Michigan Tech Lode
SPORTS
Tuesday, September 16
15
Cross country teams run at MSU PARKER MCCOLL Lode Writer
Junior Haley Crites, races to move the ball up field during a home match-up against Minnesota-Crookston this past friday.
Photo by Maxwell Curtis
Soccer gears up for conference play ELLIE FURMANSKI Sports Editor Michigan Tech soccer is officially back in season. After an amazing year in 2013 which led the team all the way to the NCAA quarterfinals, the Huskies are back on the pitch and ready to take on the GLIAC once again in the program’s fifth year here at Michigan Tech. So far, the Huskies stand 2-1 overall after competing in three non-conference games. The Huskies hosted Winona State on September 5 and opened their season with a 2-1 loss. Senior Jenna Proctor scored for the Huskies in the second half to tie up the game, but a strong Winona offense put away a second unanswered goal just under five minutes later, sealing the victory. Two days later, St. Cloud State made their way to Sherman Field, and the Huskies posted a 2-0 shutout to earn their first win of the year. The Huskies out-shot St. Cloud 17-8, with goals coming from junior Lexi Herrewig and sophomore Jacqueline Mielke, both in the second half. Last Friday (Sept. 12), the Huskies hosted their third non-conference match against Minnesota-Crookston. The
Golden Eagles made a strong statement with a quick goal in just the fourth minute of the game. Coming back into the match down a goal, the Huskies turned the game around in the second half. Tech picked up their intensity while remaining composed, which ultimately led to two second half goals scored by freshman Sarah Boyd and junior Janelle Riedl. “As the game went on, we progressively got better and better. We started to play quicker. We started to play more our style of soccer,” commented Michelle Jacob, head coach of the Huskies. Tech held on to their 2-1 lead to put the game away and earn their second consecutive victory of the season. This week, the Huskies will be gearing up to kick off conference play in the GLIAC. Sunday, Sept. 21, Northern Michigan will travel to Houghton for both teams’ GLIAC opener. So far this season, Northern is 1-2-1. They have hosted four non-conference games against St. Cloud State, Winona State, Minn.-Duluth and Minn.Crookston. The Wildcats fell to both St. Cloud and Winona but picked up a win against Duluth. In a double overtime, Northern tied 1-1 with MinnesotaCrookston. In no way, shape or form will the Huskies take their up-and-coming
opponent lightly. Jacob noted that this week the team will be working specifically on feeding their forwards with the right kind of passes. Getting balls to the inside instead of having to run with the ball on the outside of the field is bound to create more offensive opportunities. The Huskies will also be working on their possession, intention to move forward with the ball, speed of play and ability to get more shots off on goal. Looking at this year’s roster, it’s evident that the team is fairly young. The Huskies lost a handful of key seniors who led last year’s team to the NCAAs. Despite the current squad’s youthfulness, collectively these players still have a lot of experience and are working each day to improve and build chemistry on the field. “I feel pretty good about the group and how far we’ve progressed since we started this year. There’s a lot of excitement about the team dynamic and the possibilities,” said Jacob. In a conference as tough as the GLIAC, outcomes are always unpredictable, and this year the Huskies have a target on their backs. The Huskies will have to show up and put on a strong performance every game. May the best teams win as GLIAC play officially kicks off this weekend.
The Michigan Tech Cross Country teams ran in their first official collegiate meet last weekend, hosted by Michigan State University. The teams ran with solid finishes in a large field of athletes. Senior Deedra Irwin and sophomore Sean Pengelly were front runners for the Huskies. Deedra ran the sixkilometer course in 22:25, finishing 23rd in a field of over 300 women. Sean ran the eight-kilometer course in 25:26, good for a 29th place finish in the men’s race. Coach Joe Haggenmiller applauded their efforts saying, “They are both fit and getting after it on the course, and they are raising our level significantly.” Michigan Tech’s four freshmen women- Elise Dombkowski, Liz Bloch, Emily Vigil and Sophia Farquharfinished second through fifth for the Huskies, respectively. Elise and Liz were separated by a mere four second gap. “They [the freshmen girls] ran well for their first collegiate meet and for stepping up the distance to 6k,” commented Haggenmiller. “With more experience, they will become more competitive.” For the men, Calvin Nitz and Jason Saliga also raced well, finishing 101st and 117th, respectively. “It was really exciting to see Dan Byrne and Dan Kulas have breakthrough races after consistent solid training,” added Haggenmiller. Coach Haggenmiller was satisfied with the team’s performance early on in the season, especially with the number of racers present. “We were competitive with a very strong and deep field, so we have to be pleased with where we are at.” With a drawn out season, there is plenty of time to continue building before the GLIAC and NCAA Championships. “As a whole, we like how we started and feel we are in a good place to build on the foundation we have established,” commented Haggenmiller.