Football

September 20, 1999

UW-Stout Blue Devils (1-1, 0-0) at UW-Stevens Point Pointers (2-0, 0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m.
Goerke Field, Stevens Point, Wis.

ON THE LINE: The non-conference season is now history, as UW-Stout opens up the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season with one of last year's four co-conference champion, UW-Stevens Point. The Blue Devils are coming off a disappointing 34-28 overtime road loss at St. Ambrose. The Pointers are the only WIAC team to not lose this season. Stevens Point is coming off a 28-17 come-from-behind win over NCAA Division I-AA Drake University. This is also Stevens Point's annual Spud Bowl.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout: Stout ouplayed NAIA St. Ambrose in every facet of the game, except the final score, losing in overtime when the Bees returned an errant center snap for the game winning TD while the Devils were in a shotgun formation. QB Marty Goryl (Sr, Greenfield) threw for his second 300-plus game, tallying 315 yards on 26 completions and three TDs. Jesse Diaz (Sr, Cottage Grove) had nine catches for 107 yards, but got knocked out of the game on his one TD catch. John Bekish (Sr, Park Center, Minn) had seven catches for 90 yards. Ross Moline rushed for his second 100-yard game, tallying 140 yards on 23 carries. Stout held a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter. The teams traded touchdowns, then St. Ambrose scored 20 unanswered points to finish the game. Stout finished with 511 total yards, 196 on the ground, 315 through the air. St. Ambrose was held to 317 total yards, 110 by rush, 207 by passing.

Stevens Point: After losing a 14-7 lead to Drake, the Pointers came from a 17-14 deficit to rattle off two unanswered TDs to down the Bulldogs, 28-17. The Pointers converted 13-of-18 third down situtations as they finished with 163 rushing yards, 248 yards passing. Ryan Aulenbacher (Sr, Hartford) accounted for all of the passing yardage, completing 21 passes for two TDs. Chad Valentyne had six receptions for 74 yards. Larry Aschebrook (Sr, Clintonville) and Tom Nolan (Sr, Wausau) both caught passes for TDs. Wally Schmitt (Jr, Stratford) had 24 carries for 117 rushing yards. The Pointers gave up 433 total yards, 120 by rushing, 313 through the air.

THE SERIES: Stevens Point leads the series, 39-13-2, and have won eight of the last 10 meetings, including last year's 62-34 decision in Menomonie. Stout held a 28-7 lead only two minutes into the second half when the wheels fell off as the Pointers scored six consecutive TDs, just about any way possible - kickoff return, blocked punt return, two short passes, rush and fumble recovery for a score. Stats were relatively even, with the Pointers notching 488 total yards, 309 by rushing, 185 by passing, while Stout had 469, 37 on the ground, 457 in the air.

STOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH: WR Jesse Diaz (Sr, Cottage Grove) 12 rec, 173 yds (1998 - 58 rec, 958 yds, 16.5 yd/rec, 95.8 yd/game, 9 TDs); TB Ross Moline (So, Genoa) 299 yds, 6.1 y/car, 49 carries, 3 TDs; RB Aaron Johnson (So, Clear Lake) 176 yds, 27 carries, 1 TD, 6 rec, 84 yds; TB Shawn Lund (Sr, Ashland) (1998 - 450 yds, 102 carries, 4.4 yd/carry, 35 rec, 449 yds, 12 receiving TDs, 3 rushing TDs, injured, expected back Oct. 2); WR John Bekish (Sr, Park Center, Minn) 12 rec, 197 yds, 3 TDs; QB Marty Goryl (Sr, Greenfield) 68-41-0, 622 yds, 7 TDs; LB Steve Miller (Jr, Lodi) 21 tackles, 1 pass break up; FS Eric Lund (Jr, Ashland) 10 tackles, seven solo (1998 - 94 tackles, 47 solo, 14 tackles for losses of 53 yards, 5 sacks for 36 yards, 5 passes broken up); Blue Devils avg 566.5 total ypg, 250.5 rushing, 316.0 passing; give up 314.5 total ypg, 87.5 rushing, 227.0 passing.

STEVENS POINT PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Ryan Aulenbacher (Sr, Hartford) 69-37-1, 497 yds, 1 TD; RB Wally Schmitt (Jr, Stratford) 196 yds, 38 carries, 5.2 y/car; WR Chad Valentyne (Fr, Kimberly) 9 rec, 106 yds, 5 kickoff returns, 229 yds, 45.8 y/ret, one 93 yd TD return; WR Larry Aschebrook (Sr, Clintonville) 7 rec, 138 yds, 19.7 y/rec; DL Mark Fetzer (Sr, Neenah) 11 tackles, eight solo, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss of 12 yards; LB Len Luedtke (Sr, Marshfield) 14 tackles, 10 solo; LB Heath Novitzke (So, Ringle) 20 tackles, 12 solo, 5 tackles for losses of 10 yds; offensive line averages 292-pounds. Pointers avg 382 ypg, 133.5 rushing, 248.5 passing; give up 430.0 ypg, 145 rushing, 285 passing

OFFENSIVE LOOK: Stevens Point: Pro-I; Stout: multi-pro set which incorporates a West Coast style offense. DEFENSIVE LOOK: Stevens Point: 4-3 variation; Stout: 3-4

COACHES: Stout coach Ed Meierkort (25-37 career) is in his seventh year. Pointers coach John Miech (76-33-2) is in his 12th.

STOUT COACH ED MEIERKORT SAYS: "After rehashing everything over, we can't over-react to an overtime loss. Our reaction should be in how we react to how we got to overtime. We had a 14-point lead, took a sack and didn't make the plays. Our defensive secondary made some mistakes. We will try to learn from it. Our last two road games (the St. Ambrose game and last year's last second 45-43 loss at Whitewater) had disastrous outcomes. We have become battle hardened by it. It will help us down the road where we will get one of these. We made some uncharacteristic mistakes. If we exorcised all the bad luck at St. Ambrose, it will be worth it.

"It's conference time now. The Pointers haven't lost a Spud Bowl game in 13 years. They will give us a good solid defense and a steady offensive scheme. With their enormous offensive line, they will try to pound it up front. I don't know if we are up to it or not, but we will find out Saturday. I don't think we can play 100 times and have what happened last year happen again."

RADIO: WMEQ 880 AM, Jake Bostrom, Dan Stevens, Dick Lowery

September 18, 1999

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Holding a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter, UW-Stout saw St. Ambrose storm back to take a 34-28 overtime win Saturday, Sept. 18, in Davenport, Iowa.

The Blue Devils tipped the scales in just about every statistical category - Stout had 511 total yards to St. Ambrose's 317 - but the final score. The St. Ambrose team of quarterback Josh Schmidt to Tyrone Tyler accounted for three touchdowns in the final 18 minutes of regulation to knot the score at 28-28.

The Bees' Jeff Ramsey picked up a high snap from center that went over Blue Devil quarterback Marty Goryl's (Sr, Greenfield) head and returned the ball some 50 yards for the winning score in overtime.

After both teams missed first quarter field goals, St. Ambrose struck first after recovering a Blue Devil fumble and scoring on the ensuing drive when starting quarterback Dan McCullen plunged 1-yard into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter.

The Blue Devils answered back at the 3:12 mark of the quarter when Ross Moline (So, Genoa) capped off an 84-yard, 15-play drive with a 4-yard scamper.

Stout opened the second half with another 84-yard drive and Goryl completed his first of three TD passes when he hit Matt Wirth (Fr, Barron) for a 27-yard score at the 12:14 mark. The Blue Devils tacked another score on at the 6:36 mark when Goryl found Jesse Diaz (Sr, Cottage Grove) on the goal line. Diaz paid for the score, taking a hit that knocked him out of the game.

St. Ambrose began to find the answers. Schmidt replaced McCullen at quarterback, and brought the score to 21-14 with a 20-yard TD reception at the 2:41 mark.

Stout seemed to take control in the fourth quarter, when Goryl completed a 6-yard score to John Bekish (Sr, Park Center, Minn) at the 12:04 mark.

From there, the Blue Devil offense could not seem to move. After going three plays and out, Schmidt and Tyler hooked up for a 14-yard score. The Devils went three and out again, and Schmidt moved the ball 71 yards in three plays, capped off by his final TD, a 53-yard play to Tyler.

The Blue Devils threatened as the game wore down. Driving to the St. Ambrose 27, Stout called time out with one second remaining, but kicker Kevin McCulley's 44 yard field goal attempt fell short.

Moline had his second 100-yard rushing game, racking up 140 yards on 23 carries. Aaron Johnson (So, Clear Lake) finished with 77 yards.

Goryl aired out the ball for the second consecutive game, picking up 315 yards on 26 completions. Diaz finished with 107 yards on nine catches, while Bekish had seven catches for 90 yards.

The Bee's Schmidt finished with 181 yards passing, completing 9-of-16.

Stout opens up Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Saturday, Sept. 25 when they travel to UW-Stevens Point to face the Pointers at 7 p.m.

Soccer

September 18, 1999

ST. PAUL, Minn. - UW-Stout's Nellie Sivertsen (Fr, River Falls) knotted the game at the 87-minute, but St. Olaf came back in overtime to take a 3-2 win Saturday, Sept. 18 at the River Heights Field.

The Blue Devils (1-6) kept coming from behind all day. After St. Olaf scored 12 minutes into the second half to open up the scoring, Sivertsen answered back only two minutes later when she took a pass from Sivertsen.

The Oles (5-0) regained the lead at the 69-minute mark when Carolyn Detsen scored.

Jessica Unterweger (Sr, Nashotah) helped tie the game up when her cross shot set up Sivertsen with less than three minutes remaining in regulation.

Stout had a couple of opportunities in overtime, but came up empty. St. Olaf got the win when Becca Loerch headed a corner kick in.

The Oles outshot Stout, 23-11. Stout goalkeeper Jessie Sutherland (So, Duluth, Minn) had 13 saves, while the Ole's Kathy Ballard finished with six.

Stout will host Viterbo College Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. and conference leader UW-Stevens Point Saturday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.

September 15, 1999

MENOMONIE - UW-Eau Claire came out strong against UW-Stout Wednesday, Sept. 15, scoring three goals in the first half, to down the Blue Devils 3-0, in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) match-up at the River Heights Field.

The first goal came at the four minute mark of the first half, when Blugold Tina Welle took a crossing pass bad-hopped the ball past Blue Devil goalkeeper Jessica Sutherland (So, Duluth, Minn). The Blugolds came back at the 12 minute mark to go up 2-0, then added a final goal at the 21-minute mark of the first half.

Stout (1-5, 1-1) then found the suffocating defense that had allowed only one goal against St. Thomas and UW-Platteville as Sutherland and the defense did not allow another goal the rest of the way. Sutherland, along with defenders Carrie Kennedy (Jr, Watertown), Lynne Mundahl (Fr, Chanhassen, Minn) and Raina Schneider (Fr, Sheboygan) allowed only five second half Blugold shots, none from within the penalty area.

Stout had scoring opportunities in the second half. Nellie Sivertsen (Fr, River Falls) fed a nice ball to Jessica Unterweger (Sr, Nashotah) at the 54th minute, but the shot just missed the upper corner. Kim Severson's (Jr, Belleville) corner kick went to Kate Knoepsel (Fr, Green Bay), but Knoepsel's shot was deflected by the Blugold goalkeeper midway through the half.

Sutherland recorded 10 saves off Eau Claire's 19 shots. The Blue Devils recorded four shots, with Blugold goalkeeper Chandra Butterfield recording three saves. Eau Claire (4-2, 1-0) was ranked ninth in the latest Central Region poll.

"We showed a lot of maturity coming back and playing a strong second half," said Blue Devil coach Dave Morris, "but we need to be able to respond to tough situations without breaking down mentally. We were not able to hold them off early on when we did not get some breaks."

Volleyball

September 17, 1999

MENOMONIE - After dominating the first game in quick fashion, it appeared the UW-Stout volleyball team would have little trouble with UW-Oshkosh. But the Titans turned the tables on the Blue Devils and wound up taking the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) contest, 7-15, 15-11, 11-15, 15-8, 15-11, Friday, Sept. 17 at Johnson Fieldhouse.

With the first contest firmly in hand, the Blue Devils (5-2, 0-1) hit only .154 as they dropped the second game, then hit 30 percent in third game, but won because Oshkosh hit a meager -.111. Oshkosh (5-5, 1-0) forced the fifth and final game, then went on a 6-2 run to finish the match.

Stout was led by Heather Cassell (Jr, Lake Geneva) with 16 kills. Tori Feit (Sr, Rushmore, Minn) had 14 kills and Rachel Eidet (So, North Mankato, Minn) finished with 10.

The Titan's Jane Copenhaven took honors with 23 kills.

September 15, 1999

MENOMONIE - After dropping the first game, the UW-Stout volleyball team roared back to take the match, 3-1, over Concordia-St. Paul, Wednesday, Sept. 15 at Johnson Fieldhouse.

Tori Feit (Sr, Rushmore, Minn) put up the biggest fight for the Blue Devils (5-1), controlling the offense with 22 kills. While Feit was taking care of the offense, she got some able assistance from transfer Brooke Palmer (So, Mantorville, Minn), who smacked down 11 kills, but also tacked on three solo blocks and five assisted blocks.

Alison West (So, Cadott) also came up big defensively, notching two solo blocks and four assisted blocks.

Heather Cassell (Jr, Lake Geneva) added 10 kills. Jenny Kraczek (Sr, Blaine, Minn) finished the night with 53 assists and had four service aces. The Golden Bears' Chelsea Schultz had 14 kills to lead Concordia (7-8).

Men's Cross Country

September 4, 1999

MENOMONIE - The Blue Devils were off last week and return to action with the junior varsity traveling to Carleton College, Friday, Sept. 24 and the varsity will be at the University of Minnesota, Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m.

Women's Cross Country

September 18, 1999

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Amy Arndt (So, Lakefield, Minn) shaved more than a minute off her St. Olaf Invitational time from last year and paced the UW-Stout women's cross country team to an eighth place finish at this year's St. Olaf Invitationals Saturday, Sept. 18 at Northfield, Minn.

Arndt finished in a time of 20-minutes, 27-seconds. Jennifer Bahr (Sr, Forest Lake, Minn) finished 38th (20:37) and Lisa Sorvala (Fr, New Brighton, Minn) was 44th (20:47).

The Blue Devils Katie Kuffel (Sr, Minneapolis, Minn) was competing ill and was almost kept out of the race, but finished 52nd (21:08). Jenn Wucherer (Sr, Edgar) was forced out of the race due to an injury.

The Blue Devils will be off next week, and will return to action Friday, Oct. 1 at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational at Colfax.

St. Olaf Invitational
1. St. Olaf 29; 2. Minnesota JV 84; 3. Macalester, UW-Stevens Point 85; 5. UW-Eau Claire 193; 6. UW-Superior 207; 7. Gustavus 214; 8. UW-Stout 222; 9. Northwestern, Bethel 274; 11. Martin Luther 310; 12. WInona 322; 13. St. Catherine 343; 14. St. Thomas JV 379; 15. Buena Vista 387; 16. Hamline 456.

Women's Tennis

September 18, 1999

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The UW-Stout women's tennis team fell 8-1 to St. Thomas in a dual meet Saturday, Sept. 18 in St. Paul, Minn.

Lauren Mader (Sr, Neenah) was the lone Blue Devil to win, downing Kelly Biesenstein, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Mader kept her record at a perfect 3-0 with the win.

Stout returns to action Friday, Sept. 24 when they travel to UW-Oshkosh, then to UW-Whitewater Saturday, Sept. 25.

St. Thomas 8, UW-Stout 1
Singles: No. 1: Lauren Mader (Stout) def. Biesenstein, 6-1, 6-2; No. 2: Ziegler (ST) def. Lauren Johnson, 6-0, 6-1; No. 3: Mueller (ST) def. Angela Hough, 6-0, 6-2; No. 4: Chatelle (ST) def. Cecily Marx, 6-0, 6-0; No. 5: Bell (ST) def. Katy Berry, 6-1, 6-0; No. 6: Wieden (ST) wins by default.
Doubles: No. 1: Beisenstein/Ziegler (ST) def. Mader/Johnson, 8-4; No. 2: Weiden/Weaver (ST) def. Marx/Berry, 8-0; No. 3: St. Thomas wins by default

Updated: September 20, 1999