Hockey team hosts Northern Illinois
The club hockey team attempts to bounce back this weekend in back-to-back games against Northern Illinois.
“We’re expecting two wins because we need to get going and get on track,” said captain Rob Innis.
Central lost to Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan last weekend.
CMU is unsure of what to expect with NIU. Though last year’s team was unranked, Northern Illinois was able to manage a split with a tough Grand Valley State team last weekend
CMU is without a few regular players this weekend because of personal reasons. The team will make line changes to compensate.
Though the changes are forced, Innis said they could bring improvement to the struggling team.
“We’re just trying to get some chemistry going on some lines,” he said.
Today’s game is at 10 p.m. and Saturday’s game is at 7:30 p.m. Both games are at the Community Recreation Center.
- Josh Vick
Men’s rugby sweeps weekend games
Shutouts were abundant in men’s club soccer games this weekend.
The team played road games Friday and Saturday, beating Ferris State 5-0 Friday and losing to Calvin 3-0 Saturday.
“We played a very controlled game to our pace and liking on Friday. We allowed for a steady tempo in the game and it fit our team well,” said CMU team member Kyle Phillips.
CMU’s record is 3-5-1.
Three of the five goals Friday were scored by first-year players, Rob Emond, Tim Formolo and Scottie Drain. The other two were scored by veterans Pete Andreolli and John Bunting, who also added one assist.
Phillips said the defense was key in the victory.
“I want to give praise to our defense for working hard the whole game,” said Phillips.
First-year member Kevin Sirr suffered a hamstring pull in Friday’s game, which forced him to sit out Saturday. The loss of Sirr and two other key players, Jared Hoeft and Scottie Drain, contributed to the defeat Saturday.
“We played poorly and were missing our key players,” said team member Rob Peters.
The team played by NCAA rules which made it difficult to adapt.
“It was unfamiliar, and Calvin ran their team with a different style of play. We weren’t prepared as a team,” said Phillips.
The team plays at Northwood in a four-team tournament Sunday. Muskegon Community College and Hillsdale also will compete in the tournament.
- Katie Maurer
Rugby looks to carry tradition
They don’t carry a National Ranking like the men’s cross country team. They don’t carry fan support like the men’s basketball team. They don’t even carry a coach.
Regardless, the men’s club rugby team is carrying on a tradition which has lasted for 25 years.
Midway through this season, the team is in an unfamiliar place. After tough losses to powerhouses Michigan, Northern Michigan and Ferris State, Central is winless and an unlikely candidate for postseason play. They have been a part of the postseason every year since 1994. Despite the sluggish start, the members of the team are making great strides and look to improve.
“With a team of mainly inexperienced players it is tough to be where we were last year,” said sophomore Rob Pawlowski. “We lack the size we had in past years, but we are improving every week.”
Even with a record of 0-3, the team is not giving up.
With only two remaining matches this season against Grand Valley State (Oct. 4) and Michigan State (Oct. 11), Central is picking up steam.
“This is a major rebuilding season for us,” said team president Brandon Smith. “We lost an All-American and a handful of starters last year, but even with many inexperienced starters we’re looking great and so is our potential. We’re playing with our hearts, it’s beginning to be more than just a game to us, it’s starting to become a part of us, that’s a sign of things to come.”
Captains Trevor Beales and Karl Nielson hope to lead the team and restore the pride of the men’s rugby club.
The team invites all students to join the squad, regardless of experience or skill level. Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. at the Intramural fields.
The team hosts GVSU 1 p.m. Saturday also at the intramural fields.
- Jon Gunnells
