November 9, 1998

ON THE LINE: Pride. For both teams. UW-Stout is coming off a 62-34 setback to UW-Stevens Point, while UW-Platteville will be trying to salvage anything from this season.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout: The Blue Devils jumped out to 21-7 haltime lead, extended that to 28-7 in the first minute of the second half, then watched as the wheels fell off at Nelson Field, Nov. 7. The Pointers managed to score anyway possible, racking up 21 points in the first four minutes of the second half, and went on to pile up 55 second half points. The 96 points scored by the two teams ties a conference record. Stout QB Matt Bunyan (Sr, Janesville) was his usual self, throwing for four TD passes to match his single season record of 33. He connected on 31-of-58 passes for 457 yards and hooked up with Jesse Witcraft (Sr, New Lisbon) 11 times for 196 yards and two TDs. Shawn Lund (Jr, Ashland) also scored a TD, running his season total to 10 TD receptions, breaking the school single season record. Stout finished with 469 total yards to Points' 488, but the Pointers special teams scored twice, as did the Pointer defense.

Platteville: UW-Oshkosh scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to put away the Pioneers, 49-24, at Oshkosh. Jeremiah Shoemaker (Sr, Atkinson, Ill) carred the ball 24 times for 214 yards, and Michael Hudson (So, Lena, Ill) added 96 yards on 21 carries. The Pioneers racked up 516 total yards, 490 on the ground.

LAST YEAR: Stout and Platteville play in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and are affiliated with the NCAA Division III. After finishing seventh in 1996, the Blue Devils finished in a tie with La Crosse for second last season. Stout was 6-4 overall 5-2 in league play. The Pioneers were 1-9 overall, 0-7 in league play.

THE SERIES: Platteville leads the series, 26-14-1, which stretches back to 1935 with a Platteville, 25-7, win. The Blue Devils have won the last two games, including last year's 49-21 cold weather contest at Nelson Field. Matt Bunyan passed for five TDs and threw for 378 yards. Jim Pillars had three TD receptions. Stout is 3-2 over the last five years, but Platteville holds a 6-4 lead over the last 10 years.

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Matt Bunyan (Sr, Janesville) 356-207-9, 2922 yds (324.7 y/g); 33 TDs, holds school career record for most TDs thrown with 80; WR Jesse Diaz (Jr, Cottage Grove) 54 rec, 868 yds, 16.1 yd/rec, 96.4 yd/game, 8 TDs; WR Jesse Witcraft (Sr, New Lisbon) 30 rec, 679 yds, 22.6 yd/rec, 97.0 yd/game, 6 TDs; TB Shawn Lund (Jr, Ashland) 447 yds, 98 carries, 4.6 yd/carry, 33 rec, 426 yds, 10 TDs (broke school record for most TD passes caught); CB Corey Morning (Sr, Bloomer) 74 tackles, 43 solo, 4 passes broken up, 2 int for 66 yds; LB Eric Lund (So, Ashland) 81 tackles, 41 solo, 12 tackles for losses of 51 yards, 5 sacks for 36 yards, 5 passes broken up; DE Bill Berg (Sr, Washburn) 44 tackles, 16 solo, 11 tackles for losses of 42 yards, 4 sacks for 25 yds, 1 fumble recovery; LB Chad Reichelt (So, Appleton) 58 tackles, 24 solo, 8 tackles for losses of 25 yards; Blue Devils avg 443.0 total ypg, 99.2 rushing, 343.8 passing; give up 424.3 total ypg, 233.7rushing, 190.7 passing.

PLATTEVILLE PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Jeremiah Shoemaker (Sr, Atkinson, Ill) 662 yds, 131 carries, 5.1 yd/carry, 73.6 yd/game; QB John Jacobs (Fr, DePere) 164-61-10, 803 yds, 9 TDs; WR John Weaver (Jr, Darlington) 24 rec, 403 yds, 16.8 yd/rec, 50.4 yd/g; DB Brian Childs (Jr, Mineral, Ill) 77 tackles, 61 solo, 2 int, 3 pass break ups; LB Tim Duffy (Jr, Beloit) 56 tackles, 41 solo, five tackles for losses of 30 yds, 3 sacks for 26 yds; Pioneers avg. 292.6 total ypg, 188.9 rushing, 103.7 passing; give up 401.6 total ypg, 211.4 rushing, 190.1 passing.

OFFENSIVE LOOK: Platteville: Wing-T; Stout: multi-pro set which incorporates a West Coast style offense. DEFENSIVE LOOK: Platteville: 4-3; Stout: 4-3

COACHES: Both Stout coach Ed Meierkort (23-36 career) and Pioneers' coach Jim Kinder (16-43) are in their sixth year.

RADIO: WMEQ 880 AM, Jake Bostrom, Jay Fahl, Dick Lowery

November 7, 1998

MENOMONIE - After leading 21-7 going into halftime, the UW-Stout football team allowed 55 points in the second half and lost, 62-34, to UW-Stevens Point Saturday, Nov. 7 at Nelson Field.

Stout actually jumped out to a 28-7 lead to start off the second half when quarterback Matt Bunyan (Sr, Janesville) connected with Jesse Diaz (Jr, Cottage Grove) 51 seconds into the half.

But the Pointer put 21 points up in the next three minutes. The Pointers' Andy Martin returned the kickoff 88 yards for a score, then held Stout and recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. A fumble by the Blue Devils (4-5, 2-4) on the ensuing led to Stevens Point's next scored, a 9-yard pass play from Ryan Aulenbacher to Wade Ullsperger as the Pointers tied the score at 28-28 at the 11:26 mark.

The Pointers (6-2, 5-2) tacked on another score late in the period, when Aulenbacher and Ullsperger hooked up again, this time for 6-yard out and a 34-28 lead.

It was all downhill from there for the Blue Devils.

The Pointers, who averaged only 70.3 yards per game rushing, used the rush to down the Blue Devils. The Pointers went on the ground 70 yards in five plays, capped off by a 22-yard run by Shane Lamont early in the fourth quarter.

The Pointers tagged on another score, when Clint Kriewaldt picked up a fumble and rumbled 22 yards to paydirt.

Stout tried to get back into the game, and Bunyan connected with Jesse Witcraft (Sr, New Lisbon) for a 25-yard pass at the 8:38 mark in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 47-34. That would be it.

Wally Schmitt scored from 5-yards out two minutes later, and Andy Palzkill put the final nail in the coffin when he intercepted a Bunyan pass and returned it 97 yards.

The Blue Devils jumped all over the Pointers in the first half, as Aaron Johnson (Fr, Clear Lake) scored from 2-yards out at the 10:11 mark of the first period.

Stout jumped out to a 13-0 lead when Shawn Lund (Jr, Ashland) hauled in a 9-yard pass, his 10th of the season, breaking the school record. The extra point was not good.

The Blue Devils got the ball back after Corey Morning (Sr, Bloomer) intercepted an Aulenbacher pass and returned it to the Pointer 27. On the next play, Bunyan found Witcraft for a 27-yard TD. Bunyan hooked up with Diaz for the two-point conversion and Stout led 21-0.

The Pointers got their only score of the first half with 12:54 remaining in the second quarter when Schmitt scored from three yards out.

Then halftime struck.

The 96 points scored tied a conference record for most points scored by two teams. Stout and La Crosse had set the record earlier this season.

With the win, the Pointers clinched a tie for the conference title with UW-River Falls, which downed UW-Whitewater. Both Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire have two losses, and both play conference games next week. River Falls and Stevens Point have completed their conference play and have non-conference games next week.

The Pointers racked up 488 total yards, 185 by pass, 303 by rushing. The Blue Devils had 469 total yards, 457 in the air, 12 on the ground.

Bunyan had all 457 yards of Stout's passing yardage, completing 31-of-58 attempts. Witcraft caught 11 balls for 196 yards and Diaz pulled in six catches for 103 yards.

Schmitt led all rushers with 186 yards on 24 attempts. Aulenbacher completed 16-of-27 passes for 185 yards.

The Blue Devils will close out the season Saturday, Nov. 14 when they travel to UW-Platteville.

Soccer

November 7, 1998

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout's only women's soccer coach was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) soccer coach of the year.

Lisa Petruccelli, who came to Stout in 1995 to set up the women's varsity soccer program, received the honor Sunday, Nov. 1, after the finals of the WIAC Championships at River Falls.

The Blue Devils finished the season at 7-10-1 overall. The Blue Devils, while not having as good a record as the previous year, showed improvement, especially on defense, where opponents scored 10 less goals than last season.

The Blue Devils don't just play and practice the world's most popular sport - they share it with the community. In addition to an annual spring soccer camp, the Petruccelli-led Blue Devils hold clinics at area elementary schools and find ways to recognize area youth during games.

A native of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and a four year player for Smith College in Northampton, Mass., Petruccelli was the interim coach at the NCAA Division I University of Maine-Orono before coming to Stout. In addition to her coaching and teaching duties, Petruccelli is also the Blue Devils' women's recruiting coordinator.

Volleyball

November 9, 1998

MENOMONIE - The UW-Stout volleyball team will make only their second ever NCAA Division III playoff appearance this week when they will face Elmhurst, Ill, College Thursday, Nov. 12 at UW-Whitewater.

The Blue Devils are coming off their best season since 1994, when they received their first playoff bid and finished with a 33-6 record. Stout is posting a 21-13 overall record and finished fourth at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships.

The Blue Devils were named the fifth seed in the Midwest Region and will face fourth seeded Elmhurst, which concluded their season with a 30-7 overall mark.

The Blue Devils are led by senior middle hitter Stacy Stoddard (Sr, St. Paul, Minn), who set a school record for most kills in a single season with 508. Tori Feit (Jr, Rushmore, Minn) is the Blue Devils' second leading hitter with 404 kills, and Monica Cyrus (Sr, Farmington, Minn) has 319. Cyrus is the Blue Devils' leader in digs with 496 and Stoddard, who owns nearly every Stout blocking record, has recored a season team-high of 48 solo blocks and 57 block assists.

Jenny Kraczek (Jr, Blaine, Minn) is nationally ranked 16th in assists, averaging 10.85 per game. As a team, Stout ranks 13th nationally in assists with 12.67.

Elmhurst ranks 13th nationally as a team in digs with 22.01 per game, and are 10th nationally in blocks, averaging 2.63. Sarah Hawkins is ranked eighth nationally in blocks with 1.31 per game, while Deb Hughes is 13th in digs with 4.80.

November 7, 1998

WHITEWATER - UW-Stout got a balanced attack, but UW-La Crosse also had a balanced attack, but had more of an attack as the Eagles downed the Blue Devils, 15-5, 15-4, 15-11, in the third place match of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships.

Stacy Stoddard (Sr, St. Paul, Minn) led Stout, as she has done all season, with 12 kills. Monica Cyrus (Sr, Farmington, Minn) and Tori Feit (Jr, Rushmore, Minn) each had 10 kills.

Stout (21-13) tallied 39 kills, while the Eagles (22-13) had 52 and were led by Angela Muenkel with 17.

November 6, 1998

WHITEWATER - UW-Whitewater swept past the UW-Stout volleyball team in the first two games but the Blue Devils put up a fight in the third, but it was not enough as the Warhawks downed Stout, 15-8, 15-4, 16-14, in the semi-final round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships Friday, Nov. 6 at Whitewater.

Stacy Stoddard (Sr, St. Paul, Minn) led the offensive attack with 16 kills as the Blue Devils woke up in the third game with the No. 6 nationally ranked Warhawks. Stoddard also contributed two solo blocks and two assisted blocks.

Tori Feit (Jr, Rushmore, Minn) contributed eight kills and two assisted blocks.

November 3, 1998

STEVENS POINT - UW-Stout's heavy hitters led a balanced attack as the Blue Devils downed UW-Stevens Point, 15-8, 10-15, 15-7, 15-12, in the quarterfinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) volleyball championships at Stevens Point, Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Stacy Stoddard (Sr, St. Paul, Minn) led the attack with 21 kills, while Monica Cyrus (Sr, Farmington, Minn) recorded 16 and Tori Feit (Jr, Rushmore, Minn) delivered 13. Stoddard also picked up three solo blocks.

Jenny Kraczek (Jr, Blaine, Minn) had 58 assists and four service aces.

The Blue Devils (21-11), who are enjoying their best season since 1994, advance to the WIAC semi-finals Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. against No. 1 seeded UW-Whitewater at Whitewater.

November 3, 1998

Stoddard, the team's leader in kills with 503 for the season, posts a 3.35 grade point average and is a Human Development and Family Life major. She had been named the WIAC player of the week once this season and was named to three all-tournament teams.

The award was announced Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the quarterfinals of the WIAC championships in Stevens Point.

Men's Cross Country

November 9, 1998

MENOMONIE - After a week off, the UW-Stout men's cross country team will compete in the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Saturday, Nov. 14 hosted by Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Women's Cross Country

November 9, 1998

MENOMONIE - The UW-Stout women's cross country team will attempt to qualify as a team to the NCAA Division III national meet when they compete at the NCAA Division III Midwest Region Saturday, Nov. 14 hosted by Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Stout was ranked 21st in the latest NCAA Division III poll.

Katy Olsen (Sr, Rice Lake) and Katie Jacobson (Sr, Eau Claire) will both be looking for a return trip to the national meet scheduled for Nov. 21 hosted by Dickinson College in Carlilse, Pa.

October 31, 1998

OSHKOSH - UW-Stout's Katie Jacobson (Sr, Eau Claire/Altoona HS) received the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) award for women's cross country.

Jacobson, a Family & Consumer Education major, placed third at the WIAC Women's Cross Country championships Oct. 31 at Oshkosh. Her time of 18:05 is the second fastest time in Blue Devil women's cross country history. Jacobson has a grade point average of 3.59.

Men's Ice Hockey

November 7, 1998

MENOMONIE - UW-Stevens Point scored four goals in the first period and went on to take a 6-3 win over UW-Stout Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Dunn County Ice Arena.

Stout (1-6, 0-3 NCHA, 1-3 WIAC) got on the board midway throught he second period when R.J. Schreifer (Jr, Cottage Grove, Minn) and Graham Lomen (Sr, Apple Valley, Minn) scored goals within a minute of each other.

But the Pointers (2-2, 2-2, 2-0) increased their cushion two minutes later with a goal at the 12:13 mark.

Stout threatened to make a close game of it four minutes into the final stanza when Andy Anderson (So, Burnsville, Minn) scored. The Pointers' Ben Gorewich scored midway through the period to complete the scoring.

The Blue Devils outshot the Pointers, 32-31, with Pointer goalie Tony Bergeron turning awa 29 shots, while Stout freshman goalie Ben Plester (Chamainus, B.C.) stopped 25.

Neither team was successful in nine power play attempts, although Schriefer's goal came when Stout was short handed.

Stout turns to non-conference action this week when they host St. Thomas Tuesday, Nov. 10 and Gustavus Adolphus, Friday, Nov. 13. Both games begin at 7:30 p.m.

November 6, 1998

STEVENS POINT - After trading goals with UW-Stout in the first period, UW-Stevens Point exploded for four goals in the second period, but still had to hold off the Blue Devils for a 9-7 win Friday, Nov. 6 at Stevens Point.

The Blue Devils (1-5, 0-2 NCHA, 1-2 WIAC) took a 3-2 lead into the second stanza, but couldn't stop the Pointers who scored all four goals within eight minutes to take a 6-3 lead.

But Stout wasted no time getting back into the match in the third period when Tom Schaffner (Sr, Janesville) scored three minutes into the stanza. Luke Murray (Jr, Bloomington, Minn) scored his second goal of the night two minutes later as Stout cut the deficit to 6-5. The Pointers' added another goal to stretch the lead to 7-5.

Kevin Aube (So, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich) tied the score, getting two power play goals at the 10 minute and 11 minute mark.

Stevens Point's Norm Campbell gave the Pointers (1-2, 1-2, 1-0) an 8-7 lead with five minutes remaining and Duncan Cook sealed the win with a goal in the final minute. Cook finished with three goals on the night, and Ben Gorewich had two goals and four assists.

In all, seven goals were scored in the third period. Stevens Point outshot the Blue Devils, 39-35. Also scoring for Stout were Graham Lomen (Sr, Apple Valley, Minn) and Matt Gehr (Fr, New Richmond). The game counted in the standings in both the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).

Men's Basketball

November 3, 1998

MENOMONIE - The UW-Stout men's basketball team were to play an exhibition game Thursday, Nov. 12 with the SuperSonics Basketball Club of Sierra Leone, West Africa, but due to unrest in the country, the team's tour has been cancelled.

Instead, both the men's and women's basketball teams will conduct Blue-White games beginning at 7 p.m. in Johnson Fieldhouse. No admission will be charged.

For more information about the game, call 715-232-2275 or 715-232-2224.