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Augsburg teams are getting votes in regional and national polls ...
The football team is on the verge of cracking into the top 25 in the two major Division III national polls -- from D3Football.com and the American Football Coaches Association. In the D3Football.com poll, Augsburg is now the first team in the "Others Receiving Votes" category, just behind No. 25 Concordia-Moorhead. In the AFCA's poll, Augsburg is the third team in the "Others Receiving Votes" category with 80 points.
The men's soccer team has cracked the regional rankings for the first time this season, sitting in the No. 8 spot in the West Region in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America regional poll.
And the men's golf team received a vote in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf Division III Coaches Poll, released by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
From the "It's never too early to talk about winter sports" file ...
Augsburg men's hockey coach Chris Brown has named his 2008-09 captains. Team captain will be forward Chris Johnson (JR, Verona, Wis./Madison Memorial HS), while the assistant captains will be defender Kurt Hogard (SR, Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Ignatius HS), goalie Andrew Kent (SR, Lakeville, Minn.) and forward Brett Way (SR, Grand Ledge, Mich.).
Brown says of his captains: "The leadership in our program could not be in better hands. The culture of the program is shaped by our captains and upperclassmen. With Chris Johnson leading the way along with the excellent support of Andrew, Kurt and Brett, I could not be more excited about the possibilities of achievement for this team."
Augsburg finished 6-17-2 last season (4-12-0 MIAC), but return 16 letterwinners to a team that has confidence that it will show improvement this year. Practices begin October 13, and the season starts on Halloween night (Oct. 31) with a home game against Wisconsin-Stout at the Augsburg Ice Arena.
So what's it like to shoot a 65 in golf? Tony Vanyo knows now. The Augsburg men's golf junior shot the unbelievable 7-under-par score in Monday's final round of the Gustavus Twin Cities Classic. He finished ninth overall in the 117-player tournament, featuring some of the best small-college golfers in the Midwest.
Vanyo's score is the lowest recorded by an Augsburg golfer in a single round in the recent history of the school's men's golf program (1980-82, 1988-present). The previous lowest score was a 68 by Eric Rolland in a 1997 meet. According to a survey of MIAC schools, Vanyo's score is also tied with three others for the second-lowest score in a single round in conference men's golf history; the lowest score was a 64 by St. Thomas' Mark Hadley in a 2005 meet.
He talks about his round below.
Starting on the 10th tee, I was feeling pretty good about my game. The previous two days of the Twin Cities Classic, my putter had been the only thing that was shaky. So starting off hole 10, I hit a smooth approach shot to about six feet for birdie. I have this crazy superstition that if I birdie the first hole, I never end up playing that well overall. I did miss my first putt that realistically was pretty easy and very makable. Walking off the green, I looked at coach Ted Vickerman, saw him with a smile and smiled back knowing that he knew about my superstition of birdieing the first whole.
The next hole was a average par-3, which I again hit a great shot about eight feet from the hole, and proceeded to miss the relatively easy birdie putt again. I then took a par on the next hole, which was a par-4. Finally made it to the first par-5. I like par-5s because I consider them my scoring holes, holes that I should birdie, and this is where my round started to get exciting. I made about a 10-footer for birdie and was 1-under-par.
I then followed that hole with another birdie to bring myself to 2-under-par. Thinking to myself, "Play a little conservative, just keep a good rhythm going." Hole 15 was very challenging because of the awkward green; I was very fortunate to take a par and was more than happy with that score. The second par-5 I reached in two and was inches away from a great shot, but settled for a two-putt birdie, which I was more than happy with. Hole 17, a long par-3 with swirling winds that I didn’t really feel comfortable playing, turned out to be not so bad. I hit a 5-iron to about the length of my putter, which I made pretty easily.
Sitting on my ninth hole, White Bear Yacht Club’s 18th, I did not know where to go with my drive. A blind shot had me feeling nervous. I hit my drive and did not see it -- a person from my group said it should be perfect and my ball was. My approach was about 60 yards downhill to a flat green with the pin right in the middle. My thoughts were to just put it on and two-putt. My shot turned out to be spectacular, sitting about four feet from the cup and proceeded to make it for my fifth birdie on that side and fifth in the last six holes. I played my career-best on the back nine holes shooting 31, 5-under-par at the turn.
I started out on hole 10 with yet another birdie, but actually had to make a decently long putt of about 12 feet. The next hole was a bit of a groove killer; I had hit a great shot into the green to almost a gimme range and had missed it to take par. The next par-5 was a bit lengthy, but I had crushed a drive, putting myself in a great position to, if not get there in two, be really close. This is when I began to get a little shaky. I hit a 3-wood that I pushed way right and was clearly going to go out of bounds. My head was about to drop when suddenly my ball struck a tree and kicked out almost to the fairway and ended up perfectly fine. Immediately following the miss-hit, I hopped right back into my groove and stuck a wedge only to make my seventh birdie. It was a great break that I took advantage of.
The next two holes I was happy to take par on and was now on the second par-5, which was very short. After hitting a great drive right down the middle, I was thinking to myself this should be another easy birdie. Well it wasn't, I took an easy par instead and at that point and the way I was playing, I did not want to take a bogey. Hole 17, my tee shot was just over the green of the longer par 3, chipped close and took my par very happily.
Hole 18, a par-5 reachable in two, I was again thinking birdie. My drive I thought was hit pretty well, but did get a not favorable bounce and had a very awkward stance. I just wanted to get it out to the fairway to a distance that would be easy to hit the green. I was thinking just get it to the 150-yard marker, and that’s what I did. My approach on 18 was blind; I could not see the green at all and had just the tip of a building I was aiming at that was in line with the center of the green. I had hit the green in regulation with a pretty good chance at my eighth birdie of the round. My 64th shot missed by about two feet, and I was pretty nervous standing over my last putt, almost backing away to take another look. I was thinking to myself, "65 sounds a lot better than 66."
Some observations on this past weekend in Auggie sports ...
FOOTBALL -- We had 24 voters vote in our poll here regarding how Saturday's Augsburg-St. Olaf game would turn out, and if you're the one voter who put Augsburg winning by 21-plus points, pat yourself on the back. (Other votes -- Augsburg winning by 1-10 points, 14 votes; Augsburg winning by 11-20 points, 6 votes; St. Olaf winning by 1-10 points, 1 vote, and St. Olaf winning by 11-20 points, 2 votes).
What a game! Who would have thought Augsburg would be that dominant against a very good St. Olaf team? The Auggies started out hot and never looked back, scoring on their first five possessions to build a 35-14 halftime lead, en route to the 49-21 Homecoming triumph.
Everything connected for Augsburg on Saturday. On offense, Jordan Berg threw for 397 yards and three TDs, all going to Royce Winford, and Jason Potts scored two rushing touchdowns. On defense, the Auggies held the Oles to just 252 yards of total offense, and junior Alex Glasenapp had a terrific game, with two sacks and two forced fumbles -- one of which was returned 64-yards for a TD by Andrew Bergeson. On special teams, Augsburg's David Tilton did something not accomplished by an Auggie since 1999 -- a kickoff return for a TD. All in all, a fun game in front of a packed house at Edor Nelson Field.
The Auggies are 3-0 for the first time since 1999, and have a chance to go 4-0 for the first time since 1973 (the Auggies won their first five games en route to a 7-2 finish) with a win at Hamline this coming Saturday. The Auggies have the potential to be 5-0 going into a crucial home game against Concordia on Oct. 18 ... but this team has to take everything one game at a time.
The 2008 Auggies have the chance to be a truly special team, but it's a long season and anything can happen. But I will admit something ... every game this team plays reminds me more and more of the great conference-championship team of 1997. Things fell into place perfectly for that team, and it seems like things are starting to fall into place for this team.
WOMEN'S SOCCER -- Augsburg is off to a great 6-1-3 start to the season, after Saturday's 2-0 victory at St. Catherine. The win broke a stretch of two straight ties, and coach Mike Navarre told me that breaking that stretch of ties was a great relief for the Auggies.
Lots of balance in this team. Seven different players have scored goals, and 11 different players have contributed either goals or assists. And the defense, which has been a hallmark of Navarre's teams over the years, continues to be solid. Goalkeeper Maggie DeGroot has been her usual brilliant self, with seven shutouts and a 0.48 goals-against-average. The defensive foursome in front of her -- Kristi Castelic, Felicia Faison, Whitney Holman and Gaby Hamerlinck -- has allowed just six goals in 10 games so far this season.
Augsburg has reached the MIAC playoffs the last four years in a row, and this team is primed for another playoff run. Currently, the Auggies are in third place with seven league points, with six conference games remaining. And this week will provide a good stretch of rest and preparation for the rest of the league season, which begins next Saturday with a home game against St. Mary's.
MEN'S SOCCER -- Coach Greg Holker's bunch should certainly be pleased with two ties over the weekend against some solid competition across the border in Wisconsin -- a 1-1 tie at Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday and a 0-0 tie at Wisconsin-Oshkosh (your friendly SID's alma mater, by the way) on Sunday.
Augsburg is 5-1-3 after eight games, going into the heart of conference play this weekend with a game against St. Mary's on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field. Like the women, the Auggie men also get a week of rest and preparation before returning to MIAC action. Augsburg stands in a second-place tie in conference play with six points (3-1-0), with six conference games remaining.
Holker put it right in his summary of Sunday's game: "We are getting better -- and we are close to being pretty darn good." Like the Auggie women, the Auggie men are a study in balance, with six different goal-scorers and 11 different players claiming either goals or assists this year. And the Auggie defense has allowed just six goals this season, with goalkeepers Pascaul Venter and Donnie McCarthy both having very solid performances this past week.
VOLLEYBALL -- The Auggie volleyball team has had an up-and-down season, to say the least, which makes their 8-8 record entering tonight's nonconference match with North Central (7 p.m. at Si Melby Hall) understandable. After a three-game sweep by league contender Carleton on Wednesday, the Auggies rebounded with a great effort against a very good St. Benedict team, falling in five sets on Friday night.
Katie Christensen has had a great season so far, as the sophomore has cemented her place in the Auggie rotation. Versatile outside hitter Julie Jenkins has again been solid, and setter Shanna Reed and libero Dani Tanaka have both had outstanding seasons. Middle hitters Barbara Simmons and Amanda Rueb are showing tremendous promise.
Sitting at 0-3 in the conference with eight league games remaining, the Auggies' goal of making the top six for a berth in the conference playoffs will be a very tough goal to achieve, but it's still reachable. Another reachable goal would be to finish among the top eight teams in the league, ensuring the Auggies of a spot in the annual "crossover" weekend of matches with the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Augsburg men's soccer player Matt Bowman will be occasionally blogging here regarding his recovery from open-heart surgery earlier this month (related posts: Sept. 9, Sept. 22, Sept. 24), and his rehabilitation process as he aims to return to the Auggies next season.
I can't describe in words how crazy this past month has been, ever since I collapsed on Aug. 20. As some of you know, I was diagnosed with an anomalous coronary artery, which I have had since birth. Although it was hard to hear this, I was deeply thankful that the doctors were able to find the problem. To correct this defect, I had to have open-heart surgery.
The turning point for me, after the diagnosis, was that I remembered that this was all out of my hands. The fact that I got up after the incident on the field still amazes me, and I truly believe God was watching over me and has been all along. When I came to this realization, I was at peace with the whole situation. After my friends and family found out, the support came pouring in. I am forever grateful for these people in my life.
I quickly became aware that support was even coming from people I didn't even know. The thought of these people taking time out of their day to pray and think of me was overwhelming. I wish I could thank each one of these people in person, but I know that would be impossible. What I do want them to know is that I apprecieate everything they have done for me, and that they made this whole process so much easier for me. I want to give a special thanks to the people that were close to me throughout this past month. This includes my family, girlfriend, roomates, coaches, teamates, and Augsburg College. They did everything they could to show their support for me and it was more than I could've ever asked for. My story is much bigger than me, and it is only amazing because of the people that have been involved.
Since the surgery is over, I have been feeling better every day. I have a few check-ups and rehab appointments left which are scheduled in the next few weeks. It was great to be back on the bench, and beating St. Olaf made it that much better! Not being on the field with my teamates is hard, but just to be in that competitive soccer environment feels great. Around mid-November, I should be cleared to play again. That day will not come soon enough, but I am thankful just to be where I am right now.
Hello and welcome to Edor Nelson Field for where Augsburg (2-0) is taking on St. Olaf (3-0) for the 2008 Auggie Homecoming game. The stands are filling up quickly for this key Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) match-up. The team that emerges victorious from today's game will likely break into the NCAA top 25 rankings. It's 15 minutes until game time - we'll keep you posted.
3 minutes until game time - the Auggie are preparing to take the field. Coach Haege's team just ran through the Auggie banner as they took the field in style. Augsburg fans are on their feet!
The Augsburg "Bunch of Guys" chorus, including the 2008 Augsburg homecoming king, did a fine job with the national anthem.
Time for the coin toss - Augsburg will receive.
1:03 p.m. - A short kick from St. Olaf went out of bounds at the 15. Augsburg will take over the ball at their own 40.
1:05 p.m. - A big Auggie completion - 21 yd catch from Berg to Potts. First down Auggies!
1:07 p.m. - Another big completion for the Auggies. Berg to Winford over the middle. That will make it first and goal for the Auggies.
1:07 p.m. - Hand off to Potts and he runs it in for the TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good. 7-0 lead for the Auggies. That drive was 5 plays - 60 yrds.
1:09 p.m. - St. Olaf had a good return (23 yds) and it will be 1st and goal for St. Olaf on their own 44.
1:11 p.m. - 3rd down and 1 for the Oles. A Watkins run up the middle is good for the 1st down. St. Olaf ball on the AUG 42 yd line.
1:13 p.m. - St. Olaf went out on the option and Augsburg's Adam Koenig forced a fumble. AUGGIE ball on their own 44!
1:14 p.m. - Berg to Winford for another big completion. Augsburg ball on the Ole 35.
1:17 p.m. - Potts had a run for 8yds. That will make it 3rd and 1 for the Auggies. Jordan Berg on the keeper - good for the 1st down.
1:19 p.m. - Jason Potts takes the hand off for another 8 yd run. Auggies are down to the 5 yd line. Berg complete to Winford. 1st down Auggies on the 3 yd line. Augsburg has to take a time-out with 5:17 left in the quarter.
1:21 p.m. - Flag on the play - personal foul on St. Olaf. Automatic first down for the Auggies.
1:23 p.m. - Berg to Winford in the deep corner - TOUCHDOWN AUGGIES! Winford went over the top to make an awesome catch for the touchdown. Extra point is good. The drive was 12 plays -56 yds. Augsburg takes a 14-0 lead with just over 4 minutes left in the quarter.
1:25 p.m. - St. Olaf will take over on their own 27 yd line.
1:26 p.m. - 3rd and 8 for St. Olaf - the pass is intercepted by Augsburg's Royce Winford. Winford returns the ball to the STO 22 yd line. That is Winford's second interception of the season.
1:28 p.m. - Berg to Nourie for a 21 yd completion. Augsburg ball on the 1 yd line. Potts takes the hand off in for a 1 yd TOUCHDOWN run! The extra point is good. Augsburg is up 21-0 with 1:20 left in the quarter.
1:31 p.m. - St. Olaf has a great return out to the AUG 45 yd line. Hand off to Cody Watkins for a 43 yd touchdown run up the right side. Extra point is good. St. Olaf makes the score 21-7 with 0:37 left in the quarter.
1:34 p.m. - DAVID TILTON returns the kick 77 yds for a TOUCHDOWN! Wait...flag on the play. Offsides on St. Olaf - penalty declined. Excessive celebration on the Auggie touchdown - that penalty will be enforced on the kick-off. Touchdown is good. Extra point is good. Auggies make the score 28-7 with 0:26 left in the quarter.
1:38 p.m. - St. Olaf returns the kick to the AUG 44.
END of 1st quarter. Augsburg 28, St. Olaf 7
1:40 p.m. - St. Olaf first down. The Oles are driving. 3rd and 1 for St. Olaf. Augsburg's Andrew Bergesson makes a great stop for a loss of 2. The Oles are going for it on 4th down. Completed pass over the middle is good for the 1st down.
1:44 p.m. - St. Olaf is on the 7 yd line - it's 2nd down. Augsburg's Adam Mead makes a great stop for a loss of 7.
1:46 p.m. - Ryan St. John with a 14 yd TOUCHDOWN catch from Haberman. Extra point...flag on the play - illegal procedure on St. Olaf that will back the Oles up 5 yds. Extra point is good. The score is now 28-14 Augsburg with 9:45 left in the half.
1:48 p.m. - Augsburg will take over on their 40 yd line. Berg completed pass to Potts over the middle - 24 yd gain for the Auggies.
1:50 p.m.- Berg to Winford for a 16 yd completion. Berg is 11-12 on the afternoon. Augsburg ball on the STO 20.
1:51 p.m. - Berg to Muneer Al-Hameed. Auggies down to the 5 yd line. 1st and goal for the Auggies. Berg throws to a wide open Winford in the end-zone TOUCHDOWN AUGGIES! Extra point is good. 35-14 Augsburg with 7:49 remaining in the half.
1:53 p.m.- The kick rolls out of bound which will make it 1st down for St. Olaf on the 40 yd line.
1:57 p.m. - 44 yd pass completion from St. Olaf's Haberman. The Oles are 1st and goal on the AUG 6 yd line. It's 3rd and goal for St. Olaf on the 4 yd line. After an official's timeout we're ready to go. Augsburg breaks up the play. 4th and goal for St. Olaf. They're going for it - the crowd is on their feet. Complete pass but short of the endzone. Augsburg will take over on downs.
2:01 p.m. - Berg to Potts on the screen. 1st down Auggies on the 19. Berg to Al-Hameed another 1st down for the Auggies. Augsburg is driving. Potts with a 5 yd run. The Auggies are going to have to take another timeout. 3:29 left in the half.
2:06 p.m. - St. Olaf comes up with a big sack. That will make it 3rd and 14. The Auggies fumbled the snap but were able to recover. That will make it 4th down. St. Olaf takes a timeout. This will be the first punt of the day for the Auggies. 45 yd punt with no return. St. Olaf will take over on their own 28.
2:09 p.m. - The Oles take a shot deep and just overthrew an open wide receiver. On 2nd down Augsburg's Alex Glasenapp comes up with a big sack to make it 3rd and 13. Augsburg takes their 3rd and final timeout.
2:11 p.m. - Flag on the play - holding St. Olaf. The Oles are going to have to punt for the first time of the day. A short kick will give the ball to the Auggies on the STO 46 yd line. 1:14 left in the half.
2:13 p.m. - A pass over the middle by Augsburg draws a defensive pass interference call - that will make it 1st and 10 for the Auggies on the 23. Berg to Winford with a big catch down to the 1 yd line. Augsburg fumbles the ball and St. Olaf recovers on the 2.
2:16 p.m. - St. Olaf hands off up the middle for a short gain. Another St. Olaf run will end the half. Augsburg leads going into the half 35-14. The Auggie fans are cheering on their team as they leave the field for half-time.
Augsburg cheerleaders and danceline will start off the half-time entertainment. GO AUGGIES!
2:39 p.m.- St. Olaf will take over the ball on the 30 yd line to start the half.
2:41 p.m. - that will be a 3 and out for the Oles. After a 50 yd punt Augsburg will take over on their own 18.
2:43 p.m. - Berg to Al-Hameed over the middle. First down Auggies! Penalty on the play- offsides St. Olaf - penalty is declined. First down Augsburg on the 30 yd line.
2:46 p.m. - On 3rd and 5 there is an incomplete pass for Augsburg but wait...penalty on the play. Unsportsmanlike conduct on St. Olaf, automatic first down for the Auggies.
2:49 p.m. - Berg to Christopherson for the first down. Augsburg has 1st and 10 on the STO 35 yd line. On 3rd down Augsburg's Jordan Berg completed a 17yd pass to Dan Brown for the first down.
2:53 p.m. - Berg to Muneer Al-Hameed. Augsburg down to the 2 yd line. Tilton takes the handoff for a loss but there is a flag on the play. Personal foul on Augsburg. That will make it 2nd and goal on the 18 yd line.
2:57 p.m. - Augsburg takes a shot deep in the corner of the zone but the pass is incomplete. Augsburg attemps a pass to an open Mike Nourie but the pass is incomplete. Flag on the play - holding Augsburg. St. Olaf will accept the play and make it 3rd and goal on the 28. Augsburg is going to attempt a field goal. This is a 45 yd attempt - kick is no good, wide to the left. St. Olaf takes over at their 28 yd line.
3:00 p.m. - On 2nd and 10, St. Olaf makes long completion down to the AUG 36. St. Olaf with another completion. Augsburg's Donovan Bates comes up with a big INTERCEPTION for the Auggies. That is Bates second interception of his career.
3:03p.m. - Augsburg comes out with 2 quick first downs. Royce Winford currently has 11 catches on the day. The Auggies have the ball near mid field and its 3rd and 2. Berg to Al-Hameed for the 1st down. Auggies are 1st and 10 on the STO 43.
3:07 p.m - Berg to Al-Hameed over the middle with a leaping catch. First down Auggies on the 29. On 2nd and 11 Royce Winford makes a nice catch. It is now 3rd and one. Handoff to LeRoy Roby, good for the first down.
3:11 p.m. - Augsburg currently has the ball on the 11 yd line. It's 3rd and 3 for the Auggies. An injury time-out will stop the clock. That will end the third quarter. Augsburg leads St. Olaf 35-14.
3:14 p.m. - Berg to Nourie it's good in the end zone. No...flag on the play. That one is coming back. 3rd and 8 for the Auggies on the 16. Nourie with the catch over the middle. First down Augsburg on the 4 yd line.
3:17 p.m. - BERG T0 WINFORD for the TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good. That drive was 15 plays, 78 yds, 7:23. Augsburg leads St. Olaf 42-14.
3:19 p.m. -St. Olaf has a nice 54 yd return. Ole ball on the AUG 26.
3:20 p.m. - Augsburg's Brandon Jonker comes up with his second sack of the day. On 2nd down Augsburg's Andrew Bergeson comes up with a fumble recovery and returns it 64 yds for an AUGSBURG TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good. Augsburg leads St. Olaf 49-14.
3:22 p.m. - St. Olaf again has a good return on the Auggie kickoff. St. Olaf first down on their own 47.
3:24 p.m - St. Olaf goes deep down the left side of the field - flag on the play. Defensive pass interference. Automatic first down for St. Olaf on the 32. A slant pass for St. Olaf is complete over the middle. Second down and 3 for the Oles. Haberman finds a wide-open man in the end zone. TOUCHDOWN Oles. Extra point is good. The score now stands at 49-21 Augsburg with 11:04 left in the game.
3:28 p.m. - Augsburg will take over on their own 32 yd line. On 3rd down Tilton makes a nice spin move up the middle for the first down.
3:33 p.m. - Berg attempts to hit Winford over the middle. It's picked off by St. Olaf but there is a flag on the play. The officials are having a consultation...pass interference St. Olaf. 5 yd penalty. 3rd down and 7 . Berg is scrambling and he completes a nice pass to Dan Brown for a long completion down the right side. 1st and 10 for Augsburg on the 32.
3:39 p.m. - Augsburg notches another 1st down. 1st and 10 Augsburg on the 14 yd line.
3:41 p.m. - 3rd and 12 for the Auggies. The St. Olaf defense holds strong. Augsburg will attempt a 32 yd field goal. No good - just wide to the right. St. Olaf will take over on their own 20 yd line.
3:44 p.m. - The Auggies nearly get their third interception of the day. St. Olaf will be forced to punt for the third time this afternoon. Augsburg will take over on their 36 yd line.
3:46 p.m. - Augsburg will bring in a some new players on offense. There is just under one minute left in the game. The Auggies run a running play up the middle. That will run the clock out. Final score Augsburg wins 49-21. Augsburg moves to 3-0 for the first time since 1999.
Augsburg claims the victory over MIAC rival St. Olaf college in front of a standing room only crowd. Auggie fans give their team a standing ovation as they lead the crowd in the Auggie Fight Song!
Lots of live stuff online this weekend:
Live stats tonight (Friday) for the Augsburg-St. Benedict volleyball match. Action starts at 7 p.m., at Si Melby Hall.
And for football on Saturday against St. Olaf, 1 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field, we'll have live audio, live stats and the one, the only, live blog right here! Two weeks ago, we had more than 1,300 unique visitors to the live blog, and we're happy to bring it to you again!
Permit me to take a little side-track away from athletics in general for this post.
This is Homecoming week, and for those of us that have been at Augsburg for a long time, some of the stuff gets to be routine, year after year. Monday is the Pep Fest, the Powder Puff football game is on Tuesday or Wednesday, the Athletic Hall of Fame banquet is on Thursday, Homecoming Convocation is on Friday, and the football game is on Saturday (Augsburg vs. St. Olaf -- 1 p.m. -- BE THERE!).
And Jeroy Carlson always speaks in chapel on Thursday of Homecoming week.
Augsburg Class of 48. Served his country honorably in World War II. An outstanding student and multi-sport athlete (Hall of Famer, by the way). Sang in a well-known Augsburg choral group that toured the region. Later served as alumni director and development officer. Raised millions of dollars for his alma mater. If there's a building on this campus that has been built in the last 60 years, chances are good that Jeroy had a big part in helping it get built.
And one last thing. He IS Mr. Augsburg. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
How does one become "Mr. Augsburg"? It's spending a lifetime of service above self. It's devoting your life to this institution. It's being the living and breathing heart of what Augsburg is all about. No one will ever be able to take the title from Jeroy. It's his and his forever.
This morning, he spoke in our daily chapel service, the little 20-minute respite of time we are offered each day at Augsburg. As he usually does, he shared little sayings that he has accumulated over the years, nuggets of wisdom that show the measure of a man and what he believes.
"A drop in the bucket is only a drop, a minor and moist detail,
For it cannot change the color or taste in a 10-quarter water pail,
But if that drop has the color of love and taste of something divine,
A drop in the bucket can always change water into wine."
One that he shared from a friend of his:
"My life will touch a dozen lives before this day is done,
Leave countless marks of good or ill before the setting sun,
This, the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray,
Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way."
His favorite, one that he always shares every year:
"Seek without confusion clearly,
Act with honest motives purely,
Love your fellow man sincerely,
Trust in God and heaven securely.
The first letter in each line spells the word SALT,
We are told to be salt of the earth.
You never pour salt on anything, you sprinkle it.
It's like you sprinkle a little bit of self into every day of living"
Jeroy is 85 years old, and will celebrate his 60th class reunion with his classmates tomorrow at the Homecoming Convocation. His life is driven by faith, love and devotion. You go up to him and you have to hug him, every time you see him, and tell him that you love him, and he'll tell you that he loves you. He shares his devotion with everyone he sees. He is the living link between the past, present and future of this place called Augsburg.
In his homily today, he spoke of the word "sparkle." "Sparkle is what other people see in you that you can't see yourself ... Each of us is a drop in the deep blue sea; the only difference is some drops sparkle." Jeroy sparkles. He sparkles every day. And his sparkle is contagious, it spreads to others and makes them shine.
If you are currently a student here at Augsburg and you see Jeroy around campus, walk up to him and shake his hand. Talk to him about his life here, and what it truly means to be an Auggie. You will learn a lot from him.
Above my desk, I have a baseball card of Jeroy that was given out when he formally retired two years ago. It has a prominent place among the photos of family and friends that I have overlooking my workspace. I look at it whenever I think about Augsburg and what it means to all of us who either attended here, worked here or had even a little bit of engagement with this place. He is a model to me of what a truly good person can be, and if I can even be a tiny bit like him every day, then I consider myself incredibly fortunate.
That's what makes Jeroy Carlson "Mr. Augsburg." And on this Hall of Fame banquet day, he will always be a Hall of Famer in my book.
Photo by Stephen Geffre, Augsburg College Marketing and Communication
"Isn't it ironic, don'tcha think," said Alanis Morissette (one of the AugBlog's favorite Canadian-born pop stars) in a song a few years ago.
And this football fun fact certainly falls in the "isn't it ironic" category regarding Augsburg's Homecoming game this Saturday against St. Olaf (1 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field. Be there, people!)
Augsburg is 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 1999, when the Auggies won their first three games en route to a 6-4 finish. Ironically, the third game of the 1999 season was against St. Olaf (a 30-27 Augsburg home win), Augsburg’s opponent in its third game of the 2008 season as well. Augsburg also started the 1998 season 3-0 en route to a 6-4 finish, with its third game a 31-24 win at St. Olaf.
"And who would have thought, it figures ... "
If you are a faithful AugBlog reader, you've read men's soccer coach Greg Holker's posts (Sept. 9 and Sept. 22) regarding Matt Bowman, a sophomore who collapsed last month during a preseason scrimmage, and later underwent open-heart surgery to correct a rare anomalous coronary artery heart defect.
Last night, KARE-11 television did a great feature (click here to read and view the video) on Matt and his recovery since the surgery. Matt returned to the Augsburg campus on Monday, and joined his teammates on the bench as Augsburg defeated St. Olaf 3-0 in a crucial MIAC contest.
The KARE-11 story, by reporter Karla Hult and photojournalist Bob Crippa, featured interviews with Matt, his parents and the doctor at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital who diagnosed Matt and performed the surgery on Sept. 12. It's a great story of a medical miracle.
We've asked Matt to document his recovery and rehabilitation for us at the AugBlog, and he's planning to do so over the next several months. He's also planning to return to play soccer next season for the Auggies. Go Matt!!!
Homecoming week 2008 kicked-off tonight at Augsburg College with a pep rally and fireworks display. The annual pep rally filled the gym with excited students, athletes, coaches and other Augsburg staff.
The cheer team and pep band began the night with the Auggie fight song. All of the fall sport teams and coaches were announced and recognized for successful seasons thus far. The Homecoming court was then announced, including one of the male Homecoming candidates who was not able to attend because of night class so instead had a picture of his head glued to a stick figure.
A competitive game (aka relay race involving jumping rope, running through cones, hula hooping, and riding on mini scooters) between the classes turned out to be a photo finish, with the sophomore class declared as winners. After the crowning of the new Homecoming King and Queen, everyone joined the football team as they led the crowd in the fight song.
A large group of people then moved outside to line the park as an impressive fireworks display of gold, pink, blue, purple and green fireworks lit up the sky. This was a great way to kick-off the week - check back in over the next few days to find out the latest on Homecoming week 2008.
Results from last week's poll:
Who had the top individual performance of the past weekend?
Royce Winford (football) -- 7 votes
Maggie DeGroot (women's soccer) -- 6 votes
Brent Haglund (men's cross country) -- 4 votes
Laura Harms (volleyball) -- 1 vote
New poll is up.
Augsburg men's soccer head coach Greg Holker sends an update on his team's season and on the condition of player Matt Bowman:
It has been one month and two days since Matt Bowman collapsed in our first preseason scrimmage. Since then, the entire program has been through a roller coaster ride. By that, we mean his family, the doctors and surgeons, friends and teammates, professors and coaches -- essentially everyone involved in Matt's life.
Matt is grateful for everyone's support during the past month, especially for his teammates and friends at Augsburg. It was a much easier process for Matt, knowing he had the support of all of these wonderful people.
Matt underwent a successful operation on Sept. 12 to correct an anomalous left main coronary artery. Basically, one of Matt's arteries was located in the wrong place at birth. There was a high risk of sudden death due to this condition. The surgery itself lasted three-and-a-half hours and was 100 percent successful. Matt spent two days in intensive care before moving to his own room for two additional days. He was released from the hospital on Sept. 16. He spent the last week recovering from his home in Maple Grove, and today he is back on campus!
In three weeks, Matt will go back for another CT coronary angiography so the doctors can confirm everything is healing well and operating the way it should. He will begin cardiac rehab across the street at Fairview Riverside Hospital at the end of this week, and will continue with his rehab for a few additional weeks.
Tuesday night's game against St. Olaf (7:30 p.m.) will mark the return of Matt to our bench. Although the game is an important MIAC matchup between two of the top teams and serves as our Homecoming competition that will recognize the 1973 MIAC championship team, the return of Matt Bowman will be at the forefront of everyone's mind. I am excited to have him back on our bench -- and I know the guys will be flying when they see him there!
The Augsburg football team moved up in the D3Football.com Division III national poll, receiving 27 votes from the national panel to stand just four spots away from getting into the top 25. That's 17 more votes than last week ... and Augsburg didn't even have to play a game this past Saturday!
Augsburg gained more votes after a wild and wacky weekend in MIAC football, which featured both conference title favorites falling at home -- St. John's losing 9-6 to Concordia-Moorhead and Bethel losing 17-14 against Carleton. Meanwhile, St. Olaf (Augsburg's Homecoming opponent this Saturday) and St. Thomas took part in the longest football game in Division III history -- a 29-23 Ole victory in SIX overtimes!
In this week's national poll, St. John's dropped from No. 6 to No. 18 and Bethel, which had been ranked No. 5 in the preseason rankings and No. 13 last week, dropped out of the top 25 altogether, receiving just nine votes from the ranking panel this week. Meanwhile, Concordia now has 36 votes (the first team outside the top 25 in the "Others receiving votes" category), St. Olaf has 29 votes and Augsburg has 27. And Wartburg (Iowa), which Augsburg beat 30-24 (2OT) last Saturday, put itself back into the top 25 following a 19-17 win over Iowa Conference foe Central.
Kind of a light weekend for Augsburg sports this weekend, with football having a bye week, and the volleyball and men's soccer teams hosting their alumni games this Saturday (volleyball at 11 a.m. at Si Melby Hall and men's soccer at 1 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field).
The Augsburg women's soccer team hosts St. Thomas in a good early-season MIAC battle at 4 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field. We'll have live stats online of Saturday afternoon's game and St. Thomas will have an audio webcast of the game.
The Auggies are coming off a dramatic 3-2 victory over Hamline on Wednesday night in what head coach Mike Navarre admitted was not the best game of the season for the Auggies. However, they showed a lot of character in rallying from a 2-1 second-half deficit with two goals in the last 15:50 -- a terrific bender by Kelsey Watsabaugh and a rebound goal by Katie Medd with 1:16 left to play. Augsburg is 5-1-1 on the season, while St. Thomas is 5-0-2, coming off a 3-1 win over St. Catherine on Wednesday night. Erin Sprangers leads the Tommies with six goals on the season.
The men's and women's cross country teams are in Northfield on Saturday for the St. Olaf Invitational. Action starts at 10 a.m. on the St. Olaf course, a layout that has hosted NCAA Division III national championship meets in the past. Fourteen men's teams and 15 women's teams will be participating in the meet.
Augsburg is coming off a fine performance at the Tufts (Mass.) Jumbo Invitational last weekend, a meet where junior Brent Haglund won the men's 8K race and earned MIAC Co-Athlete of the Week honors for men's cross country.
The men's golf team has split squad action this weekend. The Maroon team (varsity) will be competing at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Frank Wrigglesworth Invitational this Sunday and Monday at the Eau Claire (Wis.) Country Club, while the Gray team (JV) will compete at the St. Olaf Invitational at Fountain Valley Golf Club in Farmington.
Augsburg is currently standing fifth among MIAC schools in team stroke average, with a 313.0 average through its first four meets of the season. The MIAC is considered one of the top Division III men's golf conferences in the country, with two-time defending national champion St. John's currently ranked No. 1 in the latest Division III national poll and Gustavus ranked No. 18. Senior Colby Anderson is currently averaging 75.0 strokes per round (3-over-par), ranking seventh among MIAC golfers in overall statistics.
From the Did You Know department ... With no Auggie football game this weekend (on the varsity level, there is a JV game on Saturday), this marks the first time Augsburg has had an middle-of-the-season bye week in football since 1991. That year, a game on Nov. 2 against Gustavus was cancelled due to the after-effects of the infamous Halloween Blizzard (remember that one -- 28.4 inches of snow in the Twin Cities).
However, this week marks the first time there was a "scheduled" bye week for football since 1983, when the Auggies had games played on Sept. 3 and Sept. 17, but not Sept. 10 (the Auggies also had a scheduled bye week in the 1982 season). The 1983 season was also the only year that Augsburg has ever played 11 regular-season games (the Auggies went 4-7). Augsburg played 12 games in 1997, but two of those were in the postseason, the season the Auggies won the MIAC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III national playoffs.
I don't know about you, but I'm probably going to experience some "football withdrawl" this weekend ... but it gives Auggie fans an extra week to prepare for the Homecoming battle with St. Olaf next Saturday at Edor Nelson Field!
Last week's poll results:
What was the top individual performance of the past weekend?
Jordan Berg (football) -- 5 votes
Royce Winford (football) -- 2 votes
Shanna Reed (volleyball) -- 1 vote
New poll is up.
Some thoughts on this weekend in Augsburg sports:
FOOTBALL: What a game!!! I can safely say that in my 12 years as SID here at good ol' Augsburg, Saturday's 30-24, two-overtime win over No. 20-ranked Wartburg ranks up there with the greatest Auggie football games I've ever seen (that list might be a future AugBlog post). Great atmosphere, night football under the lights in "The Cage," and an exciting, back-and-forth battle. Augsburg jumped out to the early 10-0 lead with a dominating first-quarter performance, then held on as Wartburg rallied. But the Auggies came back with some great plays -- a Jordan Berg-to-Royce Winford TD pass, a blocked field goal by John Leibfried and Alex Glasenapp, another Berg-to-Winford TD pass in the first OT, a defensive stand to force a missed Wartburg field goal, and finally, Jason Potts' 23-yard scamper for the game-winning score.
How about the play of Royce Winford? Perhaps one of the few two-way players in all of college football this year, the veteran wide receiver added defensive cornerback duties to his repertoire this season, and played most of the 163 plays against Wartburg. Defensively, he had three tackles and a key interception in the fourth quarter.
This may be a very special Augsburg team. It's looking like the tools are coming together -- offense, defense and special teams -- for a deep run this year. Will the Auggies contend with the usual suspects (St. John's, Bethel, etc.) for the MIAC title? Time will tell, but the fun of the MIAC season starts on Sept. 27 (Augsburg is idle this coming Saturday), with Augsburg's Homecoming game against St. Olaf.
MEN'S SOCCER: The beat goes on for the Auggies, now 4-0-1 after a solid 2-1 win over Hamline in the rain on Saturday in St. Paul. Another team that's coming together in a good way, with a nice mix of veterans and solid newcomers. Eight different Auggies have figured in the scoring with goals or assists this season, showing the team's good balance. And 2006 All-American goalkeeper Pascaul Venter, who missed most of last season due to injury, is back in good form. He's started the last three games and has a 3-0-0 record with one shutout.
A big test for the Auggies will come this Wednesday at 4 p.m., when they travel to face St. Thomas in St. Paul. The Tommies are 6-0-0 on the season and, like Augsburg are considered one of the favorites to claim the MIAC crown.
WOMEN'S SOCCER: Another start, another shutout for Augsburg goalkeeper Maggie DeGroot. With the help of one of the best defenses in the MIAC, she did it again on Saturday, blanking defending NCAA tournament team St. Scholastica 1-0 in Duluth, with five saves. Consider this little nugget: in her career, DeGroot is 32-16-13, with 31 shutouts (an Auggie career record) among her 32 wins and 13 ties. She's allowed just two goals this season, playing all but 13:20 of the Auggies' 560 minutes in goal, and she already has five shutouts in six starts this year.
Augsburg has its first home game in a couple of weeks this coming Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., when Hamline visits Edor Nelson Field. If the defense continues to hold firm, the Auggies could be primed for a solid run towards an MIAC title.
VOLLEYBALL: If you understand volleyball statistics, check out this linescore from Augsburg's four-set win over Simpson (Iowa) at the Wartburg (Iowa) Invitational over the weekend: 17 kills, 0 errors, 21 assists, .810 attack percentage. Those are incredible numbers, folks, and that's what Julie Jenkins put up at the net against the Storm on Saturday. Most good hitters will hit in the .200s to .300s on average, with outstanding performances in the .400 range. But .810? That's not human!!! Julie hit .303 on the weekend, and she's hitting at a solid .248 clip on the season.
Another solid hitting performance came from Laura Harms, who netted a career-high 29 kills and hit .444 in a five-set loss to a very good Nebraska Wesleyan team on Friday night. In her first run of extended action since dealing with early-season injuries, Harms had a great performance in the Wartburg tournament, with 67 kills, a .292 attack percentage and nine blocks. She earned All-Tournament Team honors on the weekend.
The Auggies are off to a very impressive 8-5 start after the first three weeks of the season, and open conference play this Wednesday at 7 p.m., with a match at Gustavus. If this team continues to play well together, they have a legitimate shot at an MIAC postseason playoff berth.
CROSS COUNTRY: How about the effort of Augsburg junior Brent Haglund? In hot and humid conditions on an unfamiliar, wet and muddy course in Massachusetts, Haglund puts together a meet-winning 26:42.76 effort over 8,000 meters to lead the Auggies at the Tufts (Mass.) Jumbo Invitational on Saturday. And four Auggie men finish in the top 50 overall to give the team a fourth-place overall placing. In all, a very good effort for coach Dennis Barker's Auggie men. And on the women's side, sophomore Jennifer Lovering continues to impress, as she took 26th overall with a 21:25.71 effort over 5,000 meters to lead the Auggies to a sixth-place team finish.
This Saturday, the Auggies compete at the St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield. With a familiar course and a good week of training back in Minnesota, the Auggies are primed to shine.
MEN'S GOLF: Colby Anderson is having quite a year. In the past two weekends, he's had multiple top-five finishes, including a 1-over-par 73 for a third-place finish at the rain-shortened St. John's Fall Invitational on Sunday. He's averaging a 3-over-par 75.0 so far this season, seventh-best among all MIAC golfers.
At the St. John's meet, the Auggies finished sixth as a team, finishing better than five teams ranked ahead of them in the Golfstat rankings. A big test will be this weekend, when the Auggies compete at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational.
WOMEN'S GOLF: Tough conditions for Augsburg this weekend at the Carleton Division III Midwest Classic in Ham Lake, as the Auggies had to battle rain in both rounds. Sophomores Stefani Zappa and Johanna Frykmark are having good seasons, and should continue to improve. The Auggies are now idle until the MIAC championships Oct. 4-6 at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids.
-- Don Stoner
Greetings from Edor Nelson Field where rivals Augsburg (1-0) and Wartburg (1-0) are ten minutes away from kick-off. The rain has stopped, the band is playing and the fans are piling in the stands. Keep tuned in as we will be updating you from our first ever live blog.
The famous Augsburg "Bunch of Guys Chorus" once again did a fine job with the National Anthem.
Wartburg is about to kick off.
7: 02 p.m. - Augsburg returns the ball to the 29 yard line.
7:06 p.m. - The Auggies are driving. Jordan Berg is currently 5-6 passing on the drive.
7:07 p.m. - Royce Winford just made an awesome juggling catch to give the Auggies a first down.
7:09 p.m. - The Auggies are attempting the first field goal of the season...it's good! Auggies up 3-0 over Wartburg.
7:10 p.m. - Augsburg kicks off and Wartburg returns the ball to about the 25.
7:12 p.m. - The Auggies nearly pick-off an over pass.
7:13 p.m. - Augsburg's Alex Glasenapp just came up with a big sack.
7:15 p.m. - Wartburg is punting. The kick rolled out of bounds. It will be Augsburg ball on the 23 yard line.
7:17 p.m. - Berg completes another pass. The Auggies are driving...they've crossed mid-field.
7:20 p.m. - Augsburg takes a time out. There is currently 4:27 left in the quarter.
7:22 p.m. - Berg handed off to Potts who threw it deep to Winford who had a great catch. Augsbrug is on the 16 yd line.
7:25 p.m. - Touchdown Auggies! Berg to Muneer Al-Hameed deep in the corner of the end-zone. The crowd is on their feet.
7:27 p.m. - Wartburg ball on the 38 yd line.
7:29 p.m. - Wartburg has a nice run up the middle. The chain crew is coming out for an official measurement. It's going to be 2nd and one to go with :30 left.
7:31 p.m. - A defensive pass interference call on Augsburg gives Wartburg a 1st down on the 26 yd line.
7:32 p.m. - The quarter ends with Augsburg up 10-0.
7:34 p.m. - Wartburg takes a time-out.
7:36 p.m. - Augsburg breaks up a big pass. Wartburg is attempting a 40 yrd field goal. It's good. That is a carrer record for the Wartburg kicker. There is 14:13 left in the half. Augsburg is up 10-3.
7:38 p.m. - Augsburg's Tilton returns the ball to the 34 yd line.
7:41 p.m. - Berg makes a great pass up the middle. Third down. Augsburg is 2-3 on third downs so far this game. Complete pass. 1st down Auggies on the 40 yrd line.
7:46 p.m. - Augsburg has to punt. Wartburg has the ball on their own 23 yd line.
7:48 p.m. - Third and long for Wartburg. The pass is picked off by the AUGGIES!! Tyler Judkins with the interception. Augsburg takes a time-out with 9:24 left in the half.
7:52 p.m. - Jordan Berg is hit from behind. The officials are calling it a fumble. The coaches and fans seem to think that Berg was attempting to throw. Augsburg takes a time-out while Coach Haege looks for an explanation. Wartburg ball on the 37 yd line.
7:55 p.m. - Wartburg completes a long pass...wait there is a flag on the play. Personal foul's off-set... the ball is coming back to the 34 yd line.
8:00 p.m. - 4th down - Wartburg will punt. 50 yd punt with no return. The Auggies will have the ball at the one yd line.
8:02 p.m. - Berg completes a slant pass to give the Auggies some breathing room. 1st down Auggies on the 12 yd line.
8:06 p.m. - Augsburg has to punt. 32 yrd punt Wartburg ball on the 50. There is a flag on the play - the penalty will go against the Auggies. Wartburg ball on the 41.
8: 08 p.m. - Illegal shift on Wartburg. Auggies decline - 4th down. Wartburg is going for it on 4th down. It's the first 4th down attempt for Wartburg this season. They needed 5 and got 6. 1st down Wartburg.
8:10 p.m. - Delay of game call on Wartburg. 2:14 left in the half. Wartburg completes a slant pass down to the 18 yd line.
8:12 p.m. - One minute left in the half. Wartburg completes a pass down to the 5 yd line. Time-out Wartburg.
8:15 p.m. - Warburg attemps a run up the middle. No gain. Wartburg takes their final time-out.
8:17 p.m. - Wartburg touchdown. A pass to the deep corner of the end-zone. Extra point is good. Score is tied 10-10. Penalty on the play - Auggies off-sides. The penalty will be assessed on the kick-off. 0:28 left in the half.
8:19 p.m. - Wartburg kicks off. Auggie ball on their own 21 yrd line. The Auggies will take a knee and go into the locker room with a 10-10 score.
Half-time feature: Preformances from the Augsburg dance line, cheer team and pep band.
8:40 p.m. - The Auggies are kicking off to start the second half. Wartburg ball on their own 6 yd line.
8:42 p.m. - Wartburg runs for first down. 1st and 10 on the 29 yd line.
8:44 p.m. - Wartburg had a man wide open deep but he wasn't able to hang onto the pass. 3rd and 6. Offensive pass interference - 15 yd penalty. 3rd and 21 from the 18. Long pass caught and fumbled. Wartburg recovers the ball on the 50 yd line.
8:48 p.m. - 4th down and one yd. The Augsburg defense had to call a time out to get set. Wartburg fakes the punt and sneaks it up the middle for the first down.
8:51 p.m. - Wartburg 4th down and 3. They are going for it. Penalty flag - illegal procedure on Wartburg that will back them up to the 37 and force them to punt. A high kick will make it 1st and 10 for the Auggies on their own 12 yd line.
8:55 p.m. - Jordan Berg on the keeper will make it close to a first down. The officials will come out for a measurement. 4th and one. The Auggies will punt. Wartburg signals for a fair catch. Wartburg ball on the 45 yrd line.
8:57 p.m. - Wartburg has a backwards lateral - the Auggies recover! Augsburg ball on the 43 yd line.
9:00 p.m. - After two Augsburg penalties it will be 4th and 20 on their own 47. Wartburg comes up with the big sack. Augsburg will punt. Wartburg ball on the 27 yd line. 5:27 left in the quarter. Person foul on Wartburg the ball will now be on the 14 yd line.
9:03 p.m. - Wartburg comes up with a big pass down the side line. Ball on the 47 yd line.
9:05 p.m. - Another big Wartburg pass down the side-line. First and 10 on the AUG 31 yd line.
9:08 p.m. - Wartburg takes a time-out. 3rd and 5 on the AUG 26. Incomplete pass. Wartburg will attempt a 43 yd field goal. Kick is no good. Augsburg takes over on the 26 yd line.
9:09 p.m. - Potts with a big run for the Auggies - gain of 21. 1st and 10 on the AUG 47 yd line
9:12 p.m. - Incomplete pass to Muneer Al-Hameed down the side line as he took a hard hit. Auggies will have to punt. It was a 45 yd punt - Wartburg ball on their own 11 yd line.
9:17 p.m. - It will be 3 and out for Wartburg. Wartburg to punt. It's a good punt, Augsburg returns the ball to the 34 yrd line. Illegal block on Augsburg, that will make it 1st and 10 on the AUG 16. That will be the end of the quarter.
9:21 p.m. - At the end of the third quarter - Augsburg has 13 first downs, with 35 yds rushing and 196 yds in the air. Wartburg has 15 first downs with 94 rushing yds and 157 yds in the air.
9:24 p.m. - Augsburg fumbled but recovered. It will be 3rd and long for the Auggies. Augsburg will be forced to punt. There is a flag on the play - running into the kicker. The penalty is declined. Wartburg will take over on their 21 yd line.
9:27 p.m. - The crowd gets into it as the Auggie defense makes a great stop on 1st down. On third down, Bates makes a great open field tackle for the Auggies forcing Wartburg to punt. 51 yd punt for Wartburg. Augsburg takes over on thier own 21.
9:31 p.m. - Wartburg comes up with a big interception and a return of 36 yds. Wartburg will take over on AUG 3. Wartburg runs it in for the 3 yd touchdown. The score is now 17-10 Wartburg with 9:26 left in the quarter.
9:34 p.m. - After the Wartburg kick, Augsburg takes over their own 31 yd line.
9:36 p.m. - A Berg completion for a first down brings it out to the 45 yd line.
9:37 p.m. - Third and 3 for the Auggies. Tilton has a strong run and it's going to be close. First down by the nose of the football. 1st and 10 for the Auggies on the Wartburg 44.
9:41 p.m. - Berg to Potts - 1st down Auggies! 8 plays for the Auggies on this drive - 7 have been passes. The Auggies are driving and the crowd is getting excited.
9:43 p.m. - It's going to be 3rd and 1 for the Auggies on the Wartburg 5 yrd line. 4:55 left in the game.
9:45 p.m. - A defensive pass interference call gives the Auggies the 1st down on the 2 yd line. Two near catches in the end zone makes it 4th and goal with 4:07 left in the game. The Auggies take a time out.
9:48 p.m. - TOUCHDOWN AUGGIES! Berg to Winford. The Auggies are now 4-5 on 4th down conversions this season. Extra point is good. We are all tied up again, 17-17 with 4:02 left in the game.
9:51 p.m. - Wartburg takes over on their own 35 yd line.
9:52 p.,m. - Third down for Wartburg. The crowd is cheering the Auggies on...Interception Augsburg! Winford comes up big for the Auggies getting the pick. It's now Augsburg ball on the 50 yd line. Augsburg will take their final time out.
9:55 p.m. - LeRoy Roby has a nine yd run for the Auggies. It's now 3rd down. Berg with the keeper. Augsburg 1st down.
9:57 p.m. - Wartburg gets a sack on 1st down. Wartburg takes a time out.
9:59 p.m. - It's 3rd and 22 on the AUG 48. Berg keeps it and runs to the 35 yd line. It's going to be 4th and 5. Augsburg is going for it and the crowd is cheer them on....pass is no good. Wartburg will take over on their 35.
10:01 p.m. - There is 0:58 left in the game and the fans are getting excited. Wartburg takes a shot down field and it's nearly picked off by the Auggies.
10:03 p.m. - 3rd and 2 for Wartburg with 0:31 left in the game. Completed pass - 1st down Wartburg on the AUG 37. Wartburg spikes the ball to stop the clock.
10:04 p.m. - the Warbug quarterback has a big run but there is a holding call and that one is coming back. It's now 2nd and 20 on the 46 yd line.
10:05 p.m. - A pass up the middle is good. It's going to be 4th and 4. Wartburg is going to attempt a 47 yd field goal. IT'S BLOCKED BY THE AUGGIES! No time left on the clock. We're going to overtime!
10:09 p.m. - Wartburg wins the coin toss and chooses to go second. Augsburg will have the ball on the 25 yd line.
10:11 p.m. - Completed pass to Al-Hameed. 2nd and one. Tilton takes the hand off and it appears he'll be just short. 3rd and less than one. Quarterback keeper. It's close again. 1st down Auggies on the 15.
10:13 p.m. - Completed pass Berg to Winford - AUGSBURG TOUCHDOWN! Extra point is good.
10:14 p.m. - Wartburg will now take posession on the 25. Wartburg runs for a first down. Penalty on the play - illegal procedure on Wartburg. It's now 2nd and 6 on the 21 yd line.
10:16 p.m. - It's now 3rd and 4 for Wartburg...completed pass...it's good for the 1st down. Ball on the 13 yd line.
10:18 p.m. - 1st and goal for Wartburd on the 2 yd line. Wartburg with a one yd carry. 2nd and goal. He's short. 3rd and goal. Quarterback keeper - touchdown Wartburg. Extra point is good.
10:23 p.m. - Wartburg will take posession of the ball on the 25 yd line.
10:24 p.m. - The Augsburg defense holds for no gain on 1st down. Incomplete pass on 2nd down. 3rd down screen pass is good for a gain of 4. Wartburg will attempt a 40 yd field goal. The crowd is on their feet. The kick is no good!
10:27 p.m. - Augsburg will take over on the 25. Gain of 2 on the carry by Potts. They are going to give it too Potts again....JASON POTTS SCORES A TOUCHDOWN to win the game!
Final score 30-24 Augsburg. The Auggies move to 2-0 on the season while Wartburg moves to 1-1.
Another busy weekend in Auggie sports ... here's the preview.
Just one home event this weekend, and it's a biggie -- the Auggie football team hosting Wartburg (Iowa) in the home-opener on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field. I haven't heard so much buzz on campus regarding a home football game in a long time. It's great! Record the USC-Ohio State game on your DVR and get to Augsburg for this one -- you won't want to miss it!
It's shaping up to be a great battle. Since the nonconference series between the two ELCA schools was restarted in 2004, there have been numerous close games -- a three-point loss in 2004, another three-point loss in 2005, and last year's miracle 14-13 victory in Waverly, Iowa. Both teams opened this season with impressive wins, as Augsburg topped Crown 49-14 and Wartburg topped St. Norbert (Wis.) 44-20. For the full game notes, click here (PDF).
Just a reminder, if you can't make it to Edor Nelson Field, you can listen to Tom Witschen's call of the game online, watch live stats, and follow the action right here on the ol' AugBlog! Kelly Anderson Diercks is going to be doing a live blog during the game.
The volleyball team is in Waverly, Iowa, this weekend for the Wartburg Invitational. Action starts today with matches against Coe (Iowa) and Nebraska Wesleyan, and tomorrow starting at 11 a.m., with matches against Simpson (Iowa) and Wartburg. Augsburg has had a strong start to the season, with a 6-3 record entering this weekend's play. Updated scores will be posted on Wartburg's site (click here).
Coe is 1-5 on the season, with its lone win a five-set triumph over Transylvania (Pa.) in the Elmhurst (Ill.) tournament on Aug. 30. Nebraska Wesleyan is actually opening its season this weekend, but the Prairie Wolves have been a very successful team over the years. NWU has appeared in the last four NCAA Division III national tournaments, and are coming off a 17-12 campaign last year. Simpson is 4-1, with one of those wins a five-set triumph over regional power Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Aug. 30. Wartburg is 2-4 on the season, coming off a close five-set loss to Wisconsin-Platteville on Wednesday night.
The men's soccer team, fresh off a 3-0 triumph at Concordia-Moorhead on Wednesday, has a challenging conference test at Hamline on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. Augsburg is still unbeaten (3-0-1), and has given up just two goals so far this season. Hamline has started the season 3-3, but won its conference-opening game on Wednesday, with a 1-0 triumph at Bethel.
The women's soccer team has the final game of its three-game road trek against NCAA Division III national tournament teams from last year on Saturday, with a 3 p.m. nonconference game at St. Scholastica in Duluth. The Auggies are 3-1-1 on the season, coming off a 0-0, scoreless tie in their conference-opener at Concordia-Moorhead on Wednesday. St. Scholastica is 5-0-0 for the first time in school history, with three double-overtime victories in the string.
The men's and women's cross country teams are back in action this Saturday, competing at the Tufts (Mass.) Jumbo Invitational in Grafton, Mass. Coach Dennis Barker has taken his teams to the East Coast for meets on several occasions, a great team-building exercise. The young Auggies had a very good opening meet with Bethel back on Aug. 30, and have been training hard for this weekend's adventure in the Boston area.
The men's golf team had a strong showing with a fifth-place finish at the Augsburg Invitational last weekend, and will compete against another deep field at the St. John's Fall Invitational this Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's round is at the GreyStone Golf Club in Sauk Centre, with Sunday's round at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course in Sartell.
The women's golf team competed at the Concordia-Moorhead Invitational last weekend, continuing to show improvement with a young roster under coach Laura Patrick. This weekend, the Auggies compete at the Carleton Division III Midwest Classic at the Majestic Oak Golf Club in Ham Lake.
-- Don Stoner
Your friendly Augsburg SID is becoming more technologically inclined every day. We've added the ol' AugBlog, continued our strong relationship with Stretch Internet for audio webcasts, added the free eScores service for fans to get scores delivered to their cell phone, and now, starting on Saturday with our football game against Wartburg, we'll have live stats for nearly all home sporting events.
So if you can't make it to Edor Nelson Field for Saturday's Auggie-Knight gridiron clash, you can listen live online to Tom Witschen's call, while also being able to keep up with live statistics. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think! E-mail your feedback to stoner@augsburg.edu.
-- Don Stoner
Men's soccer head coach Greg Holker's thoughts on the season so far, heading into Augsburg's MIAC-opener at Concordia-Moorhead on Wednesday:
It’s been a challenging start to the 2008 campaign for our men's soccer team. Three of last year's starters have not set foot on the field due to injuries -- including one who will have open-heart surgery on Friday.
In our first preseason scrimmage, sophomore sensation Matt Bowman collapsed with three minutes remaining in the contest. When I got to Matt, things did not look good. It was an out-of-body experience for me -- like I was living what I had read in the news. He was having trouble getting oxygen and was unconscious and unresponsive. I thought he was dying.
For what seemed like an eternity, we waited for the paramedics to arrive ... but before they made it, Matt came to and starting responding to questions. Within a matter of five minutes, he said he felt fine -- it was crazy. After he was released from the ambulance, it looked like he could run a marathon. He felt perfectly fine. After further testing that night at a local hospital and more extensive testing the following Monday, the doctors could not find anything wrong with him. He was set for one last round of testing and we were expecting him to be cleared to play on our trip to Iowa when we found out the news.
Matt is a walking miracle. He has a form of anomalous coronary artery heart defect that is very rare, and in 80 percent of patients, they die before it is diagnosed. Surgery is Matt's only option because with this condition (his left coronary artery is going between his aorta and his pulmonary artery, a place it definitely shouldn't be), the risk of sudden death is very high even if he gave up competitive sports.
Matt is scheduled for surgery at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12. He will be in surgery for about three hours and then intensive care for the rest of the day. The surgeon said in 8-10 weeks he should make a full recovery, and he will be able to rejoin his teammates on the field in 2009.
When something like this happens, it helps everyone involved reassess what is important to them -- and how we live our lives. As painful as it has been for Matt to be away from the sport he loves and the team he calls family, we are all grateful he will recover from this and have an opportunity to keep making a difference in all of our lives.
We will honor Matt throughout this season with a black armband that reads "MB5."
"We are a family determined to transforming ambition into championships through disciplined effort and strong leadership."
Last week's poll results:
What was the top individual performance of the past weekend?
D.J. Wendell (men's soccer) -- 15 votes
Maggie DeGroot (women's soccer) -- 7 votes
Brent Haglund (men's cross country) -- 1 vote
New poll is up.
Some thoughts on this weekend in Augsburg sports (WARNING: SID COMMENTARY AHEAD):
-- The Auggie football team made an impressive opening statement with its 49-14 victory at Crown on Saturday. The Auggies took charge early, scoring the first 28 points of the game, and dominated in virtually every statistical category. The players people would expect to have big games -- namely, QB Jordan Berg and WR Royce Winford -- didn't disappoint. Berg reached the 50-touchdown plateau for his career with a three-touchdown, 304-yard passing effort, and Winford caught nine passes for 101 yards and two scores. Also on offense, nice performances by LeRoy Roby and David Tilton at running back -- two players who were on defense last year, and ended up combining for 64 yards on nine carries. More solid performances by receivers Muneer Al-Hameed and Dan Brown, and by the offensive line, which kept Berg safe from sacks and helped the Auggies produce 410 yards of total offense.
Equally impressive was the Augsburg defense. The Auggies allowed just 155 yards by Crown -- the fewest yards allowed in a single game since 2003 -- and even got into the scoring, as Tyler Judkins scored on a 40-yard interception return, one of three picks the Auggies had on the day. Twenty-four Auggies were listed as having tackles on the day, an impressive number that means that a lot of players got valuable experience that will help later in the season, when the MIAC competition intensifies.
I know I can't wait for this Saturday's home-opener against Wartburg (Iowa). Should be a fun game under the lights at Edor Nelson Field.
-- The Auggie volleyball team had a solid fourth-place effort at the very competitive Augsburg Invitational over the weekend. There were some up-and-down moments for this team, but that may be expected this early in the season. I was pleased with how the team played in their sweeps of Schreiner (Texas) and Macalester (a team that had beaten regional power Wisconsin-Eau Claire the night before) and in their five-set marathon third-place match loss to St. Benedict.
Setter Shanna Reed has been very impressive early this season. A setter is the "quarterback" of the team in volleyball, and Shanna has really taken over the role well so far, with two All-Tournament Team selections to her credit. Coach Jessica Rinehart has changed the team's setup from the 6-2 formation to a 5-1 (meaning that Reed is now the lone setter in the lineup, compared to previous years, when she shared setting duties with versatile Julie Jenkins), which has really opened up the Auggie attack. Five Auggie hitters had 14 or more kills this past weekend, meaning that the ball is really getting around to everyone.
The Auggies are going to be much-improved in the MIAC this year. And if this weekend is any forecast of how good the MIAC volleyball race is going to be (all four MIAC teams in the Augsburg tournament had strong showings), it should be a competitive year in the conference.
-- Didn't see the women's soccer game at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, but I'm sure coach Mike Navarre will see the 3-0 loss as a learning experience. The Blugolds are ranked No. 16 in the Division III national rankings, and are the first of three straight opponents the Auggies will see that were in the Division III national tournament last season. Augsburg could only get off one shot against the Blugolds, a number that will need to improve for the Auggies to win against tough opponents.
This Wednesday, the Auggies travel to Concordia-Moorhead, an MIAC power the last few seasons. Augsburg and Concordia have always played tough, close games over the past few years, as the two teams have established themselves as prime contenders in the conference year after year.
-- The men's golf team had a very nice effort in their own invitational out in Hutchinson over the weekend, finishing fifth as a team against a strong regional field. Senior Colby Anderson had a great performance, finishing fourth overall with a 5-over-par 148 in one of the best performances of his career. Sophomore Jason Henning also played well, finishing in a tie for 19th overall.
The Auggies are a young team, with just two seniors and seven first-years and sophomores on the roster. And they are playing in one of the top men's golf conferences in the country, the MIAC. But under head coach Ted Vickerman, Augsburg has a good chance of getting back into the top five in the league race, which would be a solid improvement for this squad after last year's eighth-place conference finish.
-- The women's golf team competed at the Concordia-Moorhead Invitational over the weekend in Detroit Lakes, and two Auggies finished in the top 40 -- sophomores Stefani Zappa (26th) and Johanna Frykmark (36th). The Auggies continue to make progress toward improvement under coach Laura Patrick. This coming weekend will be a strong test at the Carleton Division III Midwest Classic.
-- Don Stoner
