DULUTH, Minn. – Three of St. Scholastica's six Fall sports teams will open their seasons Wednesday at home, as men's and women's soccer play host to the Macalester College Scots and volleyball hosts Augsburg, Wis.-Superior, and Northland in a mini-tournament.
Men's Soccer
Last Action: When we last left the Saints men's team, they edged conference rivals Minn.-Morris in a shootout (after the two teams played to a scoreless tie through two overtimes) to claim the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament Championship for the eighth time on Nov. 7, 2009.
St. Scholastica Saints Notes: The Saints return ten of eleven starters from the 2009 UMAC Championship game and are looking to repeat that success in 2010 as an automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament will be awarded to this year's champion. CSS was voted #1 in the UMAC Coaches Preseason Poll … UMAC Player of the Year #Toby Peter#
(Sr.-Spalt, Germany) will continue to lead the Saints offense in 2010 after scoring 28 points last season. Peter is seventh on the career points list for CSS … Goalkeeper #Sam Reed#
(Jr.-Eastbourne, England) returns after starting every game in net for the Saints last season … Peter is one of 10 seniors on the Saints this season, as coach
Barry Chastey has his most experienced roster to date … Joining the veterans are 13 newcomers, including two goalkeepers and three players from the United Kingdom that coach Chastey is very excited to have added.
Macalester Scots Notes: Head coach Ian Barker returns four of his top six scorers from last season's Scots team which finished second in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 13-8-1 overall record while going 7-3-0 in the MIAC … The Scots offense should be led by last season's second- and third-leading scorers for Macalester in Taylor Rasmussen (So.-Eagan, Minn.) and Stephen Murphy-Logue (Sr.-Anchorage, Alaska). Rasmussen scored six goals and two assists for 14 points without a single start in 2009. Murphy-Logue was not far behind with five goals and two assists for 12 points … Macalester's two starting netminders from 2009 both return. Matt Weyer (Jr.-Cedarburg, Wis.) and Mark Mullaney (Sr.-Plymouth, Minn.) combined for a 1.06 GAA and 95 saves last season.
Last Meeting: The Saints edged the Scots 2-1 in overtime last season at Macalester Stadium on Sept. 4, 2009.
Women's Soccer
Last Action: The CSS women also played a tight game in the UMAC Championship last season, but they edged Northland College 1-0 at home on Nov. 7, 2009.
St. Scholastica Saints Notes: Head coach
Dave Reyelts lost six All-UMAC players in the offseason, but the Saints were still ranked No. 1 in the UMAC Coaches Preseason Poll … CSS will be led by seniors #Sarah Kloeckner# (
Sr.-Stillwater, Minn.) and #Nicole Brandt#
(Sr.-Rochester, Minn.). The pair each played in at least 20 games last season. Brandt was second on the team with eight assists … CSS returns goalkeeper #Bailey Mahlum#
(Jr.-Bismarck, N.D.), who started nine games in 2009, winning her first six decisions. Five of her seven victories were shutouts last year … The Saints added 16 newcomers in 2010, including transfer #Malia Grosskreutz#
(So.-Hilo, Hawaii), who comes to the Saints from Lewis & Clark (Ore.) College, where she made 12 starts in 2008.
Macalester Scots Notes: Former Macalester team captain and All-American player Kate Ryan-Reilling returns to her alma mater as the first-year head coach of the Scots, who were picked to finish fifth in the MIAC this season … The Scots' 2009 leading scorer, Emily Baldwell (Sr.-Denver, Colo.) returns after earning 33 points on 16 goals in 2009. She is one of eight seniors returning from a talented Macalester squad which went 14-6-2 in 2009 ... Another key returner for the Scots is goalkeeper Tressa Versteeg (Sr.-Pella, Iowa), who posted a miniscule 0.94 GAA last year with 54 saves and six shutouts … The Scots have just two first-year players on their roster.
Last Meeting: The Scots earned a 3-0 victory at Macalester Stadium on Sept. 4, 2009.
Volleyball
Last Action: The Saints claimed the UMAC Tournament Championship on Nov. 7, 2009, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat rival Northwestern in five sets.
St. Scholastica Saints Notes: Despite losing three key starters from last season, head coach
Dana Moore's Saints were tabbed to win the UMAC for the second straight season in the UMAC Coaches Preseason Poll … CSS returns UMAC Rookie of the Year #Paige Hardy# (So.-Hibbing, Minn.) and All-UMAC Honorable Mention setter #Sarah Kurtovich# (So.-Andover, Minn.). Hardy started 26 matches and finished the season with 355 kills while Kurtovich was second on the team with 451 digs and 30 service aces in 2009 … Coach Moore will continue to rely on youth with eight newcomers joining a team with just two upper-classmen in #Molly Roith#
(Sr.-Plymouth, Minn.) and #Nikki Hughes#
(Jr.-Lake Nebagamon, Wis.). Included in this year's incoming class is transfer #Anna Zyvoloski#
(So.-Sauk Rapids, Minn.), who played 32 matches at Minn.-Duluth last season.
Augsburg Auggies Notes: The Auggies have a new coach in 2010, as Jane Gibbs joins the team after leading Luther (Iowa) College to the school's first-ever NCAA tournament berth in 2009 … Three starters return for coach Gibbs in outside hitter Katie Christensen (Sr.-North Mankato, Minn.), right-side hitter Amanda Unze (So.-Chanhassen, Minn.) and setter Denille Johnson (Sr.-Blaine, Minn.) … The Auggies also bring in a talented group of newcomers led by transfer Micha Sater (So.-Fridley, Minn.) … Augsburg finished 2009 with a 17-14 record.
Last Meeting: The Saints edged the Auggies in five sets last season on Sept. 9, 2009.
Northland LumberJills Notes: Coach Heidi Smith returns for her second season after her LumberJills finished 15-18 last season, good for third in the UMAC … The 'Jills will be led by middle hitter Laura Fisher (Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) and defensive specialist Carrie Dohlman (Sr.-Riceville, Iowa). They are the only upperclassmen on the Northland squad … Four first-year players will join six sophomores to round out the team, including outside hitters Andrea Hubka (Fr.-Moorhead, Minn.) and Dianna Martin (Fr.-Minneapolis, Minn.) … Despite last season's success, the 'Jills were picked to finish fifth in 2010, according to the UMAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Last Meeting: CSS edged Northland in the opening round of the UMAC Tournament on Nov. 3, 2009, 3-1.
Wis.-Superior Yellowjackets Notes: Eighth-year head coach Lynne Deadrick's Yellowjackets are making a youth movement, losing five letterwinners from last season for a team that has no seniors in 2010. The Yellowjackets were tabbed to finish ninth in the WIAC Preseason Coaches Poll … Returning to lead the jackets is Nikki Gosson (So.-Mankato, Minn.), who had 104 kills in 66 sets last season and Rachel Langer (Jr.-Ellsworth, Wis.) … Six first-year players join the 'Jackets in 2010 … Superior posted a 12-20 last season.
Last Meeting: The Saints defeated the Yellowjackets in straight sets at home on Sept. 26, 2009.
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The CSS volleyball mini-tournament gets underway bright and early, with St. Scholastica opening with Wis.-Superior and Northland against Augsburg at 9 a.m., with games continuing throughout the day. Soccer starts at 3 p.m. with the women while the men follow shortly thereafter around 5 p.m.
