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The Week in Review…
Early Entry - Several fall sports teams have clinched MIAC playoffs berths early in the season. In volleyball, Saint Benedict (8-1, 22-5), St. Thomas (8-1, 22-6), and St. Olaf (7-2, 23-3), find themselves sitting tied at the top in the conference standings. St. Thomas is currently ranked #10 in the latest AVCA national poll, released today, followed by Saint Benedict in 16th and St. Olaf in 22nd. In men’s soccer, Carleton (8-1, 14-3) sits atop the conference standings with 24 points, having clinched the #1 seed last week. Finally, in women’s soccer Concordia (8-0-1, 14-0-1) and St. Thomas (7-1-1, 12-3-1) have also clinched playoff berths.
Still Undefeated – The Saint John’s football team (8-0, 6-0 MIAC) remained undefeated with a 10-3 win over St. Olaf last Saturday in Collegeville. Saint John’s had two standout players in the game. Senior kicker Russell Gliadon (Fridley, Minn.) made a school-record 52-yard field goal to make it 10-3 in favor of Saint John’s at the end of the first half. The kick broke his own school record of 49 yards, which he recorded on October 3 against Bethel.
Excellent Eight - The Concordia men's soccer team has won eight consecutive games in a streak that dates back to September 23rd. The eight straight victories is the longest in program history. The Cobbers also set another school record by posting their sixth consecutive shutout in a 2--0 win at Simpson (Iowa) on Sunday. Concordia is now 10-6 on the year marking the first time since 2001 they have posted a double-digit win total.
Saint Mary’s Milestones - A pair of Saint Mary’s volleyball players hit career milestones last week, as Brittany Cherwinka (Faribault, Minn.) eclipsed the 2,000-assist mark during Saint Mary’s 3-2 win over St. Catherine last Wednesday, while Courtney Runge (St. James, Minn.) surpassed 1,000 career digs in Saint Mary’s 3-1 loss to Bethel on Saturday. Cherwinka’s 2,000th-career assist came on set point versus the Wildcats.
Five for five - At the Augsburg Swimming & Diving Pentathlon on Saturday, Hamline’s Will Khoury-Hanold (Sr., Kingsford, Mich.) won all five events he entered and the overall title. He started out by winning the butterfly in 52.52, then the backstroke in 57.19. He won the IM in 57.96, the breaststroke in 1:05.42, and the freestyle in 49.06. Isak Vartti (Fy., Hugo, Minn.) had a strong debut as a Piper, finishing second in the overall standings. He also finished second in the butterfly in 1:01.06, the backstroke in 1:05.19, IM in 1:04.44, and freestyle in 55.06. Hamline competed against Saint Mary’s in the Augsburg Pentathlon which took place at St. Catherine.
The Final Four - The Concordia women's soccer team tied Carleton on Saturday to end their 14-game unbeaten and untied streak to start the season. The Cobbers, who are currently ranked 7th in this week's NSCAA national poll, are still one of only four teams in NCAA Division III that have not lost on the year.
Four and counting - The Hamline volleyball team won all three of their matches last week to carry a four-match winning streak on the road to Concordia this Wednesday. They defeated Macalester and Carleton by 3-0 scores before beating UW-Superior, 3-1. In the four straight wins, Tasha Simmons (Sr., Eagan, Minn.) led the charge last week with 68 total kills, averaging 5.23 kills/set. She posted 24 kills against UW-Superior and 20 against Bethany Lutheran. Jackie Kelly (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) was key to setting up the Piper attack, putting up 164 set assists in four matches. Kelly also recorded 10 kills herself over the week.
Quite a Start – St. Thomas sophomore Fritz Waldvogel returned the opening kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown to help the St. Thomas football team en route to Saturday’s 48-28 win over Carleton. It was an important play for the slow-starting Tommies, who were tied 14-14 in the third quarter before pulling away. He also caught six passes for 45 yards. Waldvogel is the first Tommie to score a touchdown on a kickoff return since November 2004. It’s the first time a conference player returned the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown since October 2006, covering 171 games. It was Waldvogel’s fourth kickoff or punt return for a TD in 17 career games. In 17 games with the Tommies, Waldvogel has 12 touchdowns and 2,390 all-purpose yards (140 ypg), including 16 gains of 38 or more yards in returns, receptions or rushes. The 6-1 Tommies remain in second place in the MIAC and moved up one to No. 15 in this week’s national poll.
Quite a Start…Part II - The St. Kate’s swimming and diving team opened their season in style. The Wildcats won every event in the Augsburg Pentathlon and came away with a convincing win. St. Kate's scored 2413 points, nearly 1200 points ahead of runner up Hamline (1244), followed by Augsburg (628) and Saint Mary’s (383).
Brotherly Love - After scoring just once in Saint Mary’s first 14 men’s soccer games, Juamaine Venter (Rochester, Minn.) has scored the game-winning goal in each of the Cardinals’ two games. If Venter is going to make it 3-for-3 on Tuesday against Augsburg, he will have to score against his brother, Auggie senior goalkeeper Pascaul Venter.
Miraculous at Mac - Macalester men’s soccer player Jake Rocke (Sr., Lincoln, Neb. / East) blasted in a tough-angle shot just 1:19 into overtime to lift the Scots past guest St. Thomas 2-1 on Saturday night as they moved into a four-way tie for second place in the standings, which now includes St. Thomas. The Macalester women’s soccer team also kept their post-season hopes alive with a 1-0 overtime triumph at St. Thomas on Saturday as goalkeeper Rosie Glenn-Finer (Fy., San Francisco, Calif. / Lick Wilmerding) turned away eight shots on goal in her first collegiate start. Maddy Cochrane (Sr., Grand Marais, Minn. / Cook County) netted the game-winner in the 98th minute.
Three Treats - Augsburg has won its last three football games in a row, all in dramatic fashion. The Auggies rallied in the fourth quarter for a 31-28 win over Carleton on Oct. 10, withstood a late Concordia comeback for a 27-20, overtime win on Oct. 17, and scored the game-winning touchdown with 46 seconds left in the game in last Saturday's 28-21 win over Gustavus. Wide receiver Mike Nourie (SR, Nicollet, Minn.) earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors -- the third straight week that Augsburg has had an MIAC Football Player of the Week -- for his nine-catch, 129-yard effort, including the game-winning touchdown reception, against the Gusties. The Auggies face St. Thomas this Saturday in St. Paul in a tough match-up.
What 2 Watch 4…
MIAC Men’s Cross Country Championships - The 2009 MIAC Men's Cross Country Championship will take place this Saturday, October 31 at Como Park Golf Course in St. Paul, with the race starting at 3:15 p.m. Five different schools have won the conference men's cross country team title over the last seven years - parity rarely seen in MIAC sports. This year’s men’s race promises to be very close as St. Thomas has the highest ranking (3rd in the region and 22nd in the nation), followed by St. Olaf (5th), Saint John's (6th), Augsburg (7th), and Hamline (8th) are all close behind the Tommies in the regional rankings. Seven MIAC All-Conference runners return from 2008, including St. Olaf junior Duboul Ruon, last year's individual champion. Bethel’s Dan Greeno was fourth in 2008 and Augsburg's Brent Haglund, Hamline's Ian Bauer, Carleton's Charlie Gamble, and Macalester's Wade Ekstrom finished seventh through tenth last year and all five seniors should contend for first place at their final MIAC Championship. St. Thomas sophomore Ben Sathre, the Tommies' top runner, is the final All-Conference returnee after he placed 14th in 2008.
MIAC Women’s Cross Country Championships - The 2009 MIAC Women's Cross Country Championship will take place this Saturday, October 31 at Como Park Golf Course in St. Paul, with the race starting at 2:15 p.m. Five of the top ten women's teams in the Central Region will take to the course at Saturday's MIAC Championships. Bethel enters the championship as the #1 team in the region and #14 in the nation. Carleton (#4 in the region, #20 in the nation) will pose a threat to the Royals for the team title, as will St. Thomas (5th in the region, 23rd in the nation). Other regionally ranked MIAC teams include St. Olaf at #7 and Gustavus at #10. Marie Borner of Bethel, the defending MIAC and NCAA Division III champion, will look to repeat after a very successful fall campaign. Alex Potter, Kristin Mork, and Heather Jelen also return for Bethel after earning All-Conference honors last season. Other All-Conference returners include Simone-Childs Walker and Laura Roach from Carleton, Hailey Brenden of Concordia, Margot Branigan of Hamline, Brooke Beskau from Gustavus, Kaycee Knutson from Saint Benedict, Kelly Russ from St. Thomas, and Erin Lowery from Macalester.
MIAC Hockey Showcase - The 2009 MIAC Hockey Showcase will take place this Friday, October 30th through Sunday, November 1st at the Bloomington Ice Gardens in Bloomington, Minn. The Showcase will feature great competition as all nine MIAC men’s hockey teams will play two non-conference games over the weekend. Game times are 2 p.m., 5 p.m., and 8 p.m. all three days. Attendance is $5 which includes admission for the entire day (children 5 and under are free).
6 Battle for 3 - In the closest race for MIAC Men’s Soccer Playoff spots in its seven-year history, six teams are still the hunt for three playoff spots heading into the final week of regular season play. Carleton has already clinched the #1 seed, however the other three spots are up for grabs with six teams within two points of each other including St. Olaf, Concordia, St. Thomas, and Macalester all tied for second place with 15 points, followed by Bethel in sixth place with 14 points, and Gustavus in seventh place with 13 points. Five conference games on Tuesday will go a long way in determining which three teams make the playoff cut. The MIAC Men’s Soccer Playoffs begin on Wednesday, November 4th.
Bump, Set, Yikes – There are three spots remaining in the MIAC Volleyball Playoffs and seven teams battling for those three spots. Saint Mary’s, Concordia, St. Catherine and Augsburg all have conference records of 5-4 and find themselves in a tie for fourth place. With ten of the MIAC’s 12 teams still mathematically in playoff contention, Bethel, Carleton, and Gustavus, all at 3-6, are hoping to win out and finish in a tie at 5-6. Much will be determined Wednesday night as all six conference games will have an impact on the playoffs.
Women’s Soccer Playoff Push – With Concordia and St. Thomas clinching women’s soccer playoff berths, the final two spots are still up for grabs. A recent surge by Carleton, including double-overtime ties to then #23 St. Thomas and #7 Concordia has vaulted them back into contention for a MIAC playoff berth. St. Olaf and Saint Benedict are the top playoff contenders with conference records of 6-3-0 each. Saint Benedict has won six straight games, including four conference matches. At 5-3-1, Macalester is also in the playoff mix. The Scots will travel to Saint Benedict in a key matchup on Wednesday.
Wildcat Cancer Awareness – Wednesday, October 28th is Cancer Awareness night at St. Kate's. The women’s soccer team will be wearing pink and raising money for breast cancer, and also remembering teammate Ashley Whiting who is back at home in Iowa City fighting neuroendocrine carcinoma (a form of brain cancer). Later that night the volleyball team will be hosting their annual "Dig Pink" event to raise funds for breast cancer research.
Defending Champs - The St. Olaf men's hockey team begins its season on Friday with a new role: defending conference champions. The Oles won the MIAC's regular season crown by seven points last season, which was the biggest margin in at least 20 seasons, with a 12-1-3 mark in league play and a school record 16-7-3 overall. The Oles, who have five of their top nine scorers back, play Hamline and Concordia in the MIAC Showcase on Friday and Saturday in Bloomington.
Inside the Numbers…
10 - The most recent rating of the Gustavus men’s hockey team, according to USCHO.com preseason poll. The Gustavus men's hockey team finished second at 2009 NCAA Division III Championships in Lake Placid, New York in 2009. The Gusties, who return 19 letter winners from the squad that won the 2009 MIAC Playoff Championship, and made an impressive run to the national championship game, will open its 2009-10 season this Saturday against Bethel at 8 p.m. at the Bloomington Ice Gardens.
10 - The Bethel's women's soccer team’s new single season record for wins, notched at 10, after winning a double overtime victory against Gustavus on Saturday. The Royals, now in their 17th season, had won nine games in 1998 and 2008, but had yet to reach 10. With the win over Gustavus, the Royals also set a single season record for the most shutouts with eight. The 2009 season has also marked a new high for goals.
12 - The Carleton College men’s soccer team (14-3, 8-1 MIAC) winning streak, which has been extended to 12 consecutive games, dating back to September 19, with a 33-to-2 goal differential in those contests. Seven of those dozen victories came in conference play, helping Carleton clinch the MIAC regular-season crown and climb to No. 23 in the NSCAA national poll. When Colorado College scored in the 13th minute of Sunday’s game against the Knights, it marked the first goal allowed by the Carleton defense since September 26, snapping a shutout streak of 791:37 lasting parts of 10 games. The Knights seemed unfazed by the snowy conditions or by finding the ball in the back of their own net and simply rallied for a 3-1 win over Colorado College behind a goal and an assist from junior Wes Elfman (Madison, Wis./Edgewood).
18 – The total touchdowns this year by Carleton sophomore quarterback Vaughn Schmid (Mahtomedi, Minn.), which leads the MIAC (12 passing, six rushing). He accounted for all four Carleton touchdowns on Saturday as the Knights put 28 points on the board, the most allowed by No. 15 St. Thomas this season. In his first season as a starter, Schmid ranks among the MIAC leaders in total offense (second, 256.3 yds/g) and passing (third, 222.0 yds/g).
35 - The number of attempted passes for the Concordia football team, which helped snap a four-game losing streak by beating Hamline 41-21 on Saturday. In the game the Cobbers threw for 299 passing yards. In the past two weeks, Concordia has attempted 93 passes which is the highest back-to-back game total in program history.
Did You Know?
Former Gustavus tennis Player Eric Butorac continues to have success on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour as he has won two doubles titles in the last month. Butorac teamed with Rajeev Ram to win the Thailand Open on September 28 and then he partnered with Lovro Zovko to win at Rennes, France on Oct. 12. Butorac, who is currently ranked #37 in the World ATP Doubles Rankings, has won three ATP doubles titles this year and seven in his career.