14
SPORTS
Tuesday, March 4
Tech hosts only doubleheader of GLIAC Tournament Continued from page 13
Malone, Ashland or Hillsdale on the road throughout the GLIAC Tournament. Wayne State, who clinched the number one seed, has the top-scoring GLIAC offense among the other formidable GLIAC opponents. The Huskies have beat top-ranked opponents in the year, however, and definitely have a fighting chance to come out on top. The men’s squad will also open up their postseason at home but with a game against the Grand Valley State Lakers. This is the third consecutive home postseason opener for the men. The Huskies secured the fourth seed of the GLIAC Tournament, due in large part to their GLIAC-leading defense. Tech swept the regular season series against Grand Valley State, which included a 15-point victory at home on Jan. 18. The last game between these two teams was over Winter Carnival at Grand Valley State. Austin Armga will look to continue his impressive season in this year’s postseason. He is currently second in the GLIAC with 23.4 points per game. Armga’s offensive prowess coupled with the Huskies’ usual defensive play could carry them far into the tournament. The Lake Superior State Lakers and the Malone Pioneers are also in the Huskies’ half of the bracket. Lake Superior State is currently ranked 16th in the country. They gave the Huskies their biggest loss of the season with a 21-point victory. Tech
“Teams will be fighting hard to become the GLIAC champion, a title that comes with an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament.” beat Malone by 26 points at the beginning of the year to open up conference play. The Huskies may also play Findlay, Walsh, Northwood or Hillsdale, depending on how the tournament plays out. Findlay is currently the 23rd-ranked team in the country, making the road to a GLIAC Championship a tough one for any team in the men’s tournament. Teams will be fighting hard to become the GLIAC champion, a title that comes with an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament. Look out for Malone and Walsh in years to come as newcomers to the GLIAC who are already making waves in the tournament. Hopefully Tech will go far with their two defense-oriented squads. Come support the Huskies as they kick off GLIAC Tournament play with a doubleheader this Wednesday, March 5 at home. The women’s quarterfinal is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. against the Cardinals with the men’s game to follow at 7:30 against the Lakers in the SDC wood gym.
Michigan Tech Lode
Tennis teams travel to South Carolina for spring break PARKER MCCOLL Lode Writer
Michigan Tech’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams will be traveling to Hilton Head, S.C for Spring Tennis Fest. The teams attend the event during Tech’s spring break and leave on March 7. The Professional Tennis Registry holds the event, which runs the full month of March. The event draws over 120 collegiate teams and around 30 men’s teams will be in attendance the same week as the Huskies. Nearly one month into their season, the men’s tennis team is currently 5-0. “We’re where we want to be,” commented Coach Kalinec. “We’ve played some solid teams already and are playing about as good as we can.” For the men’s team, Hilton Head offers the opportunity to gain extra practice during the season. The team will play five matches in seven days, including two matches against Division I teams. “Playing the two Division I teams is going to be very good for us,” said Kalinec. “Those are going to be very good challenges.” Coach Kalinec is looking for good results during the week. “I’d love to come out of there 5-0,” stated Kalinec. “However, we play two Division I teams while we’re down there. Finishing 4-1 or 5-0 would be huge.” The Division I teams Tech will face are George Mason University and North
Varsity Events Schedule: March 4-10 Tuesday, 4 Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Wednesday, 5
Thursday, 6
Men’s Tennis
Home Game Friday, 7
Saturday, 8
**@ Minnesota St. 8:37 p.m.
**@Minnesota St. 8:07 p.m.
Sunday, 9
** Conference Match Monday, 10
GLIAC Quarterfinal vs. Grand Valley St. @ 7:30 p.m. GLIAC Quarterfinal vs. Saginaw Valley @ 5:30 p.m.
Hockey Nordic Skiing
Carolina Central University. Other teams from the GLIAC will be in Hilton Head that week but will not play Tech since the teams see each other regularly. The Huskies’ next collegiate matches are on March 22 and 23 against Grand Valley State and Ferris State at home. The team has two matches the weekend after as well. “The rest of the season is playing out very good for us. These will be huge matches for us because those teams are the powerhouse teams,” said Kalinec. Even though the women’s tennis team is in their off-season, they will also be attending the Tennis Fest. The NCAA allows a 45-day window for preseason practice and contact between athletes and coaches. The team uses part of this time to play at Hilton Head. The women’s team will play four matches, one of which will be against a Division I team. “With the teams they’re playing, we should be pretty successful as well,” commented Kalinec. “Playing a Division I team should be a good challenge.” The women’s tennis team finished their season in October with a win against Lake Superior State. The team reports back in mid-August for training, and matches are set to begin in September. Both teams are excited for the trip. The tennis facilities are professional quality, and the teams will face good competition. “We’re looking forward, both teams, to going down there,” commented Kalinec.
NCAA Championships @ Heber City, Utah
NCAA Championships @ Heber City, Utah Vs. Chowan @ Hilton Head, S.C.
Vs. Fairmont St. @ Hilton Head, S.C.