Day 2

A productive and exciting baseball season came to end on Friday when Saint Mary lost their final contest of the KCAC tournament to Bethany 1-11. However the Spires were just one out away from advancing to the championship game in Fridays opener against #2 Sterling.Three runs in the sixth inning gave USM a 3-2 lead against the Warriors. Unfortunately a lead off home run in the top of the seventh quickly evened the score at 3-3. Sterling loaded the bases with two outs, then in dramatic fashion the batter took a pitch that sealed the fate of the contest, Ball Four.

Saint Mary finished the season with a 26-23 record. It is the first winning season for the baseball program in its five year history. Coach Rob Miller led his team to a 13 win improvement from last year.

Day 1

In the first round of the KCAC Tournament last night, the USM baseball team managed a 1-0 victory over Bethany. Marc Walton's two out double in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the game winning hit. Bethany responded by loading the bases in the top of the seventh with just one out. However the next two batter's flyed out to end the game. Saint Mary's Dustin Brown earns the shutout, five hit victory.

Saint Mary plays Friday afternoon at 4:00 against Sterling who defeated Ottawa 6-4. The winner will advance to tomorrows championship game, the loser will play at 7:00 pm tonight in the semifinals.

April 30, 2004

KCAC Softball Tournament

After the first day of the tournament, Saint Mary has advanced to the semifinals with two victories and one loss. The #2 Spires defeated #7 Bethany 8-0 in the opening game. Round two, USM was sent to the losers out round with a 5-7 defeat against #3 Sterling.

Surprisingly, the Spires faced #1 Friends in the last game of the evening with the loser going home. Saint Mary's offense exploded for a 14-6 victory.Weather permitting the semifinal schedule in the double elimination tournament includes ...

#2 Saint Mary vs #7 Bethany (loser out)
#3 Sterling vs #8 Southwestern

These games are likely to be postponed until later this evening because of rain.Baseball Clinches Berth in KCAC TournamentHeading into the final weekend of play, the Spires post season fate has been determined. After sweeping Kansas Wesleyan earlier in the week, the Spires secured a spot in next weeks KCAC baseball tournament set to begin on Thursday in Wichita. Their position will be determined after the final regular season contests with Bethany this Saturday.Current Records

Friends 15-6
Sterling 14-8
Bethany 12-10
USM 11-11
Ottawa 10-13

April 19, 2004

Softball Splits Three Series

With the KCAC playoffs looming in ten days, the Spire softball team (11-12, 5-5 KCAC) positioned themselves for the season ending tournament by splitting three doubleheaders with Kansas Wesleyan, Graceland and Tabor. Currently tied for third place, the Spires will look to make a season ending charge with six games to play.

Baseball's Turkey Trip to Wichita

The USM baseball team (19-19, 7-9 KCAC) stayed in the thick of a tight KCAC playoff race with a road trip split against Sterling. Two losses on Saturday against league leading Friends dropped the Spires to fourth place.

To make matters worse, on the way home from Wichita, the lead van driven by Head Coach Rob Miller was hit head on by a wild turkey just South of Topeka causing roof and windshield damage. Fortunately no one was injured. "It was the hardest thing we hit all day," summarized Coach Miller.

2004 USM Athletic Awards Event Announced

The 2004 USM Athletic Awards event was scheduled for Sunday May 2nd at 2:00 pm in Mabee Auditorium. Teams, fans, and family are all invited to the ceremony and reception recognizing the individual and team accomplishments for the 2003-04 sports year.

Lady Spire Named Region IV Player of the Week

USM softball player, Sheena Christiaens, was selected as the NAIA Region IV Player of the week for her performance in the Bethany doubleheader last week. Christiaens, a freshman infielder from Great Falls, Mont., helped the Spires to a 2-0 week by going 6-6 at the plate. Christians scored three runs and drove in three to go with a double and triple. She also picked up a game-winning two run single against Bethany to break a 5-5 tie in the top of the eighth inning. 

April 5, 2004

Baseball Wins Two in Salina

Two home runs by Marty Foot and a spectacular three hit pitching performance by Dustin Brown led the Spires to a doubleheader road sweep of Kansas Wesleyan on Friday. In the first game, Saint Mary exploded for six runs in the fourth inning to open up a 3-3 contest. Reliever Andy Carver, having his best pitching performance of the season, kept the Coyotes at bay for a 9-3 victory. In game two, Dustin Brown notched his league leading seventh victory of the season with a three hit shutout as the Spires won 8-0.

Injuries Plague Lady Spires

After a 5-1 start, injuries to team leaders Jenna Cook and Liz Wagoner have forced several line up adjustments during the past couple of weeks for the USM softball program. Saturday at Sterling, despite another solid pitching performance by Alison Bradford, the Spires were defeated twice 0-2, 0-12. Earlier in the week, USM got their first KCAC victory of the season when they split games against Friends University. With six contests slated for the upcoming week, getting the team healthy again is paramount for the team to return to their early season form.

March 22, 2004

Productive Break Has Baseball Poised for Success

A week long road trip came to an end on Saturday with a KCAC counting doubleheader Split against Sterling College for the USM baseball team. The Spires lost a heartbreaker in the first contest 0-1, despite an outstanding pitching performance by Dustin Brown. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the Spires managed to load the bases with one out, but would be unable to bring home the tying run. The Spires unleashed their frustrations in game two with a 10-1 victory, earning their 14th win of the young season.

The team now is poised to break the 2002 record of 15 for most victories in a single season. Derek Brayton and Casey Groves continue to lead the team at the plate.

Softball Resumes Season After Break

After a successful 3-1 start prior to Spring break, the USM softball team is set to pick up their schedule with a home contest Wednesday against Benedictine and a weekend tournament at Avila.

Sophomore, shortstop Jenna Cook began the season with a blistering .777 batting average, and a 1.333 slugging percentage in the first four games. Junior pitcher Allison Bradford is 2-0 with a 1.0 ERA.

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March 8, 2004

Baseball Heats Up - Improves to 9-4

Not willing to wait for the official beginning of Spring, the USM baseball team has started their season in fine fashion with four more victories this past week. Most notably the Spires stunned NCAA Division II #22 Missouri Western State on Wednesday in a 7-3 victory. After a split with Baker on Saturday, Saint Mary resumed a rain delayed doubleheader with Graceland College. The Spires won both to notch their ninth victory of the young season.

USM is now preparing for ten consecutive contests on the road including Friday's KCAC opener at Bethany.

Softball Set to Open Season Friday

Head Coach Darrell Phipps will get his first chance to see the 2004 Spire softball team under fire this weekend as they open play at Mid America Nazarene Friday before hosting Bethel, MN in the home opener on Saturday.

Saturday's doubleheader is schedule to begin at 1:00 pm.

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March 1, 2004

Baseball Sweeps Park

Saturday marked the first time since the programs inception in 2000 that Saint Mary was victorious over non-conference opponent Park University. The Spires (5-3) stunned the Pirates (3-5) in the first contest with five runs in the seventh inning breaking open a 2-2 contest for a 7-4 victory. Derek Brayton hit a home run in the opener. Game two saw the Spires jump out to a 10-5 lead in the third inning. Fueled by seven Park errors, USM took control of the contest behind a Marty Foit home run and finished with a 15-8 victory.

Sunday Saint Mary made it through four innings with Graceland before the rain came. USM was ahead 4-1 and will try to finish the doubleheader this Sunday.

Basketball Wraps Up Season

With the conclusion of the 2004 basketball season, several student athletes were honored for their season accomplishments by the KCAC coaches. For the women, Senior Kim Hankins became the first USM female basketball player to be selected the KCAC First team. Hankins finished her career with 1331 points and 747 rebounds to become the schools career leader in both categories. Senior Amy Balk earned honorable mention honors.

For the men, Travis Fouts earned his second consecutive All-KCAC First team selection as he led the men's team in scoring and rebounding in 2004. Freshman James Jones was selected to the All-KCAC Freshman team.

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February 23, 2004

Baseball Splits Weekend Series

The 2004 USM Baseball team was unveiled this weekend with two home doubleheaders. Saint Mary lost Saturday to William Penn 2-5 and 5-6 on Saturday but recovered nicely on Sunday with a sweep of Mount Mercy 3-2, and 6-5. Marty Foit's seventh inning triple followed by Colin Aldrich's base hit allowed the Spires to come from behind in the final game.

KCAC Basketball Tournament Set to Begin

The Spire basketball programs will both start the KCAC tournament Monday on the road in the first round of action. The men will travel to meet Ottawa while the women will play at McPherson. Both games are set for 7:00 pm start times.

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February 16, 2004

Five USM Seniors Prepare for Final Contest

Thursday night, the USM women's basketball team will play its final regular season contest against Tabor College. Kim Hankins, Jen Sigel, Crystal Mears, Amy Balk and Calie Smith along with their parents will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Saint Mary community.

All faculty, staff, students, SCL's and fans are invited to be present at 5:45 for the ceremony with game time set for 6:00 pm.

Baseball Reschedules for Upcoming Weekend

With a chance at improving weather this week, the USM baseball team has rescheduled games for Friday (Peru St), Saturday (William Penn) and Sunday (Mount Mercy). All doubleheaders are scheduled for 1:00 pm.  Led by Seniors Derek Brayton and James Cisneros the team is looking to continue its improvement in Coach Rob Millers second campaign. The bullpen will be led by returning All-KCAC pitchers Dustin Brown and Ryan Marx. Junior Transfer Ryan Bockman will also have the chance for the opening day start on the mound.

Men's Basketball Winds Down Regular Season

Two games left in the regular season before the KCAC playoffs begin. Saint Mary will host Tabor College on Thursday before closing out the year at Ottawa on Saturday.

The Spires are guaranteed a spot in Monday's tournament opener, but the time and place have yet to be determined.

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February 9, 2004

Women's Basketball Prepared to Rewrite Records

With two weeks left in the regular season the USM women are close to achieving some loft goals. A record of 12-12 has the team eyeing a better win total (14) than produced last season.Senior Kim Hankins has closed the margin of points to just 42 from breaking Tiffany Eckert's career scoring record. Point guard Amy Balk, who is leading the team in scoring (13.9 ppg) is also on track to break single season marks for assists, steals and three point shooting.

Saint Mary is currently tied for sixth place in the KCAC with four games to go before playoffs.

Spire Men Remain Focused on Season

Despite a difficult string of losses, the USM Men led by Sophomore standout Travis Fouts has much to play for in the final two weeks of the season. Fouts currently stands tenth in KCAC scoring and fifth in rebounding. The team is looking to improve its tenth place position before the conference tournament begins two weeks from today.

December 15, 2003 - HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!

Women Win Third in a Row

Christmas may have come early for the Lady Spires as they head into final week with three consecutive victories under their belts. The team managed to earn two KCAC road wins at Friends (54-52) and at Kansas Wesleyan (49-47) to even their league record to 2-2. Both games came down to the final possession when the USM defense would secure the final rebound of the game.Current statistical leaders include:Scoring: Amy Balk - 11.1 ppg and Kim Hankins 10.9 ppg
Rebounding: Amber Seevers - 7.8 rpg

Saint Mary (7-4, 2-2) will return to action on January 2-3 as the team travels to Whittier, CA for the Poet Invitational.

Men Lose Heartbreaker at KWU

Road wins are hard to come by in the KCAC. This was never more evident than the 63-66 defeat USM suffered on Saturday night by Kansas Wesleyan. A hotly contested contest throughout took a wrong turn for the Spires when KWU hit a difficult, tie-breaking shot with eight second to go in the ball game. With one chance left to tie, the Spires last ditch effort would go awry.Current Statistical Leaders:Scoring: Travis Fouts 15 ppg and CJ Zimmerlink 10 ppg
Rebounding: Travis Fouts 7.5 rpg

The Spires (3-8, 1-3) will rest over break before taking to the court Jan 2-3, 2004 at the Columbia College Classic in Columbia, MO.

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December 8, 2003

Men Split KCAC Contests

The Spires established themselves as a force top be reckoned with on Thursday when they defeated Southwestern 76-70 to open the KCAC season. Four Spires collected double figure points as Travis Fouts led the team with 18 to go with nine rebounds. C.J. Zimmerlink and James Jones poured in 12 on the evening.

Saturday, USM got out of the gates slow against conference power McPherson as they were down ten at halftime. Travis Fouts once again kept the team in the game with his 19 point performance, but the Spires would fall 62-74. Zimmerlink's four three pointers would account for most of his 14 points as the two are making for a formidable inside-outside combination.

Lady Spires Lose Twice at Home

Despite playing the #9 ranked team in the nation, the Spires were ready to battle Southwestern on Thursday night. Fans would be entertained by a great night of basketball started off by a 45-45 halftime score. Amy Balk would lead USM with 23 points, but Amber Seevers would be right behind with 20. The contest was decided in the final 1:30 as the Builders made two key baskets to pull out a 75-70 victory.

On Saturday, the ladies were ran over by the McPherson Bulldogs. McPherson's zone defense and active offensive players frustrated the Spires into 23 turnovers and 29 fouls. Jennifer Sigel led the team with 15 points, but it would not be enough as the Spires would drop to 0-2 in KCAC with a 66-79 defeat.

November 16, 2003

KCAC Announces Football Team

This past week the KCAC coaches gathered to identify the members of the 2003 All-KCAC football team. The University of Saint Mary placed eight members on the three respective teams including four on the second team.Wide Receiver, Jon Quisenberry (JR, Ramona, CA) and offensive tackle Phil Cantrell (JR, Wakefield, KS) earned second team honors on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, Juniors Dallas Washington (DB, Harvey, IL) and Dallas Thompson (DE, America Samoa) were selected to the KCAC second team defensive squad.

Brian Caler, Brian Lewton, Mitch Meier, and LeRoy O'Bray were picked as honorable mention selections.

Football Finishes Season at KWU

The last minute heroics of last weeks win at Sterling seem to be occurring again this week at Kansas Wesleyan as the Spires were down 21-22 with 3:30 left to play. Unfortunately for USM, KWU's defense stiffened with a late sack and an interception to hold on to the season ending victory.Saint Mary led for most of the game and found themselves ahead 21-12 heading onto the fourth quarter. A touchdown reception and a punt return for a touchdown by Jon Quisenberry combined with Keola Nobriga's third quarter score, gave the Spires the lead.

The loss concludes the season for Saint Mary and their 16 Seniors as they finish with a 2-8 record.

Women's Basketball Splits in Olathe

After a solid 59-42 victory over Dana College in the opening round of the Mid America Nazarene Tip-Off Tournament, the Lady Spires (3-1) would suffer their first loss of the season by the host school in the tournament championship game. Ranked #16 in the NAIA pre-season polls, MNU received a stern test by the Spires as they entered intermission with a 29-25 margin.

Kim Hankins led the Spires with 16 points and 7 rebounds, but the MNU Seniors led by post Kristen Jennings 15 point, 17 rebound effort would extend to a 67-51 victory.

Men's Basketball Readies for Home Opener

A difficult opponent and a long road trip were in store for the Saint Mary men (0-3) when they were defeated 39-80 by NAIA Division I Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma. No Spire would manage more than eight points in the game. Travis Fouts led the team with eight points and six rebounds.

The team will be looking forward to their first opportunity to play in front on the Ryan Sports Center home crowd this Tuesday when they host Baker University at 7:00 pm.

Volleyball Announces All-KCAC Team

For the second year in a row, Saint Mary's Carrie Jacobs was selected to the All-KCAC volleyball first team by the coaches. A league leader in kills, digs, blocks, and passing, Jacobs had an outstanding Senior season. Joining Jacobs, was fellow Senior Cassie Augustine would earned Honorable Mention status this year. Known as a tenacious defender, Augustine was among the leaders in passing accuracy and digs per game.

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November 9, 2003

Football Downs Sterling 43-40

An exciting football game between USM and Sterling was capped by a 25 yard field goal by USM's Chad Taylor with just 13 seconds left in the contest, securing a 43-40 victory for the Spires.Five lead changes and twelve touchdowns kept fans on the edge of the seat for four quarters. USM received two rushing touchdowns from Keola Nobriga and one from Ben Grubb. Jay Osborne and Jon Quisenberry both received touchdown tosses, and the defense scored when Matt Mayes collected a blocked field goal and ran it into the end zone.

Saint Mary will travel to Kansas Wesleyan this Saturday for the final game of the season.

Men's Soccer Loses to Friends in Championship

As was the case in the regular season, Friends University defeated USM 2-1 in the KCAC tournament title contest on Saturday. Down 2-0 at half, the Spires received a goal from Travis Ogogor to cut the margin in half. A frantic finish would not produce any other goals for Saint Mary, sending FU to the NAIA Region IV tournament.

All-KCAC Soccer Teams Announced

Based on their strong team performances this season, Saint Mary was well represented on the 2003 All-KCAC Soccer teams announced this weekend. Head Coach Jon Parry was selected as the Co-KCAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year by leading the Spires to a regular season championship with Friends. Jesse Bignami earned his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award. Andrew Dessert was selected as the Goalkeeper of the Year. Team scoring leader Buddy Siems earned All-First team recognition. Freshman Maximillian Laitner was selected to the second team and Derrick Jackson was an honorable mention pick.

For the women, Bridget Spencer earned KCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors as well as the Freshman of the Year. Tara Christy joined Spencer on the All-KCAC first team. Senior goalkeeper Alyx Chevalier and Jessica Applegate were selected to the second team. While Amanda Cole received Honorable Mention recognition.

Women's Basketball Wins Tip-Off Title

Bolstered by three outstanding performances from Kim Hankins, Jen Sigel and Amber Seevers, the Lady Spires won the KCAC / MCAC opening season tournament with victories over Central Christian (87-36) and Haskell (74-57).

Hankins was named the MVP with her 33 points and 11 rebounds. Sigel and Seevers were also named to the All-Classic team.

Men's Basketball Starts Season

This weekend the USM Men's basketball program opened the season in the KCAC / Heart of America Challenge hosted by Avila. The Spires lost to both Baker (67-43) and Avila (76-60) in the weekend activity.Mohamed Dirshe led the team with 23 points and 22 rebounds. Travis Fouts contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds in the tournament while James Jones added 19 points and 8 rebounds.

Men's Soccer Outlasts Ottawa 9-8 on Pk's

The Spires will next travel to Wichita to play Friends University on Saturday in the KCAC tournament championship. Gametime will be at 7:00 pm. The winner will advance to the NAIA Region IV tournament.

November 2, 2003

Men's Soccer Hosts KCAC Semifinal

The final four are set in the KCAC men's soccer tournament after this weekends quarterfinals. The #2 seeded Spires received a bye and will host #3 Ottawa which defeated #6 Sterling 3-1. Earlier this season USM defeated Ottawa 1-0.

In the other semifinal, #1 seed Friends will play host to #4 Southwestern in Wichita. The two winners will meet on Saturday for the championship and a berth in the NAIA Region IV tournament.

Women's Soccer Ousted in PK's

The Lady Spires soccer season came to a climactic conclusion on Friday when they were outscored 3-1 in penalty kicks against Southwestern College. Amanda Cole gave USM a 1-0 lead in the first stanza and the team would hold onto the lead until late in the second period when Southwestern found the back of the Spire net. Two overtimes later the teams would still be knotted at 1-1. Forced to settle the game so a winner could advance, the two teams battled through a best of five penalty kick showdown. Amanda Robinson would be the lone scorer for USM.

Women's Basketball Home Opener Friday

USM will tip-off the 2003-04 basketball season this weekend by hosting the KCAC / MCAC Classic on Friday and Saturday. Kansas Wesleyan, Haskell and Central Christian will each play twice to open the season. Game times are set for 5:30 and 7:30. When Saint Mary hits the hardwood, they will once again be led by Seniors Kim Hankins and Jen Sigel who will be opening their fourth season as Spires.

Southwestern Defeats Spire Football

Despite one of their most productive days on offense, Saint Mary (1-7) would finish with their sixth consecutive loss of the season 14-35 at the hands of Southwestern College. The Spires would gain 466 yards of offense including two touchdown passes from Brian Caler to Jon Quisenberry, however Southwestern's running game punished the USM defense for 403 yards and four TD's. Saint Mary will travel to Sterling College (0-8) next Saturday with both teams scratching to snap their respective losing strings.

Spire Volleyball Senior Day Thursday

With just one week remaining in the 2003 season, USM prepares to honor the accomplishments of the Senior Class in their final home contest Thursday night against McPherson. Carrie Jacobs, Cassie Augustine, Anna Reese, Lauren Farmer and Nikki Freeman will all be recognized for their athletic achievement.

Men's Basketball Opens on Road

Coach Phil Connor will take his revamped and explosive team on the road this weekend to open the 2003-04 campaign at the KCAC / Heart of America Tip off Classic at Avila University. The Spires will play Baker and Avila on Friday and Saturday respectively. 2003 All KCAC Freshman, Travis Fouts will lead his new teammates into battle.

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October 26, 2003

Men's Soccer Earns Regular Season Title

A dominating 4-0 victory over Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday secured a first place tie for the USM men's soccer program with Friends University. Both teams finished with a 8-1 record in the regular season. It is the first regular season men's soccer championship for Saint Mary.

The men will now prepare for the upcoming KCAC tournament with two difficult non conference opponents. Thursday, the Spires will host Columbia College which is ranked #15 in the current NAIA national poll. Saint Mary will host a KCAC semifinal contest on Wednesday November 5th.

Women's Soccer Set for Playoffs

The Lady Spires also finished the season in familiar fashion when Bridget Spencer scored her 18th goal of the season at the 88 minute mark against Kansas Wesleyan to end the KCAC season with a 1-0 victory. At 7-2, the Spires finish in third place and will host a KCAC quarterfinal match on Friday against Southwestern. Game time is expected to be at 1:00, but has not been announced by the conference.

Tabor Downs Spires in Football

KCAC Conference leaders Tabor College received all they could handle from a homecoming inspired effort from the Spires. However the Blue Jays would finish with a 12-21 victory to stay in first place in the KCAC.A 53 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Senior Matt Mayes cut the Tabor lead to 12-14 near the beginning of the fourth quarter. Another second half fumble recovery by the Spire defense gave hopes that the team was destined to knock off the league leaders, however with 7:20 on the clock, Tabor intercepted a Brian Caler pass and ran it back for a touchdown to dash the hopes.Receiver Jon Quisenberry collected his fourth touchdown of the season on an exciting 71 yard pass play in the second quarter from Caler. Quisenberry continues to lead the league in yards per reception with 23.6 yards per catch.

The Spires will host Southwestern College next Saturday at 1:30. It will be the final home contest for the Spires and the team will honor the Senior members of the squad in a pre-game celebration.

Volleyball Splits KCAC Matches

Still looking to fine the right mix for consistent success, the Spires split two KCAC counting matches this past week. Saint Mary lost to Sterling but responded with a dominating home performance over Bethany to move their record to 6-17 overall, 4-9 in KCAC. With four matches on slate this week including three KCAC matches, the Spires will be looking to move up from their eighth place position in the KCAC before the playoffs in November.

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October 19, 2003

Men's Soccer Championship in Reach

Monday the men's soccer team will travel to Wichita for a KCAC showdown with Friends University. At 7-0 the Spires can clinch the KCAC regular season championship with a victory of over the 6-1 Falcons. Saint Mary has posted three straight second place finishes in conference play.

Jacobs Break Record, Volleyball Snaps Skid

Saturday the Spire volleyball team ended a nine match losing streak with a 3-0 victory over Barat College in the final match of the Grandview College Tournament. The Spires (5-15, 3-8 in KCAC) finished in seventh place at the tournament. This week Senior Carrie Jacobs broke Sally Selzer's school record for most kills in a career and also became the first female at Saint Mary to become a member of the 1000 kill club. Thursday the school will make a special presentation to honor this accomplishment.

Women's Soccer Downs Bethany

Saint Mary posted a 1-0 road victory over Bethany in a hotly contested battle. Amanda Cole scored the only goal of the game and Alyx Chevalier had an outstanding 14 save effort to secure the victory. Improving their KCAC record to 6-1, the Spires are rested and poised to make a strong push towards the KCAC playoffs.

Bethany Upends Spires in Football

Despite a difficult 12-28 road loss at Bethany, the Spires are seeing signs of improvement. Runningback Keola Nobriga ran for his second consecutive 100 plus yard running game. Brian Lewton collected two interceptions against the explosive Swede passing game. And on special teams, Jay Osborne became the first Spire in football history to return a kickoff back for a touchdown. Osborne's ran a 97 yard touchdown in the second quarter. Next up for Saint Mary is the Homecoming game against Tabor.

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October 12, 2003

Men's Soccer Stays Undefeated in KCAC

The USM men's soccer defense has proved to be a difficult group to score against. Thus far in six victories, the Spires have allowed just one goal against conference competition behind the stellar leadership of sweeper Jesse Bignami and goalkeeper Andrew Dessert. This week however another defender made a mark on the offensive end. Freshman Joe Dessert scored twice and had four assists in the two games this week. Saint Mary defeated Tabor 8-0 and Bethel 2-0 to stay undefeated in the KCAC race with just three games remaining.

Spencer Breaks Mark, Team Wins Twice

Bridget Spencer continued her sparkling performance this week as she broke the USM single season scoring mark for women set by Carah Medill in 2001 at 15. Currently Spencer has 17 goals on the season and is on pace to break Tabor Medill's 19 goal mark set in 2000 for the all-time soccer mark.

Meanwhile the team continues to shine in KCAC action as they posted a 4-0 victory over Tabor followed by a 3-1 road win at Bethel. The Spires are now at 5-1, in second place, and have clinched a spot in the KCAC playoffs with still three games remaining.

Spire Football Nipped at Wire

A wet weather day forced coaches on both teams to retool their game plans when the Spires hosted Bethel College on Saturday. Saint Mary took a 12-7 halftime lead behind a balanced offensive attack capped by quarterback Brian Caler's two scoring runs. The quicker defense for Saint Mary also held Bethel to just 51 yards of rushing offense in the first half.

However mother nature provided fans with a wet halftime show that made the field sloppy for the second half. Bethel capitalized by pounding the interior line with their bigger players allowing the Threshers to move the ball steadily on the ground. A Bethel touchdown with just three minutes in the game made the score 15-12 in favor of BC. The Spires would be unable to answer. For the game, Keola Nobriga ran 18 times for 108 yards. John Quisenberry led the team with seven catches for 120 yards. Next Saturday the Spires travel to Bethany College.

Volleyball Hits KCAC Halfway Point

A exciting week of competition turned sour for the USM volleyball team when they dropped a five set heartbreaker to Friends and a 1-3 decision at McPherson. The Spires are now 3-6 in the KCAC after playing each team once and will need to improve their record in the second half of the season to improve their positioning for the KCAC tournament. Carrie Jacobs continues to be the league leader in kills/game, while Cassie Augustine leads the conference in passing percentage.

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October 5, 2003

Men's Soccer Earns Two KCAC Shutout Victories

The men's soccer team moved to 4-0 in the KCAC this week with two outstanding defensive efforts against Ottawa and Southwestern. Senior sweeper Jesse Bignami's presence and control of the team defense has been a big asset for junior goalkeeper Andrew Dessert who dropped his goals allowed/game average to 1.6. The Spires have allowed only one goal in the first four KCAC games played. Monday the Spires will host Tabor College for a rematch of last years KCAC title contest.

Women Soccer Split Two Contests

The USM women continued their consistent effort in conference with a 4-1 victory over Southwestern on Saturday. Freshman Bridget Spencer scored three more goals to advance her league leading total to 14. Earlier in the week, the Spires hosted KCAC leaders Ottawa. The Braves put forth a strong effort and finished with the 3-0 victory. At 3-1, the Spires are tied for second place and are still in control of their playoff destiny. Two important conference matches are on tap for this week.

Volleyball Drops to Top Foes

It was a busy week for the USM volleyball team as they played three tough KCAC matches. A victory over Southwestern and two losses to Kansas Wesleyan and Ottawa drop the Spires to 3-4 in conference play with two key matches upcoming this week. Carrie Jacobs continues to set the offensive tone for the Spires as she leads the league in kills.

Football Loses to McPherson 34-62

An unpredictable contest ensued when Saint Mary traveled to McPherson on Saturday. On a perfect day, the Spires were hosted for the first time in McPherson's newly built three million dollar stadium. However in a less that perfect performance, the two teams would combine for 12 turnovers leading to 96 points of offense.The flurry began in the first quarter as the Spires jumped out to a 19-7 lead. However in the second quarter, Mac scored 20 unanswered points to take a 27-19 lead at intermission. Two third quarter scores by the Spires would cut the margin to 34-35 in favor of Mac, but the fourth period was controlled by the Bulldogs who finished with a 62-34 victory.Saint Mary touchdowns were scored by Keola Nobriga (2), Jay Osborne, and Bryan Shelley. Brian Caler threw three touchdown passes and ran for one as well.

The Spires will host the annual Armed Forces Appreciation game this Saturday against Bethel College at Graham Field at 1:30.

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September 28, 2003

Three Spires Earn Weekly AwardCongratulations to seniors Carrie Jacobs and Buddy Siems along with freshman Bridget Spencer for receiving KCAC Athlete of the week honors in their respective sports.Jacobs led the volleyball team to an impressive 3-0 road victory over Bethany College. She currently leads the KCAC in kills per game with a 3.56 average.Siems scored two goals and had one assist in the 6-0 victory over Sterling college for the men's soccer program.

Spencer, earned her second POTW award of the season in women's soccer when she tallied three more goals to her league leading total including the game winner at Sterling College. She now has 11 goals in eight games played.

Soccer Sweeps Sterling

Both the men's and women's soccer programs continued their winning ways in KCAC action this weekend when they traveled to Sterling College. Behind the 11th goal of the season for Freshman Bridget Spencer and a tenacious defense, the Lady Spires (2-0 in KCAC) posted a 1-0 victory.Meanwhile, the men (2-0 in KCAC) let loose a flurry of scoring action en route to a 6-0 victory. Buddy Siems and Sylvester Lara both scored twice, while Max Laitner and Dan Singler both tallied a goal as well.

This week the two teams will put their first place position on the line when Ottawa comes to town on Wednesday.

Volleyball Defeats Bethany

Behind the steady play of its Senior leaders, the Spires moved to 2-2 in KCAC play with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bethany. Carrie Jacobs and Cassie Augustine both produced strong outings with over a .400 hitting percentage. Setter Anna Reese had 37 assists in the three games played.

Football Loses to Ottawa

After a scoreless first quarter, the Braves (2-0) unlocked the Spires (1-1) defense for 24 unanswered points on their way to a 45-7 victory over USM. The Spires lone score came late in the second period, when punter Brian Lewton converted on a fake punt on fourth down and rambled 54 yards to the endzone. Count on the Spires to recover quickly as they prepare to travel this Saturday to McPherson College.

September 21, 2003

USM Football Rallies to Win in Final Moments

Two fourth quarter touchdowns by Jon Quisenberry and a game winning two point conversion by Brian Lewton gave the Spires a 15-14 come-from- behind victory before a frenzied home opening crowd. Backed by a "bend but don't break" attitude by the defense, the Spires (1-1) forced Friends into three fourth quarter turnovers including fumble recoveries by Matt Price and Dallas Thompson and an interception by Cody Cook.Stymied by the Falcons defense much of the game, USM quarterback Brian Caler was able to convert the team's last offensive opportunities into scores and the final victory. However it was the consistent, versatile special teams performance of Brian Lewton that enabled the Spires to stay in the game. Lewton was credited with blocking a field goal, being an effective punter, and scoring the game winning conversion on a gutsy call by the USM coaching staff.

Next up for Saint Mary is a visit by Ottawa University this Saturday at home. Kick-off is set for 7:00 at Graham Field.

Volleyball Downs Sterling

An early week 0-3 loss at Bethel had the Spire volleyball team (2-5) focused for their Thursday match against visiting Sterling College. Both teams tested each other in the first game, with Sterling winning 28-30. Then the Spires found their inspiration. Behind the exuberant, jump serving of Christy Harmon and the explosive offensive of Carrie Jacobs the Spires rallied off three convincing games 30-18, 30-16, 30-21 to win the match 3-1 and even their KCAC record to 1-1. Harmon finished the match with seven aces, while Jacobs collected 21 kills.

USM Soccer Hosts Avila

Under perfect weather conditions, USM soccer hosted Avila on Saturday in a men's and women's doubleheader. In the men's game, USM freshman Travis Ogogor posted an early goal to give the Spires (3-2-1) a 1-0 lead. Avila would tally their own goal in the second period to even the match. As the two teams battled for position in the midfield neither would get another goal through the rest of regulation and twenty minutes of overtime. The final score was 1-1.

The USM women (1-4-1) meanwhile, used two quick goals by Bridget Spencer at the start of the second half to even its match at 2-2. However as the game progressed Avila would connect twice more against the Spire defense and finish with a 4-2 victory. Spencer, a freshman, now has eight goals in just six games played this season.

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September 15, 2003

Two USM Soccer Players Earn KCAC Weekly Honor

Junior Andrew Dessert and Freshman Bridget Spencer were both honored for their performance this week as the KCAC soccer players of the week in their respective sports.  Dessert, led the Spire men to two home victories by allowing just two goals as the keeper.  Spencer meanwhile opened her collegiate soccer career with five goals in two games including a four goal outing against McPherson College. 

Men's Soccer Wins Wet Thriller

The USM men's soccer team survived a sixty minute downpour by mother nature and the talented play of visiting Concordia, NE Saturday to finish with a 2-1 double overtime victory. An unlikely hero emerged for the Spires when Freshman defender Joe Dessert tallied the game winning goal with just 55 seconds remaining in the contest. Earlier in the week, Saint Mary opened KCAC play with a strong 3-1 victory over McPherson College. Opening the year with a 3-0 record, the 2003 team has equaled the best start to a season since 1997.

Volleyball Earns First Victory

Head Coach Paul Lawson received his first victory as a Spires coach this past weekend when the team finished the Baker Invitational with a 1-3 mark. USM defeated Avila in a hotly contested five set match. On Wednesday, the team opened the season with KCAC pre-season favorite Tabor. Despite a slow start, the team rallied to push the Blue Jays to four sets before an enthusiastic crowd. Senior Carrie Jacobs leads the team with 66 kills in the first five matches played.

Spencer Leads Lady Spires to Victory

Behind the frontline, Freshmen tandem of Bridget Spencer and Amanda Cole, the Lady Spires soccer program posted their first victory of the season with a 6-0 effort on Wednesday against McPherson College. Cole connected with Spencer three times with great passes for goals, and both added another to highlight an inspired effort. For the day, Spencer's four goal performance tied a school record for most goals in a contest. Alyx Chevalier posted her first shutout of the season as the Spires move to 1-0 in KCAC play.

Football Defeated in Dakota

Facing their first ever non conference opponent, Spire football was treated to a 6-57 defeat at the hands of NCAA Division II, Northern State University in Aberdeen S.D. Northern State scored 50 consecutive points before USM quarterback Brian Caler connected with Jon Quisenberry midway through the fourth quarter for the Spires lone touchdown on the day. Despite the outcome, the team was treated to a first class athletic experience against a quality opponent and will reap the rewards later in the season. Next up for Saint Mary is the KCAC opener this Saturday against Friends University. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 pm at Grahman field in Lansing.

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September 8, 2003

Men's Soccer Begins Season with Victory

USM soccer established themselves as a potent defensive team on Friday when they shutout the Univ of Sioux Falls 1-0 in the first game of the year. Behind the eleven save effort by junior goalkeeper Andrew Dessert and the constant presence of Senior sweeper Jesse Bignami, the visitors were kept at bay for the full 90 minutes of play.Offensively, the Spires scored mid-way through the second half when Max Laitner found Dan Singler in the box with a nice pass and Singler promptly put it in the net.

The team has a full week in store with three games on the schedule. Most importantly is the KCAC home opener against McPherson College on Wednesday.

Youth Filled Lady Spires Improve in Week One

A nightmarish start to the season occurred on Wednesday when the women's soccer team was soundly defeated 0-11 at Missouri Valley. However within two days of practice, the Spires rebounded Saturday for a 1-1 tie on the road at Central Christian. Freshman Bridget Spencer scored the first goal of the season, and her career, in the second half to tie the contest.

The team opens up KCAC action this Wednesday at 2:00 pm against McPherson College at home before playing two non conference games this weekend.

Volleyball Opens Wednesday

Fans got their first glimpse of the 2003 volleyball program Friday evening when Coach Paul Lawson and company entertained a group of recent alumni in a scrimmage contest. The two teams played five competitive sets to help the Spires prepare for their regular season opener Wednesday evening against Tabor College. Tabor will arrive at the Ryan Sports Center as the KCAC coaches pre-season favorite.

Football Opens Season in South Dakota

For the first time since the inception of the program, USM football will play a non-conference opponent to begin the 2003 campaign. Coming off of a surprising 5-4 season in 2002, the Spires are set to compete against Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. next Saturday at 1:30 pm.NSU, a NCAA Division II school, opened the season with a 24-21 victory over Augustana this past Saturday. The Spires will be met by an anticipated 5000 fans at the famed Swisher stadium. Head Coach Scott Frear will get his first look at the Spires revamped offense behind Senior quarterback Brian Caler. The USM defensive unit led by Seniors Matt Price and LeRoy O'Bray will be tested by  NSU runningback Decon Burns, who ran for 101 yards on just 11 carries in the opener.

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Soccer Openers Spoiled by Rain

A rain soaked weekend proved to much for safe field conditions forcing the cancellation of the scheduled soccer doubleheader with St. Ambrose University. A make up date has not been announced.Volleyball Adds Alumni EventFans of USM volleyball will get a sneak peek at the 2003 team, and first year head coach Paul Lawson, on Friday when the Spires host a match with visiting Alumni. The contest will start at 7:00 pm in the Ryan Sports Center. The match will be a good tune for the veteran Spires before they open their season on Sept 10th.

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