Inside LU Athletics

Tag: Inside LU Athletics

Inside LU Athletics: Siebert building impressive all-around game

Chris Siebert’s game is like that proverbial box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

The Lawrence University men’s basketball standout could score 25 points one night, hand out double-digit assists another night or lead the team in rebounds or steals another night.

“He’s a guy who has more than one dimension and that’s rare at this level,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said of Siebert. “That’s a huge need for a team that wants to do anything.

“There are days where he’s our best shooter. There are days when he’s been our best defender. He did a great job on a kid from Monmouth on a night when he shot the ball terribly. … Those are things that don’t show up in the box score.”

Siebert leads the Vikings in scoring at 17.4 points per game, and that ranks fifth in the Midwest Conference. The 6-foot-2 guard from Baraboo, Wis., also is among the league leaders in a number of other categories.

Siebert is first in free-throw percentage (87.7), fourth in assists (3.9 per game), eighth in steals (1.5 per game), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1), 15th in 3-point shooting (37.9 percent) and 20th in rebounding (4.8 per game).

“I’ve always kind of tried to hone my skills as an all-around player. I used to be way more of a shooter,” Siebert said. “I like to think of myself as an all-around player. I want to be a guy who can defend the other team’s best guys, distribute the ball, get to the rim and shoot it. You don’t want to have a glaring weakness. You want to be solid everywhere.”

Siebert has scored at least 20 points in a game six times in Lawrence’s first 14 games, and he’s done it in three of the last four contests. He also recorded 13 assists, the second-highest game total in school history, against Grinnell College on Jan. 13. Siebert, who enters Wednesday’s games at St. Norbert having made 34 consecutive free throws, also had a double-digit rebounding game with 10 at Illinois College on Dec. 2.

Siebert is the only player on the team to have recorded double-digits in three different categories this season.

“Chris could potentially get close (to a triple-double) every night. He doesn’t need to score 25 points for us to win,” DePagter said.

“Chris is a guy who has all the ability in the world. For him, it’s just a matter of not trying to do too much too often.”

With the dynamic nature of his game, Siebert could certainly be considered for all-conference honors and maybe even a look as the conference Player of the Year. Win, said Siebert, and accolades will come your way.

“Winning is the most important thing. If you team doesn’t make the conference tournament or isn’t in contention to make the conference tournament, you might be overlooked,” Siebert said.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it, but it’s all about winning. If we made the conference tournament and have a good finish here, everything will take care of itself.”

DePagter believes Siebert is already at the level that makes him one of the Midwest Conference’s premier players.

“No matter how we do this year as a team, he should be in the discussion,” DePagter said. “He’s in the top five in so many categories in the league. He should be in that conversation or he hasn’t worked hard enough or I haven’t pushed him hard enough. (Player of the Year) should be his goal. That’s a very attainable goal for him.”

Critical hockey series

The Lawrence hockey team faces a critical series when it comes to positioning for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. The Vikings go to Northland College this weekend trailing the Lumberjacks by one point in the standings.

Lawrence swept the Lumberjacks in a series in Appleton back in November, and the Vikings have an impressive recent record against Northland. Lawrence has won six straight and 32 of the last 35 against Northland, which is dramatically improved over the past three seasons.

Voice of the Vikings too

Legendary Wisconsin broadcaster Jim Irwin passed away on Sunday at age 77 after a battle with metastatic cancer. While Irwin was known as the voice of Green Bay Packers football, he also broadcast Lawrence football in the mid-1960s.

Irwin began broadcasting Packers football in 1969 and did so until retiring after calling Super Bowl XXXII in 1998. Irwin, who also called University of Wisconsin football for 22 years and Milwaukee Bucks basketball for 16 years, took a job as the sports director at WLUK-TV in Green Bay in 1964.

During his time in Green Bay, Irwin called Lawrence football games on an Appleton radio station, according to a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Beloit trims sports

Beloit College announced this week that it would be dropping men’s tennis and men’s golf due to a lack of participation. Men’s tennis is done effective immediately, and men’s golf will end after the spring season is completed in May.

The Bucs have had trouble fielding full teams in those sports in recent years. Beloit hasn’t won a Midwest Conference title in men’s tennis since 1951 and hasn’t won a title in men’s golf since 1962.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Hughes, Raymond real dynamic duo

When these guys started playing hockey together, Bill Clinton was President, Google didn’t exist and the Green Bay Packers had just won Super Bowl XXXI.

Lawrence University hockey stars Matt Hughes and Jameson Raymond have been joined at the hip for 15 years. They go together like Martin and Lewis or Montana and Rice, but they would likely prefer the metaphor of Gretzy and Kurri.

“We were nine years old and just trying out for the same team and made it,” Raymond said of his best friend, Hughes.

That was back in 1997 and they began playing mite hockey for the Flint Icelanders. Raymond was a defenseman from Flint, Mich., and Hughes was a forward from Goodrich, just 15 minutes away. They have spent every hockey season since 1997 playing for the same team, and Raymond and Hughes are in their final season as seniors at Lawrence.

“It’s kind of scary how long I’ve know him,” Hughes said of Raymond.

Not only did these guys grow up playing hockey together, they were both standout baseball players and played that sport together until high school. Both young men said they didn’t make a conscious decision to continue playing together until high school.

“We had to make a decision to stay in Flint to play hockey or go to Detroit,” Raymond said. “We decided we were going to play in Detroit because our coach in Flint got the head coaching job at Belle Tire (a bantam team).”

They stayed together from Belle Tire to Copuware to the Bozeman (Mont.) Ice Dogs to the Traverse City (Mich.) North Stars. Then came the decision of where to attend college.

“With college, we wanted to do what was best for ourselves. It just kind of worked out this way,” Raymond said. “I had interest from a lot of schools out East, but I didn’t want to go out East.”

Hughes said of the college choice, “We really didn’t know. I knew Reg (Raymond’s nickname) was talking to some bigger schools, but it worked out well. It was just a bonus that both of us could go (to college) together.”

Raymond and Hughes have been fixtures in the Lawrence lineup since day one. They will both play in their 100th game this weekend when the Vikings have a home-and-home series with MSOE.

Through hockey and baseball, sleepovers when they were just kids, long drives to practice and endless road trips, they have forged a friendship that’s as strong as a piece of Detroit iron.

“I consider Matt my best friend, and I think he would say the same. We do everything together, hunt, fish,” Raymond said. “It’s kind of that grumpy old men situation. It honestly is. We do a lot of things together because we like hanging out with each other.”

Hughes said all those years spent together has solidified the friendship and led to an unspoken bond in the ice.

“When I’m on the ice with him, it makes it an easy game,” Hughes said of Raymond. “We don’t have to say too much to each other to figure it out. We’ve gotten each other quite a few points because of that. We know where each other are going to be. That’s simplifies the game and makes it a lot easier for both of us.”

With 41 goals and 78 points, Hughes is one of the top scorers in Lawrence history. Raymond has piled up 47 assists and 64 to become one of the top scoring defenseman the school has ever seen.

“Jameson is a special player.  He sees the ice very well in all situations.  He just has a knack for being in the way as a defender and finding open ice on offense,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said.

“Matt’s work ethic is tremendous.  He definitely gets the most out of his abilities.  There has not been a single day in the past four years when I can remember questioning whether or not Matt Hughes was giving us everything he had to give.”

While the clock is winding down on their careers at Lawrence, they are wondering whether this will be the last time they put on the same sweater for a hockey club.

“That will definitely be strange,” Hughes said of not playing with Raymond. “I told him that if he makes a team next year or I make a team next year, it will have to be a package deal.”

History has proven they wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Gaby goes long

Lawrence track and field assistant coach Jake Gabrilska was a winner this past weekend when the Vikings opened the indoor season at UW-Stevens Point. Competing as an alumnus, Gabrilska posted a winning toss of 16.53 meters in the 35-pound weight throw. That was more than a meter longer than second-place finisher Adam Sellner of Ripon College.

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.

 

Inside LU Athletics: Young Vikings breaking through on the ice

Mike Szkodzinski did not major in philosophy during his college days, but he’s definitely taking a philosophical approach to his Lawrence University hockey team.

These Vikings are young – really young. Lawrence has 16 freshmen and six sophomores on its roster. All the sophomores are regulars in the lineup, and two-thirds of the freshmen have seen significant action in their rookie campaigns.

So the ancient adage about good habits in your youth making all the difference rings in Szkodzinski’s head.

“The team is about where we expected it to be at this point of the year,” Szkodzinski said. “There have been times when we have been very solid, and others when we really didn’t look so great. That is the sign of a team working to find its identity, learning the importance of the details at this level. We expect to take the lessons learned so far this year and apply them during the rest of the season.”

Despite the youthful nature of the Vikings, several of the rookies have made big contributions.

Freshman goaltender Peter Emery has emerged as the starter from the five netminders on the squad. Emery has all five of Lawrence’s wins and boasts a .924 save percentage and 2.42 goals against average.

“Peter has been solid,” said Szkodzinski, an All-American goalie in his playing days at St. Norbert College. “He has made some big saves at key moments. His demeanor during games has had a calming influence on the entire bench. However, it’s a safe bet that he would be the first one to tell you that he has a long way to go before he reaches his full potential. It certainly helps that there others pushing for his playing time.”

Emery also has gotten a boost from having seasoned veterans like Jameson Raymond and young stars like sophomore William Thoren, an All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association pick as a freshman, playing defense in front of him. The Vikings have also had to rely on freshmen defensemen as well, and Szkodzinski said two have stood above the rest. Erik Soderlund does so literally on his 6-foot-4 frame while Killian is a more modest 6-0,

“Erik Soderlund and Kevin Killian have established themselves as quality collegiate defensemen,” Szkodzinski said. “They have brought a physical aspect on the back end that we had been missing at times.”

In the other team’s zone, rookies are also making an impact for the Vikings Forward Patrick Coyne recently won MCHA Freshman of the Week honors, and another freshmen forward, Gustav Lindgren, leads the team with nine assists.

The Vikings, who are 5-5-3 and 4-1-3 in the MCHA, will need those young players to keep maturing because they are entering a rough stretch of the schedule. Lawrence has only one home game in January and will play at 2011 NCAA Division III runner-up Adrian College this weekend before taking on the nationally ranked squad from MSOE in a home-and-home series next weekend.

“We have always approached each and every game one at a time,” Szkodzinski said. “We know the importance of the game Friday night, but we also know that in college hockey, every single game matters and the games get bigger every single weekend.” 

Off and running

The indoor track season begins on Saturday when the Vikings travel to the UW-Stevens Point Invitational. The Vikings will again be led by distance star Sam Stevens on the men’s side and former Midwest Conference champion high jumper Rose Tepper on the women’s side.

Numbers game

The high-scoring Grinnell College basketball team makes its yearly appearance at Alexander Gymnasium on Friday night. The Pioneers are 10-0 (6-0 MWC) and feature Griffin Lentsch, who set the NCAA Division III scoring record of 89 points earlier this season.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Basketball ready for a busy week

The Lawrence University men’s basketball team reported back to campus on Monday, but the Vikings will not have time to ease back into anything.

The Vikings have their first game of the second half of the season on Saturday when they travel to Beloit College, and that contest is part of four games in the next seven days.

“It’s a huge stretch for us,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said.

In addition to traveling to Beloit, Lawrence hosts Carroll University on Tuesday, hosts Grinnell College on Friday and hosts Monmouth College on Saturday.

“Anytime you get to get a stretch in your own gym, it has to be the time you hit your stride,” DePagter said. “The difference of one game could be the difference of fourth place and making the conference tournament or ninth place.”

Lawrence enters this stretch with a 2-2 Midwest Conference record and a 3-5 overall mark. The Vikings’ last conference game was a road victory at Monmouth, and DePagter said the team needs to build on that.

“Our last real game against Monmouth we played well down the stretch of that game and we need to remember that,” DePagter said. “That second half against Monmouth we were smart down the stretch and that’s been a staple of this program. The Monmouth game the guys really saw what we needed to do.”

DePagter said the relative youth of this team (three sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup) means the Vikings must be constantly focused on their approach to the game.

“This is one of those clichés, but it’s not about Beloit as much as it is about doing what we need to do on every possession,” DePagter said. “Each two- or three-minute stretch is as crucial for us as it is for everyone. It comes down to who shoots the ball well.”

In Lawrence’s three wins, the Vikings have shot a solid 46.9 percent from the floor, including a sparkling 43 percent on 3-pointers. Perhaps more importantly, the Vikings shot 73.1 percent on free throws in those wins. In the five losses, 40 percent from the floor, 34.1 percent on 3s and 54.5 percent from the line.

“We need to fight off the nights we don’t shoot well,” DePagter said. “We have some great shooters, but if those shots don’t go in, you don’t look good, and if they do go in, you look better than maybe you are.”

The Vikings are also feeling healthy and complete for the first time this season. Senior all-conference guard Tyler Crisman missed the early part of the season due to injury, sophomore transfer Davis DeWolfe was new to the program and football star Tyler Mazur didn’t join the team until mid-November.

DePagter said the coaches are still looking at different on-court combinations, but that will be tougher to do the deeper the Vikings get into conference play.

“The answer to that will be found out in the next week or two,” DePagter said. “With Mazur joining us late and Crisman being hurt, those were two unknowns. All the pieces haven’t been put in place yet, but that has to happen soon.”

Even though the Vikings were picked to finish eighth in the league, there is little doubt Lawrence believes it can reach the four-team conference tournament. The Vikings have played in the tournament in six of the last nine seasons.

“This program needs to get back where it belongs, but you can’t just talk about it,” DePagter said. “Talking about it and doing it are two different things.”

Koula earns all-region pick

Women’s soccer star Mallory Koula has been named to the All-North Region Team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Koula was a third-team selection.

It’s yet another honor for the senior forward, who capped her Lawrence career by earning Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. A three-time All-Midwest Conference selection, this is Koula’s first all-region honor.

Koula finished the season with 20 goals and five assists for 45 points. She set Lawrence career records with 63 goals and 142 points despite playing only three seasons with the Vikings.

Koula broke the NCAA record for the fastest three consecutive goals by a player and a team. She scored three times in a span of only 42 seconds in Lawrence’s 6-1 victory over Beloit College. The individual record was 1:07 and the team mark was 52 seconds.

Mann gets all-state selection

Men’s soccer standout Charlie Mann has been named to the All-Wisconsin Team. Mann, a sophomore defender, was a second-team selection. Mann also was a second-team All-Midwest Conference pick.

Mann finished the season with two goals, both game-winning tallies, and four points. Mann scored the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Grinnell College and picked up the game-winning goal in a 4-1 victory over Knox College.

Mann also spearheaded a defense that allowed only 1.7 goals per game and posted a shutout against Ripon College.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Young Vikings look for fresh start

It’s a clean slate for the Lawrence University women’s basketball team.

With a new head coach, only three players returning from a season ago and eight newcomers, any memories of the difficult 2010-11 season are fading fast in the rear view mirror.

“We can’t think about what’s happened in the past,” first-year coach Tara Carr said. “You learn from the past and you grow from it but it’s over.

“Because we do have so many new faces we’ve been able to move forward. It’s a new beginning for everyone.”

With a fresh approach, an experienced backcourt and a sizeable group of newcomers, the Vikings are ready to attack the upcoming season, which opens Tuesday when Lawrence hosts UW-Oshkosh.

“I’ve been extremely impressed with how hard they’re working, their attitude and their commitment to the team and ability to bond in such a small time frame,” Carr said.

“These young women have bonded at such an amazing level in such a short period of time. That is exactly what I wanted to create, and I’m amazed at how well we’ve come together.”

Junior Cathy Kaye is the only upperclassman on the squad. She was second on the team in scoring a season ago at 8.4 points per game and was tops in 3-point shooting at 43.5 percent.

Also back are sophomore guards Alex Deshler and Jessica Robbins. Deshler averaged 7.7 points per game and is the top returning rebounder at 6.3 per contest. Robbins played in every game and averaged a modest 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

“We have a lot of depth at the guard position,” Carr said. “A lot of talent, whether it’s driving in the lane or shooting 3s. They’re very versatile.”

New to the mix in the backcourt is sophomore Amber Lisowe, who missed all of last season due to a knee injury, but was named a team captain. She is joined by freshman Chioma Ejimkonye and junior Becca Anderson, who also missed the start of her career due to a knee injury.

The Vikings will be young up front, but the Vikings bring some size and athleticism in freshmen Kassidy Rinehart and Presley Neuman. The Vikings also have more depth and size with freshmen Aubrey Lawlor and Bethany Hoster and junior Gaelen Lombard-Knapp, a softball standout playing her first season of basketball.

The Vikings are finally getting the entire team together after waiting for all the fall sport athletes to join the squad. Neuman played volleyball for the Vikings, and both Rinehart and Kaye ran cross country.

Carr has seen the team make some serious progress during the preseason workouts, but she knows there is work to be done.

“We spent a lot of time shooting the ball. We can’t be last in the conference in shooting. We spent a lot of time working individual skill development and taking care of the ball,” Carr said.

“What I’ve been extremely impressed with as a team is that every time I set expectations in practice, they have met or exceeded it every time. That’s truly amazing because not every team can do that. It says a lot about their talent level, their work ethic and their commitment.”

 

Inside LU Athletics: Youthful Vikings looking to do some damage in MWC

The Lawrence University men’s basketball team is a bit of a paradox.

“We’re young but experienced, which is kind of a contradiction,” Lawrence coach Joel DePagter said.

The Vikings have only two seniors, including standout and All-Midwest Conference guard Tyler Crisman, on the roster when they open the season Tuesday at No. 24 UW-Stevens Point. The team is dominated by a group of eight sophomores, and many of them will play key roles in the 2011-12 season.

“We’d be foolish to think we’re not going to miss Jon Mays and Erik Borresen, who were all-conference guys we lost to graduation,” DePagter said. “At the same time, we had such a big freshmen class last year. Those guys, as sophomores, usually take a big step and we expect them to take that step.”

The Vikings will start three sophomores, guards Chris Siebert and Brian Gryszkiewicz and forward David DeWolfe. Siebert started every game last season and averaged 10.9 points, a team-high 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. He is clearly poised to be among the league’s elite players.

“I’d be hard-pressed to name another freshman in our conference that was better than Chris Siebert,” DePagter said.

The steady Gryszkiewicz played in every game last season and averaged a modest 1.8 points and 1.8 points and 1.4 assists per game. Gryszkiewicz will be a great counterpoint to Crisman, who averaged 15.4 points per game last season and is one of the top 3-point shooters in the conference

“They are all a little different, which adds a little to everyone,” DePagter said. “Brian is just so tough. Crisman is easily one of the best shooters in the conference, and he’s so gritty. Plus, he just doesn’t think he’s going to miss. Siebert has Player of the Year type ability.”

The Vikings also return valuable backcourt backups in sophomores Tom Antosz and Max Burgess, who proved to be an effective 3-point shooter last season.

DeWolfe, who transferred from St. Norbert, brings needed size to the frontcourt. The 6-foot-7 DeWolfe joins returning starter and junior forward Conor Klusendorf, who averaged 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds last season. Klusendorf also finished second in the league with 37 blocks.

Also in the mix in the frontcourt is another sophomore, Andrew Kline, who played in all but one game as a freshman. The Vikings also have senior Chris Sims, junior Scott Beauchamp and sophomores Chase Nelson and Adam Breseman.

“Andrew Kline has come back a different person physically. Way bigger, way stronger,” DePagter said. “He has taken a big step and he knew he had to.”

Lawrence also has an intriguing group of newcomers, several of whom could see action this season. Leading the group of guard Ryan DePouw, who led all prep scorers in Wisconsin last season. The Vikings also add more athleticism in junior Tyler Mazur, a football star for the Vikings playing his first year of basketball. Lawrence also gets more size in 6-5 freshman Shane Cullian and another Borresen, Andrew, the younger brother of Erik.

Lawrence was picked to finish eighth in the league in the preseason poll of MWC coaches. DePagter believes the Vikings will be one of a number of teams battling for a spot in the MWC Tournament.

“I have high expectations because we’re Lawrence and that’s what our expectations are,” DePagter said.

“It’s going to a close league from top to bottom. Teams are going to be beating each other all over the place. It’s going to come down to see who can stay healthy.”

Koula earns academic honor

Lawrence University women’s soccer standout Mallory Koula has been chosen for the Capital One Academic All-District 6 Team.

Koula, a senior forward, was a first-team selection.

Koula recently completed a stellar playing career with the Vikings. In three seasons at Lawrence, Koula scored a school-record 63 goals. She also broke the school’s career points record with 142. Koula also ranks sixth with 16 assists. Koula led the Vikings to the 2010 Midwest Conference Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Koula and the Vikings also qualified for the 2011 MWC Tournament.

Koula also is an All-MWC and Academic All-MWC selection. A biochemistry major, Koula has a 3.85 grade point average.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly 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.

Inside LU Athletics: Soccer teams shooting for MWC Tournament titles

It didn’t take long for history to repeat itself.

The 2010 season marked the first time that both the Lawrence University men’s and women’s soccer teams had qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament in the same year. Both teams are back in their respective four-team tournaments this fall.

The Lawrence men are the No. 2 seed and face third-seeded Beloit in a 1:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday in Waukesha. Top seed Carroll faces Lake Forest in the other semifinal. The winners meet on Saturday for the title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Lawrence women enter as the fourth seed and play top seed St. Norbert at 2 p.m. in De Pere. Carroll and Grinnell face off in the other semifinal, and the winners meet Saturday for the title and the automatic bid.

It didn’t look like the Lawrence men would be playing in the postseason after a rough start to the season.

“It’s more a factor of the kids persevering,” Lawrence men’s coach Blake Johnson said. “When you start 0-6 on the season, the mental side of things could take a turn for the worse. To their credit, they did not allow that to happen. We made some tactical changes midway through the season, and that has helped to put some players in their comfort zone on the field.”

Lawrence (7-9-1, 6-2-1 MWC) got that first win of the season back on Sept. 18 when the Vikings beat Lakeland. Lawrence, playing in the MWC Tournament for the third time in four years, then opened conference play with a win over Grinnell. The Vikings have really hit their stride over the last five matches with a 4-0-1 record. One of the games in that stretch was a 2-1 overtime win over Friday’s opponent, Beloit.

“It’s a funny thing, but after that first win, I think it helped the kids believe. From a mental side of things, it helped the kids believe they could compete,” Johnson said.

“With each passing game, there was confidence building and believing in themselves, in the unit and in the team. I would say that we are playing our best soccer of the season right now. That’s a good spot to be in heading into the tournament.”

Everything fell into place during the regular season’s final weekend to allow the Lawrence women to make the tournament for the third consecutive season. Ripon needed a win at Grinnell to get into the tournament, but the Red Hawks lost. Lawrence went out the next day and won at Illinois College to claim the final spot.

Lawrence (7-10-1) tied for fourth place with Monmouth with a 5-3-1 record, but a 3-2 overtime win over the Scots gave the Vikings the tiebreaker.

“I knew that it would be tight to get that fourth spot,” Lawrence women’s coach Lisa Sammons said. “Ultimately that win at Monmouth set us up. I’m just happy to be back in it.

“When we lost to Ripon, I had to really pick the team back up. Once we won the game in overtime against Monmouth, the goal we created at the beginning of the season was back within reach.”

Lawrence won the 2010 MWC Tournament as the No. 3 seed so the Vikings enter the tournament a bit undaunted. Lawrence lost tight matches to both St. Norbert and Grinnell and tied Carroll during the regular season.

“It was a pretty evenly matched game, and I think we are a better team now than when we played St. Norbert (in the regular season),” Sammons said.

One of the reasons Sammons believes the Vikings are better now is that they aren’t simply relying on star forward Mallory Koula, who has 20 goals on the season. Koula scored five of Lawrence’s six goals in last year’s MWC  Tournament.

“It’s a combination of everyone working together and not everyone just waiting for Mallory to score,” Sammons said.

“Because of how many new players we have, the majority of them haven’t experienced winning the tournament. The upperclassmen were telling stories about how awesome it was to get to the NCAA Tournament and that you don’t have to be the top seed to win it.”

Rivalry renewed

The state’s oldest college football rivalry is renewed on Saturday when Lawrence travels to Ripon. The teams are meeting for the 111th time when they kick off at 1 p.m. at Ingalls Field.

Ripon has dominated the rivalry in recent seasons and looks to keep the Doehling-Heselton Memorial Trophy for the 12th consecutive year. Lawrence hasn’t beaten the Red Hawks since a 25-22 win back in 1999.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly 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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings taking a run at the title

The Lawrence University men’s cross country team snuck up on the competition a little bit at the 2010 Midwest Conference Championships.

No such luck this year because the Vikings are coming up as fast as a Mack truck in your rear-view mirror.

After finishing sixth at the 2009 conference meet, the Vikings jumped up to second last season and are contenders for the title on Saturday. The meet begins with the women’s race at 11 a.m., and the men run at noon on the course just west of the Ripon College campus.

“I think it puts more pressure on everyone else,” Lawrence coach Jason Fast said. “Last year the other teams didn’t feel that pressure to beat us. Now we’re legitimate contenders. They know we’re going to be up there and have to take us seriously.”

The Vikings return four of their top five men’s runners from a season ago, including all-conference honorees Sam Stevens and Curran Carlile.

Stevens, a junior from Suamico, Wis., finished third last season and is the top returning runner in the league. Stevens is attempting to be the first men’s conference champion from Lawrence since Eric Griffin won back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985. Carlile grabbed seventh as a freshman in 2010 and has been the Vikings’ No. 2 runner all season.

“Sam’s the top returner and he hasn’t lost to a runner from the Midwest Conference all year,” Fast said. “He would be very disappointed if he didn’t win. We need him to win. I think the team race is going to be a point or two either way. It’s not going to be a landslide victory. Every spot counts.”

The Vikings are looking to wrest the championship trophy away from Grinnell College, which is working on a streak of 14 consecutive league titles.

“It’s going to take a great effort,” Fast said. “You can’t have a lackluster effort and win a championship, especially this year. This will be Grinnell going for 15 in a row and that’s a big deal. I fully expect Grinnell to throw everything at us this weekend and have their best race.”

Fast said the team ran one of its best races of the 2010 season at the MWC Championships. Given the team’s focus on winning the conference title, he believes the same thing can happen on Saturday.

“We’ve been talking about it for a really long time now. We’ve been talking about winning it since the beginning of the season,” Fast said. “As we started to see it progress, it’s taken on a life of its own. They’ve responded really well to it. They were ready to go this last weekend.”

The Lawrence women are also looking to move up after taking seventh in 2010. Leading the way for Lawrence is senior Emily Muhs of Janesville, Wis. Muhs finished seventh last season and earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season.

“Emily wants to improve. She wants to be top five,” Fast said. “We’d like her to be top five. That would really help us in the team race. A lot of the teams we’re competing with don’t have that low number at the top.

“She’s progressed slowly this year but she is coming along. She generally has her best races of the year at conference.”

Fast also believes sophomore Anna Ratliff and freshman Maggie Mahaffa can reach the top 20 and earn all-conference honors as well.

“They’ve both been racing really well all season,” Fast said of Ratliff and Mahaffa. “They have continuously improved from meet to meet. I think if they can continue that at conference, they will have a shot to be in the top 20.”

Win and they’re in

Both the Lawrence men’s soccer team and volleyball team need a win and they are in their respective four-team conference tournaments.

Men’s soccer travels to Illinois College on Saturday, and a victory would put the Vikings (6-9-1, 5-2-1 MWC) in the MWC Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Vikings have won six of the last seven meetings against the Blueboys, but Lawrence needed overtime to win the match last season.

The volleyball team is looking for its first trip to the MWC Tournament since it went to its current four-team format in 2008.

Lawrence (12-17, 5-2 MWC) plays at Beloit on Friday and then travels to Lake Forest on Saturday. One win gets the Vikings in the tournament, and a pair of victories would assure Lawrence of no worse than the third seed.

Win and help needed

The Lawrence women’s soccer team needs a win in the regular-season finale Illinois College on Saturday and some help to get into the MWC Tournament for the second straight season.

The Vikings are 4-3-1 in the league (6-10-1 overall) and tied with Monmouth and Ripon for the final conference tournament spot. Lawrence, the defending MWC Tournament champion, holds the tiebreaker over Monmouth, but Ripon has the tiebreaker against the Vikings. Ripon does have to travel to Grinnell (5-1-1 MWC) for its final league contest.

History should be on the side of the Vikings, who are 13-0-0 in the series with Illinois College.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly 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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings take on challenge of Division I opponent

Joel DePagter is looking for history to repeat itself.

The three times the Lawrence University men’s basketball team has opened its season with an exhibition game against a NCAA Division I opponent, the Vikings have gone on to win the Midwest Conference championship that season.

Lawrence opens its 2011-12 campaign with an exhibition game at UW-Green Bay on Nov. 4. The game tips off at 7 p.m. at the Kress Center.

“Hopefully, history repeats itself,” said DePagter, who enters his fifth season as Lawrence’s coach.

This is the second time Lawrence has faced UWGB in an exhibition game. The Phoenix defeated the Vikings 87-62 back in November 2007. Lawrence also has played Wisconsin (2005) and UW-Milwaukee (2004) in exhibition games.

DePagter has known UWGB coach Brian Wardle for a number of years, and the two had talked about having Lawrence face the Phoenix again.

“I said we’d love to have the opportunity, and it’s been a couple of years since we’ve done it,” DePagter said. “We were able to find a date where we could play and they were willing to play us. We thank Green Bay for the opportunity.”

The Vikings are looking forward to stepping into a different atmosphere against a very talented opponent.

“It’s simple,” DePagter said when asked what the Vikings get out of playing a Division I opponent. “The opportunity to play on that stage. It’s a great opportunity for our guys to play in a different kind of arena, experience the D1 world a little bit.

“It can help you. We don’t see the 7-foot guys or the athletes that they are going to have. You see those guys and it make the 6-8 guy from UW-Stevens Point not seem so big. Anything you can do to offer the guys something different is huge. If I can reward them by getting something like this set up, it’s the least I can do.”

And what’s in it for the Phoenix?

“I hope for their sake, because they gave us the opportunity, that we can do some things that will help them. I’d like it to happen again, so if they can get something out of it, the chances of it happening again are higher,” DePagter said.

“They are going to get to see some great motion and have to defend. Between us and St. Norbert, they aren’t going to see any better motion in (the Horizon League).”

To purchase tickets, go to greenbayphoenix.com. The link for tickets is under the Fan Central tab. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children.

Nobody faster than Koula

Lawrence women’s soccer star Mallory Koula, a senior forward from Kimberly, was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week after her record-setting scoring outburst against Beloit last Saturday.

It turns out that Koula’s three goals in 42 seconds against the Bucs are the fastest three consecutive goals in NCAA history. No player, male or female in any division, has scored three straight goals faster than Koula. Among the notables that Koula eclipsed was former University of Florida star Abby Wambach, who scored three goals for the Gators in a Division I record 2:02.

Koula, who finished with four goals against Beloit, also broke the Lawrence career scoring record and has 56 goals.

Stevens a winner again

Lawrence cross country star Sam Stevens was named the MWC Performer of the Week for the second time this season after his run at the UW-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational last Saturday.

Running in an elite field, the junior from Suamico finished 47th in 26:02.29, which truly separated him from the conference competition at the meet. Stevens was 51 places ahead of the next runner from the MWC.

Mann takes defensive award

Lawrence men’s soccer standout Charlie Mann was chosen as the MWC Defensive Player of the Week. Mann, a sophomore defender, picked up the award after helping Lawrence to a pair of victories last week.

Playing in the center of the Lawrence defense, Mann spearheaded the defensive effort in a 2-0 win at Ripon last Wednesday. He then shut down Beloit star Jackson Wilkins in Lawrence’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Bucs this past Saturday.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly 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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings gunning for MWC title

The Lawrence University women’s tennis team is going to have to do this the hard way.

The Vikings have been aiming for a Midwest Conference championship all season, and Lawrence will play in the four-team MWC Tournament on Friday in Rockford, Ill. The Vikings drew the tall task of facing defending champion and favorite Grinnell College in the semifinals. St. Norbert College faces Lake Forest College in the other semifinal.

Lawrence had hoped to be the top seed from the North Division and set up a potential championship showdown with the Pioneers. Instead, Lawrence finished second in the North after a 5-4 loss to St. Norbert last Sunday.

“It really doesn’t change our mentality,” Lawrence coach Kevin Girard said. “You have to beat everyone who’s there to win anyway.”

Lawrence hasn’t faced Grinnell this season, but the Pioneers already have an 8-1 victory over St. Norbert in the regular season.

“Grinnell is the favorite going in,” Girard said. “If we play really well, we can definitely beat them. If we come out strong in doubles and get some momentum going, that’s going to be one of the big keys for the match.”

Girard admitted his team did not play well in the loss to St. Norbert, but the defeat has had a positive effect on the Vikings.

“It’s refocused us,” Girard said. “One of the big things we preach is that whether you win or lose you learn something. We learned that you can’t drop your guard down and you have to stay intense.”

The championships then move to Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison for the weekend singles and doubles play. Lawrence’s Beth Larson and Jenni Roesch are the defending champions at No. 1 doubles.

Larson and Roesch are 11-3 overall and unbeaten against conference opponents this season.

“We haven’t played Grinnell, and they play doubles very fundamentally sound. If Beth and Jenni are on, that’s where I would put my money,” Girard said. “Beth and Jenni are very aggressive, and they move together very well. They’ve played together for three years now, and Beth can close her eyes and tell you where Jenni is on the court and vice versa.”

Freshmen Christina Schaupp and Hannah Geoffrey are 8-0 at No. 3 doubles but recently moved into the No. 2 doubles slot. Lawrence likely will play Polly Dalton and Gayatri Malhotra at No. 3 doubles.

Larson also is looking for her second conference title at No. 1 singles. Larson won the title back in 2008 and has finished second each of the last two years. Larson is 14-1 at No. 1 singles this season.

“Beth has played everyone but Grinnell’s No. 1, but tennis is a funny game,” Girard said. “She has to make sure she stays focused and does not look past her opponents. You don’t get to take matches off at 1 singles.”

Lawrence also has legitimate chances to earn a spot in the finals in every singles flight. Roesch has a 9-5 record at No. 2, Malhotra is 10-4 at No. 3, Schaupp is 12-2 at No. 4, Geoffrey is 10-4 at No. 5 and Dalton is 6-3 at No. 6.

“I think everyone on  our team will be seeded in some capacity,” Girard said. “Seeing anyone’s name in the consolation round will be a disappointment.”

Koula countdown

Lawrence women’s soccer star Mallory Koula is closing in on the school’s career goals record. Koula has nine goals this season and now has 52 for her career, and she is three goals shy of tying the record of 55, which was set by Megan Tiemann, a MWC Player of the Year, from 1998-2001.

Koula gets her first shot at tying the record on Saturday when Lawrence hosts Beloit at 1 p.m.

Closing in on a grand

Lawrence volleyball star Clare Bohrer is nearing 1,000 career kills. The senior middle hitter has 972 kills and is just 28 away from becoming the fifth player in Lawrence history with 1,000 kills.

Sophomore Kathleen Rowland is just 19 digs away from hitting 1,000. Rowland has 981 and is looking to become the eighth player in Lawrence history to reach 1,000 digs. Teammate Sam Nimmer did it earlier this season.

Update: Rowland got exactly 19 digs during Lawrence’s  3-0 win over Ripon on Wednesday and now has 1,000 for her career.

Blast from the past

Lawrence will host a spate of alumni games this weekend during Fall Festival. Volleyball will play its alumnae game at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium, and men’s and women’s soccer, baseball and softball all host alumni games on Sunday at the Whiting Field complex.

The 2011 Hall of Fame class will be inducted on Friday night at honored at the football game on Saturday. The 1986 football team also returns to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its conference championship. That team also will be introduced at halftime of the football game.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly 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.