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Fall 2009
A publication of the Aurora University Spartan Club — Fall 2009
September 30, 2009
This issue of the Spartan Report looks at the university's newest athletic program and provides an update on the fall 2009 season. As always, we thank you for your continued support and welcome your feedback.
- Men's lacrosse: Coach hits the road to build program
- Football: Spartans refocus for conference opener vs. BU
- Men's soccer: Season starts with impressive scoreless streak
- Women's soccer: Coach says early losses no cause for concern
- Women's volleyball: Spartans ready for tough conference stretch
- Women's tennis: Team's depth could lead to NAC title
- Cross country: Men, women faring well against conference foes
- Golf: Men's team wins Cross Creek tournament
- Photo Gallery: Spartans In Action!
Men's lacrosse: Coach hits the road to build program
It's no easy task to start an athletic program from scratch, but Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Brendan Dawson still thinks Aurora University is ahead of the competition.
That's because AU was the first university in Illinois to announce the formation of an NCAA men's lacrosse team. Dawson said other local schools can't be far behind as the popularity of the sport grows and continues to spread from the East Coast.
Dawson hopes the head start will give him a recruiting advantage as he prepares for the first varsity season in spring of 2011.
"I would be shocked if other schools don't add it soon," said Dawson, who won two national championships as a player at Salisbury University in Maryland and two more as an assistant coach there. "We are offering a great option for a student-athlete who wants to stay close to home and play lacrosse at the next level. Right now if a student wants to play lacrosse, he has to go to Michigan or Ohio or out east.
"Having lacrosse at AU gives us a leg up on the local competition."
Since being hired in July, Dawson has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. There are 65 Illinois high school lacrosse teams and some clubs and fall leagues in the Chicago suburbs, but much of his time has been spent traveling out of state because the sport is more popular elsewhere.
Over the summer, Dawson took trips to some lacrosse hotbeds, such as Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. He has trips planned this year to tournaments in Michigan, California and Texas.
The top recruits nationally will commit to the premier, established lacrosse programs, but there are plenty of talented players whose options are limited by the number of colleges offering the sport, Dawson said. So AU has an opportunity to attract student-athletes who otherwise might not consider the university, he said. Players from New York, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Arizona have already scheduled campus visits.
"They see this as a very viable option for them," Dawson said. "The interest is definitely high."
Dawson has also been recruiting current AU students with lacrosse experience to join the team. He hopes to recruit 25 to 30 freshmen and five to 10 current students for a total of 35 players.
As a four-year letter winner and two-time team captain at Salisbury, Dawson thrived in a fast-paced, high-scoring offense. That's the way he played and coached, but he also realizes the style of play for the new AU team will depend on the players he recruits. He also knows he might have to spend the first season focusing on the basics of the game.
"The most important thing is trying to implement a style that works for the guys on your team," Dawson said. "It might be a little slower process than I'm imagining right now."
The AU lacrosse team will play in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference, which also includes Carthage College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Trine University, Adrian College, Albion College, Mt. St. Joseph College, Concordia University Wisconsin and Fontbonne University. The conference will earn an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III national tournament beginning in 2012.
Football: Spartans refocus for conference opener vs. BU
The football team's week off came at the perfect time for Head Coach Rich Duncan. After getting beat 52-6 at Illinois Wesleyan University on Sept. 19, the Spartans needed some extra time to regroup before opening the conference season at rival Benedictine University on Oct. 3.
Fortunately, Duncan has seen more focus and a good attitude from his young team at practice since the lopsided loss. That's a big step forward, because the Spartans' biggest problems so far have been mental lapses and inconsistency, he said.
"We make some big plays, and then we make some mistakes," Duncan said. "We're a team of highs and lows."
With an extra week to address the problems, Duncan thinks AU is still poised to repeat as Northern Athletics Conference champions. At 2-1, the Spartans are at the same place they were at this point last year, when they went undefeated in the NAC.
Duncan said his team has been out of sync early in the season, but he knows his roster is loaded with talent. Senior linebacker Mike Budzinski and junior defensive back Anthony Dillabough have led the defense, while junior quarterback Mike Anderson, senior running back Ryne Reder, and senior wide receivers Tim Young and Zack Sitter have shown flashes of greatness.
The AU offensive stats aren't overly impressive so far, but Duncan said the Spartans haven't yet played a complete game.
"By the end of the year, we could be a really good offensive football team," Duncan said. "It's going to come down to eliminating mistakes."
Men's soccer: Season starts with impressive scoreless streak
The season couldn't have started any better for the men's soccer team. The Spartans not only won their first four matches, but they didn't allow a goal in the first 397 minutes, stretching into the fifth game.
One of those wins came against Fontbonne College, ranked 10th in the region at the time. The Spartans later played a strong University of Chicago team to a 2-2 tie. AU lost a heartbreaker Sept. 25, falling 2-1 to No. 23 Wheaton College in double overtime.
Since the early winning streak, Head Coach Pete Watkins has seen some mistakes on the field that need to be corrected. He has also lost several players to injuries, likely for the season, including junior forward Bobby Gonnella, a top scorer, who broke his collarbone.
"We always talk about players getting a chance to step up," Watkins said. "So this is their chance."
The Spartans are now 5-3-1 overall and 1-2-0 in the Northern Athletics Conference. Watkins said the team is starting to show better chemistry, and he is still optimistic about AU finishing in the top two in conference. The top six teams make the NAC tournament.
"We used up a lot of mistakes early, so we need to step up now," Watkins said.
Junior midfielder Nick Helmer leads the team so far in points (11) and goals (5). Watkins said freshman Trevor Bauer has been solid on the defensive end, while junior defenders Matt Reimer and Dan Rediger have also been tough.
Women's soccer: Coach says early losses no cause for concern
After winning its third straight Northern Athletics Conference title last year — and compiling a 34-1 conference record over that period — the women's soccer team was an easy preseason pick to repeat as NAC champions.
But now that the Spartans have started the 2009 season at 6-4 (3-1 NAC), Head Coach Kanute Drugan senses that competing players and coaches have written his team off. He thinks that's a mistake.
"I think they're going to wish they had paid attention," Drugan said. "I want to sneak on in there without making a lot of noise."
Despite a mediocre record on paper so far, Drugan likes what he sees. The team has played a tough schedule and five starters have been battling injuries, but the Spartans have still made progress and are quickly picking up on teaching, he said. In a 2-1 loss to No. 4 Wheaton College, always a good measuring stick, Drugan said AU played well but made two mistakes that led to goals.
Sophomore midfielder Haley Pschirrer leads the team offensively at the midpoint of the season with 22 points (8 goals, 6 assists). Senior forward Jessica Novickas has scored five goals, including three game-winning shots. Defensively, Drugan said junior sweeper Cait Hartman has "run the show from back there and turned in an amazing performance every game." Freshman goalkeeper Liz Wong has saved goals and probably games with her athleticism, he said.
Starting Sept. 30, eight of the final 10 games will be played against NAC opponents, meaning a nice run will quickly get the Spartans back into the race.
"I feel very confident about our team," Drugan said. "We're coming together very nicely."
Women's volleyball: Spartans ready for tough conference stretch
The women's volleyball team has started to step up its game at exactly the right time.
The Spartans started slow, going 3-6 before coming home to host the Jim Coleman Memorial Tournament on Sept. 18-19 at Thornton Gymnasium. AU took third place at that tournament, going 2-2, and showed more consistency and promise, said Head Women's Volleyball Coach Jamie Walters. Senior middle hitter Jill Smart was named tournament MVP with a team-high 64 kills (4.00 per set) for a .368 kill percentage, five serving aces and a team-high 11 blocks in the four sets.
Walters said several new student-athletes, including junior transfers Amy Reynolds (McHenry County College) and Michelle Sims (College of Lake County), and sophomore libero Carly Blask have helped the Spartans start turning the season around just in time for the most important part of the schedule: 11 straight games within the Northern Athletics Conference starting Sept. 29.
"We've had new players step up into leadership roles on the court," Walters said. "And our veterans have done a good job making everyone feel comfortable."
The Spartans are 9-11 overall and 2-0 in conference at the midway point of the season. Smart leads the team this season in kills (216, 3.13 per set) and blocks (51), while Blask has led the team defensively with 306 digs. Christine Ozlanski has set the pace for assists with 283. Reynolds was named to all-tournament first teams at the Rose Hulman Invitational (50 kills, 3 aces, 57 digs) and Monmouth tournament (27 kills, 38 digs, 6 blocks).
Women's tennis: Team's depth could lead to NAC title
With the Northern Athletics Conference tournament already looming for the women's tennis team on Oct. 3-4, the race is still wide open.
At 11-4 overall and 9-2 in the NAC, Head Coach Mike McKenzie thinks his team has a good shot at getting the NCAA Division III national qualifier bid. While Concordia University Wisconsin will be tough to beat in No. 1 singles and doubles, AU beat the Falcons 5-4 and has strength at all positions. Two tough 5-4 losses have come against conference favorite and defending NAC champion Edgewood College, and Marian University.
McKenzie likes the Spartans' chances because of the team's depth. Several players have not lost in conference yet at lower positions, including senior Lauren Hastings (No. 3 singles), junior Siri Nelson (No. 4 singles), junior Tricia Sayler (No. 5 and No. 6 singles) and sophomore Macey Pruett (No. 6 singles). Junior Lindsey Coakley and senior Rebecca Papke have been competitive at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, and the doubles pairings have been strong, with senior Amanda Walden playing exclusively in No. 3 doubles.
That should give the Spartans an edge when it comes to earning points toward the conference title, which are based on the team's performance during the NAC season and tournament, because they have a chance to win almost every match.
"It'll be a dog fight," McKenzie said. "It'll make the tournament really interesting. It's going to be close."
Cross country: Men, women faring well against conference foes
The men's cross country team this year has benefitted from senior leadership and youth. It's a good thing, because Head Coach Ryan Chapman doesn't have much else on the roster.
The seven runners who have been competing for the Spartans are all seniors and freshmen. That has made for an interesting mix of experience, although it seems to be working.
"We really don't have a lot in the middle," Chapman said. "We're old and then we're young."
Freshman Morgan Goetschel has been the top runner so far, but Chapman would like to see seniors move into the No. 1 and 2 spots because it will make the team stronger. In particular, Chapman is hoping senior Jacob Schlueter, his top returner, has recovered enough from a knee injury to reclaim the top spot.
Chapman says the men's team is better and deeper than last year's team, which finished fifth in the Northern Athletics Conference. The race is wide open this year, he said, and he's hopeful the Spartans will have a strong showing at the Oct. 31 conference meet. AU has fared well against NAC teams at meets, getting beat by only Concordia Wisconsin and Concordia Chicago.
On the women's side, Chapman's roster is dominated by seniors. The team has been especially strong in the first four spots, he said, but he's pushing for closer times for all his runners.
"We're just looking for the pack to get a little tighter as we move into the season," Chapman said.
Senior Megan Cinto, who set five school records last year, has been the top female runner again this season. Freshman Briana Deckard has been impressive in moving into the second spot, Chapman said.
The women also have a great shot at the conference meet after winning the NAC title last season, Chapman said. The Spartans have beaten all the conference teams at meets except for Concordia Wisconsin, who remains the toughest competition, he said.
Several runners on both teams have already this season posted their fastest times, Chapman said.
Golf: Men's team wins Cross Creek tournament
The Aurora University men's golf team had its best showing of the season Sept. 21, winning the 12-team Cress Creek Collegiate Invitational hosted by North Central College by 16 strokes.
The Spartans shot a 614 in the 36-hole tournament, led by sophomore Brandon Vicory (147), the tournament medalist. Senior Shane Roland (152) tied for second with two others players, and junior Cameron Parker (154) placed fifth. For his five-stroke win, Vicory was named Northern Athletics Conference Men's Golf Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending Sept. 27.
At other tournaments, the men's team placed fourth of 17 teams at Edgewood College, 22nd of 24 teams at Mount Mercy College and fifth of 15 teams at Wisconsin Lutheran College. One meet remains before the Oct. 13-14 NAC tournament.
The women's team this season has placed ninth of 10 teams at a tournament hosted by North Central College, fourth of six teams at a tournament hosted by Benedictine University, and fifth of seven teams at Marian University. The conference meet will be held Oct. 4-5.
Spartans In Action!
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