2008 Woodie Awards
Soccer says goodbye to seniors
Jeanelle Adams
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Sports
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The Lawrence men's and women's soccer teams hosted Grinnell and Knox College this past Saturday in a fierce conference match up. An unfortunate loss to St. Norbert kept the Lady Vikings in seventh place going into the two games this weekend.
A 3-1 loss against Grinnell and a huge 9-0 finish against Knox gave the Lady Vikings a 5-10-1 overall record for the season. They finished their season at seventh place in the conference.
Prior to this weekend's competition, the men were seated fifth with a 3-3-1 record, amounting to 10 points. A tie and win was required of the Vikings in order to secure a place in the Midwest Conference Tournament.
A tough 2-0 loss to Grinnell on Saturday and a 3-2 win on Sunday against Knox College gave the Vikings a 4-4-1 overall record, keeping them in fifth place, just missing a conference tournament berth.
Both the men's and women's teams welcomed several freshmen to their rosters this season, which served to be an integral part of both teams success.
Both teams, however, must also say goodbye to some key players, as they graduate five seniors on the men's side and two seniors on the women's team.
For the men, Joe Sluhoski, Doug McEneany, Ryan Pikna, Nate Reynolds, and Ben Glover have contributed greatly to Lawrence's soccer program over the past four years. Laurel Benson and Gretchen Shaffer have also provided depth to the women's team.
Joe Sluhoski, a native of Rochester, Minn., finished the season among the top four players in the conference in points, shots, goals, and game winning goals. He was also in the top 10 for assists on the season.
At forward, Sluhoski was a big offensive threat. His quickness and agility helps him surge past defenders. Coach Elliott Spruell commented, "The progress and improvement that Joe has made in his four years here at Lawrence was second to no one. His constant high work rate and nose for the goal helped him develop into one of the best goal scorers in the Midwest Conference."
A 3-1 loss against Grinnell and a huge 9-0 finish against Knox gave the Lady Vikings a 5-10-1 overall record for the season. They finished their season at seventh place in the conference.
Prior to this weekend's competition, the men were seated fifth with a 3-3-1 record, amounting to 10 points. A tie and win was required of the Vikings in order to secure a place in the Midwest Conference Tournament.
A tough 2-0 loss to Grinnell on Saturday and a 3-2 win on Sunday against Knox College gave the Vikings a 4-4-1 overall record, keeping them in fifth place, just missing a conference tournament berth.
Both the men's and women's teams welcomed several freshmen to their rosters this season, which served to be an integral part of both teams success.
Both teams, however, must also say goodbye to some key players, as they graduate five seniors on the men's side and two seniors on the women's team.
For the men, Joe Sluhoski, Doug McEneany, Ryan Pikna, Nate Reynolds, and Ben Glover have contributed greatly to Lawrence's soccer program over the past four years. Laurel Benson and Gretchen Shaffer have also provided depth to the women's team.
Joe Sluhoski, a native of Rochester, Minn., finished the season among the top four players in the conference in points, shots, goals, and game winning goals. He was also in the top 10 for assists on the season.
At forward, Sluhoski was a big offensive threat. His quickness and agility helps him surge past defenders. Coach Elliott Spruell commented, "The progress and improvement that Joe has made in his four years here at Lawrence was second to no one. His constant high work rate and nose for the goal helped him develop into one of the best goal scorers in the Midwest Conference."
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