CONCORDIA COLLEGE ATHLETICS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5
Women's Basketball - at home vs. St. Thomas  - 5:30pm - Listen Live
Men's Basketball - at home vs. St. Thomas - 7:30pm - Listen Live
 

Menâs Basketball
Current Record: 4-3 Overall, 2-2 MIAC (T4th Place)
Recent Results: Macalester 78 at Concordia 68 - December 13
Upcoming Events: at home vs. Mayville State on Friday, December 19 at 7:30pm; at Bethel on Saturday, January 3 at 3:00pm; at home vs. St. Thomas on Monday, January 5 at 7:30pm
Highlights: Soren Nelson scores a team-high 13 points, and Keith Eckhoff collects a team-high seven rebounds Concordia's first home loss of the year.

Womenâs Basketball
Current Record: 4-3 Overall, 2-2 MIAC
Recent Results: Macalester 49 at Concordia 67 - December 13
Upcoming Events: at Bethel on Saturday, January 3 at 1:00pm; at home vs. St. Thomas on Monday, January 5 at 5:30pm
Highlights: Guards Mandy Pearson and Anne Keeley score 13 points each as the Cobbers snap a three-game losing skid.

Menâs Hockey
Current Record: 1-8-0 Overall, 0-2-0 MIAC
Recent Results: No Games Played
Upcoming Events: at home vs. UW-Superior on Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00pm
Highlights: Cobbers lead the NCAA in penalty minutes per game.

Womenâs Hockey
Current Record: 3-3-0 Overall, 2-2-0 MIAC
Recent Results: Michigan State (Club) 2 at Concordia 4 - December 13
Upcoming Events: vs. St. Kate's at home on Friday, January 9 at 4:00pm; vs. St. Kate's at home on Saturday, January 10 at 2:00pm
Highlights: Four different players score in Concordia's win over NCAA Division I-bound Michigan State. Charity Hartzell scores her first collegiate goal.

Womenâs Swimming and Diving
Recent Results: Concordia 90 at MSU-Moorhead 207 - December 12
Upcoming Events: at home vs. St. Thomas on Saturday, January 17 at 1:00pm
Highlights: Kirsten Borchardt and Megan Johnson set pool records at MSU-Moorhead in Concordia's dual meet with the Dragons.

Wrestling
Recent Results: Concordia 0 at MSU-Moorhead 40 - December 10; Concordia finishes 13th at St. Cloud State Invite - December 13
Upcoming Events: at Dickinson State Classic on Saturday, January 10 at 10:00am
Highlights: David Ahmed narrowly loses to Allan Huigens of MSU-Moorhead (4-3) and loses in the quarterfinal round at the St. Cloud State Invite.
 
 

Different Perspective Index: November 25 - December 2 - December 9

December 16, 2003

"'Tis the Season"

It was a pretty good week for the Cobber Sports Weekly staff. We had the chance to write one of our dream headlines of all time - "Concordia Beats Michigan State" (it was only for the women's hockey team who beat the Michigan State Club Team - but we can still dream), the basketball teams are fighting at the top of the MIAC and two swimmers broke pool records at MSU-Moorhead so their names will get to hang on the wall of the Dragon pool for the whole world to see.

The biggest reason for optimism around the CSW office is the impending arrival of Christmas and all the joy and hope the season brings. As soon as the first panel of the always awe-inspiring Christmas mural is hung until the final whistle of the last college football bowl game, this time of the year never fails to bring smiles to the faces of children and adults everywhere.

We are very fortunate to get to see this reaction close up since one of the great joys of working in the CSW office is the great location for the Christmas concert and to see people as they overflow with elation after having completed their final exam (and you thought the CSW office was so great because of the wonderful flow of cold air that is pumped through the office every time the temperature falls below 10 degrees and the even more delightful rush of hot air every time the thermometer pushes over 70!). It never ceases to amaze us how people can be in a hurried mood and looking to find their seats in a Scrooge-like fashion before the concert begins and as soon as the concert is over they have all been transformed into happy, thoughtful, caring citizens of the world once more. It is a real joy to see all the people's lit-up faces as they leave Memorial Auditorium and hear the people whistling and singing pieces of the songs that they have just been listening to.

It is also one of the great thrills of working in this office to be able to hear all the great concerts and other non-sporting events that take place in the Auditorium. The price is very reasonable (the CSW workers do not top the list of highest paid members of the Concordia staff) and the atmosphere that each distinct, multi-cultural event brings - reminds us of what college should really be about. A college should be the blending of very diverse areas of life into a common immersion of mind, body and spirit. It should be like a giant seven-course meal of ideas, backgrounds and principles where people get to experience the whole dish, not just a part of the entree or half the bill of fare.

To often we get caught up in trying to separate athletics from music from philosophy from science when the real reason that each offering is so appealing is that it possesses elements of all of the other offerings. (As in the way music and athletics are so intertwined. Having watched the Concordia choirs get ready for the concert, you get the same feeling as when you are watching a practice led by Jessica Rahman or Duane Siverson. It is about practice and rehearsal, pre-performance anxiety and then the releasing of your God-given talents in the actual performance.)  So, we will take a cue from the season and live in harmony with the rest of the principles and elements that make up the great campus and college of Concordia. We will choose to celebrate one another and not try and separate from each other.

Now that we have filled half this week's perspective with a 200-word digression, we probably should get back to the task at hand and dole out a huge helping of Christmas wishes (or holiday wishes for those of our readers that celebrate one of the other terrific rites at this time of the year). This year has been filled with memorable performances and gut-wrenching losses that will forever be remembered. As we enter the new year, the CSW staff would like to pass on a few Christmas wishes for the coaches and teams that work so hard to make Cobberville such a joy to be around every other season of the year.

'Tis the Season

- For Terry Horan and the entire football program we would like to give them a win over St. John's. This would show people just how far the program has come, and it would be a great milestone for a coach and team that has improved steadily every year. It would also be a reward for a team that is on the brink of becoming a national playoff participant for years to come. Plus, the CSW staff wants the football coaching staff and players to know that we are not the leading cause of some underground conspiracy to denounce football and overthrow the ranks of the MIAC football coaching fraternity!

- We would like Bucky Burgau and the baseball team to find a MIAC championship under their collective trees this year. The winningest active coach at Concordia deserves to be repaid for all his hard work and effort that he spends during everyone else's season. The players should also be rewarded for playing the game, the way it should be. It is always refreshing to see star players taking care of equipment and understanding that one player is not more important than another.

- For Tim Mosser, Bob Jones and the volleyball team - a chance to recapture the successful season of 2003 and go even farther in 2004. To the junior class that has led the team from the beginning, a chance to sit back and understand what they have meant to the program and to the school. And also the ability to never lose their sense of humor and their playful spirit as they head into next season.

- For Dan Weiler and the women's soccer team the CSW staff would like to give them another year of improvement and the understanding that it was hard work that got them to the MIAC playoffs in 2003 and it will be hard work that will keep them there in the following years. One thing we have learned about successful teams is that almost every single time they are the ones that work the hardest.

- For Nick Myran and the men's cross country team - a chance to push themselves to the next level. The CSW staff would love to write about a runner who qualifies for the NCAA Division III National Meet - and a team that was inspired by their coach and number one performer to finish higher than any other team ever before in Cobber history.

- For Duane Siverson and the men's basketball team to get on a roll and have the magic of chasing a title and a high seed in the MIAC playoffs bestowed on them as it was on the volleyball and women's soccer teams. There is nothing like playing meaningful games in late February with everything on the line and the "Air Cobbers" of 2003-04 definitely have it within themselves to do just that.

- For the women's basketball program- a chance to have consistency with a coaching staff and not worry about which direction the program is headed. A wish that they will learn, grow and go through the ups and downs of life in the MIAC and allow their coaching staff to do the same.

- For Steve Baumgartner and the men's hockey team - to play in an arena where the penalty box gates are broken and can't open (or at least to stop using the ones at the Moorhead Sports Center so much).

- For Kerry Norman - a chance to coach her team deep into the playoffs and not have to worry about the impending delivery of her first child. And for the women's hockey team to realize how well they can play without the players that were here last season and how close they are to going to the national playoffs. Oh yeah - we also wish them a victory over St. Mary's in the conference playoffs.

- For women's track athlete Angie Pfeiffer - the ability to improve over her wonderful first year and also not feel the pressure of having to outdo what she has already accomplished.

- For the men's tennis program - a chance to bottle the enthusiasm of their coach Dave Lester. If they use only half of Lester's excitement and energy for the sport then they will have a chance to finish at the top of the MIAC.

- For Stacey Holm and the entire women's fastpitch team we would like to wish them a season where they can play with peace in their hearts and determination in their minds as they get ready to play a season that will be a tremendous testimony to a terrific teammate!

- For all the other coaches and programs that we didn't mention - the deepness of character not to feel like they were slighted. We also want to wish that their continued commitment to hard work and enthusiasm, that makes Concordia athletics a source of pride for the entire college, will be recognized by someone outside the department.

- Finally, for assistant coach Troy Odegaard - a place where someone will appreciate, and reward, him for all the great things that he does and the class act that he is. Not only a tremendous coach and mentor, Troy is a role model of what a hard working, career-orientated father should resemble in these days of "me first, kids second" work-place attitudes. The CSW staff also wants to wish Troy the chance to find that somewhere special in a warm environment so we can come and visit when the F-M weather dumps eight inches of snow on the ground.

Now it is time for the entire CSW staff to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. We wish you happiness and the health to enjoy your family and friends at this special time of the year.

As for us, it is time to pack up all our belongings and spend some much-needed time with our wonderful families.

Merry Christmas!!!

(The Cobber Sports Weekly will take a break for the holidays and return on the week of January 5-9 - we are sure you will be able to get along without us!)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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