Fall 2007 recap
Fall 2007 Recap
FOOTBALL (3-7 OVERALL, 1-7 MIAC)
The 2007 football season featured several outstanding individual performances and an amazing team effort as the Knights nearly pulled out the biggest upset in school history.
As often occurs in football, injuries played a major factor throughout the year. Returning second team All-American Matt Frank missed the first half of the year with an injury sustained during training camp. Quarterback Shane Henfling had his record-setting season interrupted by a shoulder injury that forced him to miss two games. Star linebackers Jerad Phelps and James Colbenson also missed time due to injuries.
The biggest news during the football season came on a rainy afternoon in late September. Carleton came within 56 seconds of knocking off Saint John’s University, the No. 3 ranked team in the nation. In the 25-year history of the series, the Knights have never beaten the Johnnies. The improbable almost happened at Laird Stadium on September 29.
The start of the game was delayed approximately 30 minutes by lightning. When play did commence the teams had to contend with sloppy fields and a stiff wind. That may have been a factor as the two sides combined for seven turnovers, four by Saint John’s. The defenses for both sides made several big plays.
The Knights defense set up the Carleton touchdown in the third quarter as an interception led to fantastic field position. A few moments later Henfling ran it in for a 7-0 lead.
Saint John’s got a field goal and then had excellent field position following a short punt. The Johnnies got the go-ahead score with less than a minute remaining.
Carleton refused to give up, and took the ensuing kickoff 50 yards back inside St. John’s territory. The Knights quickly passed their way down to the 20-yard line, but the final drive stalled and a desperation heave towards the end zone was intercepted.
For their play throughout the season, six Knights were named to the All-MIAC first or second team.
Defensive end James Clark, linebacker James Colbenson and strong safety Drew Ziller of the Carleton College football team were voted to the first team by the conference coaches.
Clark, one of three defensive ends on the first-team, received All-MIAC recognition for the first time. He led the Knights’ defensive unit with 12.5 tackles for losses including nine sacks, tied for tops in the conference. He totaled 51 tackles overall (29 solo) and forced a pair of fumbles.
Colbenson took home All-MIAC first-team honors after being a second-team selection the previous two seasons. He missed one game with an ankle injury and still finished second on the team with 69 stops (34 solo), including 4.5 for losses.
Ziller garnered All-MIAC accolades by making a huge impact all over the field. He led all conference players with 88 tackles during the MIAC portion of the season and finished the year with 97 tackles overall, including 60 solo stops. He was the MIAC’s defensive player of the week following his performance versus Concordia College on Oct. 27. That afternoon, he collected a career-high 21 tackles, one shy of the school record. He also made an impact on special teams, blocking two kicks during the year, including one punt.
Three other Knights earned All-MIAC second team honors, including junior wide receiver Chris Gardner and seniors Mike Morrissey and Jerad Phelps.
Gardner ended the year with 56 catches for 1,054 yards, the 12th-best total in Division III. He hauled in 13 touchdown passes, equaling Jim Bradford’s school mark, and averaged 18.8 yards per reception, easily tops among the leading receivers in the conference. He had games of 219 and 202 receiving yards, joining Bradford as the only members of the 200-yard club in Carleton history. Gardner averaged 105.4 receiving yards a game, fifth in the MIAC and 14th in the nation. He's the third Carleton receiver to top 1,000 yards in a single season. Only a bumper crop of wide receivers this fall kept a deserving Gardner off the conference’s first-team.
Morrissey received second-team accolades for the second consecutive year for his fantastic play in the middle of the Knights’ defensive line. He accumulated 44 stops during his senior season, including 9.5 tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks.
Phelps overcame a knee injury to rank third on the team with 63 tackles despite missing two games. He ranked ninth in the MIAC in tackles and tied for second in the conference with three inceptions. He was selected as the MIAC’s defensive player of the week for his play against St. John’s University on Sept. 29. He had 13 tackles (eight solo) that day and came up with two turnovers to halt Johnnies' drives in Carleton territory. Phelps was one of nine players named to the MIAC Sportsmanship Team for football.
Senior running back R.J. Jackson finished his career with 2,336 rushing yards, the fourth-highest total in school history. He also scored 31 touchdowns which ranked third in the Carleton record book.
Henfling, in his first season as starting quarterback, ended the year with over 1,900 yards passing and 20 touchdowns, the second-best single-season total in school history.
MEN’S SOCCER (14-2-3, 8-0-2 MIAC)
The men’s soccer program, under the direction of Bob Carlson had a record-setting season.
The Knights were ranked nationally—as high as No. 15—for the first time, captured their first regular-season MIAC title and established a school record for victories in a season as they advanced to the MIAC playoffs for the first time. The year also included a 16-match unbeaten streak.
The team saw its best season in school history rewarded as Robert Carlton, Peter Grassman and Bobby Phillips were named to the All-MIAC first team.
Thomas Ashton and goalkeeper Pete Semmer were named All-MIAC honorable mention. Additionally, Bob Carlson was recognized as the MIAC’s Coach of the Year.
Carlton was recognized as one of the top center backs in the league and was selected to the all-conference squad for the first time. He was the leader on the Knights backline as the defense did not allow more than one goal in any match this season and posted a 0.58 goals against average.
Senior co-captain Grassman had one goal and four assists from his midfielder position. He was heavily involved in the action at both ends of the field. Each of his assists came during conference action as Carleton went unbeaten in the MIAC.
It’s no surprise that Phillips received his second consecutive All-MIAC selection. He found the back of the net eight time during the year and assisted on eight more Carleton scores. Phillips tied for the MIAC lead with seven goals during conf. action, ranked second with five assists and 19 points, and tied for MIAC lead with a trio of game-winning goals.
Ashton, the other captain on the squad, finished second on the Knights with five goals and five assists.
Semmer was one of only two first-year players to receive conference recognition. He won the competition for the starting goalkeeper role and turned in solid performances all season long. He posted an 0.54 goals against average, second among conference goalies and kept the opposition off the scoreboard for nearly a month, recording 738:20 scoreless streak that spanned nine games from Sept. 29-Oct. 27 and included five shutouts (he shared in two other shutouts).
Carlson was named the MIAC Coach of the Year in his 10th season at the helm of the program. The winningest coach (104-76-18) in school history, he captured his 100th career victory with a 7-0 victory over St. Mary’s University in October. He has led the Knights to six double-digit win seasons, none better than this year.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (13-5, 7-4 MIAC)
After opening the conference season 0-3, the women’s soccer program won nine straight matches, including seven MIAC contests, but missed the playoffs by one point in the standings.
Five Carleton players were recognized for their efforts during the 2007 campaign.
Megan Molteni, Dylan Welch and Mia Zutz were awarded All-MIAC first-team honors. Additionally, Leigh-Anne Borkowski and Sophie Wood received All-MIAC honorable mention.
Molteni was selected All-MIAC this season after being named All-MIAC honorable mention a year ago. The senior so-captain tallied one goal and one assist but was honored for her play on Carleton’s back line. The Knights owned a 0.83 goals against average, third-best among MIAC squads.
Welch was named to her second All-MIAC team, having also won the honor in 2006. She tied for third on the team with 10 points, accounting for three goals and four assists. She scored crucial goals in victories over Gustavus Adolphus and Luther College. Welch also represented Carleton on the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.
Zutz joined Welch in running the Knights’ high-powered attack from the midfield. She had four assists as Carleton scored the second-most goals (22) in the MIAC.
Borkowski was one of five first-year players to receive recognition from the conference and was the lone back line player among that group. Her golden goal against Augsburg in mid-October kept Carleton’s playoff dreams alive.
Wood has been honored by the MIAC in each of her three seasons at Carleton. In addition to All-MIAC honorable mention in 2005, she was an All-MIAC first team selection last year. Along with Molteni, she anchored the Knights’ backline that proved difficult to penetrate as Carleton allowed 6.4 shots per contest, with only 3.4 of those being on goal.
Carleton returns eight starters next year and 15 of 22 players that saw action this season. The returnees include three of the Knights’ All-MIAC and All-MAIC honorable mention recipients.
The volleyball team was nationally ranked for the majority of the season and returned to the NCAA tournament for the third time.
The Knights began the season 17-1, before slipping a bit down the stretch. Carleton’s season came to an end in the opening round of the national tournament, falling 3-0 to Central College (Iowa).
Sophomore middle hitter Annie Eckhoff was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Central Region First Team and was tabbed All-American Honorable Mention. She was one of five MIAC players named to the All-Region first team and one of three sophomores selected to the 12-player group by the AVCA. She was also named an All-MIAC selection. Eckhoff, who didn’t start playing volleyball until her junior year in high school, led the Knights in kills (3.45 kpg), blocks (1.24 bpg) and attack percentage (.342) this year. She established a Carleton single-season record with her hitting percentage and ranked third in the program’s history with 109 blocks (17 solo, 92 assists) this season. She recorded double-digit kill totals in 18 of 25 matches this year, including a career-best 22 kills vs. College of St. Catherine on Sept. 28.
Two others Knights were also recognized for their play this season. Senior setter Heather La Chapelle received AVCA All-Region honorable mention. An All-MIAC performer, she concluded her collegiate career as the Carleton record holder with 3,697 assists and 10.24 assists per game.
Libero Laura Barsness was selected as the MIAC’s Tri-Defensive Player of the Year. She accumulated a team-high 467 digs this season (5.19 per game) and tied for the top spot on the squad in service aces.
The men’s cross country program, under the direction of first-year head coach Dave Ricks, advanced to the national championships and placed 23rd overall, matching exactly their national ranking at the time.
Senior Joe Sepe paced the Knights, finishing 68th in a field of 280 runners. The race was run across the 8K course at St. Olaf College on a cold, cloudy afternoon. The Northfield area saw a dusting of snow a few hours preceding the competition and race-time temperatures hovered in the mid-30s.
Five of Carleton's seven runners posted better times than they did on the same course one week earlier during the Central Regional Championships.
Sepe passed 172 runners during the final three miles. Similarly, Quentin Kennedy overtook more than 100 runners during the same span. Sepe, the third-fastest closing mile of the entire field.
Kennedy and fellow senior John Nowinski were next across the finishing line, placing 124th and 152nd respectively for Carleton by posting times of 25:56 and 26:05. Nowinski competed in the national race for the fourth time.
Meeks Brucker was 166th with a time of 26:10, while Charlie Gamble rounded out the scoring by finishing 170th with a finishing time of 26:12.
It was the 19th time over the last 43 years that the Carleton men’s team has qualified for the NCAA Championships. The Knights were eligible for an at-large berth after finishing fourth at the Central Regional Championships.
Sepe, Brucker and Kennedy earned All-Region honors after placing 17th, 19th and 23rd at the regional race.
The squad boasted five top-20 finishers to take runner-up team honors at the 2007 MIAC Championships. Kennedy, Sepe and John Nowinski finished sixth, eighth and 13th respectively to earn All-MIAC honors.
Meeks Brucker and Charlie Gamble completed the scoring for Carleton, crossing the finish line 16th and 20th respectively. For their efforts, both runners received All-MIAC honorable mention honors.
The Carleton College women’s cross country team raced to a 12th place finish at the NCAA Central Region Championships in November.
Sophomore Laura Roach was the first Carleton racer to reach the finish line, completing the course in 23:09, good for 20th overall. She earned All-Region honors with her performance on the 6K course.
The next three Knight runners were separated by only four seconds, as Karen Campbell, Sarah Forzley and Irene Koplinka-Loehr placed 61st, 62nd and 65th respectively.
Carleton placed second at the MIAC Championships in one of the closest team finishes in conference history.
The Knights took advantage of All-MIAC performances from Forzley, Roach and Hoecker to end the day with 76 points, only two behind conference champion St. Thomas and four ahead of St. Olaf.
Forzley was fifth overall with a time of 22:48.2. She has finished among the top 12 in four races this season. Roach also broke into the top 10, completing the 6000-meter course in 23:01.8, good for ninth overall.
After placing 19th a year ago on this course, Hoecker was 15th with a time of 23:17.9
Campbell and Koplinka-Loehr ran 23rd and 24th to round out the scoring for Carleton and earn All-MIAC honorable mention.
The Knights will return six of their top seven racers next fall.
The bulk of the golf season is played in the spring, but the fall portion of the schedule features the conference championship. The Knights finished 10th at this year’s three-day event.
After recording identical two-over par scores of 74 in the first pair of rounds, sophomore Alec Roman fired 76 during the final round to finish 10th overall. His three-day scoring total of 224 was eight over par. He is the first Knight men’s golfer since 2003 to receive all-conference honors.
Fellow sophomore Trent Wells tied for 38th with a three-day total of 243.
Like the men, the women’s golf team concluded the fall portion of their schedule at the MIAC Championships.
As a squad, the women’s team made up 15 shots during the final round to tie Concordia College-Moorhead for fifth place.
Junior Katrina Wood owned a final-round score of 87 and tied for 14th at the MIAC Championships. Wood was joined in the top 20 by Laura Knutson whose final round 85 gave her a three-day total of 258, good for 16th place at the tournament played at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn.
Carleton improved its team score each day, opening the tournament with a 358, then recording 352 before tallying a score of 350 in the final round.
The other three golfers for the Knights, Louise Buckler, Meghan Gajare and Sarah Ingebritsen placed 29th, T-32nd and 34th respectively
The Knights will next compete at the Jekyll Island Women's Collegiate from March 21-23 at Indian Mound Golf Course in Jekyll Island, Ga.
MEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW
Last year, Carleton finished fifth in the conference standings and qualified for the MIAC Playoffs for the sixth straight season and 14th time overall.
This year, the Knights return several talented veterans and will count on a couple of first-year players to provide the right mix to battle with the top programs in the league. Carleton head coach Guy Kalland figures the MIAC race will be a tight one.
“At a glance, there does not appear to be a significant gap from the top teams in our league to the bottom,” he said, “it should be a very competitive MIAC race. I believe that that if we stay focused and our young players come along, it could be a very exciting year for the Knights.”
Gone from last year’s squad that went 11-15 and 10-10 in the conference are three seniors, including two-time All-MIAC selection Jake Phillips. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game from the point guard position. The Knights will also be playing without defensive standout Mike Kootsikas, who led the MIAC in assist-to-turnover ratio. The third senior, Tucker Schieck, was a frontline reserve and the team’s representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team.
“The 2007-08 Knights will have a young, but talented guard corps to compliment our veteran baseline players,” said head coach Guy Kalland.
The Knights return two players who have previously been All-MIAC performers, Tommy Drake and Zach Johnson.
Drake was an All-MIAC First Team selection for the 2006-07 season and was also named to the five-player All-Defensive Team. He is listed as a wing on the Knights roster, but the versatile senior can play any spot on the floor. He averaged 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the three-point line.
“He’s as a complete a player as we’ve had,” Kalland said. “He’s 6’6” and can defend a point guard, a post player, or anyone in between. That’s a nice thing to have as a coach because he is a weapon on the defensive end. He’s very intense and takes pride in going against the opponents’ top player.”
Johnson led the Knights in scoring (17.1 ppg) last year and pulled down 4.2 boards a night. He had similar numbers when he earned All-MIAC honors in 2005-06.
“Tommy and Zach are not just our captains; they are our leaders,” Kalland said. “They set the tone in practice and they have lofty, yet reachable goals for their team. As MIAC veterans, they understand the league and they know the hard work it takes to get to the top of the MIAC.”
Once again, the Knights will not rely on one or two player to carry the bulk of the scoring.
“This isn’t a team with a superstar,” explained Kalland. “I believe we have a lineup with very versatile players and should have balanced scoring across the board. I believe we have very good Division III players who are focused, willing to pay attention to detail, and want to succeed.”
In addition to Drake and Johnson, Carleton also returns two members of last season’s five-player MIAC All-First Year team, Jeremy Sutherland and Bryan Rosett. Both figure to be important pieces for Carleton again this year.
Rosett, a starter last year, led the Knights with 6.2 rebounds per game, while ranking fourth in scoring at 9.0 points per contest. He paced Carleton with a 47.1 field-goal percentage.
Sutherland, a defensive force, played over 24 minutes a night last season as the first guard off the bench and averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. He also led Carleton in blocked shots.
Other returnees include sophomore Morris Nwogwugwu and juniors Rodney Kuhl and Bobby Schmitz.
Kuhl is vying for time at point guard this season, and Schmitz will bring his intensity and energy off the bench as a forward. Nwogwugwu adds athleticism and depth to the wing position.
Carleton adds five players to the program, including guard Jason Weischedel; wings Carter Biewen and Richard; and forwards Seth Jonker and Adonius Lewis.
Biewen was All-State honorable mention after leading Robbinsdale Armstrong to the class 4A title game and is poised for significant playing time for the Knights. Jonker was also an All-State honorable mention performer for Eastview and will back up Johnson and Rosett at the forward position.
“(Weischedel) has done a real nice job coming in and learning the system at both guard spots,” noted Kalland. “He is a gifted shooter and a quick learner.”
Opposing teams can typically expect Kalland’s squad to play intelligent, hard-nosed defense again this year. The Knights allowed only 65.1 points per game last year, while committing only 13.2 fouls a game, fewest at any level in the NCAA.
“We have the potential to be very good defensively,” said Kalland. “If we play intelligently, this group could make some noise in the MIAC.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW
The Carleton College women's basketball team enters the 2007-08-basketball season in an enviable position.
Not because the Knights finished fourth a year ago, and not because Carleton has played in six of the last seven MIAC Playoffs title games. Rather, many coaches would enjoy having what Carleton head coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen possesses, a team that went 19-8 a year ago and didn’t lose a single player to graduation.
The young veterans that make up the Knights’ roster have a lot to look forward to this season.
“We all have pretty high goals and expectations, probably no different from any other team in the league,” said Metcalf-Filzen. “We’ll be disappointed not to be challenging for a conference championship.
“I think there are question marks around the conference this year. Across the MIAC, a lot of really good seniors graduated. The race will be very wide open this year.”
Obviously, returning 10 players from last year’s squad has its benefits, the most obvious is the increased familiarity between the coaching staff and the players.
“The great part is that when we stepped on the court the first day, everyone had an idea of what we’re trying to do,” Metcalf-Filzen explained. “With only two newcomers, they picked things up really quickly.
“I feel that we are deeper than we have been in a long time. Depending on what we need, I’d be comfortable with almost any one of our players being on the floor in a pressure situation. Figuring out the identity of this team, being able to utilize the strengths of all our players is the biggest challenge.”
A big part of that identity encompasses All-MIAC post players, juniors Hannah Oken-Berg and Sarah Lincoln. This duo creates difficult match-up problems for many teams. Oken-Berg is the classic low-post player, while Lincoln can play inside or step out and shot the jumper. She connected on 40 percent from three-point range last year.
“They are very different players, “Metcalf-Filzen said, “and they play off of that really well. In a lot of ways, they are the anchor for us.”
Oken-Berg was an all-conference selection in each of her first two seasons at Carleton. Last year, she ranked sixth among MIAC players in scoring (15.2 ppg), fifth in rebounding (7.3 rpg), third in field-goal percentage (54.5%) and second in blocked shots (1.93 bpg). She paced the Knights in each of those categories except rebounding, as she finished second to Lincoln. Oken-Berg is an unselfish player who sees the court well and is very aware of double and triple teams.
Lincoln ranked third in the MIAC with 7.7 rebounds per contest. She was ninth in shooting percentage (47.8%) and tied for fifth in blocked shots (1.0 bpg), while ranking third on the Knights with 10.5 points per game.
“Sarah (Lincoln) can play anywhere she wants, and she can dominate,” said Metcalf-Filzen. “She’s a very gifted athlete and a very smart basketball player. She needs to look to assert herself more this season.”
The Knights also return MIAC All-First Year selection Amber Connor. She stepped right in and made an immediate impact last year, leading Carleton in minutes played and pouring in 10.8 points and grabbing 4.0 rebounds per game. She could be Carleton’s best all-around offensive performer with the ability to shoot from the outside, drive and pull up, or post up if needed.
Annie Isler is one of two seniors on the squad and ranked third among MIAC players with 3.4 assists and fifth with 2.4 steals per game. She averaged 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a contest, while her assist-to-turnover ratio (1.21) was fourth in the league.
“I don’t think there’s anyone that plays with more heart and passion than Annie,” her coach noted. “She’s maturing and growing into the kind of point guard I want on the floor.”
The Knights also welcome back Anna Biewen, an outstanding defensive stopper who frequently draws the responsibility of guarding the opposing team’s best player. Biewen is not a one-dimensional player, however. She has the ability to shoot from beyond the arch but can put the ball on the floor and go to the hoop as well.
Metcalf-Filzen has two other veteran backcourt players back as well in Liz Baumgartner and Joy Esboldt. Both look to get past the injuries that have limited them in the past. A trio of game-tested forwards also return as Annie Eckhoff, Sarah Kunelius and Megan Mileusnic each saw action in every game last season.
Mileusnic is crafty around the basket and has become more of an outside threat. She averaged 5.6 points and 6.1 rebounds a game last season. The coaching staff hopes to get Eckhoff into more situations to take advantage of her immense athletic ability. Kunelius will once again be called upon to provide long-range offense. She led the ‘06-‘07 team with 28 baskets from beyond the three-point line.
In addition to a very deep pool of returning talent, the Knights welcome two exciting first-year players to the fold: Mollie Feldman and Ally Weaver. Both are expected to contribute.
“Ally gets the game,” Metcalf-Filzen said. “She makes really good decisions on the floor, is a very good shooter, a very good passer, and her defense is solid. Mollie is the kind of kid that is going to make the right decisions when she’s on the floor, she plays solid defense and is improving every day.”
Carleton did “lose” one player, Emily Strandmark, from last year’s team. Fortunately for the Knights players and coaches, she’s still a member of the program, serving this season as a student assistant coach after a knee injury ended her collegiate playing career.
The youth—some experienced, some not—throughout the Carleton roster will be put to the test throughout the 2007-08 season. The Knights hope to find themselves in another enviable position come season’s end, back in the MIAC Playoffs title game and playing for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.