter said. “We lost an all-conference player (Tyler Crisman), but collectively we’re a more mature, seasoned group. Guys work on things in the off-season, but experience is one thing you can’t work on.”

Lawrence also returns the sizable presence of junior Davis DeWolfe in the paint. The 6-foot-7 junior from Green Bay averaged 10.4 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game last year. The other starter figures to be sophomore guard Ryan DePouw, who showed flashes of brilliance in his sixth man role last season.

“Our starting five is a pretty balanced group,” DePagter said. “We have some guys who can shoot it. We have some toughness with our point guard. We’re a bigger, more physical team than we were last year.”

The Vikings also boast more depth and size off the bench than they’ve had in recent seasons. The Vikings can bring instant offense when junior guard Max Burgess checks in, and junior Tom Antosz also has valuable experience. Lawrence also has freshmen guards Jamie Nikitas and Troy Miller battling for playing time.

“Max is as good a shooter as you will ever see and he has experience,” DePagter said. “He has played key minutes in big games and proven he can play on the big stage.”

The Vikings also got an addition to the squad on Monday when junior swingman Tyler Mazur rejoined the team. Mazur, who just completed a 1,000-yard receiving season with the football team, averaged 4.7 points and shot 42.5 percent on 3-pointers last year.

The Vikings add to the athleticism up front with 6-5 junior Chase Nelson and a trio of freshmen, led by Appleton native Trace Sonnleitner and including Connor Weas and Zach Ricchiuto.

“Trace plays harder than most freshman play. To have another local player is exciting and it allows people to see him continue his career,” said DePagter, citing local players like Rob Nenahlo, Jason Holinbeck and Andy Hurley, who all starred for the Vikings in the last decade.

“Our talent level from top to bottom is improved from the past couple of years. Not only do we have numbers, we have quality in those numbers.”

The Vikings will get a huge test Thursday when they open with the Pointers, ranked 15th in the d3hoops.com preseason top 25.

“Goals don’t change, have never changed since I came back in 1999 to be the assistant,” DePagter said. “What changes is how likely it is to reach those goals. Being so young overall of the past few years we knew it was going to be challenging.”

Milestone for Mazur

Standout wide receiver Tyler Mazur had another huge game in the season finale against Ripon last Saturday. Mazur had six catches for 222 yards and three touchdowns. It was the third 200-yard receiving game of Mazur’s career and the second in three weeks for the Reedsburg, Wis., native.

Mazur finished the season with 53 catches for 1,139 yards and became the first Lawrence player to post 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 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).

Hartman finishes in style 

Senior running back Ben Hartman finished his football career with perhaps his finest day for Lawrence. The Portage, Wis., native ran 14 times for a career-high 125 yards and two touchdowns in the season finale against Ripon. Hartman finished the season with 104 carries for 597 yards for a hefty 5.7-yard average.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings look to continue team building

Lawrence University women’s basketball coach Tara Carr could exchange her whistle for a hard hat because she is trying to build the Vikings into something special.

As Carr embarks on her second season with the Vikings, she wants to improve the team’s record and bring this group of young women together.

“We have five new freshmen and team unity is No. 1,” Carr said. “Everything we do is talking about team.”

The Vikings return seven players, including four starters from a season ago when Lawrence won just one game. Lawrence does have a group of talented newcomers, led by local prep standout Katie Schumacher.

“We want to improve, but we have a lot of new faces and that takes some time,” Carr said.

The Vikings also had four players participating in a fall sport, and senior Cathy Kaye is studying in Italy and will not return to the team until after Thanksgiving.

“Despite that, the relationships and the bonding have already happened. For me, that’s what it’s about,” Carr said. “Watching it, it’s been a great experience. It’s hard to explain, but this year’s team feels different.

“When they feel good, they play good,” Carr added with a smile. “It’s important for me as a coach to create an environment that stays positive and remains focused on the team.”

The Vikings will build their attack around junior guards Alex Deshler and Amber Lisowe, who missed her entire freshman season due to injury. Lisowe led the team in scoring last season at 12.0 points per game, and Deshler also averaged in double figures at 10.2 points per game. Deshler also is the top returning rebounder after averaging 6.9 boards per game last season.

“Amber and Alex really need to play well for the team to play well. They need to contribute double figures in scoring and rebounding numbers. They must impact the game for us to be successful,” Carr said.

“Alex’s basketball IQ is just amazing. Her internal competitive edge is like no other. That kid wants to win and she is clutch. I think Amber is more of the glue of the team. She does that on and off the court.”

Junior guard Jessica Robbins also returns, and Carr looks to Robbins’ quickness to give the Vikings a spark.

“That kid is so quick,” Carr said of Robbins. “Her defensive skill set is amazing. We’ve challenged her to be more of a consistent offensive threat. We’re hoping her defensive ability will lead to more on the offensive end.”

Kaye averaged 7.1 points per game last season and is joined by sophomore Kassidy Rinehart, a former star at Hortonville who started 17 games as a freshman.

Schumacher heads the list of five newcomers who bring size (all are forwards and average 5-foot-10) and a clean slate to the program.

“The nice thing is when you get new players, they don’t know about the past. They know what they’ve read, and we talk about where we’re headed and where we’ve been,” said Carr, who added the newcomers know what is expected of them.

“The expectation is you need to come in an contribute right now. That is something we have emphasized since day one.”

Rowland honored

Junior defensive specialist Kathleen Rowland has been named to the all-Midwest Conference volleyball team.

Rowland, who was chosen for the second consecutive season, was selected for the second team. Rowland led the team with 475 digs and averaged 5.52 per set. She also chipped in with 13 service aces on the season.

Record falls

Quarterback Luke Barthelmess is Lawrence’s career passing yards leader after breaking All-American Jim Petran’s record last Saturday. Barthelmess, the son of head football coach Mike Barthelmess, now has 5,738 yards in two seasons as the starter. Petran’s record of 5,431 had stood since 1979.

Mazur tops two grand

Standout wide receiver Tyler Mazur is just the sixth receiver to post 2,000 career receiving yards after passing the mark last Saturday at Knox. Mazur posted his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game of the season last Saturday and now has 2,031 yards for his career. He is just 31 yards from passing All-American Pat Schwanke for fifth place on the career list.

Game of the Week

Lawrence and Ripon renew the oldest college football rivalry in the state on Saturday when the Vikings host the Red Hawks in the season finale at the Banta Bowl. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with the Doehling-Heselton Memorial Trophy at stake. This is the 112th meeting between the teams, which makes it the 14th-longest rivalry in NCAA Division III.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Football team fights back with road victory

The last month had been rough on the Lawrence University football team.

Facing the Midwest Conference’s powerhouse teams in four consecutive weeks, the Vikings got beaten up pretty good.

Rather than packing it in for the final three weeks, Lawrence fought back by going on the road and handing out some punishment of its own. The Vikings beat Grinnell College 24-14 last Saturday and are looking to build on that success.

“We had the big four weeks where we were going up against Goliath every week,” Lawrence head coach Mike Barthelmess said. “When our guys get the opportunity to play against a like team, I feel like we are going to do well.

“I feel so strongly that when we do decide to show up and play, we can compete with anyone in the conference. We have the same opportunity this week.”

Lawrence (2-6, 2-5 MWC) travels to Knox College (1-7, 1-6) to face a vastly improved Prairie Fire squad on Saturday.

“Knox is so much better than last year, and they run the ball extremely well,” Barthelmess said. “Fortunately, our defense is starting to get better at the right time. The players are working hard and (defensive coordinator Jason Anderson and defensive assistant Rich Agness) are making the right adjustments.”

The Vikings defense allowed the fewest points (14) last Saturday since they gave up 12 to Knox back in 2010. They also allowed a season-low 268 yards, and Grinnell picked up 107 of those yards on just two plays.

Barthelmess said the defensive coaches left the calls to the players on the field, and that fits with his philosophy of the team taking ownership in the program.

“They (Anderson and Agness) train them all week as to what calls to make, and then they leave it to the guys to do that,” Barthelmess said. “You’ve got a defensive group that are starting to buy into a system that is much different than what they’ve had in the past.”

The Vikings also took a big step forward when Grinnell challenged Lawrence in the second half. Lawrence led 17-0 at the half, just like they did back in 2010. Two seasons ago, Grinnell came back and won 31-17. That didn’t happen last week after Grinnell scored on the opening possession of the second half.

“When we went into halftime this weekend, I was just crazed. I was bound and determined not to let that happen again,” Barthelmess said. “We had the 98-yard drive, and that was huge. That made a statement to Grinnell and ourselves that we were not going to let down.”

Lawrence answered the Grinnell score with a 13-play, 98-yard touchdown drive to go up 24-7. Grinnell got a 68-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to close within 10, but the Vikings dominated the rest of the game to close out the victory.

“I see potential in these guys. I see potential in these guys that they don’t see. When these things happen, it may surprise them but it doesn’t me,” Barthelmess said.

“I’ve been placed in this position to show these guys what they can be. If I can do that, then I’m doing my job.”

Numbers game

Senior football player Tyler Mazur has put together some eye-popping numbers in only two seasons as a wide receiver. Mazur, who came to Lawrence as a sophomore, played quarterback during his first season with the Vikings.

That hasn’t stopped him from amassing 116 catches for 1,927 yards and 20 touchdowns. Mazur is poised to be just the sixth receiver in Lawrence history to reach 2,000 receiving yards. He currently ranks sixth in Lawrence history in catches, seventh in receiving yards and fourth in total touchdowns.

Record set to fall

Junior quarterback Luke Barthelmess is set to break Lawrence’s career passing yards record, which has stood since 1979. Barthlemess has 5,352 yards, just 80 short of breaking the record of 5,431 established by All-America quarterback Jim Petran from 1976-79.

Dropping the puck

The Lawrence hockey team drops the puck on its home season Saturday night at the Appleton Family Ice Center when the Vikings host Concordia (Wis.) University. The Vikings play their season opener at Concordia on Friday night.

Inside LU Athletics: Stevens, Vikings shooting for another title

Sam Stevens is looking for the storybook ending – the hometown boy winning a championship in his own backyard.

Stevens, the lone senior on the squad, leads the Lawrence University men’s cross country team into the Midwest Conference Championships on Saturday with his eye on the Vikings repeating as champions. Stevens will be going for his second consecutive individual title on a very familiar course at Colburn Park in Green Bay, Wis.

“The team goal has always been to repeat,” Stevens said. “Individually, putting myself up toward the front and being the frontrunner is where we need me to be to win.”

Stevens grew up in nearby Suamico, Wis., and was a standout at Bay Port High School. Even though St. Norbert College is hosting the championship, Stevens has the home course advantage on the rest of the field.

“I’ve run there every year since my sophomore year of high school,” said Stevens, who won last year’s title with a time of 25:09.11 over 8,000 meters. Stevens is looking to be the first Lawrence runner to win back-to-back titles since Eric Griffin did it in 1985 and 1986.

“Sam’s run this course, between college and high school, about 20 times. He could pretty much run it with his eyes closed,” Lawrence coach Jason Fast said.

“Sam’s definitely motivated to go in and be the No. 1 runner we need him to be. This is his last conference meet, and I know he wants to go out with a team win. To do that, he has to do his part.”

Stevens was dinged up a bit earlier this season but feels like he is back in top form heading into the weekend.

“I’m feeling good now,” Stevens said. “The last few weeks I’ve been a little sick, a little hurt. I feel like things are going the right way now. I need that to translate into a race. I feel pretty confident with where I am.”

Lawrence won last year’s title with 51 points, edging Grinnell College by two points and breaking the Pioneers’ 14-year stranglehold on the trophy. For the Vikings to repeat, Fast said his team will need to improve over last year’s superlative effort.

In addition to Stevens, the Vikings return three other all-conference performers from a season ago. Junior standout Curran Carlile was fifth a season ago, sophomore Kyle Dockery was sixth and junior Jamie Brisbois was 19th.

“The biggest thing is improving on our performances from last year,” said Fast, the 2011 MWC Coach of the Year. “Going in, we expect to win. We’re going after the title. If you talk to the guys, that’s all they’re thinking about, defending their title and bringing another trophy home.”

The Lawrence women finished fifth last season, and Fast said the Vikings are again shooting for an upper-division finish. While the Vikings were led by all-conference runner and senior Emily Muhs in 2011, freshman Clare Bruning is leading the pack this season. Fast believes Bruning could make the all-conference team this season with a top-20 finish.

“Clare’s done far more than I thought she was going to do coming into her freshman year,” Fast said. “She has flourished under our training program, and she’s doing everything right. She’s working hard and racing smart. She’s seen nothing but positive results throughout the season.”

Soccer in the running

The Lawrence men’s soccer team enters the final weekend of regular season play battling for the fourth and final spot in the MWC Tournament.

The Vikings are 4-4-1 and in fourth place with 13 points. Lawrence wraps up its regular season on Saturday when it hosts Beloit, which is 6-2-1 in the league and already in the tournament.

Grinnell is 4-4-0 with 12 points, and St. Norbert is 3-3-2 with 11 points. Both the Pioneers and Green Knights have two games left and both could still overtake Lawrence.

Lawrence is attempting to make the tournament for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in five seasons.

Barthelmess closing in

Lawrence quarterback Luke Barthelmess is just 287 yards away from breaking the school’s career passing record.

Barthelmess, a junior, now has 5,145 passing yards and is closing in All-American Jim Petran, who stands atop the career list with 5,431 yards.

Mazur tops 200 again

Senior wide receiver Tyler Mazur had a career-high 225 receiving yards against Monmouth last Saturday. Mazur became only the second receiver in recent Lawrence history to top 200 receiving yards in a game twice.

Mazur, who had 220 receiving yards last season against Knox College, matches Appleton native Zach Michael, who topped 200 yards twice in the 2001 season.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings ready to drop puck on new season

The Lawrence University hockey team came tantalizingly close to a huge breakthrough last season. It was like the difference between a puck clanging off the pipe or finding the back of the net.

The Vikings’ season ended with a 2-1 loss to 2011 national runner-up Adrian College in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup semifinals despite dominating the Bulldogs. Lawrence begins the 2012-13 season on Oct. 27 when it hosts the Wisconsin Rampage in an exhibition game, and the Vikings are setting a very high standard.

“We are looking to continue to be a tough team to play against every night – a team that never quits,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “We will work hard away from the puck and be responsible defensively if we hope to contend for an MCHA title.”

Lawrence, which was picked to finish third in the MCHA in the preseason coaches’ poll, finished 13-11-4 a season ago. The Vikings lost the most successful group of seniors in the program’s history, including All-MCHA selections Matt Hughes at forward and Jameson Raymond on defense, to graduation.

“We lost some great players, but more importantly, great humans to graduation last year and they will be difficult to replace,” Szkodzinski said. “We will need to find young men in this group who can step into more significant roles both on and off the ice. Strong leadership is the key to any successful team.”

Senior forward and captain Brad Scurfield led the team in scoring last season with 27 points and had a team-best 19 assists. The Vikings also have senior forward Phil Bushbacher back after he scored 13 goals and handed out 12 assists for 25 points last season.

“We feel like we added some depth and scoring this year,” Szkodzinski said. “However, we will need our returners to play a major role in our scoring.  Brad Scurfield and Phil Bushbacher worked extremely hard this summer and we expect them both to have a strong senior campaign. We also expect an up-tick in scoring from other returning players as they seem to be in great physical shape heading into the season.”

The Vikings return other experienced forwards, including Gustav Lindgren, Patrick Coyne, Paul Zuke and Huck Saunders. Lawrence also has newcomers Logan Lemirande, Rudi Pino, Matt Moore, Renato Engler and Brandon Boelter.

“The incoming freshmen have potential to make an impact from day one,” Szkodzinski said. “We will have to see how quickly they can adjust to the demanding schedule and pace of the college game.”

While the Vikings should be better on offense, Lawrence has a big hole to fill on defense with Raymond’s graduation. The good news is former all-conference selection William Thoren is back, along with junior Kevin Killian and sophomore Erik Soderlund.

“We fully expect William Thoren, Erik Soderlund and Kevin Killian to be the core of our blue line and help eat up the minutes that Raymond consumed over the past four years,” Szkodzinski said.

The last line of defense was occupied almost exclusively last season by rookie Peter Emery. All he did was set a Lawrence season record with a .924 save percentage while picking up 12 wins and a pair of shutouts. Lawrence also is deep with senior Michael Baldino and sophomore Anton Olsson.

“Peter Emery had a very good first season,” Szkodzinski said. “He gave a chance to win just about every night.  He will be challenged by Anton Olsson and Mike Baldino, both of whom have had a strong preseason.” 

Walk this way

The Mount Mary College volleyball team was late in arriving for its match at Alexander Gymnasium on Tuesday, and that’s because the Blue Angels’ bus driver led them astray.

The driver mistakenly dropped the team off at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center, which is on the north bank of the Fox River. Alexander Gym is a half-mile away on the south side of the river.

Once the Blue Angels realized the mistake, the coaches called the driver but couldn’t reach him. The team then walked to Alexander Gym, and the match started 15 minutes late.

Lawrence rolled to a 3-0 win over Mount Mary in a match that lasted just 56 minutes. 

Topping  two grand

Junior setter Diane McLeod passed the 2,000-assist plateau in the Lawrence volleyball team’s win at Beloit last Friday. McLeod now has 2,057 assists for her career and ranks second on the career list behind Georgia Seals (3,100).

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Women’s tennis set for MWC Championships

This is the end of the fall season for the Lawrence University women’s tennis team, but it’s a beginning for the Vikings as well.

Lawrence heads into this weekend’s Midwest Conference Championships at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison looking for a strong finish to the fall season and build some momentum for the spring campaign.

“We don’t have any seniors playing so it’s good experience for everyone,” Lawrence coach Kevin Girard said. “It’s matches to improve and to look forward to the spring season.”

The Vikings failed to qualify for the four-team MWC Tournament for the first time in three seasons, but Lawrence is still shooting for the best finish it can muster.

“We just want to finish as high as we can, which is fifth,” said Girard, pointing out the four teams in the MWC Tournament on Friday are guaranteed the top four spots.

“Fifth is what we’re going for, but we can get more points than (one of the tournament teams), that’s one of our goals as well.”

Doubles competition is set for Saturday, and the championships finish with singles on Sunday.

“Honestly, if everyone plays as well as they can, they can do a ton of damage in their draws. One through six, we all have a shot,” Girard said.

Sophomore Christina Schaupp, the defending conference champion at No. 4 singles, is playing No. 1 for the Vikings this season and enters the weekend with a 5-9 overall record. Next in the lineup is junior Gayatri Malhotra, who is 10-2 overall and 4-2 since moving up to No. 2 singles last month.

“Gayatri’s tough,” Girard said. “She’s not a fun one to play against, that’s for sure. She doesn’t blow anyone out, but she’s hard to beat. When she gets into a groove, she hits as hard as anyone in the conference. If she gets into that groove against you, you’re in trouble.”

The Vikings round out the singles lineup with sophomore Hannah Geoffrey (9-4), freshman Ali Heiring (8-5), junior Polly Dalton (8-4) and sophomore Melissa Heeren (3-5).

The Vikings team Geoffrey and Heiring at No. 1 doubles, Malhotra and Dalton at No. 2 and Schaupp and sophomore Tess Vogel at No. 3. Geoffrey and Heiring are 8-3 overall and 3-2 since moving to the No. 1 spot.

“If Hannah and Ali are on, they can beat anybody,” Girard said. “Gayatri and Polly are really tough, and Tess and Christina are also playing well.”

Malhotra and Dalton are 8-4 and 5-3 since moving up to No. 2. That’s not bad, especially considering Malhotra had not played very little doubles in college until this season.

“Gayatri is a natural singles player, but this year she has really embraced doubles,” Girard said. “She loves the baseline. She loves her groundstrokes, but she is really working on her footwork and her hands.”

Given the changes in the doubles lineup, Malhotra and Dalton could prove to be a tough out for anyone in the conference.

“Seeding is going to be interesting. They are kind of the wild cards,” Girard said. “You don’t want to draw them in the first round, that’s for sure.”

Clean sweep

For the first time in the brief three-year history of the Gene Davis Invitational, Lawrence won both the men’s and women’s races last Saturday at Reid Golf Course. Junior Curran Carlile won the men’s race for the second time in three seasons, and freshman Clare Bruning took the top spot in the women’s race for her first collegiate title. Lawrence also took the men’s team title.

Nine is fine

The Lawrence women’s tennis team defeated Ripon College 9-0 last Friday, and that marks the second consecutive season Lawrence has shut out the rival Red Hawks. The Vikings now have a record nine consecutive wins over Ripon.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Hope set to make good on his promise

Jon Hope is a man of his word.

The Lawrence University senior linebacker made a promise to his best friend when both were prep standouts at Northland Pines High School in northern Wisconsin. Hope had promised his pal Shane Ryan that he would wear Ryan’s No. 38 during Hope’s senior year of prep football. But another player chose 38 and Hope went back to No. 5.

With Ryan now serving overseas in the United States Army and only six games left in his college football career, Hope knew time was running out to make good on that promise.

“I decided this year that I would do it,” Hope said. “That always stuck with me. I decided I would be a man of my word and do it.”

So when Hope runs onto the Banta Bowl turf on Saturday for the Hall of Fame Game against Carroll University, he will have No. 38 on his back and thoughts of a best friend in harm’s way on the other side of the planet.

Ryan serves in the infantry and had already done one tour of duty fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Hope said Ryan is nearing the end of his four-year commitment to the military, and he wants to see his friend return home to family and friends.

“He’s been my best friend since my junior year of high school,” Hope said. “I came back to Northland Pines after being in Illinois, and we did everything together.”

And they played right next to each other on the field. Ryan was the fullback plowing the road for Hope, who was the tailback.

“Shane was the kind of guy that if you needed a big play, he would do his best and come up with it. He always sacrificed himself,” Hope said. “He gave it his all and made sure everyone was doing what they needed to do.

“I just want to do well for him. I don’t know. It will be like I’m going to be him for the day.”

Hope has played very well during his final season with the Vikings. He leads the team with 36 tackles and ranks fifth in the Midwest Conference at 9.0 tackles per game. Hope also has a team-high three interceptions, including two against Illinois College last Saturday. It was the first multi-interception game of Hope’s life. He hadn’t done it in college or in high school.

“It’s going to be weird, but I want to represent it well,” Hope said. “It doesn’t matter what jersey it is, it’s the number that’s important. I don’t want to disappoint him.”

Stevens honored again

Lawrence cross country standout Sam Stevens has been named the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week for second consecutive week.

The senior from Suamico, Wis., won the honor after his effort at the University of Minnesota’s Roy Griak Invitational. Stevens finished 29th among the 272 competitors and was the top Midwest Conference finisher in the event. Stevens covered the 8,000 meters in 26:43.5.

Stevens also won the award in the final week of September after finishing second at the UW-Whitewater Invitational on Sept. 22.

Make it three straight

The Lawrence men’s soccer team beat St. Norbert College 2-1 on Wednesday, and that marks the third consecutive win for the Vikings over the Green Knights.

That’s a first for the Vikings, who had never beaten the Green Knights three consecutives times in a series that dates back to 1974. Lawrence had a five-game unbeaten streak against St. Norbert from 1981-84 but that involved two wins, a tie and two more wins.

Lawrence is now 5-5-1 on the season and 2-2-1 in the conference.

Induction set for Friday

The 2012 Lawrence Hall of Fame class will be inducted on Friday in a ceremony at the Warch Campus Center.

The group of coach Amy Proctor, wrestler Andy Kazik, swimmer Daniel Hurley, soccer star Megan Tiemann and soccer and hockey standout Tom Conti also will be recognized at Saturday’s football game against Carroll.

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.

 

Inside LU Athletics: Lawrence men’s soccer a real team effort

The Lawrence University men’s soccer team is a group that brings a lunch pail to work every day.

It’s one of those metal lunch boxes with a thermos of strong, black coffee that your Dad took to the paper mill every morning. That image fits this group Vikings because they are definitely blue collar, working class guys.

“We are who we are and the kids understand that,” Lawrence coach Blake Johnson said. “Collectively, we need to work together, stand together to be successful. That’s the best-case scenario. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Without a true “star” among its starting 11, Lawrence has carved out a 4-4-1 record (1-1-1 in Midwest Conference play) with bit of a patchwork lineup.

Lawrence has played all season with its lone all-conference selection from a season ago, defender Charlie Mann, because of injury. The Vikings also started the season without injured midfielder Joe Cullen, midfielder Karl Mayer and defender Nick Craker.

“It hasn’t made it easier,” Johnson said of the injuries. “This year, more than any other year, we’ve been juggling and piecemealing things together until we can get everyone back.”

The injuries forced changes to the lineup, and that has revealed the character of the squad, according to Johnson. In addition to giving others a chance to step up their games, the biggest change to the lineup was moving playmaking midfielder David Caprile to the defense. Caprile led the team in scoring a season ago.

“Caprile, for three years, has been a rock in the midfield and understood his role,” Johnson said. “He has taken the opportunity and the need for the team to be the center fullback. As a coach, those are the kind of kids you want in your program. They will do what is necessary for the benefit of the team.”

Despite the injuries and the alterations to the lineup, expectations and the Vikings’ style have not changed.

The Vikings are still shooting to be one of the four teams playing in the MWC Tournament at the end of the season. Lawrence is aiming for its third consecutive MWC Tournament appearance and its fourth in the last five seasons. Lawrence also has continued to play its style, preferring the type game that Johnson fell in love with during his childhood in South America.

“I’ve continued to challenge them to play the game the way it should be played … Possession soccer, rather than just hammering the ball down the field,” Johnson said. “I don’t think our kids would enjoy that, and I wouldn’t enjoy that.

“If (Monday’s) game (a 1-0 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College) was any indication, I was very pleased with the way we played and the energy and the urgency.”

Lawrence faces another huge test when it travels to defending conference champion Carroll University on Sunday. Johnson feels confident that his continually improving squad can play its team game with anyone

“It’s a case of everyone working for each other, understanding their roles and sacrificing a little bit of personal glory to keep us in matches,” Johnson said. “I’m very pleased with where we are right now and looking forward to getting the full complement of players in.”

Pino, Olsson pace golfers

The Lawrence golf squad completed its fall season with a solid sixth-place finish at the Wisconsin Lutheran Invitational on Monday, and the Vikings could have a pair of all-conference performers on the squad.

Sophomore Anton Olsson was the team’s top player a season ago and finished 18th at the MWC Championships. Olsson had a stroke average of 81.5 last season, but he has improved his game. Olsson’s average stands at 77.0 after the fall campaign. The Vikings have added another top player in freshman Rudi Pino, who averaged 76.0 in five rounds this fall.

Both Olsson and Pino trade in their clubs for skates in October as both are members of Lawrence’s hockey 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.

Inside LU Athletics: Barthelmess rides wave of emotion with his family, team

Mike Barthelmess rode an emotional rollercoaster last weekend where the valley must have felt as deep as the Grand Canyon and the peak was like Mount Everest.

The first-year Lawrence University head football coach went from the low of seeing his youngest son injured while playing high school football on Friday night to the high of watching his Vikings dismantle Beloit College on Saturday evening for his first victory at Lawrence.

Barthelmess went to Paul Engen Field on Appleton’s north side last Friday to watch Isaac Barthelmess, a star running back for Appleton North, and his teammates take on Wausau West. The Barthelmess’ were at the game with several family members who were visiting Appleton for the weekend to watch Isaac and his older brother, Luke, Lawrence’s star quarterback, play.

Isaac had already scored a touchdown, his seventh of the young season, when he caught a pass in the second quarter.

“Isaac was spinning to try and get away from the tackle and another guy hits him the in the leg and he goes down,” Barthelmess said. “He’s not getting up and he’s not getting up. You could tell it was serious, and I thought it was his knee.”

The officials immediately waved the medical staff on the field, and the Barthelmess family followed. Isaac had broken both the fibula and tibia in the same leg.

“Luke was amazing. He was whispering in Isaac’s ear and holding his hand,” said Barthelmess, who waited in agony along with his injured son for the ambulance to arrive. “We had to just calm Isaac down, but the whole world is watching and it’s dead silent. It was kind of a feeling like you were in shock.”

Isaac was transported to Appleton Medical Center, and Barthelmess praised the staff for easing his son’s pain and preparing him for the surgery that would come Saturday morning. Barthelmess’ wife, Becky, stayed at the hospital overnight, and Barthelmess returned to an empty house.

“I slept in Isaac’s bed,” said Barthelmess, who added that he couldn’t help but think of his son’s football future. “All this preparation, all this work, and it’s over. As a parent, you feel that but you don’t want to go there because you want to be strong for him.”

Barthelmess went back to Appleton Medical Center in the morning, and Isaac spent nearly three hours in surgery.

“I was praying and keeping good thoughts for Isaac,” said Barthelmess, who added that the procedure went well. “I stayed long enough to say hello to Isaac and then went off to the game.”

The coach said his pregame speech to the players talked about appreciating the game and the opportunities presented to them.

“My mind was at our football game when it had to be,” Barthelmess said. “My mind was on Isaac for the most part, to be honest with you. The coordinators did a great job.”

One Lawrence player who also was focused on Isaac was his big brother, Luke.

“Luke had 22 (Isaac’s number) on his wristbands and the initials ICB. I knew he was going to be on a mission,” Barthelmess said. “His running style Saturday night was very different. He was running for his brother. He was looking for people to hit. He was definitely on a mission.”

Luke finished with 12 carries for 74 yards in Lawrence’s 38-14 drubbing of Beloit. He also completed 19 of 30 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns.

Barthelmess got doused with ice water from the cooler in the final seconds of the Vikings’ victory, but he said the best part of the evening came after the final whistle when the players surrounded their coach.

“The joy for me was standing in front of those guys and looking at the expressions on their faces,” Barthelmess said. “On Saturday night after they experienced such great success, it was seeing their faces and knowing for them that all this work, all this trust, all this faith, pays off.”

Stevens runs down honor

Lawrence cross country standout Sam Stevens has been named the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week.

Stevens, a junior from Suamico, Wis., won the award after finishing second at the UW-Whitewater Invitational this past Saturday. Stevens covered the 8,000-meter course in 26:19 and led Lawrence to a fourth-place finish in the team standings.

This is the third time Stevens has been named the MWC Performer of the Week. Stevens, the defending individual conference champion, captured the award twice during the 2011 season.

Burke, Muchowski sweep MWC awards

The Lawrence women’s soccer team swept the Midwest Conference Player of the Week awards.

Senior goalkeeper Cassie Burke was named the Defensive Player of the Week and sophomore forward Keli Muchowski was selected as the Offensive Player of the Week.

Burke had 160 shutout minutes as Lawrence went 2-0 on the week. Burke recorded 10 saves in a 3-0 victory over Illinois College last Saturday. She also picked up an assist on Muchowski’s goal in the 15th minute. Burke also played the first 70 minutes, made one save and didn’t allow a goal in Lawrence’s 4-1 victory over Knox College on Sunday.

Muchowski scored three goals and picked up an assist in Lawrence’s two games last week. Muchowski scored a pair of goals against Illinois College and had a goal and an assist against Knox.

Muchowski leads the team with four goals and nine points.

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.