Football

September 25, 2000

ON THE LINE: After three games, UW-Stout has the top ranked rushing defense in the NCAA Division III. That rushing defense will be put to the test when the Blue Devils invade UW-River Falls, whose wishbone offense generally ranks in the top 10 in rushing in the country and was ranked 14th before last weekend. The Blue Devils will also be looking to atone from last year's 47-0 homecoming pasting at the hands of the Falcons.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout: The Blue Devils, who are now ranked 13th in the American Football Coaches Association poll, almost totally controlled UW-Stevens Point as the Blue Devils came out on top of a 16-8 decision. The Blue Devil defense held the Pointers to minus-10 yards rushing and 110 yards total. The Blue Devils re-established their ground game, running the ball 59 times for 218 yards. Stout also threw the ball for 70 yards, including their first TD of the game, when Matt Bichanich hit Abraham Cruz deep in the end zone to take a 9-0 lead early in the second quarter. Four minutes later, Luke Bundgaard bulled seven yards to paydirt. Bundgaard had his second straight 100 yard game. The Pointers picked up 80 of their yards on their only scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter.

River Falls: Despite holding the edge in total yards, the Falcons were put down by UW-LaCrosse, 38-13, Saturday. The Falcons lost momentum in the first half when they turned the ball over twice inside the 15-yard line as they threatened to score. La Crosse scored a pair of TDs in the first half, the rolled off two straight in the third quarter before the Falcons' Taylor Hall scored on an 11-yard run. The Eagles rolled off two more scores to open the fourth, and the Falcons got a consolation score late on a 60-yard scamper by Dustin Vogelgesang. The Falcons racked up 323 yards on the ground, 111 through the air, for a total of 434 yards. The defense surrendered 317 yards through the air, but only 85 on the ground.

LAST YEAR: Both Stout and River Falls are members of the eight-team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and are affiliated with the NCAA Division III. Stout was 2-8 overall, 1-6 (eighth) in the WIAC. The Falcons were 6-4 overall, 5-2 (third) in the WIAC.

THE SERIES: This will be the 86th meeting of the two teams and the Falcons hold a 64-21 advantage in the series. With the exception of the 1918, 1919, and 1943-44 seasons, the teams have played continuously since 1911 when River Falls won, 13-11. The Falcons had no trouble with Stout last year, scoring early and scoring often on their way to a 47-0 win at Stout's homecoming. The Falcons scored three TDs in the first quarter, and two in each the second and third quarters. River Falls amassed 475 yards of total offense, 398 on the ground, while Stout was limited to 144 total yards, their poorest offensive show of the year. Over the last 10 games, River Falls has won eight. Stout last defeated the Falcons in 1997 with a 42-34 win in Menomonie.

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Luke Bundgaard (Fr, Weyerhauser) 55 carries, 301 yds, 5.5 y/car, 3 TD, 2 receptions, 24 yds, 12 y/rec; RB Eric Baker (Jr, Sarona) 22 car, 108 yds, 4.9 y/car; RB Mark Bergman (Jr, Grantsburg) 35 car, 108 yds, 3.1 y/car, 2 TD, 11 rec, 88 yds, 8.0 y/rec; LB Steve Miller (Sr, Lodi) 20 tackles, 11 solo, 2.5 sacks, 2 int for 11 yds one TD; DB Eric Moe (So, Hixton) 3 int for 39 yds one TD, 16 tackles, 12 solo; DB Tony Beckham (Jr, Ocala, Fla) one int for 24 yd TD, 4 pass break ups; LB Eric Lund (Sr, Ashland) 9 tackles, 5 solo, 3 tackles for losses of 13 yds, 2 pass break ups, one fumble recovery; Jamie Spielman (So, Menomonie)22 tackles, 9 solo, 9 tackles for losses of 30 yds, 2 sacks for 22 yds, 1 pass break up; DL Jeff Hazuga (Sr, Thorp) 4 sacks for 35 yards; P/PK Kevin McCulley (Sr, Fond du Lac) 3-5 FG, 10-12 PAT, 37.3 y/punt; Blue Devils avg 346.0 total ypg, 238.7 rushing, 107.3 passing; give up 99.7 total ypg (2nd in NCAA III), minus-10 rushing (1st in NCAA III), 107.0 passing. Stout outscoring opponents, 97-17.

RIVER FALLS PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Cory Mueller (Sr, Lannon) 22 pass attempts, 9 comp, 1 int, 184 yds, 2 TDs, 40 carries, 164 yds, 4.1 y/car, 1 TD: RB Andrew Krueger (Sr, St. Peter, Minn) 53 car, 160 yds, 3.0 y/car, 3 TDs; RB Mark Shephardson (Sr, Burlington) 17 car, 154 yds, 9.1 y/car, 1 TD; RB Rob Ohman (So, Glenwood City) 24 car, 142 yds, 5.9 y/car; RB Nick Scribner (Sr, Clayton) 20 car, 127 yds, 6.3 y/car; WR Scott Kusilek (So, River Falls) 6 rec, 130 yds, 21.7 y/rec, 2 TDs, 35.8 y/punt; LB Jed Kennedy (Jr, Alma) 28 tackles, 12 solo; FS Brian Katlack (Sr, Brooklyn Center, Minn) 10 tackles, 7 solo, 1 int; DE Matt Roering (Sr, Wausau) 13 tackles, eight solo, 3 tackles for loss of nine yards, 2 sacks; DE Jeremy Larson (Jr, Ashland) 15 tackles, 11 solo, 2 sacks for 12 yds; Falcons avg. 359.3 total ypg, 287.7 rushing, 71.6 passing; give up 318.7 total ypg, 110.3 rushing, 208.4 passing

OFFENSIVE LOOK: River Falls: Wishbone; Stout: multi-pro set which incorporates a West Coast style offense. DEFENSIVE LOOK: River Falls: 4-4; Stout: 3-4

COACHES: Stout coach Ed Meierkort (29-44 career) is in his eighth year. With the win over Point, Meierkort last week notched the most wins by a Stout coach. River Falls coach John O'Grady (71-38-3) is in his 12th season.

STOUT COACH ED MEIERKORT SAYS: "We had a supreme defensive effort last week. We stayed true to the task of what we were trying to accomplish on offense, defense and special teams. I liked the way we mixed up our backs. Eric Baker set the tone for us, both blocking and running. Our offensive line was very aggressive. We did get too conservative in the second quarter, but we have already talked about that. (Defensive end) Jeff Hazuga was a big part of our defensive effort. They (Stevens Point) were very conscious of him. He was doubled up a lot, which freed up (Steve) Miller, (Jamie) Spielman and (Matt) Mueller. They put a lot of pressure on their young quarterback.

"There is no one in this league that I respect more than River Falls, from top to bottom. This is good team. Any one of their running backs can hurt us. It's like we have to tackle them all at once. We must adjust to the wishbone, but we have worked on the wishbone for the last six weeks. We are not going to change what River Falls does. We just have to try to slow them down and keep it out of the red zone. We will try no magical play. We will just line it up and have to have the confidence to get it done."

September 23, 2000

MENOMONIE - Just how real is the UW-Stout football team? The two-time defending Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) champion found out as the Blue Devils defeated UW-Stevens Point, 16-8, Saturday, Sept. 23 at Nelson Field.

The game wasn't even as close as the final score indicated as Stout shot out to 13-0 halftime lead, then sat on the lead. The Blue Devils, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III in rushing defense, allowed the Pointers a minus-10 yards rushing. Stevens Point finished the game with 110 total yards, but 80 of that came on their only scoring drive in the fourth quarter.

How dominant was the Blue Devil rushing defense? Not one Pointer ball carrier netted more than six yards on the ground, and only quarterback Scott Krause gained more than 10 yards, but was sacked six times for a minus-22 net yards.

With a change in offensive philosophy apparent, Stout (3-0, 1-0) continued to rush the ball like they never have under eighth-year coach Ed Meierkort. The Blue Devils carried the ball 59 times for 218 yards.

While Stout completed only seven of their 14 passes, they did throw a touchdown strike. After Kevin McCulley (Sr, Fond du Lac) gave Stout a 3-0 lead with a field goal on their first drive, the Blue Devils reached the end zone three minutes into the second quarter when Matt Bichanich (Jr, Mukwonago) hit Abraham Cruz (Fr, Alhambra, Calif) in the back of the end zone. A missed extra point left it at 9-0.

Stout racked up their final points of the game at 8:24 in the second quarter when Luke Bundgaard (Fr, Weyerhauser) carried seven yards for the score.

Neither team did anything with the ball in the third quarter, but Stevens Point (0-3, 0-1) began to look like an awakened giant in the fourth quarter. With the aid of a Stout pass interference penalty on third down, the Pointers ate up ground quickly on four passes, capped off by Chad Valentyne's 18 yard reception. Valentyne hauled in the two-point conversion for what would prove to be the final, 16-8, score.

The Pointers began moving again at the three minute mark, again aided by two Stout penalties. But the Blue Devil defenders blanketed the Pointers, allowing them only 19 yards on the drive, and Jake Rider (Fr, Shiocton) batted away a pass to Tony Romano, who was in the open on fourth-and-five.

Stout went four and out, and the Pointers had a last gasp, but Chad Reichelt (Sr, Appleton) sacked a scrambling Scott Krause as time ran out.

Bundgaard led the way in the rushing game, collecting his second consecutive 100 yard game, rushing 21 times for 101 yards. Eric Baker (Jr, Sarona) finished with 51 yards and Mark Bergman (Jr, Grantsburg) had 31. Cruz hauled in three passes for 36 yards and a score, and Bergman also collected three passes for 22 yards.

Linebacker Jamie Spielman (So, Menomonie) was all over the field, cashing in on 16 tackles, including seven for losses of 22 yards, one pass break up and 1.5 sacks. Also cashing in on the sack parade were Matt Mueller (Fr, Chaska, Minn) with 1.5, Jeff Hazuga (Sr, Thorp) and Reichelt with one, and Jarrid Gohs (So, Oak Creek) and Steve Miller (Sr, Lodi) with a half sack. Hazuga had four tackles for losses and Miller had three.

Stout, which was ranked 14th in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll, has not started the season at 3-0 since 1982 when they ran off six straight wins to open the season.

The Blue Devils travel to UW-River Falls, Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.

Soccer

September 24, 2000

MENOMONIE- Kristin Hoppe (Fr, Coon Rapids, Minn) scored two goals and Becky Howard (Sr, Wauwatosa) had a goal and two assists as the UW-Stout soccer team shutout St. Scholastica, 5-0, Sunday, Sept. 24 at the River Heights field.

The Blue Devils served notice early when Beth Bushman (Sr, Eagan, Minn) stole a pass off Scholastica's opening kickoff, setting Stout's attack into the Saints' penalty area, where the game stayed for the first half hour. After Kristin Hoppe (Fr, Coon Rapids, Minn), Kate Knoespel (So, Green Bay), Howard and Becca Carlson (Sr, Rosemount, Minn) had all made efforts at parking the opening goal between the sticks - it was Howard who forced a Saint defender to trip her in the penalty area. She buried the ensuing penalty, and inside of 15 minutes, the Blue Devils were ahead.

Six minutes later, Hoppe, making her first collegiate start, scored, with an assist by Diane Ehlen (Bloomington, Minn). The play was set up when Bushman's cross deflected off a Scholastica defender to Ehlen, who found Hoppe unmarked, and Hoppe body blocked the ball into the net.

At about the 36th minute, Howard stole a pass at midfield, penetrated the defense, and found Stacy Normington (So, Delavan) behind the Saints' defense and Stout carried a 3-0 lead into the locker room.

The Blue Devils (4-4) kept their offensive pressure up throughout the game, putting 36 shots on goal as they outshot the Saints (1-8), 64-4.

Howard delivered her second assist of the afternoon in the 75th minute -again slicing through the Saints' defense - when her delivery to Nellie Sivertsen (So, River Falls) found paydirt. Hoppe closed out the scoring five minutes on an endline cross from Sivertsen.

The Blue Devils' Jessie Sutherland (Jr, Duluth, Minn) recorded three saves in the goal before giving way to freshman Rachel McCabe (Appleton), who knocked away one shot. The Saints' Mary McCarthy was busy, turning aside 31 shots.

Stout will travel to UW-Stevens Point, Thursday, Sept. 28., and will be at UW-Platteville, Saturday, Sept. 30.

September 21, 2000

MENOMONIE - Concordia University's mascot is the Falcon. Concordia lived up to the name as they swooped down on the UW-Stout soccer team in the second half to score four goals, downing the Blue Devils, 6-2, Thursday, Sept. 21 at the River Heights field.

The Falcons (5-1-1) wasted little time in the game, scoring in the first minute of play. Stout (3-4) did answer back about 10 minutes later when Kate Knoespel (So, Green Bay) took a pass from Diane Ehlen (Fr, Bloomington, Minn) to hit the far corner of the net to tie the score at 1-1.

Concordia took the lead for good five minutes before halftime on a penalty kick.

Concordia took a 3-1 lead early in the second half, but Stout did tighten the score when Becky Howard (Sr, Wauwatosa), the Blue Devils' leading scorer, took passes from Ehlen and Nellie Sivertsen (So, River Falls) in the 78th minute.

The bottom fell out in the final 10 minutes of the game as Concordia added three more goals.

Again, the Blue Devils outshot their opponents, this time 24-15, but the Falcons put 12 of their shots on goal. Stout's Jessie Sutherland (Jr, Duluth, Minn) recorded seven saves, while the Falcons' Kristin McCauley had 12.

Volleyball

September 22, 2000

STEVENS POINT - Kim Roshell (Jr, Cadott) put the exclamation point on a three game sweep as UW-Stout downed UW-Stevens Point, 15-11, 15-8, 15-12, in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) volleyball contest Friday, Sept. 22 at Stevens Point.

Roshell nailed eight kills in the third game, to finish the night with 12 total kills. She also had 14 digs on the evening. Brooke Palmer (Jr, Mantorville, Minn) tallied 16 kills and Rachel Eidet (Jr, North Mankato, Minn) had 13 kills and 15 digs.

The Blue Devils (12-4, 1-0) are off until Wednesday, Sept. 27 when they host UW-Superior at 7 p.m., then will be at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational Sept.

Women's Cross Country

September 23, 2000

WHITEWATER - Lisa Sorvala (So, New Brighton, Minn) placed seventh and Amy Arndt (Jr, Lakefield, Minn) placed 10th as the UW-Stout women's cross country team finished second at the Warhawk Invitational Saturday, Sept. 23 at Whitewater.

Sorvala finished with a time of 19-minutes, 44-seconds, while Arndt clocked a time of 20:25.

All of the Blue Devils runners finished with the best times of the season. Freshman Heather Stiles (Eden Prairie, Minn) was 17th (21:10) and Heidi Bedsted (Jr, Plainview, Minn) was 20th (21:20).

UW-Oshkosh easily won the meet, taking the top four places and seven of the top 10. Stout defeated UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point. The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) cross country championships will be at Whitewater in November. Stout will be off next weekend, and will return to action Oct. 6 at the Blugold Invtitational in Colfax.

Warhawk Invitational
1. UW-Oshkosh 16; 2. UW-Stout 68; 3. UW-Whitewater 92; 4. UW-Platteville 93; 5. UW-Stevens Point 102.

Individual results
(First place, all Stout finishers)
1. Darlene Amelse (Osh) 18:55; 7. Lisa Sorvala 19:44; 10. Amy Arndt 20:25; 17. Heather Stiles 21:10; 20. Heidi Bedsted 21:20; 29. Michelle Abramczak 21:50; 36. Michelle Nordberg 22:06; 44. Valori Schaffer 22:36; 47. Denise Hady 23:05; 48. Pam Gundrum 23:06; 53. Amber Wilde 23:20; 56. Jamie Souza 23:37; 59. Terra Dahlheimer 24:17; 64. Rachel Darby 26:40.

Men's Cross Country

September 23, 2000

WHITEWATER - Dave Huber (So, Mendota Heights, Minn) came up with an eighth place finish to pace the UW-Stout men's cross country team at the Warhawk Invitational Saturday, Sept. 23 at Whitewater.

Huber came in with a time of 26-minutes, 52-seconds. Four Blue Devils finished within seconds of each other. Bryan Ott (Sr, Monroe) was 16th (27:34), Alex Anderson (Jr, Faribault, Minn) was 17th (27:35), Josh Johnson (Sr, Oregon) was 19th (27:42) and Ethan Webinger (Jr, LaCrescent, Minn) was 20th (27:46).

As a team, the Blue Devils placed fourth. UW-Platteville won the event. Stout will be off next weekend, and will return to action Oct. 6 at the Blugold Invtitational in Colfax.

Warhawk Invitational
1. UW-Platteville 25; 2. UW-Whitewater 62; 3. UW-Parkside 63; 4. UW-Stout 80; 5. UW-Oshkosh 130.

Individual results
(First place, all Stout finishers)
1. Mike Schmitt (Platteville) 26:00; 8. Dave Huber 26:52; 16. Bryan Ott 27:34; 17. Alex Anderson 27:35; 19. Josh Johnson 27:42; 20. Ethan Webinger 27:46; 26. Reid Jacoby 27:56; 29. Seth Kaste 28:06; 30. Mike Western 28:10; 36. Jason Kirch 28:27; 37. Casey Otto 28:31; 38. Jason Donovan 28:32; 46. Jamie Block 29:09; 56. Todd Dexheimer 29:44; 63. Bill Britton 32:44; 64. Jeff Gross 33:04; 56. Jonathon Gallo 33:36.

Women's Tennis

September 22, 2000

STEVENS POINT - UW-Stevens Point won a 9-0 decision over UW-Stout in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tennis match Friday, Sept. 22 at Stevens Point.

The Pointers won all nine matches in straight sets, but the Blue Devils' Abby Schmoldt (Fr, Rice Lake), playing at No. 6 singles, dropped her first set by a 7-5 score before going down 6-1 in the second set.

The Blue Devils return to action Friday, Sept. 29 when they host Hamline University at 4 p.m., then follow up with St. Mary's Saturday, Sept. 30 at 11 a.m.

UW-Stevens Point 9, UW-Stout 0
Singles: No. 1: Violet Adams (SP) def. Megan Schwanbeck, 6-2, 6-4; No. 2: Aimee Strebig (SP) def. Tammy Petcher, 6-3, 6-1; No. 3: Anne Hidlebrandt (SP) def. Maria Medin, 6-2, 6-2; No. 4: Heather Janssen (SP) def. Katy Berry, 6-2, 6-0; No. 5: Jen Derse (SP) def. Katie Kramer, 6-0, 6-2; No. 6: Laura Henn (SP) def. Abby Schmodt, 7-5, 6-1.

Doubles: No. 1: Adams/Strebig (SP) def. Schwanbeck/Medin, 8-5; No. 2: Janssen/Hildebrandt (SP) def. Petcher/Rachael Weber, 8-3; No. 3: Derse/Henn (SP) def. Berry/Schmoldt, 8-2.

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