Football

November 3, 2003

ON THE LINE: UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire have traded romps over each other on their home fields the last couple of years. The Blue Devils will try to break the trend as they head to Carson Park. The Blugolds are currently in a tie for third place in the WIAC with UW-Stevens Point and still have a chance at the conference title. With losses to current leaders UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse, Stout is out of the title chase. Stout running back Luke Bundgaard is well within reach of 4,000 career rushing yards (3962) and is battling UW-Whitewater’s Chad Wurth for the conference career rushing record.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout: A week after holding the top offensive team to only 223 total yards, the Blue Devils allowed UW-La Crosse to run for 424 yards and tally 665 total yards in a 47-33 loss to the Eagles. La Crosse running back Andrew Mocadlo rushed for a conference record 391 yards. Stout played catch-up all day and could never get the lead or a tie. Stout wide received Dan Austin caught nine passes for a school record 241 receiving yards, while quarteback Nick Ohman threw for 338 yards and two TDs.

Eau Claire: Eau Claire football team jumped to a 35-6 lead early in the third quarter and held on despite a late comeback to defeat UW-Platteville 42-35.

LAST SEASON: Stout and Eau Claire are members of the eight-team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Last season, Stout was 7-3 overall, 4-3 (tied for third with Stevens Point and Whitewater) in the WIAC. Eau Claire was 8-2 overall, 5-2 (2nd).

THE SERIES: Eau Claire leads the series 44-28-6 that stretches back to 1917. Last season, Stout scored on their first five possessions and ran up to a 26-0 lead as Nick Ohman threw for three first half TDs. Luke Bundgaard ran for two scores and Dan Austin pulled in two touchdown passes. Stout tallied 443 yards in a balanced attack (225 rushing, 218 passing) to Eau Claire’s 230 (222 passing, 8 rushing).

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Luke Bundgaard (Sr, Weyerhaeuser) 204 carries, 996 yds, 4.9 y/car, 124.5 y/g, 5 TD, Stout's all-time rushing (3962) and scoring leader (198 pts); QB Nick Ohman (Jr, Glenwood City) 211 att, 101 comp, 5 int, 1524yds, 16 TDs 190.5 y/game, 90 car, 262 yds, 2.9 y/car, 5 TDs; FB Matt Schaeuble (Jr, Wrightstown) 24 car, 87 yds, 3.6 yd/car, 1 TD; WR Dan Austin (Jr, Clintonville) 29 rec, 523 yds, 7 TDs; SS Kevin Dewey (Sr, Burnsville, Minn) 60 tackles, 39 solo, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles; DB Jordan Sinz (Jr, Edgar) 48 tackles, 32 solo, 1 tackle for loss, 2 int, 2 forced fumbles; NG Matt Mueller (Sr, Chaska, Minn) 31 tackles, 19 solo, 7 tackles for loss of 26 yds, 2 sacks; DL Joe Kersten (Sr, Menasha) 41 tackles, 21 solo, 11 tackles for loss of 38 yds, 4 sacks for 29 yds; LB Chuck VanderLinden (Sr, Golden Valley, Minn) 36 tackles, 25 solo, 5 tackles for loss of 18 yds, 1 sack; Blue Devils avg 412.6 total ypg, 217.5 rushing, 194.6 passing; give up 346.6 total ypg, 169.4 rushing, 177.2 passing. Stout outscored opponents, 223-191. (x-x)

EAU CLAIRE PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Nels Frederickson (Jr, Burnsville, Minn) 203 att, 105 comp, 5 int, 1487 yds, 10 TDs, 212.4 y/g, 48 carries, 93 yds, 1.9 y/car; RB Brian Mitchell (So, Carol Stream, Ill) 101 carries, 363 yds, 5 TDs, 3.6 y/car, 51.9 y/g; RB Joe Gast (So, Waconia, Minn) 62 car, 362 yds, 5.8 y/car, 5 TDs, 72.4 y/g; WR Erik Ferguson (Sr, Rochester, Minn) 38 rec, 716 yds, 18.8 y/rec, 5 TDs, 102.3 y/g; WR Matt Evenson (So, Junction City) 43 rec, 570 yds, 13.3 y/rec, 6 TDs, 81.4 y/g; LB Austin Crow (Sr, Woodbury, Minn) 68 tackles, 23 solo, 9 tackles for losses of 34 yds, 6 sacks for 34 yds, 2 fumbles forced; LB Mike Lansing (Jr, Janesville) 64 tackles, 18 solo, 2 int; DB Derek Sikora (So, Neillsville) 41 tackles, 27 solo, 3 int for 75 yds; DB Mike La Barbera (Sr, Eau Claire) 41 tackles, 25 solo, 1 int, 6 pass break ups; Blugolds avg 393.0 total ypg, 130.7 rushing, 262.3 passing; give up 416.4 total ypg, 167.3 rushing, 249.1 passing; Blugolds have been outscored, 214-205 (30-29).

OFFENSIVE LOOK: Blugolds: multiple; Stout: multi-pro. DEFENSIVE LOOK: Eau Claire: multiple; Stout: 3-4.

COACHES: Stout coach Ed Meierkort (53-55 career) is in his 11th year and has the most wins of any Stout football coach. UW-Eau Claire coach Todd Hofner (28-20) is in his 5th season with the Blugolds.

STOUT COACH ED MEIERKORT SAYS: "(About UW-La Crosse game) We always seemed to be a score behind. We played hard and well at times. We got involved in a shoot out with a high score, and that is not our style. I thought this would be a low scoring game. It was a tight game in the fourth quarter, but we could never close the gap.

"(About UW-Eau Claire game)This is a rivalry. Nothing else really needs to be said. This game is about pride and character. A win would keep us in the top part of the standings. Their quarterback does a nice job. They have solid WIAC running backs and a nice receiving corp. They have always been able to distribute the ball around. The bottom line is we don't like each other and we don't pretend to."

RADIO: WMEQ 880 AM, Jake Bostrom, Steve Schrantz; All games are broadcast live over the Internet at www.wmeq.com

November 1, 2003

La Crosse's Andrew Mocadlo ran for a conference rushing record, tallying 391 total yards on 41 carries, eclipsing Stout's Luke Bundgaard's (Sr, Weyerhaeuser) conference mark.

Defense was virtually non-existant. The Eagles (7-1, 4-1 WIAC) tallied 665 total yards, 424 on the ground, 241 in the air. The Blue Devils (4-4, 2-3) racked up 496 yards - only 113 on the ground, but 383 in air as Stout's Dan Austin (Jr, Clintonville) broke a school record with 241 receiving yards and nine catches. Austin broke the mark of 213 yards set by Mark Rothwell in 1987.

La Crosse led this match-up from start to finish, but the Blue Devils nearly matched the scores through the early part of the second quarter.

The Eagles scored on their first drive when Ben Dorsey pulled in a 74-yard pass from Steve Tennies with less than four minutes off the clock.

Stout matched that with an 81-yard, 7-play drive capped by an 8-yard pass from Nick Ohman (Jr, Glenwood City) to Austin. The point after was blocked and Stout trailed 7-6 at 5:03 in the first quarter. The Eagles scored with two minutes left in the quarter when Jason Kettenhofen scored on a 14-yard pass play.

Again Stout matched the touchdown as the Blue Devils took advantage of a Tony Fitts (Fr, Kewaskum) interception at the La Crosse 42. Ohman hit Austin for a 38-yard play, then Bundgaard rushed in for the score. The two-point conversion failed, and Stout trailed 14-12 at 13:30 in the second quarter.

La Crosse rapped off three scores - a TD and two field goals - over the final 13 minutes to jump out to a 26-12 lead with 27 second left in the half. Following a 16 yard Luke Rykal (Jr, Cadott) kickoff return, Stout needed only two plays to score with four seconds leftin the half. Ohman again connected with Austin, this time for 57 yards to the La Crosse seven. Ohman then found fullback Matt Schaeuble (Jr, Wrightstown) for the seven yard score. The point after made the score 26-19, La Crosse, heading into halftime.

La Crosse scored again in the third, but kept Stout out of the end zone in the stanza. Ohman moved Stout 75 yards in nine plays, capping the drive off with a one-yard plunge by Bundgaard on the first play of the fourth quarter.

La Crosse built up a 47-26 lead on scores by Mocadlo and Dorsey, and Stout added their final score with 4:14 left, an 11-yard run by Ohman.

Ohman was 21-of-34 for 383 yards, two TDs and no interceptions. La Crosse's Tennies was 12-of-25 for 241 yards, two TDs, and two interceptions, the other going to Jordan Sinz (Jr, Edgar). Stout had six players haul in passes, while the Eagles had seven players catch a pass.

Bundgaard was held to 61 yards on 23 carries.

Stout will be at UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, Nov. 8.

October 28, 2003

Kersten had a dominating defensive games for a Blue Devil player as he recorded 13 tackles, seven of them solo. Kersten had five tackles for losses of seven yards and one sack. Kersten also forced a fumble.

Kersten, an interior lineman, was a key to holding UW-River Falls, the top offensive team in the WIAC, to 211 rushing yards. Stout won the contest, 21-13, Saturday, Oct. 25.

"Joe was one of the big factors for holding their running game in check," Stout coach Ed Meierkort said. "He was running to the perimeter and he is an inside guy."

Earlier in the week, Kersten was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) defensive player of the week.

Kersten, at 6-foot, 5-inches, 305-pounds, currently has 34 tackles, 19 solo. He has a team-high 11 tackles for loss for 38 yards, has four sacks for 29 yards, has forced one fumble and broke up one pass.

Soccer

November 1, 2003

The Blue Devils Shannon Hermes (Fr, Prior Lake, Minn) blasted a shot at Wolves' goalkeeper Jane Hoops, who got her upper arms on the ball, sending the ball back into play. Stolarcyzk put a foot on the ball in a midst of humanity, sending the ball into the upper corner with six minutes to play.

The Blue Devils (12-7), which established a new school record with 12 wins on the season, controlled the field for much of the day. The Blue Devils outshot Nebraska Wesleyan (13-5), 13-7. Stout's Melissa Ballweg (Jr, Merrimac) recorded six saves, while Hoops stopped 12 shots.

The game marked the final game of the season for Stout.

Volleyball

November 1, 2003

The Blue Devils (22-12) downed UW-Platteville, 28-30, 30-22, 30-22, 30-25 in the opener, then needed five games to dispose of Bethel College, 27-30, 30-18, 28-30, 30-26, 15-6.

Gretchen Schroer (Sr, Eau Claire), who was named to the all-tournament team, led Stout in both matches, recording 15 kills against Platteville and 18 against Bethel. Tanille Zenner (So, Athens), who was also named the to the all-tournament team, had 11 kills against the Pioneers and 16 against the Royals.

Schroer played defensive specialist against Bethel, recording 19 digs. Zenner had four solo blocks and eight assisted blocks in the same match.

Stout will be at UW-Whitewater in the first round of the WIAC playoffs, Tuesday, Nov. 4. The winner will advance to the semi-finals, Friday, Nov. 7.

October 31, 2003

Stout (20-12) downed Eau Claire, 30-25, 30-19, 30-22, and Gordon College, 30-10, 30-20, 30-22.

Tanille Zenner (So, Athens) had 14 kills against Eau Claire, while Lindsay Mensink (Jr, Ostrander, Minn) recorded the same number against Gordon. Mensink had two solo blocks and two assisted blocks against Gordon. Gretchen Schroer (Sr, Eau Claire) notched 11 kills in both matches. Scooter Aspen (Jr, Eau Claire) served up four service aces against Gordon and two against Eau Claire.

Stout will meet UW-Platteville and Bethel College in the second day of the tournament. The Blue Devils will travel to UW-Whitewater, Tuesday, Nov. 4 to face the Warhawks in the WIAC quarterfinals.

Women's Cross Country

November 1, 2003

Tracy Oostdyk (Sr, Spooner) garnered her first all-conference finish by placing 10th in a time of 22-minutes, 50-seconds. The top seven finishers are accorded first team all-conference, with the 8-14 place finishers named second team. Krista Jahimiak (Fr, La Crosse) finished 19th in a time of 23:07 on the 6-kilometer course.

Kersten Wilson (Jr, Tomahawk) was 32nd (23:37), while Stephanie Nichols (Fr, Chetek) was 51st (24:13).

UW-Stevens Point won the meet.

Stout, which hosted the meet, will have a week off before competing at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regionals, Saturday, Nov. 15 back at Whitetail.

2003 WIAC Women's Cross Country Championships
1. UW-Stevens Point 26; 2. UW-Oshkosh 52; 3. UW-La Crosse 86; 4. UW-Eau Claire 126; 5. UW-Stout 154; 6. UW-River Falls 162; 7. UW-Whitewater 172; 8. UW-Platteville 193; 9. UW-Superior 284

October 28, 2003

Oostdyk won the Lake Wissota Invitational, Friday, Oct. 24 with a lifetime personal best time of 18-minutes, 41-seconds. She broke her previous personal best by more than a minute in the 5-kilomter run.

Oostdyk led the Blue Devils to a win over UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire.

Men's Cross Country

November 1, 2003

Huber recorded a time of 25-minutes, 20-seconds - the 10th best time in Stout history - to lead Stout to a sixth place finish, up one place from last year. The top seven finishers are accorded first team all-conference, with the 8-14 place finishers named second team. UW-Oshkosh won the meet.

Freshman Nate Haeny (Sauk Prairie, Minn) finished 39th (26:23) on the 8-kilometer course. Casey Otto (Sr, Fall Creek) was 51st (26:43).

Stout, which hosted the meet, will have a week off before competing at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regionals, Saturday, Nov. 15 back at Whitetail.

2003 WIAC Men's Cross Country Championships
1. Oshkosh 29; 2. Stevens Point 48; 3. La Crosse 82; 4. Whitewater 107; 5. Platteville 128; 6. Stout 169; 7. Eau Claire 187; 8. River Falls 246; 9. Superior 284.

Individual Results
(First 15 places, all Stout finishers)
1. Ryan Kleimenhagen (PV) 24:42; 2. David Cisewski (Osh) 24:45; 3. Curt Johnson (SP) 24:52; 4. John LeRoy (Osh) 24:55; 5. Nick Boehlke 25:02; 6. Matt Groose (Osh) 25:06; 7. Chad Carstens (WW) 25:08; 8. Mark Lalonde (SP) 25:13; 9. Adam Bucholz (SP) 25:19; 10. Dave Huber (Stout) 25:20; 11. Mark Creger (LX) 25:21: 12. Paul Brown ((Osh) 25:23; 13. Andy Bednarek (SP) 25:24; 14. Andy Grupa (LX) 25:26; 15. Brad Wick (SP) 25:27; 39. Nate Haeny 26:23; 51. Casey Otto 26:43; 57. Ryan Chernik 26:51; 69. Jim Trudeau 27:34; 70. Michael Heinen 27:37; 73. Adam Burrack 27:47; 76. Todd Dexheimer 27:58; 77. Scott Barthel 28:00; 84. Mark Kempen 28:29; 86. Brett Heimstead 28:31; 94. Nate Lynch 29:15.

Men's Ice Hockey

November 1, 2003

In a tale of two different periods, Stout found themselves trailing 3-1 heading into the second stanza.

Josh Blair (So, Appleton) scored only 51 seconds into the second period, getting assists from Mitch Kellin (Sr, Cohasset, Minn) and Rob Olszewski (Fr, Janesville) on the power play goal.

The Blue Devils (2-0) took advantage of the power play again midway through the second period when Olszewski scored his first collegiate goal, getting assists from Blair and Kellin.

Olszewski assisted on the Blue Devils game winning goal with only 90 seconds left in the period. Defenseman Bryan Cummings (Sr, Austin, Minn) got the honors, getting the assist from the Janesville Craig contingent of Olszewski and John Schaffner (Jr, Janesville).

The Sabres (1-2) scored only 35 seconds into the game, but Stout matched the score less than two minutes later on a score by Dan Riffe (Sr, Byron, Ill), with an assist by Jeff DeFrancesca (Fr, Mt. Prospect, Ill). Marian took over in the final 12 minutes of the period. Justin Birks scored at the 14 minute mark and Nate Erick gave Marian a 3-1 lead with eight minutes remaining in the period.

Stout will be at Concordia-Moorhead, Friday, Nov. 7, then will host Augsburg College, Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dunn County Ice Arena.

October 31, 2003

The Blue Devils (1-0) picked up a 3-0 shutout over Lawrence University, Friday, Oct. 31, in Appleton. The shutout was the first for the Blue Devils since the 2001-02 season.

Goalie Jeff Dotson (Sr, Chanhassen, Minn) stopped 24 shots to record his first collegiate shutout.

Mitch Kellin (Sr, Cohasset, Minn) scored two goals to lead Stout's offensive charge. Kellin got the season opening goal with three minutes remaining in the first period, scoring unassisted on a power play.

After a scoreless second period, the Blue Devils' Andy Wiesner (Fr, Rochester, Minn) snagged his first collegiate goal midway through the third period. Joe Schneider (Fr, Cottage Grove, Minn) got the assist. Kellin scored his second power play goal of the night with three minutes left on the clock, with an assist by Rob Olszewski (Fr, Janesville). Stout outshot Lawrence, 47-24.