WOMEN’S SOCCER
Jumps seven spots in poll
The women’s soccer team opened the 2004 season with two wins over top-25 teams at the DePauw Classic in Greencastle, Ind., and quickly saw its ranking jump from No. 16 to No. 9 nationally in the NSCAA/adidas Division III Women’s Soccer Rankings.
On Sept. 3, sophomore MeghanMarie Fowler-Finn scored the game-winning goal one minute into overtime as the Bears upended No. 8 Wheaton College, 1-0, in both teams’ season opener. Senior Charlotte Felber picked up the win, making 10 saves.
On Sept. 4, the Bears upset No. 3 DePauw University, 1-0. Freshman Kim O’Keefe’s first collegiate goal proved to be the game-winner as she scored midway through the first half. Felber picked up her second straight shutout and increased her career total to 13.5.
VOLLEYBALL
Team goes 3-1 in WU Classic
The No. 1-ranked volleyball team went 3-1 in its 2004 opening weekend at the WU Classic. The Bears began play Sept. 3 with a pair of 3-0 wins over Bethel (Minn.) University and Simpson (Iowa) College.
Senior Colleen Winter led the Bears with 13 kills, 19 digs and five assists against Bethel, while junior Megan Houck tallied 11 kills against No. 19 Simpson.
The Bears, who had won 30 straight matches dating to the early part of last season, saw that streak come to an end Sept. 4 against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in a 3-1 loss.
WUSTL responded with a resounding 3-0 win against No. 15 Wartburg College in the afternoon. The Bears hit .381 as a team against the Knights, led by Houck (.435 hitting percentage) and senior Ishi Ballew (.421).
Winter and junior Kara Liefer were named to the All-Tournament Team for the Bears.
FOOTBALL
Mount Union thumps Bears
The football team dropped its season-opener to No. 1 Mount Union College, 38-0, on Sept. 4 at Francis Field. Mount Union (1-0), which won its 18th-straight season-opening game, got on the board early as Joe Bugara caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Zac Bruney just 1:11 into the game to put the Purple Raiders up, 7-0.
Mount Union made it 14-0 with 9:32 left in the first quarter when Jeff Strauch scampered 54 yards for the touchdown. The Purple Raiders extended the lead to 21-0 after Bruney connected with Jason Cavell for a 20-yard touchdown pass. George Wilder closed the half with a 36-yard field goal as the Purple Raiders took a 24-0 lead to the locker room.
Mount Union added two touchdowns in the second half and outgained the Bears 639-165 in total offense, including a 305-5 mark on the ground. Bears quarterback Adam Meranda finished 12-of-25 for 125 yards and one interception as he moved into 10th place on the school’s all-time list with 2,068 passing yards.
MEN’S SOCCER
Two shutouts in two games
The men’s soccer team made an impressive 2004 debut, going 2-1 in the first week of the season. The Bears kicked off the year with a 2-0 win against Principia College on Sept. 1, and a 2-0 win at California State University-Hayward Sept. 3.
The Bears then went to No. 5 UC-Santa Cruz and fell just shy in a 1-0 decision. Senior goalkeeper Colin Robinson picked up two shutouts on the week, giving him 8.5 for his career.
Freshman Onyi Okoroafor started all three contests and picked up his first collegiate goal in the win against Principia.
CROSS COUNTRY
Both teams win Early Bird
The men’s and women’s cross country teams opened 2004 by winning the WU Early Bird Meet on Sept. 4 at Saint Louis Priory High School. The men registered 19 points, 20 points ahead of second-place Greenville College. The women posted a 27-point total for the win.
Junior Greg Reindl won the men’s 5K run, posting a time of 16:42.88. On the women’s side, sophomore Lindsay Harkema clocked a time of 20:26.14 in the 5K run, good for second place.