The Silver Lake College women?s basketball team rallied to win its first two games of the season, and in the process captured the Tip-Off Tournament title at UW-Fond du Lac.

In the semifinal game Oct. 31, the Lakers defeated UW-Marshfield/Wood County 75-70. And in the title game Nov. 1, they beat Fox Valley Technical College 68-56.

?Both games were won because of an outstanding team effort along with determination and heart shown on the court,? SLC coach Mike Flentje said. ?I couldn?t have been any prouder of the team effort.?

SLC juniors Kaela Cheesman and Raelyn Woock were selected to the all-tournament team. Cheesman scored 43 points overall, including 26 points (including seven three-pointers) in the championship game. Woock finished the tournament with 14 rebounds and 39 points, including 22 points in the title game.

Against FVTC, the Lakers led 35-22 at halftime. But FVTC stormed back to take a three-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the game. After regrouping during a time out, SLC got some crucial fast-break points and toughened up on defense to regain the lead for good.

Lakers sophomore Amanda Kudick added 11 rebounds in the championship game.

In the semifinal game, SLC rallied from a 41-36 halftime deficit to take the lead with 12 minutes left in the contest.

Lakers junior Courtney Clavers finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Kudick chipped in with 14 points, three steals and three assists.

Men?s basketball

Silver Lake College fell short in both of its season-opening games at the Haunted Hoops Tip-Off Tournament, which was hosted by Indiana University South Bend.

The Lakers fell 86-75 in the Oct. 31 semifinal game to Indiana University South Bend. In the Nov. 1 consolation game, SLC dropped an 88-72 decision to Indiana University Kokomo.

In the semifinals, the Lakers were led by sophomore Eric Roby?s 19 points and junior John Duke?s 14 points. Freshman Jordan Portee and senior Kyle Lunderg each added eight points, while junior Tyler Wells had seven points. SLC trailed 42-39 at halftime, but Roby connected on four three-pointers in the opening minutes of the second half to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. However, IUSB bounced back to take the lead with 8:26 remaining.

In the consolation game, SLC held IUK to 35.3 percent shooting from the field in the first half. But IUK sealed its victory by shooting 59.3 percent from the field in the second half.

By Benjamin Wideman
Director of Communications and Sports Information

MANITOWOC ? It?s hard to miss Amanda Kudick on a basketball court.

No, she?s not the tallest player. Nor is she trying to pull off highlight-reel plays every time she has the ball.

Rather, the 5-foot-7 sophomore draws attention from teammates and opponents alike because of her unbridled effort on every play and pure passion for winning. With Kudick?s help last season, the Silver Lake College women?s basketball team recorded its most wins (18) in school history and extended its streak of winning seasons to four.

?She has a real heart and passion for the game,? said Mike Flentje, entering his seventh season as the Lakers? head coach. ?She?s more than just a good player. She has real competitiveness and leadership and a desire to win. She?s the type of player every coach wants.?

As Silver Lake College prepares for its season-opening games Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at the Tip-Off Classic at UW-Fond du Lac, Kudick is gearing up to improve upon last year?s impressive freshman campaign.

Buoyed by back-to-back WIAA Division 3 state championships at Kewaunee High School, Kudick picked up where she left off, leading the Lakers last season in steals (2.6 per game) and assists (2.4 per game), while ranking second in rebounds (6.2 per game) and fourth in points (8.3 per game).

?I?ve always been a leader on the court,? said Kudick, a swing player who embraces her role as team captain. ?I came from a winning program, and I know how to win. I know a lot about the game. I?m used to the pressure situations, and I?m comfortable being in that leadership position. I want to help us win as many games as possible this season.?

The Lakers? goal is to win at least 20 games, which would give them a strong chance at qualifying for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association?s national championships. Last season, they narrowly missed out on earning a bid.

?With the schedule we have this season, it?s going to be a challenge, but we?re going for it,? Flentje said. ?And Amanda is one of those players we?re looking at to lead us through a successful season.?

Kudick, who can play any position, drove to the basket frequently last season. This past offseason, she worked on improving her outside shooting.

?With the passion she has, she always works hard to keep on improving. She?s just a true athlete (who also plays soccer and tennis),? Flentje said.

Added Kudick: ?I come from a program (in Kewaunee) where you worked your butt off all the time. I push myself to improve every day, and as the captain now I think coach is looking at me to push the girls too.?

Plenty of Kudick?s motivation comes from within. Some of it, however, derives from people like her brothers, grandparents, parents and former coach.

Born and raised in Kewaunee as the youngest of four siblings, Kudick said she had to fight ? sometimes literally ? for respect from her three older brothers (Kyle, Shane and Jason).

?My older brothers would always pick on me, and I?d definitely have to stand up for myself,? she said. ?Kyle, especially, he?s the one who?s closest in age to me. He played sports and I looked up to him and wanted to be like him.?

Two other motivational people in Kudick?s life are her grandmother, Audrey Repitz, and her grandfather, Ken Repitz, who passed away in 2011.

?Every time we?d win I?d tell my grandma and grandpa,? Kudick said. ?They wouldn?t get to go to the games, but I?d always call them and tell them how we did. My grandpa is one of my motivations right now. Even though he?s not here, I want to win and make him proud.?

The same goes for her grandmother.

?That?s why I wear bright shoes, so she knows which one is me on the court when she comes to the games,? Kudick said. ?I?m just huge with family. That?s my motivation in life.?

Her parents, Russ and Cindy, also have served as inspirations. ?They were always bringing me to camps, and I wanted to get better and make them proud,? Kudick said.

She also values the coaching she received from Kari Heim, who taught her the ins and outs of basketball from elementary school up until high school. ?She taught us dedication and how to win in the big games,? Kudick said.

Kudick, an Elementary Education major, is the first sibling in her family to attend college. She hopes to teach in Kewaunee after she graduates.

Despite being active in sports throughout her childhood, Kudick didn?t idolize professional athletes. Rather, teachers were the Michael Jordan of her youth.

?I looked up to them a lot,? she said. ?My third-grade teacher (Barbara Lockwood) was like my role model in life. Sports were there and I loved doing them, but there?s so much more that was important to me besides sports. Like piano ? I played piano all through high school, too.?

When it came time to select a college, Kudick said Silver Lake College was a natural fit. It was relatively close to home, she could continue playing sports and it offered smaller class sizes with more personalized attention, she said. Plus, she received an athletic scholarship to help offset part of the tuition cost.

When she?s not playing one of her three sports, attending classes or studying, Kudick serves as a residence assistant on campus. She also works for the Silver Lake College athletic department and helps at the reception desk at the campus? Franciscan Center for Music Education and Performance.

?I?ve got a lot of things I?m doing, but I?m very dedicated,? she said. ?Whenever I do something, I?m dedicated 100 percent to it.?

As the first international player in Silver Lake College men?s basketball history, Filip Pesek doesn?t take his role lightly.

?It?s a big responsibility, because based on my efforts and the image I?m going to give, there might be others who follow or no one will follow,? he said.

Pesek, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard from the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, transferred to Silver Lake College after attending Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif., last year. He?s majoring in business, with aspirations of becoming a successful entrepreneur after college.

For now, though, the 19-year-old knows many eyes will be on him as the Lakers prepare to open their season Oct. 31 at the two-day Haunted Hoops Tournament on the campus of Indiana University South Bend.

?I know (head coach) Phil (Budervic) has put his name on the line for me, and I see his vision with the foreign players that they can add value not only to the team but to the Silver Lake College program overall,? Pesek said. ?Phil sees the bigger picture to the community. I know that I can be a pioneer here at Silver Lake College. And maybe in the next few years there can be a bunch of crazy European guys coming here too.?

That would suit Budervic just fine.

?What Filip brings to our team and to our college ? like most European student-athletes, he?s very driven,? said Budervic, who has coached international players at other colleges in the past. ?He?s well-schooled in the game, and he?s prepared to accept leadership roles both in school and on the team.

?Having Filip here is a big stride for our program. Hopefully, this will pave the way for future international students to play basketball for us and expand the educational opportunities at Silver Lake College.?

Pesek began playing basketball at the age of 6. It?s the second most popular sport in Slovenia, behind only soccer.

The first player he idolized was former Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson. Since then, Pesek?s attention has shifted from player to player. These days, Pesek said his style of play resembles former NBA star Jason Kidd, who?s in his first year as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

?I?m not the most athletic player in the world, but I understand the game,? Pesek said. ?I know about timing and getting rebounds and running the transition, and I definitely know how to pass.?

Budervic concurred, adding: ?His fundamentals are fantastic. He has obviously had good coaching in the European system.?

In Slovenia, it?s common for players of Pesek?s ability to play for high school and club teams simultaneously. He also starred on Slovenian youth national teams.

?From when I was 14 until I was 17, I was playing basketball constantly,? Pesek said.

As a member of Slovenia youth national teams, Pesek competed in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Turkey and the Netherlands.

?It was a great experience, going to so many countries,? said Pesek, who speaks English, Slovenia, Serbian and Spanish. ?I would do it all over again. You get to see the world for free, which is great, just amazing.?

As a 15-year-old, Pesek and his team traveled to Turkey for a tournament, ?and police cars were in front of us and behind our bus (escorting us) like we were celebrities.?

After high school, Pesek wanted to see even more of the world, so he enrolled at Cuesta College in California. He was one of 10 foreign players on that team?s 13-man roster. However, his experience wasn?t ideal, so he explored other options and came across Budervic.

?This first time I talked to Phil on the phone, he was talking for half an hour straight ? I?m not exaggerating,? Pesek said with a laugh. ?He had a lot to say. He said some things that really impressed me. I was drawn by the vision he has for this program. You can tell when someone has a purpose where they want to go, and I was really able to relate to that. He said he wanted someone to come in and make an immediate impact, and I knew I could do that.?

The NBA has welcomed a handful of players from Slovenia over the years ? men like Goran Dragic and Rasho Nesterovic. But Pesek said he?s realistic about his future.

?For the remaining three years of college, I just want to play basketball for pure enjoyment,? Pesek said. ?I?ve been into the game for so long now and I?ve played so many games, I want to get the most out of playing in college. That?s what I?m focusing on with basketball. As for being a professional player, I left that dream behind. I have different dreams now.

?I just want to go where my business path will take me. I don?t care if it?s Australia, or America, or wherever. I want to travel and get new experiences and see where my business degree takes me after college.?

He?d also like to coach high school players someday in the future.

But for now, Pesek?s sights are firmly set on helping the Lakers.

?I came here to win,? he said. ?I didn?t just come here to chill out and play video games. I definitely came here to work hard and win.?

The student-athletes at Silver Lake College turned in a memorable fall 2014 sports season. Check out the weekly SLC sports roundup here ...

Cross Country

Taylor VandenPlas led the Silver Lake College cross country team Saturday.
VandenPlas placed 51st in 27 minutes, 2.7 seconds in the women?s 6K race at the regular season-ending 2014 Wisconsin Private College Cross Country Championships in West Allis.
Also for the SLC women, Sophia Chin finished 82nd in 29:19.8, and Olivia Johnston placed 114th in 38:33.4.
In the men?s 8K race, SLC?s Jared Koch took 72nd in 38:01.1, and Nathan Jandrin finished 73rd in 43:15.4.

Soccer

The Silver Lake College soccer team concluded its season with a 4-1 loss at UW-Richland on Oct. 13.
The game ended 10 minutes into the second half because of heavy rain.
The Lakers finished the season 4-5, narrowly missing out on the first winning season in school history.

Volleyball

The Silver Lake College volleyball team stayed close with UW-Manitowoc on Oct. 13, but came up short in the season finale, falling 25-22, 20-25, 25-21, 25-19.

Volleyball

The Silver Lake College volleyball team won both of its matches last week, giving it five victories in its last six matches.

In a Dig Pink match to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Lakers defeated UW-Fox Valley 25-8, 25-10, 25-8 on Saturday.

SLC was led by Jordan Barbeau (four aces, six digs), Abby Gerhard (one block, four kills, seven digs), Courtney Clavers (five blocks, nine kills, two aces), Kaela Cheesman (one assist, five aces, 19 digs), Danielle Byrum (one kill, 24 assists, two aces, seven digs), Danielle Hunt (four blocks, two kills), Megan Mendolla (seven kills, three aces, six digs) and Alex Rukamp (one block, four kills).

As part of the Dig Pink match, the Lakers wore various pink clothing items and also had words of inspiration ? like Determination, Survivor and Love ? written on the back of each of their T-shirts. The team also gave away pink bracelets and raised money by selling Dig For A Cure T-shirts and encouraging donations for the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation/Side-Out Foundation.

In their other match last week, the Lakers rallied to defeat host Northland International University 15-25, 25-12, 21-25, 25-16, 15-3 last Tuesday.

SLC was led by Gerhard (five kills, one block, 23 digs), Barbeau (one ace, six digs), Byrum (two blocks, 16 assists, one ace, 12 digs), Cheesman (four aces, 13 digs), Mendolla (four kills, three aces, five digs, one assist), Hunt (three blocks), Clavers (12 kills, 11 blocks, two aces, two digs) and Rukamp (one kill, three blocks, two digs).

?I feel like we are in a great place ? our team chemistry is back on track, we are back to getting some wins, and the girls are having fun on the court,? SLC coach Tara Stewart said.

Soccer

The Silver Lake College soccer team also won both of its games last week, boosting its record to 4-4.

On Wednesday, the Lakers traveled to Wausau and dominated UW-Marathon County 14-3.

Thirteen of SLC?s goals came from senior Carl Jean and freshmen Ni Ni and Ser Nay Htoo. Sophomore co-captain Amanda Kudick accounted for the Lakers? other goal late in the game.

?We saw some beautiful combos out there ? with most of them resulting in a goal,? SLC coach Guido Lenaerts said.

SLC goalkeeper Wesley Dowell stopped 18 shots.

In their other game last week, the Lakers won by forfeit against UW-Fox Valley on Friday.

Eckley?s fourth-place finish leads SLC golf team

Manitowoc native Nate Eckley shot a 91 and took fourth place overall, leading the Silver Lake College golf team at its season-ending invitational, which was held Wednesday at The Golf Course at Branch River in Cato.

Also for the Lakers, Dru Harris shot a 100 and Kevin Ramirez finished with a 104. Teammate Derek Domino withdrew due to an injury.

The University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac won the meet, while UW-Washington County took second and Silver Lake College placed third.

Cross country

Taylor VandenPlas finished 47th, leading Silver Lake College at the Warrior Cross Country Invitational in West Allis on Saturday.

VandenPlas completed the 6K women?s race in 27 minutes, 1.3 seconds.

Also for SLC, Sophia Chin took 76th in 28:46, and Olivia Johnston placed 131st in 37:57.7.

In the men?s 8K race, SLC?s Jared Koch took 113th in 33:51.8, and Nathan Jandrin placed 131st in 41:47.5.

Volleyball

The Silver Lake College volleyball team fell 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 to UW-Washington County on Saturday in West Bend.

The Lakers were led by Kaela Cheesman (11 digs, one kill), Megan Mendolla (five digs, four kills) and Alex Rukamp (three kills, two digs).

Coming up

The Silver Lake College soccer team concludes its season by playing three road games in the next week. The Lakers play at UW-Marathon at 5 p.m. Wednesday; at UW-Fox Valley at 4:30 p.m. Friday; and at UW-Richland at 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The SLC volleyball team also wraps up its season with three matches in the next week. The Lakers play at Northland International University at 7 p.m. today; a home match again UW-Fox Valley at 1 p.m. Saturday (it?s held at UW-Manitowoc); and a season finale against host UW-Manitowoc at 6 p.m. Monday.

The Lakers cross country team concluded its regular season Oct. 18 at the Wisconsin Private College Championship. The SLC golf team finished its season last week.

Nate Eckley of Silver Lake College follows through on a drive during an invitational Wednesday at The Golf Course at Branch River in Cato.

Soccer

The Silver Lake College soccer team avenged an early-season loss on Friday, defeating the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac 3-1 in a game at Goalgetters Soccer Park in Manitowoc.

Carl Jean sparked the Lakers by assisting on Stevens Alexis? goal that gave SLC a 1-0 lead.

Then, with 15 minutes remaining in the first half, Jean took a pass from Ser Nay Htoo and scored to give SLC a 2-0 advantage.

UW-Fond du Lac scored its lone goal late in the first half.

SLC coach Guido Lenaerts said UW-Fond du Lac had some opportunities early in the second half, ?but with Amanda Kudick perfecting our off-side trap, Fondy walked away frustrated out of our defensive half numerous times.?

SLC sealed the victory when Jean dribbled through the defense and scored with 25 minutes left in the game.

?Practicing the whole week on our ?push through? offense proved to be successful,? said Lenaerts, adding that SLC goalkeeper Wesley Dowell turned in a solid performance.

Volleyball

The Silver Lake College volleyball team won three of its four matches last week.

?I'm very happy with how well the girls are playing through our hectic schedule, and they continue to stay focused,? SLC coach Tara Stewart said. ?They are playing phenomenally as a team, which makes for great volleyball to watch. Our fans continue to support us, which helps tremendously.?

The Lakers opened the week with a loss, falling to UW-Marathon on Sept. 22 by scores of 25-20, 25-13, 25-23. SLC was led by Courtney Clavers (seven blocks, four kills, one assist, three digs), Abby Gerhard (seven kills, one block, five digs) and Danielle Byrum (19 assists, one kill, one dig).

SLC bounced back to win its final three matches of the week.

On Wednesday, the Lakers defeated UW-Sheboygan 25-22, 25-13, 23-25, 25-21. They were led by Gerhard (11 kills, five blocks, 11 digs), Clavers (eight blocks, 10 kills, six aces, four digs), Byrum (31 assists, one ace), Jordan Barbeau (12 digs, four aces), Kaela Cheesman (six digs, five kills, three aces), Megan Mendolla (three kills, eight digs, two aces), Casey Bingmon (three blocks, one kill), Danielle Hunt (two blocks, two kills) and Alex Rukamp (three blocks, two kills, one dig).

SLC beat UW-Marshfield on Friday, 25-20, 25-19, 25-22. The Lakers were led by Gerhard (six kills, one block, one ace, 15 digs), Rukamp (two blocks, seven kills, one dig), Bingmon (five blocks, one kill, one dig), Clavers (five blocks, eight kills, two aces), Hunt (two kills), Byrum (24 assists, one block, two kills, four aces, four digs), Barbeau (five digs, one ace), Cheesman (15 digs, one kill, one ace) and Mendolla (four kills, nine digs, two assists, two aces).

And SLC wrapped up the week Saturday by rallying to defeat Grace Bible College 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-16 on Parents Night. The Lakers were led by Barbeau (11 digs, one ace), Gerhard (11 kills, 16 digs, one ace), Rukamp (three blocks, six kills, three digs), Clavers (10 blocks, 14 kills, two aces, six digs), Cheesman (14 digs, three kills, one assist, two aces), Byrum (36 assists, two kills, three aces, five digs), Mendolla (three kills, one assist, five aces, 12 digs), Hunt (two digs) and Bingmon (seven blocks, four kills).

Cross country

Taylor VandenPlas was the top finisher for the Silver Lake College women?s cross country team at the Maranatha Baptist University Invitational on Saturday.

VandenPlas crossed the finish line in eighth place in the 5K race in 22 minutes, 6.8 seconds.

Other SLC women?s finishers were Sophia Chin (21st in 24:25.4) and Olivia Johnston (36th in 32:37.4).

In the men?s 5K race, SLC?s Jared Koch took sixth in 35:15.4, and Nathan Jandrin placed 12th in 44:04.9.

Golf

Dru Harris shot a 98 to lead the Silver Lake College golf team at the UW-Waukesha Invitational on Thursday.

Also for the Lakers, Derek Domino shot a 101 and Kevin Ramirez shot a 104.

SLC volleyball team beats NCAA DIII opponent

The Silver Lake College volleyball team defeated Mount Mary University, an NCAA Division III squad, at a two-day invitational in Milwaukee co-hosted by Alverno College and Mount Mary.

The Lakers, a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, outlasted the Blue Angels 25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12 in a two-hour marathon match held Saturday at Mount Mary?s Bloechl Center.

Also at the invitational Saturday, Silver Lake College fell to Illinois Tech 25-10, 25-9, 25-4. In matches on Friday, Alverno defeated SLC 25-18, 25-6, 25-15, and Finlandia rallied to beat SLC 18-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-15.

The Lakers? stat leaders at the invitational were Abby Gerhard (14 kills, four blocks, 24 digs, one ace), Jordan Barbeau (13 kills, 18 digs, three aces), Courtney Clavers (30 kills, 20 blocks, nine digs), Megan Mendolla (15 kills, 26 digs, seven assists, three aces), Kaela Cheesman (eight kills, 47 digs), Danielle Byrum (three kills, one block, 74 assists, eight digs, seven aces), Alex Rukamp (four kills, two blocks, one dig), Casey Bingmon (two kills, 17 blocks) and Danielle Hunt (one block, one dig).

On Sept. 15, Silver Lake College defeated UW-Manitowoc 25-16, 25-21, 28-26 during the Lakers? inaugural Fan Night. The Lakers were led by Clavers (16 kills, six blocks, three digs, one ace), Cheesman (two kills, 15 digs, six aces) and Byrum (two kills, 25 assists, three digs, one ace).

?It was fun having the fans so involved in the game,? SLC coach Tara Stewart said.

Photo: Silver Lake College junior Jordan Barbeau celebrates during the Lakers? victory over Mount Mary University on Saturday in Milwaukee. For more photos, see SLC?s Facebook page.

Cross country

Taylor VandenPlas was the top finisher for Silver Lake College at the Ripon College Invitational on Saturday.

She crossed the finish line in the 6K women?s race in 28 minutes, 19.35 seconds, good for ninth place overall.

Other Lakers runners included Sophia Chin (15th in 30:14.85), Lucy-Ann Muabe (20th in 38:48.35), Abigail Rieth (24th in 42:57.65) and Olivia Johnston (27th in 43:53.75).

In the men?s 8K race, Silver Lake College?s Jared Koch placed 17th in 38:17.50, while teammate Nathan Jandrin was 18th in 45:24.50.

Soccer

Carl Jean scored two goals and Ser Nay Htoo scored once for Silver Lake College, but the Lakers lost 10-3 to host UW-Washington County, the defending state champion in its division, on Thursday.

SLC goalkeeper Wesley Dowell stopped 20 shots, including one penalty kick.

?And Amanda Kudick did an outstanding job picking up loose balls behind the defensive line and wasn?t afraid to go one-on-one with any attacker,? SLC coach Guido Lenaerts said.

Golf

Silver Lake College?s meet at UW-Washington County on Sept. 15 was shortened to nine holes due to rain. The Lakers placed third with a score of 202.

SLC was led by Dru Harris (48), Nate Eckley (49), Derek Domino (53) and Kevin Ramirez (54).

SLC volleyball team wins UW-Richland Triangular

The Silver Lake College volleyball team defeated both of its opponents at the UW-Richland Triangular on Wednesday.

The Lakers opened the day with a 25-16, 25-18 victory over UW-Fond du Lac. Then they rallied to upend UW-Richland Center 16-25, 25-22, 15-6.

Silver Lake College was led by Courtney Clavers (eight kills, six blocks, three digs and one ace), Casey Bingmon (eight blocks, one kill), Jordan Barbeau (six kills, 11 digs and two aces), Abby Gerhard (eight kills, seven digs), Danielle Byrum (four kills, 27 assists, six digs, four aces), Megan Mendolla (five kills, eight digs, one ace) and Kaela Cheesman (one kill, 20 digs, eight aces).

?As the stats reflect, we are playing very well as a team,? SLC coach Tara Stewart said. ?We continue to work hard every day and push ourselves, already achieving many of our goals. Now it's time to set some new goals for ourselves and keep moving on our road to success.?

In other volleyball results from this past week:

SLC finished 6-3 at the UW-Marinette Tournament on Saturday, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The Lakers were led by Clavers (18 kills, 11 blocks, two aces, three digs, one assist), Gerhard (seven kills, 23 digs, one ace), Barbeau (12 kills, two blocks, 15 digs, seven aces), Bingmon (two kills, seven blocks), Mendolla (six kills, 19 digs, eight aces, four assists), Byrum (two kills, 40 assists, seven aces, three digs) and Cheesman (three kills, two assists, 26 digs, 14 aces).

On Friday, Gogebic Community College in Michigan narrowly edged SLC in a match held at UW-Manitowoc, edging the Lakers 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 24-26, 15-11. The Lakers were led by Clavers (15 kills, nine blocks, five digs, three aces), Bingmon (six blocks, one kill), Gerhard (14 kills, one block, 16 digs, one ace), Barbeau (seven kills, one block, four digs, two aces), Mendolla (three kills, 16 digs, one ace), Byrum (33 assists, two kills, two aces, six digs) and Cheesman (one kill, 12 digs, six aces).

Cross country

Taylor VandenPlas led the Silver Lake College women?s cross country team at the Concordia University Invitational in Mequon on Saturday.

VandenPlas placed 77th in the 6K race, crossing the finish line in 26 minutes, 18.6 seconds.

Other SLC finishers included Sophia Chin (125th in 28:40.3), Abigail Rieth (151st in 31:42.0) and Olivia Johnston (179th in 40:58.1).

The women?s winner was Laura Mead of UW-La Crosse, who finished in 21:32.9. UW-La Crosse won both the women?s and men?s team titles.

In the men?s 8K race, Silver Lake College?s Jared Koch placed 146th in 35:46.4. The men?s winner was Alex Ciesielski of UW-La Crosse in 25:25.2.

The SLC men?s and women?s teams are coached by Mike Cavanaugh.

Soccer

Silver Lake College lost 6-0 to UW-Fox Valley on Wednesday in a game at Goalgetters Soccer Park in Manitowoc.

Lakers goalkeeper Wesley Dowell stopped eight shots, including one penalty kick.

SLC was led by interim coach Greg Jirik. Head coach Guido Lenaerts returns to town to lead the squad this week.

Golf

Dru Harris shot a 99 on Thursday, leading the Silver Lake College golf team at the UW-Fond du Lac Invitational, which was held at Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Fond du Lac.

Also for the Lakers, Derek Domino shot a 111 and Kevin Ramirez shot a 112. They?re coached by Steve Rezachek.

UW-Washington County won the team title with a four-player score of 319.

SLC soccer, volleyball teams earn first wins of the season

The Silver Lake College soccer team won the consolation game at the season-opening UW-Fond du Lac Invitational on Saturday, defeating UW-Rock County 3-2.

All of the Lakers? scoring came in the first half. Eric Roby netted their first goal on an assist by Ni Ni. Carl Jean accounted for the other two goals, including the final score on a penalty kick.

SLC?s Wesley Dowell stopped six shots against UW-Rock County.

?Winning the game was wonderful,? said SLC interim coach Greg Jirik, who was filling in for head coach Guido Lenaerts, who was out of town. ?We played as a team against Rock County, and it showed with a win. It was a total team effort.?

SLC lost 6-0 to UW-Fond du Lac in its first game on Saturday. Dowell stopped 12 shots that game.

Volleyball

The Silver Lake College volleyball team was competitive in its first 3 matches of the season, including a victory over the Gogebic Community College JV team on Friday.

Northland International University defeated the Lakers 25-16, 25-19, 25-20 in the opening match of the season last Tuesday. SLC was led by Abby Gerhard (5 kills), Megan Mendolla (5 kills), Courtney Clavers (4 kills and 5 blocks), Jordan Barbeau (13 assists and 5 digs) and Kaela Cheesman (8 digs).

On Friday, SLC traveled to Michigan and rebounded with a victory, defeating the Gogebic Community College JV team 25-21, 25-21, before falling to the Gogebic varsity team 25-18, 25-22, 28-26. SLC was led by Clavers (14 kills, 8 blocks, 1 ace), Gerhard (8 kills, 3 digs, 1 ace), Barbeau (6 kills, 2 digs, 2 aces), Cheesman (13 digs, 1 ace), Danielle Byrum (31 assists, 2 digs, 2 aces) and Casey Bingmon (2 kills, 9 blocks).

?The season goal this year is to work hard and pave a road to success,? SLC coach Tara Stewart said. ?The team has done a great job learning new things, building teamwork and applying it to our matches. I am very proud of them.?

Coming up

The Lakers have four volleyball matches in the next week. They play at the University of Wisconsin-Richland at 6 p.m. Wednesday; against Gogebic Community College at 6 p.m. Friday at the UW-Manitowoc gymnasium; at the UW-Marinette Invitational on Saturday; and against UW-Manitowoc at 7 p.m. Monday at the UW-Manitowoc gymnasium.

The soccer team plays at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against UW-Fox Valley at Goalgetters Soccer Park on Viebahn Street, on the south side of Manitowoc.

The cross country team competes at the Concordia Invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday.

And the golf team will participate in a meet at UW-Fond du Lac at 11 a.m. Thursday.