Oct 24, 2008 - 07:05:05 CDT
The Dickinson State football team is starting to raise some eyebrows in the Dakota Athletic Conference.The Blue Hawks upset then No. 13-ranked and DAC lodgemate Black Hills State this past weekend, 16-6. Black Hills State got bumped to No. 17 in the latest NAIA poll, and Dickinson State received votes.
Dickinson State remains unbeaten in DAC play and is sitting in the penthouse at 4-0.
That's quite a turnaround from last season's 3-4 mark in the DAC.
"It was a good win,"Dickinson State coach Hank Biesiot said. "Any win we have had this year has been big. We're happy to be where we're at right now. We've had plenty of issues, and we still have some."
Dickinson State played excellent defense against Black Hills State, recording three picks in the second half.
The Blue Hawks held Black Hills State running back Tanner Ehrlich to 37 yards 103 under his average.
"In the last three games we have been consistent and haven't given up big plays," Biesiot said. "It's just a matter of experience, familiarity and getting used to each other. The nice thing is, we've had different guys make different plays."
Linebacker Mike Keyser leads the Blue Hawks in tackles with 54. Linebacker Kyle Pennington has recorded 5½ sacks on the season, and defensive back Ryley McPeters has collected six picks.
Next up for the Blue Hawks is a date with South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. The Hardrockers are fifth in the DAC at 2-2. Mines leads the DAC in scoring with 36.6 points per outing.
"Mines is the most improved team in our league,"Biesiot said. "They're a team that always plays hard. They lost close games to Jamestown and Minot, two of the favorites in our conference. It's no surprise they are playing like they are."
Taking care of the turf
The University of Mary women's soccer team stands a strong chance of hosting a home playoff match. U-Mary coach Levi Evans is just hoping nothing unexpected happens.
The Marauders (7-2-0 Northern Sun, 8-8-0 overall) are tied for third place with Augustana, but hold the tiebreaker.
U-Mary has won nine of its last 10 matches and plays host to St. Cloud on Saturday and Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday.
"I think we have a tougher road than Augie,"Evans said. "We run the risk of falling behind Augie."
The Marauders must travel to Winona (Minn.) State the No. 1 team in the North Central Region. If U-Mary takes care of business at home and beats Winona State, it could possibly finish as high as No. 2 in the NSIC.
"The top four teams have separated themselves to some degree,"Evans said. "It would take a lot to drop us lower than fourth."
The top four teams host home playoff matches. The Marauders are 5-1 at home this season.
"We just want to take care of our home field,"Evans said. "We have a good record at home, and we want to maintain that."
Enebo breaks out of shell
A switch from a 5-1 offense to a 6-2 has helped outside hitter Denise Enebo get more opportunities for the U-Mary volleyball team.
Enebo, a 5-foot-10 junior from Glasgow, Mont., has been attacking from the right side.
"She hasn't played a lot of right,"U-Mary coach Heidi Sunderland said. "She'll do anything to get on the court and help our team. She's settling into that position."
Enebo has put down 51 kills on the year. She's also chipped in with 14 blocks and 17 digs.
The switch to a 6-2 has created more offense for the whole team.
"It has helped us be more offensively balanced," Sunderland said, "and to balance distribution to our hitters."
The Marauders (2-10 NSIC, 4-20 overall) travel to St. Cloud State on Friday and No. 1-ranked Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday. U-Mary snapped an eight-match losing streak with a victory over Bemidji State last Saturday.
The Marauders are tied with four teams for 11th place in the NSIC.
"I think our placement of where we finish is in our own hands," Sunderland said. "A lot of things can happen in a short period of time."
Luptak takes a break
U-Mary goalkeeper Derek Luptak took a break in a loss to Westminster College. The sophomore from Billings, Mont., wanted to heal some aches and pains in his right knee.
That opened the door for Will Corcoran, a freshman from Pierre, S.D. Corcoran had a busy day in the net, facing 28 shots.
"I felt it was a good opportunity to give Will a chance and Derek a break," U-Mary coach David Cook said. "Derek could have played, but we decided to rest him."
Luptak, a sophomore, has registered 44 saves this season for the 2-10-1 Marauders.
"Derek is a fearless guy,"Cook said. "He's not afraid to throw his body out there. Derek's greatest attribute is how athletic he is and how fearless he is. His biggest weakness is consistency, and that's something you gain with experience."
Cook said that some of Luptak's mechanics in the net can be a little unorthodox, but his athleticism makes up for it.
"Derek has loads of potential,"Cook said. "It's up to him if he's going to refine that and become a true goalkeeper or just a shot stopper."
The Marauders play their last home matches this weekend. They face York on Saturday and Wisconsin-Superior on Sunday.
Ready for regionals
Even though the Bismarck State volleyball team made improvements from last season, the Mystics failed to move up in the Mon-Dak standings.
The Mystics captured the No. 3 seed. They will play in the Region 13 tournament at Wahpeton Oct. 30-Nov. 1. BSC enters the postseason in a set rotation, something that has been in place for the past three weeks.
"The kids have adjusted to each other now,"BSC coach Linette Olson said. "They are confident in who is playing beside them. Communication is a lot better than it was at the beginning of the season."
Travel time is a non-factor for the Mystics, according to Olson. BSC, however, will need to adjust to the open court of the gym in Wahpeton.
"It's almost like playing in the Civic Center,"Olson said. "The perception on the court is a little bit different. It's not something major to overcome. It's just something you have to adjust to a little bit."
Short shots
n Dickinson State is ranked No. 8 in the NAIA preseason wrestling coaches poll. The Blue Hawks, who placed third at last season's national championships, have four individuals ranked. Nathen Schweitzer is No. 5 at 141 pounds; Nick Zumwalt is No. 2 at 157, Stanton Schlecht is No. 2 at 165 and Shane Bennett is No. 6, also at 165.
n Jamestown volleyball coach Chris Mahoney will resign at the end of the season to become a full-time faculty member in the college's Department of Health and Physical Education. Mahoney is in his 12th season as the Jimmies' coach.
n James Schanandore of Mandan placed eighth for North Dakota State at the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational in West Salem, Wis. The senior led all Bison runners with a time of 25:17.2.
Teammate Ross Schilling of Harvey finished 29th in a time of 25:58.3. Schanandore and Schilling guided the Bison to a fourth-place finish.
Mandy Gefroh of Bismarck placed 35th for the University of North Dakota women at the same meet. The senior finished with a time of 22:51.1.
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