Getting to Know your CSS Athlete – Women’s Soccer Senior Robin Johnson

Johnson led Saints to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this season. She is the all-time leading scorer in CSS soccer history, both men and women. She majors in elementary education and received her third College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District honor this year.

1. Why did you choose to come to CSS and were there more lucrative offers from other schools?

I chose to attend CSS because I am from Duluth and I wanted to stay in town. I wanted to receive a good education and be able to play soccer for a good team and CSS fit both of those requirements. I wasn't recruited by any other schools.

2. You're the leading goal-scorer in CSS Women's soccer history. With all of the goals you have scored is there one that stands out? And why?

I remember scoring a goal against Eau-Claire my freshman year. I didn't even realize at the time how big of a deal it was because they were a very good team and we beat them.

3. You attended Marshall School and St. Scholastica. After you graduate you want to teach and coach soccer in Duluth. What is it about the city that makes you want to hang around?

I like Duluth mostly because my family and friends are here. I've grown up here and I like being in a familiar environment and seeing familiar faces. I just don't think things would be the same anywhere else.

4. Tell me a little bit about your family?

I have an older sister (26) and brother (23) and a younger brother (19). My parents got divorced about five years ago and I lived with my dad until this summer when I moved in with my sister.

5. Was soccer always your favorite sport growing up?

Yes. I started playing when I was about 3 years old and stuck with it ever since. My dad started coaching my summer team when I was about 10 all the way through high school. I think our "soccer bond" is part of the reason I love soccer so much and he has taught me more about the game than anyone else I know.

6. After spending four years with Coach Reyelts, what has been the most influential item that he has taught you?

I think one of the most important things that Dave has taught me is how to be a better leader on and off the field - how to be confident and be supportive and encouraging for my teammates.

7. The women's soccer team made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007. What was the feeling when you found out the team was in?

We were all very excited to get into the NCAA tournament last year. It was something new that no other team had ever done before and I think we were all proud of what we had achieved. It also gave us an opportunity to prove ourselves against better teams and gain some respect.

8. What will be your favorite memory of St. Scholastica?

There have been a lot of memories over the past four years - it is really hard to pick just one. I think that going to nationals last year and getting in again this year was pretty cool. The experience is something that I will never forget.

9. After four years of making road trips to Morris and Presentation what was the funniest moment you have experienced on one of the road trips?

Probably getting yelled at for not wanting to eat a cookie that a girl handed me after she puked. She got really offended... It wasn't funny at the time, but it is now.

10. You are majoring in elementary education and were named CoSIDA Academic All-District three times. How were you able to accomplish that?

You know, I don't really know how I pulled it off.

Inside the crease with Steve Bounds

When it comes to life, St. Scholastica senior goaltender Steve Bounds wants just one thing, to be happy.

“I want to wake up every day with a smile on my face,” he said.

Recently, Bounds and his Saints teammates have had a lot to smile about.

Going into play this weekend, the St. Scholastica is riding a four game unbeaten streak and Bounds is getting set to graduate in May with a degree in business management.

Bounds has played in all five of the teams games this season and his play has helped lead the Saints to a No. 15 ranking in all of Div. III hockey.

Bounds said rankings don’t mean much to him.

“You have to go out and prove what you can do,” he said. “You have go prepare to play any team just like any other. Any day one hockey team can beat another.”

His play between the pipes has been solid all season, including in last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Hamline University where he picked up 41 saves in the shutout.

So far this season, he has a .197 goals against average and a saves percentage of .938.

However, Bounds wasn’t always a goalie. He started playing hockey when he was five years old in Alberta. After about a year of playing as a position player, he started splitting time as a goaltender and a position player. But by the time he was seven, he was concentrating his efforts on goaltending.

Growing up, he participated in other sports like soccer and football. But he never liked any sport as much as he likes hockey.

“I’ve always wanted to be a goalie,” he said.

Bounds’ hometown of Airdrie, Alberta, is a 21-hour drive, but he said making the decision to come to Scholastica wasn’t one that worried him.

He said that he has a good relationship with his family and, although he is away, they are able to stay close.

“I talk to them at least once a week,” Bounds said. “And text my mom throughout the day.”

Over the past few years, his parents have come down to Duluth once or twice to see Saints games, but will probably come more often this year, since it’s his last season.

This winter, he is going to Jamaica with his family during the holiday break. Bounds said his family does that every year.

He’s been to Hawaii, St. Thomas, St. Martin and Florida.

As a youth hockey player, he grew up playing against current Saints teammate Joey Martini, who lived in a neighboring city.

“We didn’t personally know each other, but we knew of each other,” Bounds said. “I came down here my first year and he was my roommate and now he’s one of my closest friends.”

Once he graduates, Bounds is not sure where he would like to end up. He hopes, like most, that he will get a chance to try-out for a professional hockey team somewhere. But, after that, he’s not sure.

He said it’s possible that he would like to stay somewhere in the United States, but he can’t rule out going back to Canada.

Attending Scholastica has given Bounds experiences that he will never forget as a hockey player and as a person.

As a hockey player, he enjoyed being a part of the team that ended a winless drought against Wisconsin-Superior in 2007. Although he wasn’t playing, he said he was very happy to be here for that moment.

While it’s still fairly early in his senior year, Bounds is willing to take time to reflect.

“I just say thanks for the opportunity,” he said. “It was the best four years of my life. I couldn’t have had a better time.”

This weekend, Bounds and his teammates will travel to Wisconsin-River Falls and Wisconsin-Stout. This is the first weekend of NCHA play for the Saints.

“We’ve had a good week of practice,” Bounds said. “We’re excited to go there and play teams in our conference.”

The Saints have had their fair share of success in River Falls over the last few seasons, including eliminating the home-team Falcons from the playoffs two years in a row.

The Saints hope this weekend is no different with a struggling Falcon squad.

“We seem to have their number as of late,” Bounds said. “We really like the atmosphere there. We almost feel like we’re at home.”

Between the Pipes with Steve Bounds

Favorite Movie: Dumb and Dumber

Favorite Band: Goo Goo Dolls and System of a Down

Favorite TV Show: Family Guy

Favorite Food: Steak

Favorite Day of the Week: Friday

Favorite Number: 39

Favorite Athlete: Tiger Woods

***Article written by Sarah Packingham of the Duluth Budgeteer***

Coach Speak: Volleyball Coach Dana Moore

A busy week for the Saints this week. There is a three-way tie for 2nd place in the UMAC, and we all play each other this weekend to secure our place in the tournament. CSS plays Northland College in Ashland on Wednesday night. We will also play Finlandia University following the UMAC contest. Halloween night we host Bethany Lutheran College and on Saturday Martin Luther comes to town amidst Senior Day and Parent's Day! The tie is between CSS, BLC and MLC. In addition, it is play-offs for high school, so the coaching staff is on the road as well, looking to replace the five seniors on the roster. Scheduling for the 2009 season is underway. The Saints are looking to travel for in-region competition over Labor Day Weekend.

Saints men’s hockey predicting a strong season

After losing only two players to graduation, the College of St. Scholastica men’s hockey team is looking to make this season one for the record books.

The Saints finished last season with an overall record of 10-13-5, including a playoff series win over the nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Their playoff run ended in the semi-finals, where they lost to the eventual national champions, St. Norbert College.

“We were a little frustrated with last season, but we played well at the end,” Saints head coach Mark Wick said. “We saved our best hockey for the playoffs. We have to get off to a better start this year.”

This season Scholastica is led by a core group of upperclassmen, but the team also has a strong freshman class. There are eight freshmen listed in the roster, including Brian Downing, a 2006 Duluth East graduate.

“It was nice to get out and experience other parts of the country, but it’s good to be home,” Downing said. “Duluth really feels like home.”

While in high school, Downing said he couldn’t imagine playing college hockey back in Duluth, crediting his time at the junior hockey level for bringing him back home.

The Saints have only been practicing with the coaching staff since Oct. 13, and had captains practices before, but senior captain Trevor Geiger said he already sees a desire in his teammates.

“Our energy level is a lot higher,” he said. “We have a lot of seniors, and we have the desire — we want it more.”

Assistant captain and senior Kyle Luschinski agrees with Geiger.

“So far things have been really productive; we have a lot of new guys that are very dedicated,” he said. “This year’s the most promising of the years I’ve been here.”

The coaching staff has also seen a positive beginning of practice.

“Our attitude has been phenomenal,” Wick said. “The eight new guys fit in really well. We still have a lot of work to do, but we’re eager to go.”

Besides Geiger and Luschinski, there are two other assistant captains on the Saints squad. Senior Joey Hughes and junior Jordan Chong are other players that the team is looking to for guidance on and off the ice.

Luschinski said that all four captains have a different sort of style and leadership role to bring to the table.

The Saints are picked to finish sixth out of eight according to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Preseason Coaches Poll.

St. Norbert is picked to finish first in the conference, with River Falls, Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin-Superior and Wisconsin-Stevens Point rounding out the top five. Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Lake Forrest are picked to finish seventh and eight respectively.

“It’s going to be an interesting year,” Wick said. “Norbert was a unanimous pre-season favorite. … In a year that we didn’t lose much, the other teams in the conference didn’t lose much either.”

The NCHA is notoriously known as one of the toughest leagues in Division III college hockey, and players know that there is no easy competition when it comes to league play.

“Our league is the best in Division III hockey in the nation,” Geiger said. “There’s never a bad team. It’s always good competition.”

Still, there are definitely games that the players look forward to more than others.

Luschinski said that he always enjoys playing against the Saints’ “across the bridge rivals,” Superior and St. Norbert.

He said that the Superior game is always fun because it means a lot to the fans and it is easy for the crowd and the players to get excited for it.

Scholastica is returning its leading scorer in senior A.J. Tucker. Tucker scored 15 goals last season and finished with 32 total points. Also, senior Steve Bounds returns to the net after splitting playing time last year with Tyler Johnson.

Bounds finished last season with an overall record of 6-6-2 and a .908 saves percentage and a 2.34 goals against average.

Wick said he was predicting a breakout season from one or more of his players; he didn’t name any names, but he was confident that it could happen this year.

“I think we have some guys who can take it to the next level,” he said. “I don’t know who it is, but we’re going to look back and say ‘Wow.’”

This season the Saints have 15 of their 25 games on the road, which Geiger said may be an advantage to his team. Last season, the Saints had a better road record than home record.

However, the Saints are very appreciative of their hometown fans.

“It’s awesome to come out and hear the crowd,” Geiger said. “It’s like having an extra fan on the ice.”

The Saints open on the road this weekend with a non-conference game against Eau Claire. Their first home game will be against Augsburg College at 7:05 p.m. Nov. 7 at Mars Lakeview Arena.

***Article Written by Sarah Packingham of the Duluth Budgeteer News***

Coach Speak: Women's Soccer Coach Dave Reyelts

Another Week Ahead

Another week of Saints soccer got underway Monday with a good session up at Saints Field. We were able to adjust our practice time and actually get 2 full hours with most of our soccer players there. This is a rarity for our team this fall and it was good to have a full crew there. We kept it fun with lots of games to big goals. It can be hard this time of year to keep the energy up and to keep the team focused and excited about showing up every day. The return on the fun session was a lot of good soccer and lots of touches on the soccer ball. I have been increasingly pleased with our ability to move the ball and create good attacking opportunities. We have a couple of very good individual attackers on our team, but I thought we would lack the depth of fire power to score in bunches. I have been proven wrong so far this season as we have found ways to score pretty consistently. The only games we struggled in, were the 2 games we lost and Robin Johnson was not in those games and makes a difference in our attack... that is for sure!

Long Weekend, Big Weekend

On Friday, we leave at Noon for Aberdeen, SD. It is a 7.5 hour drive to beautiful Aberdeen. We play at Noon at Presentation College on Saturday and then we get back on the bus to head to Morris, MN for our Sunday game. It is 3 hours between Aberdeen and Morris and then 4.5 hours home from Morris to Duluth. It is a tough road trip and tough to get back late on Sunday and have to get to school and back to work at practice on Monday. It is a big week in that 2 wins will clinch our fifth straight UMAC title. It will also put us 2 wins closer to a potential NCAA Play-off berth.

Another Program First... Regionally Ranked Saints

In the NCAA' first regional poll of the season, the Saints received their first-ever regional ranking. The Saints were ranked 12th in the 60 team region. The Central Region is one of the toughest (and is the biggest) in the country and has a number of teams in the National Top 25. There are many very good teams on the outside looking in, so it is an exciting honor to be ranked where we are. Hopefully, we can continue to win games and move up the rankings!

Coach Speak: Women's Soccer Coach Dave Reyelts

Dominating Performances

We left for what appeared to be a tough weekend on Friday morning around 7:30am. We knew we were on our way to play the #2 and #3 teams in our conference at their grass fields. I was nervous about playing on their much smaller grass fields. We had played very average soccer at New Ulm and Mankato a couple of weeks back and these were both better opponents. Well, my fears subsided as we jumped on Crown College early in the game. We jumped to a 4-0 halftime lead en route to a 6-1 voctory where we outshot the Storm 19-3. On Saturday, at Northwestern College in a battle of the top UMAC teams, the Saints jumped out to a 2-0 haltime lead and then went on to win 4-0, outshooting the Eagles 10-1. For the weekend the Saints outscored their opponents 10-1 and out shot them 29-4. It was a good showing by the Saints and moved us one step closer to a UMAC title and possible NCAA play-off berth. The Saints are now 15-2-0 on the year and with 3 regular season games and possible play-off games, a 20 win season is still in reach... which would be a record for the Saints.

Record Book Breaking Robin

Robin Johnson (SR- Duluth Marshall) continued her record breaking ways, by breaking out of a tie for career points with Jen Seip ('05). With her hat trick and 6 point performance on Friday, Robin gained sole possesion of the record. Robin's 160 points also makes her the career points record holder in all of St. Scholastica Soccer history, men or women. Neil Runbeck's ('01) record of 157 points held for 7 years. After today's game winning goal, Robin has 64 goals and 36 assists for 164 points. She still has an outside chance at the single season goals record of 26 set by Jill Tribble ('95).

Coach Speak: Women's Soccer Coach Dave Reyelts

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

6am saw the Saints women's soccer team and their smiling faces this morning at PSS. A crisp night gave way to a pleasant morning. When I returned from Maple Grove, MN at 12:45am this morning, it was down right cold out and I assumed it would be at least that cold 5 hours later, but it was pretty decent out in the dark of the morning. The girls responded well again and we had an excellent training session. The only disappointment was having to stop at 7:15am so we could let our 8am class- goers leave. It left us with about 12 players for the remaining 30 minutes of practice.

Next Weeks Nightmare

With dwindling daylight, football and two soccer teams, and no lights at our field on campus... we are struggling with practice opportunities for soccer on campus. We had some times scheduled at PSS that seemed appealing, but as my Dad says "if it seems to good to be true... it probably is." Boy was he right in this situation! Instead of 6-10pm at PSS next week for our men's and women's soccer team, we have now been told that we will need to share PSS at 6am, yes am not pm, next week. High School football play-offs are the latest sport to bump us out of time at PSS. Now it is a district facility and I agree that high school sports have priority at PSS, but it does put us in a tough spot next week. We are trying to work with a couple other potential practice places for next week, so hopefully someone can come through for us for decent practice times. I have faith!

Splendor on the Grass

Nothing like the book/ movie, and the title is more wishful thinking then potential reality. This weekend we play both games, against conference #3 Crown College and conference #2 Northwestern College on small, grass fields that are used primarily by each college's football teams. Therefore, they are typically mud and not grass at this point in the season. It will certainly be an equalizer in the two games and will make it critical that we are mentally prepared for 90 minutes of soccer each day.

Recruiting World

It is against NCAA rules to name potential recruits until they are deposited and enrolled in school, so I cannot get specific. As well, it is a long way from the start of next fall and lots can happen with recruits and their decisions between now and August. But, I am extremely excited about where we are at this year. I have not been this excited about a potential class since we landed 12 juniors (7 of which start and 9 who play a significant role) 3 years back and not as excited about the amount of potential all- stars for 5-6 years. There is still a lot of work to do to bring in a class like this, but I am fired up about the future if we can convince these kids that St. Scholastica has a lot to offer them in both soccer and school! The only hint I can/will give is that there is some local flavor in there (not really surprising if you take a gander at our current roster)!

Coach Speak: Volleyball Coach Dana Moore

We are on the road this weekend to Mankato to face Bethany Lutheran and to New Ulm to face Martin Luther. All three of us are tied for third in the conference with a 3-1 record. We have been working hard in practice with a fair amount of conditioning and always, the basic fundamentals of our sport. The weekend of the 17th the conference is participating in the Dig Pink Event promoting Breast Cancer Awareness. We have pink tie dyed tee shirts to throw into the crowd during the announcement of the line ups. Anyone who comes dressed in pink will receive a ticket for a drawing for a pink CSS Volleyball tee shirt. The team spent Community Day making commemorative bracelets for the event as well. We would love to have as many community members as possible support the event, as the gate proceeds will go to the Side Out Foundation, who is sponsoring the event.

A Young Pup's Perspective: Women's Soccer

St. Scholastica freshman goalkeeper Bailey Mahlum (Fr.-Bismarck, N.D.) shares her thoughts on the current state of the women's soccer program.

When asked to blog on our soccer team, I did not think anything I could possibly say would compare go Dave’s famous and long-winded soliloquies. I hope I’m right. We started off the week with two welcomed days off. Homework and friends consumed time normally spent at the field. However, we were all excited to hit the field Wednesday afternoon to prepare for another big weekend.

As a native North Dakotan, coming into this whole new Minnesota setting was quite intimidating. I had no idea what to expect with teammates, coaches, practices, or competitions. I was one of the lucky ones and fell into excellent surroundings. Not only do we have a brand-new beautiful field to challenge our competition, I think I met the only other Bailey my age. Bailey (from Helena, MT) and I get to enjoy the stunning scenery while getting lost in the hills of Duluth while frantically trying to find our way back to campus.

We are lucky to be home again this weekend while Bethany and Martin Luther get to make the trip. I am excited to play a team that we have previously faced. For once I will not be completely confused on who we are playing, where they are from, or their strong players. These are sure to be good games and we are all hoping for a good turnout of fans to our own home turf!

Saints SuperFan 2008

2008 Homecoming Videos

In case you missed the inaugural College of St. Scholastica homecoming, here are some videos to let you re-live all of the happenings.

Coach Speak: Women's Soccer Coach Dave Reyelts

Record Breaking Weekend

This was a record breaking weekend for St. Scholastica. In football, we had a whole bunch of "first-evers" including a record attendance for a CSS event at 3500 fans in the Homecoming game against Crown College. On to soccer, where the records were falling faster than the snow on Halloween '91! First was the career record for game- winning goals, Robin Johnson (Sr- Duluth Marshall) whose 14 game winning goals overtook Keely Raab (CSS '06, Duluth East) for the career lead. Then Robin scored 3 goals on the weekend to move within one goal of the school record for goals in a career with 57. Robin also overtook Jen Seip (CSS '05, Duluth Central) for shots in a career with 312 shots (and she is 7 shy of the record for shots on goal with 161). Johnson is also now alone in 2nd place at 147 points in a career. She is 7 shy of Jen Seip's record of 154. On Sunday, the Saints attempted 63 shots on goal, which is a new record for shots attempted in a game. The 34 shots on goal were the 2nd most all-time (the record is 38) in CSS history. On Saturday, the Saints had the 2nd most corner kicks taken in a game at 15.


The Road Ahead

We now begin our second time through the conference teams. We host Bethany Lutheran and then Martin Luther College next Friday and Saturday. Then two weeks on the road, followed by a Halloween contest with Northland College (who fittingly has orange as its dominate color). It is important that e stay hungry, have good practices, and we do not lose sight of the prize at the end of the tunnel. Along the way, we have to keep our head down and keep plugging away... a loss or tie, could be very damaging to our chance at making the NCAA tournament.

Days Off, Re-energize, Re-focus, Re-v It Up

We are off the next two days. I decided to give our ladies the day off tomorrow, and then Tuesday is their scheduled day off. We have been going non- stop since mid August with little time off. I just had the feel that we could benefit from 2 days rest... we will see how effective it is at 6am on Wednesday, when the lights at PSS turn on for our Wednesday practice... cold rain, and before sunrise will pose some challenges for us... excited to see how we respond. This team has been surprising me all season, so lets see what Wednesday brings!

Coach Speak: Women's Soccer Coach Dave Reyelts

Homecoming Home Run

Despite the result of the football game tonight, St. Scholastica had a pretty good day as an athletic department and as a college. The campus was packed with people all day. The tail- gate party was a success, the kids zone was filled with kids, the parade went off without a hitch and more than 4000 people watched the 2 soccer games and football game today. Soccer had season highs in attendance with a total attendance of 562 people. The football team had 3500 fans at their first ever home game. To top it all off the soccer teams each beat MN- Morris on a beautiful fall day! Overall, you have to consider today a massive success for the St. Scholastica community.

Dominating Performance

The Saints women's soccer team dismantled MN- Morris today 4 to 0. 22 shots, 15 corners, and 4 goals. Morris attempted 3 shots, had 1 corner, and had 2 on goal. It was the most dominating performance the Saints have ever had against the Cougars. Morris is a young team, but the Saints women played some very good soccer today. Robin Johnson (SR- Duluth Marshall) and Jen Krokum (JR- Duluth East) each had great finishes and Kristen Stangel (SR- Grand Rapids, MN) had her best game of the season. Today was the most consistent performance of the season for the Saints. Tomorrow marks the end of the first time through our conference schedule. We are 6-0-0 and have outscored our opponents 24-2 in conference play.

Closing in on History

Robin Johnson (SR- Duluth Marshall) is closing in on some records at St. Scholastica. Robin has 56 goals and 33 assists for 145 points. Her 56 goals ranks her second in CSS history in goals. Her 33 assists ranks her 5th all time in assists and her 145 points puts her 3rd all-time in points. Robin is 9 points, 2 goals and 11 assists from being 1st in all three categories. The players she is chasing (Nikki Stroinski in goals, and Jen Seip in assists and points) are some of the great players in St. Scholastica history. Both players were hard working and very athletic. I had the privilege of coaching Jen Seip and she was unassuming about her abilities and personal success and would have traded it all for team success. Robin Johnson is very much the same type of player. Her biggest strength is that she can play equally well with each foot. She has a knack for finding open space and is dangerous every time she touches the ball. She has shown she is a versatile player. She can play forward, inside mid, outside mid. She can score goals and set the up. She has also learned how to defend and to play as part of a team. She has grown so much as a player and so much as a leader. It has been my pleasure to coach her and I am enjoying her run at the record... even though I bet she does not know she is closing in on the records.

Busy Sunday

The Vikings may have the day off tomorrow, but the Saints soccer teams do not. A full day includes, the Saints varsity plays against Presentation College at 2pm and the JV will play Macalester at 4pm tomorrow. Between the 2 matches, the Saints should see lots of playing time!

Coach Speak: Women's Soccer Coach Dave Reyelts

Pep Rally, Chilli Feed, Bonfire... Does It Get Better Than This?

There was a buzz in the air today on the campus of St. Scholastica. Friday is always an energy filled day as students make plans for Friday and Saturday night and faculty and staff make plans for R&R. But today had a special buzz to it. As the day rolled on, the main parking lot was cleared, the bonfire ring was brought in and Jean Anderson, and her food service crew started to bring out the supplies for the big chili feed. By noon, the gym floor was covered with a big blue tarp to protect the wood floor below. By 3:15pm the gym was already half full and by 3:30pm, when MC Joe Wicklund started the pep rally the stands were full and many others lined up at the top railing to take in the festivities. Although I find these things a little corny and staged (I don't like canned laughter in sit-coms either), this was pretty darn good and President Goodwin even gave a "top ten" reasons the college "really" added football. Not a bad beginning for a school not too familiar with these types of events.

A Class Act All The Way

Before Football Coach Greg Carlson took the stage most of the rally seemed very much about the football team and very little about anything else. The invocation mentioned protecting our football players and the area blocked off for the football players left some of our soccer players a little chapped. Joe Wicklund did his best by asking all of the other athletes to stand up and accept some applause. But then the man who has been a class act since day one took the stage. As everyone waited to here his thoughts on homecoming and how his team would do against the Crown College Storm... he began his speech by saying that he wanted everyone to take a moment to acknowledge the soccer teams and the tremendous success each team was having this season. He strongly encouraged the fans to attend the soccer games before the football game and told them of the importance of these crucial match-ups. Coach Carlson is a classy man and I have said it before and I will say it again, we got the right man for the job and no one will be cheering harder for "W" in the CSS Homecoming Football Game!

Ready To Play, After I Set up The Deer stand

We are set for tomorrow, field is clear, goals are anchored, flags are ready to go up on the field, bleachers are in place and the players are ready. All that is left to do is set up the deer stand! The deer stand? Yes, two guys (Barry Chastey, our men's coach and I) who have never shot at an animal in our lives went to Gander Mountain today and purchased a deer stand. No, we are not trading in clipboards for rifles... we needed a better vantage point for video taping our soccer games, so we stole the idea from another college and went out and purchased a deer stand. All that is left to do is set it up and the only thing I might be worse at then hunting... putting things together.

Games This Weekend Come and See

Tomorrow at Noon our men's team takes on MN- Morris. Clearly the best two team in MN not in the MIAC will be on display tomorrow at Saints Field. Both teams are still in the hunt for an NCAA tournament bid, so tomorrow's match will be a good one. The women play MN- Morris at 2:00pm. These two teams have had classic battles every year since the Morris Cougars joined the league from NCAA II in 2003. Sunday, both teams play Presentation College. Men at Noon and Women at 2pm. Good seats, still available!!

Steps of faith start a new tradition at St. Scholastica

St. Scholastica's first football program has become a beacon on and outside the Duluth campus.

Read the story written by Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter Rachel Blount Here

Saints Athletics Take Part in CSS Community Day

A variety of CSS teams took part in Community Day on Wednesday. Community Day is a campus-wide event where students and faculty members at CSS go out and serve the community doing a variety of jobs. The women's basketball, softball, men's and women's track & field and men's and women's soccer teams all took part in work along the Superior Hiking trail which runs through Duluth and then along Lake Superior up the shore. Each group had different activities, including clean-up, trail clearing, wall building, etc.

Saints Walkthrough at Camp Randall Before First Game

The St. Scholastica Saints stopped at Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, last Friday for a walkthrough before its first game. Here are some pictures from that experience.

Brits bring world of experience to CSS soccer

Jermaine Dacres didn’t know where Minnesota was when he was contacted by St. Scholastica men’s soccer coach Barry Chastey in late July 2007 about an opportunity to attend the college and play for the Saints.

The Nottingham, England, native found out two days later after seeing news reports about the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Not long after that, Dacres headed for Duluth to begin his collegiate career.

An ankle injury ended his season after 10 games, in which he managed one goal and three assists. This season, however, the21-year-old midfielder is back in top form — with two goals and four assists in five games — and he brought a friend.

This year, Courtney Bonnick followed Dacres’ path to St. Scholastica via Nottingham. The 21-year-old striker has three goals and one assist for the Saints, second in team scoring to his friend of10 years. St. Scholastica (3-2 overall, 1-0 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference) hosts Northwestern (1-4, 0-0) in a UMAC game at 2 p.m. today.

“Jermaine has helped me out a lot,” Bonnick said of his transition into life at college and in the United States. “We stayed in contact via e-mail before I came over.”

Dacres assisted on Bonnick’s two goals in a season-opening 3-1 victory over Hamline on Aug. 30. Bonnick’s lone assist came on a goal by Dacres three games later. In the Saints’ latest win, 2-0 against Concordia-Moorhead on Tuesday, Dacres assisted on goals by Dustin James of Superior and Brandon Stemwedel of Grand Rapids.

“I feel like sometimes if I react quickly, I can almost play blind, because I can kind of sense where [Bonnick’s] going to be on the field,” Dacres said. “So, I can play that blind ball, and nine times out of 10 it’ll end up on his feet or remotely close to where he is.”

They aren’t the only Brits on the team. Freshman goalkeeper Sam Reed is from Eastbourne, England, and Chastey and assistant coach Dave Robinson also are English. Chastey, 33, moved to the U.S. in 2000, and Robinson, 50, has lived in Duluth for 21 years.

The Saints have another pair of international players, sophomore midfielder Toby Peter of Germany and freshman midfielder-defender Asos Amin of Sweden.

Chastey found Dacres through a recruiting service based in Nottingham and was able to get feedback on Dacres from a pair of coaches he knew from there. Soon after arriving in Duluth, Dacres encouraged Bonnick to follow.

The experience the international players have brought to St. Scholastica has improved the team significantly, Chastey said.

“They’ve obviously played, coached at a high level,” he said. “They’ve certainly helped people [on the team].”

Dacres played five games before his initial injury a year ago. He missed three games and returned for another five before suffering a season-ending setback.

“I think I came back way, way too early — way early. I felt maybe 70 percent; my confidence wasn’t there. I didn’t want to do certain things, turn. I couldn’t really cross [the ball]. So I lost a lot of confidence,” Dacres said. “This season I feel like I’m back to where I was at the beginning of last year.”

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***Article written by Jimmy Bellamy-Duluth News Tribune***

Court unites Range rivals

Former Greenway High School standout Dustie Richardson was excited to join a club volleyball team in spring of 2005 until she saw Hibbing star Shawna Varichak walk into the gym in Coleraine.

“I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Richardson recalled. “She’s my teammate?”

Varichak had always been Richardson’s nemesis, but the two quickly got over their high school sports rivalry and took their budding friendship to St. Scholastica, where they look nearly identical on the volleyball court and are nearly inseparable off it.

“I have a hard time telling them apart, even on campus,” said former Saints athletic director Tony Barrett. “And then when they pull their hair back and take the court, it’s even harder.”

One thing that is easy to tell is the impact the seniors have had in four seasons with the Saints.

Varichak has gone from 2004 News Tribune Player of the Year to an impact player at the college level. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter was a first-team All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference selection last season. She leads the Saints with 142 kills and is second with 133 digs. She is third in school history with 1,375 kills and 4,165 attacks, not far off the Saints’ records of 1,641 and 4,376, respectively.

“We never got along because we were just too headstrong,” Richardson said of Varichak, whom she first saw in the seventh grade. “Shawna always had the edge in volleyball, but I had the edge in basketball, although she’ll never admit it. Ever.”

Richardson played sparingly her first two years at St. Scholastica before emerging last season to earn UMAC honorable mention honors. This year, the 5-9 middle blocker is first in blocks (25), third in kills (72) and is third in service aces (10).

Varichak was a polished player coming from the renowned Hibbing High School program, but Richardson had to keep working until she eventually made the progress coaches love to see.

“Dustie didn’t see hardly any playing time her freshman and sophomore year, and that drove her crazy,” Saints coach Dana Moore said. “Then all of the sudden, the light bulb just went on her junior year. She stepped on the court with an attitude that she was going to play. She earned it. She just kept working and working until she escalated her level of play.”

St. Scholastica (3-7) has struggled to win close matches but Moore expects her team to compete for a UMAC title. She said it’s a close group, in particular her five seniors.

Varichak lived with Richardson her freshman year and was roommates with teammate Erin Niles of Grand Rapids another two years after that. Varichak and Richardson play intramural basketball together, which is a far cry from the summers they spent battling each other in 3-on-3 tournaments.

“It’s just so funny that we didn’t like each other at all in high school, and now we’re best friends,” Varichak said of Richardson. “I have family in the Coleraine area and I’d hear stuff. Who knew if it was true or not? But once you get of out high school, you kind of leave it at that and realize there are good people no matter where they’re from.”

Varichak has helped push Richardson in academics as well. Varichak is a biology major who might take a year off to do research before going into medical school, while Richardson is majoring in psychology. But it is outside of class where Richardson has truly learned the most about telepathy.

“We were nemeses in high school, but now we’ve grown to love each other. It’s almost like she’s my sister. For real, we even finish each other sentences,” Richardson said. “We like all the same boys, and it’s hilarious. I wouldn’t know who she likes, but I’m vocal and I’ll end up saying what she’s thinking all the time. I’ll have to learn sometimes not to talk so much.”

When asked if they would keep in touch after college, Varichak said, “absolutely.”

“She’s practically my sister,” Varichak said. “She’s family to me and my parents. My parents always call her, ‘Their other daughter.’ ”

***Article written by Jon Nowacki of the Duluth News Tribune***