The Concordia hockey team had a tough holiday season with two games canceled because of illness on the team and two losses to the league-leading St. Thomas Tommies.

The Cobbers met the Tommies last Friday night and were defeated 6-2. Concordia struck first with an unassisted goal by senior winger Jeff Corkish only a minute into the game. The Tommies answered with two goals of their own to end the period in the lead. In the second period, the Cobbers struck again and tied the game with a goal from freshman center Ken Putt.

St. Thomas dominated scoring from there on as the Tommies tallied one goal in the second period and three in the third to finish up with six. Junior Cobber goalie Peter Hamilton stopped 35 shots as well.

On Saturday the Cobbers faced the Tommies again and could not avenge Friday nightâs defeat.

The Cobbers were down 3-0 in the third period before junior winger Josh Brekke scored on a power-play. Brekke was assisted on the goal by sophomore forward Ryan Kortan and Hamilton. The Tommies answered with another goal and the game ended at 4-1 in favor of the Tommies.

The two canceled games from December were against Bemidji State and the University of Minnesota-Crookston. Both have been rescheduled for later this month. The Cobbers battle Hamline this weekend on Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the Moorhead Sports Center.

Return to Jan 11 index of The Concordian Sports

Wrestling : Grapplers still strong
Darrell Ehrlick, 1/11/97

In the Itasca Open, held on Dec. 13-14, Concordiaâs wrestling team made its last tournament of the year its best so far.

Recognition as the most valuable wrestler of the meet went to Concordia senior Kevin Jackson. Jackson took first place in the 134 lbs weight class. Jackson defeated fellow Cobber, junior Shawn Nicholas, in double overtime 1-0 during the final match. Nicholas took second in the 134 lbs weight class.

"It was long," Nicholas said responding to the double overtime match, shaking his head with a smile. "But fun," Jackson responded. "We were both in great condition."

Sophomore Nathan Reiff also had the quickest fall time accumulations of any wrestler at the meet. Reiff took third in the 177 lbs weight class.

Other notable finishes during the Itasca meet included Brett Makiâs 5th place finish, Anderston St. Germainâs 4th place finish, Colby Marichâs 2nd place finish and Jesse Olsonâs 4th place finish.

"Weâre right on target," head coach Doug Perry said. Tomorrow the team travels to the University of Minnesota at Duluth for the North Country meet. Next Tuesday Concordia takes on Valley City here at 7:00 pm. "Weâre focusing on these next meets and starting them right," Perry said. The North Country meet will include all of the MIAC schools in addition to schools from Iowa, Wisconsin, some regional junior colleges and Moorhead State University.

"Weâre proving we can compete in our conference," Perry said. Nicholas and Jackson believe Concordia is making a name for itself in the conference and in the region.

"We can beat teams like Valley City and Fergus Falls. They are not working any harder than we are," Nicholas said.

During the next two meets, Perry emphasized the teamâs need to continue to improve mental intensity. "We need to continue to understand the importance of picking up things like the third and fourth and even fifth place finishes," Perry said. With injuries to key wrestlers like St. Germain and Nicholas, Perry stressed the importance of stepping up the intensity of conditioning. "My main concern is to keep conditioning and using that as the basis to work towards excellence," Perry said.

St. Germain said the team is suffering from injuries, but that is not indicative of the attitude of the team. "Everyoneâs back. And every single one of us is ready to finish strong," St. Germain said.

Return to Jan 11 index of The Concordian Sports

All-MIAC Academic Honors

On Dec. 18, five Cobber athletes were recognized with academic All-MIAC awards. This honor, a part of the MIAC since 1986, is given to the top 25 male and female athletes in each of the fall, winter and spring seasons. In order to be eligible for the award, competitors must have a 3.2 GPA and be a starter or significant player on his or her team. The nominees are then voted on by the MIAC sports information directors. Concordiaâs recipients were senior Tory Langemo, football; senior Tim Aadland, football; senior Shawn McGee; football; junior Jenny Dick, golf; and sophomore Laura Reitmeier, volleyball.

Return to Jan 11 index of The Concordian Sports

Cobber Soccer Honors

Junior soccer player Todd Hashbarger has been named to the All-Midwest Region first team. Hashbarger, a Cobber midfielder, is the only MIAC player to receive the honor. He was also one of the two Cobber players named to the All-MIAC first team at the end of the 1996 season. During the season, Hashbarger brought home seven goals and five assists for a total of 19 points. In his three-year career at Concordia, he has scored 13 goals with 18 assists for 27 points.

Return to Jan 11 index of The Concordian Sports

From the Archives From the January 7, 1972, issue of The Concordian Sports section:

"Intercollegiate athletics exist at Concordia to help the men that participate grow mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. In keeping with this philosophy, all rules governing intercollegiate competition should be designed to help the greatest number of individuals to achieve the greatest amount of growth possible."

Return to Jan 11 index of The Concordian Sports

Preventing Benchwarming
Jennifer Gayvert 1/10/97

"Ronda, can you take a look at this?"

"I'm through icing -- now what?"

"Ronda, I have a blister for you to take a look at."

Tucked away in a corner of the Olson Forum iss a little known office in which comments such as these abound. Heading up this haven for athletes is Concordia's certified trainer, Ronda Peterson.

"We are a service. This is kind of a benefit for our athletes to have free medical attention when they need it," she said.

Peterson has been a memeber of the Cobber sports staff for three years. She served as a part-time trainer her first two years and this year she takes over as the head trainer. Peterson also teaches advanced athletic training here at Concordia as part of the sports medicine program.

The training room is a plaece to prevent injuries, avoid the emergency room and stay in for another game. Athletic training consists mainly of preventing injuries. For Peterson, that means anything from checking a field for holes before a game to teaching class on injury prevention to coaches.

"Most people don't realize that we're in it for prevention most of all," she said.

Despite her devotion to prevention, injuries do occur, and recognizing, evaluating, and rehabilitating those injuries is also a major part of Peterson's day. Wrapping ankles, icing legs anad recommending exercisies all factor into the rehabilitation process - a process which Peterson says in intended to get the player back in the game quickly and safely.

"Everything is focused around our athletes and their injuries," Peterson said.

For Peterson, the biggest reward comes from the interaction with athletes. Peterson has been a college trainer for nine years and says working with college athletes is unique because of their desire to play. Her dedication to Cobbers is evident in the players' opinions of her.

"She relates with the athletes. She's young, she enjoys being around athletes and she's easy to talk to. She loves all athletes the same -- that's why I love her," said senior halfback Eli Schuff.

However, there are frustrations in Peterson's career as well. Peterson works approximately 75 hours per week, making herself available for practices, all home games and some road games.

Furthermore, her biggest frustration is her inability to "fix" athletes. Telling a competitor that he or she may be sitting the bench for a few weeks, or an entire season is not easy.

Despite the wide variety of services the training center offers, Peterson draws a very clear line between her job and that of a medical doctor. She can administer first aid and rehabilitation, but can't diagnose injuries.

"Anything we can't handle in the training room, we send to a doctor," she said. "In fact, all our injuries should have a physician referral -- the major ones anyhow."

Also a frustration for Peterson is the limited facilities. She feels she could rehabilitate athletes better with more equipment, such as bikes and Stairmasters.

Along with the limited facilities comes limited help. Peterson is the only full-time trainer, and although she has 12-15 student trainers helping, another trainer would allow more one-on-one attention. Despite these hindrances, Peterson is well-respected by all the memebers of the sports department.

"She's just been wonderful. She's responsible, she knows what she's doing, and she's very attentive to athletes," said sports information director Jerry Pyle.

Peterson displays a deep devotion to her job, and says she loves every minute she spends in the training room.

"I love getting paid to watch games," she said.

Return to Jan 11 index of The Concordian Sports