alexandriacardinals

OK, more about that later.  This past Saturday marked the end of the fall sports programs – and the beginning of the winter ones.  And almost as important as those, it marked the something-somethingth annual addition of Basketball Dan’s annual turkey and college football fest.  Attendees are long-time close personal friends of the host – though they are generally indifferent about Sid Hartman.  The list includes those who were teammates of the great one on a U of M intramural softball team in the 70’s named Lothario that allegedly won some awards, past and current fellow academics at St. Thomas University, one who is the father of a recent starting center for the De La Salle girls basketball team and because of that connection was at the Alex – Benilde 3rd place game last year prior to De La Salle beating Hill Murray for the state championship, several who continue to be Gopher season ticket holders (though the number of sports involved has trended to almost men’s hockey only), and some other people who just enjoy a big turkey dinner in early November.  This year’s menu (well, every year’s menu) included at turkey that weighed as much as a lot of us would like to lose, mashed potatoes (both white and sweet) and gravy, cranberries (stringy and unstringy), baked corn, two (or was it 3?) kinds of dressing, and 4 kinds of pie – oh, and generally a BYOB.  We enjoyed several bizarre Big Ten football games during the proceedings.

[Chris “mashes” the potatoes under Tom’s supervision.]

[Who scored?]

[Hans, the traditional turkey carver.]

[Suzanne begins the feed line.]

[“Oh, that had to be a touchdown!”]

[“The Gophers are still in it?”]

[“So Dan, as one St. Thomas professor to another, when are you going to start coming to some Tommy games?” (The last 3 photos are from Suzanne.)]

[Just any excuse to feature bread.]

The cross country team finished 7th at the state meet at St. Olaf on Satuday.  Jami Piepenburg, holding the trophy, finished 2nd by .7 second!  Megan and Bethany Hasz (2nd & 3rd from the right) finished 4th & 5th.  I asked their coach, Mark Nelsen, at the Y this morning if any team had ever placed 3 girls in the top 5?  Not likely, he thought.  The Hasz sisters, though only 8th-graders, already have a statewide rep and are known simply as “The Twins.”  Congratulations to all of them!

[Halloween morning over Lake Darling.]

[A few days after Halloween over Lake Darling.]

[OK, I just snuck this in.  Something to do with we haven’t had any snow yet!  Brother Cam, who’s 6’3″, on Mt. Rainier in 1984.]

So, now back to the beginning of the winter sports season – girls hockey.  As previously noted, I was otherwise engaged on Saturday and am relying on my stringers (some editing was done to protect the innocent):

Your timing was perfect!  Shanee’ brought the schedule home today!  The Alex girls play Litchfield from 10-11 in the main rink; Owatonna at 11:15-12:15 in the west rink; Holy Angels at 1:45-2:45 in the west rink; Detroit Lakes 3-4 in the main rink.  Hope to see you there!  ~ Marnee’

Thank you for the birthday giggles!  ~ Sue

We beat all of them! They really looked good. Holy Angels was not as good as I thought they would be. Funny thing in the Holy Angels game was when one of our girls shot on our goalie. Great cross country race.  ~ “Weakie”

The reports are it’s all good! 🙂 

     1.  The girls won all their games yesterday.  There’s a down side. . . . .the teams were weak.  Their toughest game was against Holy Angels.  I think that game was 2-1 but we scored their goal.  One of those embarrassing moments for a player.  She was wide open so she shot the puck.  Only problem it was at our unexpecting goalie.   Her Mom cheered and cheered until she realized what happened.  We all had a good laugh.  Hey things happen. 

     2.  The girls all seem to love the new coaching staff. 

     3.  There’re only 25 skaters and 3 goalies trying out.  I think that’s wonderful!   It means a total of 5 lines of forwards and 9 defense.  Everyone should get a lot of playing time which means they will only improve.  This year for the first time in ages they are having a U14 team so we only had one player that moved up to high school.  This again means these girls will get more ice time instead of coming to the high school team. 

     4.  The usual suspects looked good.

     5.  Our first game is home next Sat. against North Metro.  Hope to see the Super Fans there!

     6.  Bob were you there?  I couldn’t make the morning games but was there for the 2 afternoon games. ~ Stringer #2 (a/k/a Marnee’)

Holy Angels had a run a few years back.  They had a great coach who is now the coach at Concordia Moorhead.  Claire really likes him.  The good Holy Angels team had sisters of the boys’ teams that were really good. ~ Marnee’

Good for Alex! I’ve always liked your town. Thanks for sharing your reaction to my column.  ~ Lori (Lori Sturdevant)  [Yes, the Minneapolis StarTribune columnist whom I advised about Alex’s new high school.  😉  ]

[OK, again, nothing to do with the story.  Just marking the end of the fall season.  The Outer Banks of North Carolina, November 1983.]

p.s.  Well, as long as we’re talking about fishing – today was what we here in Vacationland USA call a “pretty day.”  Sunny, 30-ish, but with no wind.  For the 2nd day in a row, I noticed a guy out on beautiful Lake Darling fishing.  While not normally a topic of discussion, it is the 2nd week in November – I don’t think I’ve seen a boat on the lake for at least a month!  The supervisor and I decided to walk the neighborhood – something we don’t usually do in the heat and humidity and buginess of summer.  We dropped in on Jo and Arnie who will be heading to Florida soon.  We met the parents of the neighbors on the other side of Dangerous Dan.  They live on Lake Vermillion near Tower, Minnesota, which I know you’ll all recall from your reading, is the coldest town in the lower 48!

[Our walk – from the Ministry of Silly Walks.]

[For the uninitiated, this is how you store your dock and boat lift for the winter – so they don’t get crushed by lake ice.  No Zebra mussels (yet)!]

[A climb not for the faint of heart – or those in view of elderliness!]

[Dangerous Dan’s summer “party room.”]

[The supervisor’s place.]

[The supervisor planted the Gopher mums.]

[We planted this 3-clump birch when it was a pup.]

Reminder:  Girls hockey begins Saturday as we host North Metro.  North Metro is a conglomeration of about 7 schools drawing from a population base of 10 million!  See you at the RCC!

No, the title does not refer to that special place under Medicare where seniors aren’t covered for their prescription medications.  It means we’re in the time period between fall and winter sports – and, to date, the school district hasn’t posted winter schedules.  Accordingly, this affords another time to revisit the past.  In this case, what ultimately became my favorite basketball team of all time – last year’s Cardinal girls team.  I just happened to notice that in my photo files, I have two “folders” of, as yet, unposted photos by the staff photographer.  He was too prolific for me to keep up with last year.  So, as a prelude to the upcoming seasons, here are the glorious days of yesteryear.  [Dan Mahar played to an SRO crowd at SAWA Friday night – Paul and Deb Trumm were there and advised practice starts in 10 days.]

[One of my favorites from Greg.  Someday these young ladies will say they were there in 2011 when the Cards earned a spot in the state tournament.  Their role models on that team will inspire them in their basketball careers.]

[What they were concentrating on!  😉  ]

[Already working on her cross-over dribble!]

[Internationally known for their early arrivals.]

[Joie Warnes greets a Sartell Sabre late in the regular season – we would play the Sabres in the section semi-finals.]

[Cara Wood]

[Sam Trumm]

[Lauren Trumm – still sporting her shiner from a non-contact sport.]

[Alli Haar – a rebounding marvel with one of her dozens of positioning techniques.]

[Some day I’m going to ask Harris for his autograph – because he’s interviewed so many famous people!]

[Coach Wendy Kohler with Echo Press columnist Eric Morken.]

[After beating Sartell, again, in the section semis.]

[V. Fergus Falls in the section finals at St. John’s.]

[Trumm sisters flank an Otter.]

[Sam flanked by Otters.]

[Whitney Giselle will be this year’s center.]

[Student fans – an eclectic group.]

[The entire season encapsulated in the above three photos:  Lauren harasses the passer while Joie breaks toward the intended target; Joie deflects the pass; Cara picks up the loose ball and the whole team breaks the other way.]

[We win – we’re going to state!]

Then it was on to the “U,” my alma mater, and a first round game at venerable Williams Arena against Grand Rapids.  In the 2nd half, the Cards put on a clinic on how to play up-tempo basketball.

[The Lauren one-person trap!]

And now we look forward to this season – see ya at the gym!

And now we’re off to Basketball Dan’s something-somethingth annual turkey fest.

Yesterday, our Minnesota Golden Gophers inexplicably won a football game.  I can only assume the supervisor’s placement of maroon and gold mums at our front door had everything to do with it.  It even warranted a missive from Crazy Dave, already safely ensconced in Sarasota:

I watched the game on the Big Ten Network and it felt like the Super Bowl. They looked terrific. Now I have to watch the Buckeyes vs Wisconsin. It would be great if we won that one but I doubt it. Tonight I’m proud to be a Gopher.  ~  Crazy Dave

Unfortunately, our Alexandria Cardinals were not similarly blessed – I guess we should have replaced the maroon and gold mums with red and black ones.  Nevertheless, the Cards finished the season on a real uptick – their 25-20 loss yesterday to the section’s top seed, Rocori, at their place, saw four touchdowns scored, three by the Cards, in the last 9 minutes of the game.  The volleyball team lost 3-0 in the sections at Bemidji – but all three games were close, with the last game going to 30-28 showing the Cards battled to the end.  So now we look forward to the commencement of the hockey and basketball seasons – well, after the state cross-country meet in Northfield next Saturday.  Hmmm, we have to be in the Cities anyway for Basketball Dan’s turkeyfest . . . but, of course, our first snow is also forecast for then, and it’s suppose to involve shoveling!  Last year we were snowed out of turkeyfest and had to rush home a day early from Bemidji where we were watching Abby Williams’s Bemidji State Beavers host Ashley Holmes’s North Dakota Sioux.

But first, those of you who are delightedly on my e-mail list know I have a serious addiction to November sunrises – I sit by the window in the dark, in my rocking chair and shawl, camera in hand, awaiting those first rays of morning light.  OK, I started a little before November this year:

Then I checked out the neighbor’s, Jo and Arnie, Norwegian red maple.  Every year it is almost luminescent:

But those are just a tease.  Terry Lang, an Alexandrian until 1960 and a professional photographer, submitted the following from his home Seattle area for your appreciation:

Girls’ hockey starts next week with an all-day scrimmage at the RCC.  So, we decided to check in on some of our alums, whose college seasons have already begun.  The stories and photos are on loan from their respective team websites.

Ashley Holmes had her best game ever for the Sioux this week – 3 assists!

2010-11 (Junior): Served as the president of UND’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee … Played in all 36 games … Recorded one assist on the season … Had six penalties for 23 minutes … Had 21 shots on goal … Had at least one shot on goal in 21 games … Averaged 0.58 shots per game and 0.03 points per game … Earned her third letter.2009-10 (Sophomore): WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient … Played in 30 games … Scored five points from one goal (career high) and four assists … Scored her first collegiate goal in a 7-2 win at Ohio State (2/6/10) … Recorded her second career and a season high 2-point game against Maine (11/27/10) … Recorded seven penalties for 14 minutes … Had 17 shots on goal … Averaged 0.57 shots per game, 0.03 goals per game, 0.13 assists per game and 0.17 points per game … Earned her second letter.2008-09 (Freshman): Played in all 36 games … Tallied six assists (career high) on the year for six points (career high) … Her six assists were good for third on the squad from defensemen … Had her first 2-point game against Minnesota State on Oct. 18 … Scored her first collegiate goal at Ohio State (2/26/10) and first assist (10/4/08) … Had 22 shots on goal … Racked up only three penalties for six minutes … Earned her first letter.Before UND:A 2008 graduate of Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Minn. … Lettered five times in hockey as a prep and was a Minnesota Ms. Hockey finalist as a senior … Led Jefferson High School to a state championship in 2007-08 and earned all-state, all-conference and state all-tournament team honors … Scored 14 goals and 31 assists and was a +71 in 31 games as a senior … Received the Herb Brooks Award … Served as team captain … Named to the U.S. Under-18 Team in 2006-07 … Also earned all-state and all-conference honors as a junior … Was an all-conference pick and an all-state honorable mention as a sophomore … Also lettered three times in softball and was a two-time all-conference performer … Member of the National Honor Society.Personal: Majoring in biology/pre-health … Daughter of Ryan and Jodie Houfburg and Joe and Tracy Holmes. Year GP G A PTS PEN PP SH GW +/- 2008-09 36 0 6 6 3/6 0 0 0 -6 2009-10 30 1 4 5 7/14 0 0 0 -1 2010-11 36 0 1 1 6/23 0 0 0 -5 Totals 102 1 11 12 16/43 0 0 0 -12

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The University of North Dakota women’s hockey team is starting to roll on all cylinders as it completed the series sweep over the Ohio State Buckeyes tonight with a 7-1 decision at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

With a special presentation today during the first intermission honoring members of previous Fighting Sioux (5-3-0, 2-2-0-0 WCHA) women’s hockey team that are celebrating their 10th anniversary this season, the Sioux put on a show this weekend outscoring the Buckeyes (3-2-1, 3-2-1-1) 18-2 on the weekend.

It is the most goals UND has scored in a series in its history, breaking the previous record that was set last weekend against Vermont (13).

The Fighting Sioux returned a majority of its nucleus of key players this season after disappointing finish to last season, although skating to a 20-13-3 record, which is its best season. But starting the season against the two teams that were in the national championship game last year, head coach Brian Idalski knew they would need some time to gel with some highly skilled newcomers.

After a start to the season where they had shown some signs of brilliance and others of growing pains, the Sioux were looking to put back-to-back games together which they had failed to do to this point in the season.

The Buckeyes entered the weekend in sole position of first place in the WCHA and the Sioux were looking to make a statement after starting the season 0-2 after getting swept by defending national champion Wisconsin.

Tonight, line mates Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (Grand Forks, N.D.), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) and Michelle Karvinen (Rodovre, Denmark) combined to score all of UND’s seven goals.

Laura McIntosh put the Buckeye’s on the scoreboard first as she scored both of OSU’s goals on the weekend, but it was all UND after game-opening goal at 5:49.

The lead would be short lived as Lamoureux-Kolls scored the first of her hat-trick performance to tie the game at 8:51 in the first period. She would add the game-winner under three minutes later on the power play and nearly had a natural hat trick in the period but OSU netminder Chelsea Knapp successfully stopped her on a breakaway attempt.

Karvinen would close out the first period’s scoring with a goal at 18:12 and open the second period’s scoring with a power-play goal at 14:22. She added an assist in the game and finished the weekend with five goals and two assists.

Lamoureux would score both of the game’s final goals in the third period at 5:32 and 14:34 as the three line mates combined for 12 points tonight and 25 on the weekend.

Senior defenseman Ashley Holmes (Miltona, Minn.) had a career night with three assists and senior Alyssa Wiebe (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) added one assist to move within two points of becoming the first UND player to reach the century club (all 100 points with UND.).

The Sioux went 3-for-6 on the power play and have now converted multiple power-play goals in their last five games. They are 12-for-26 (.462) in those games after starting the year 1-for-17 (.059) in UND’s first three games.

Lamoureux-Kolls’ in back-to-back nights tied the school record with 5-point games helping the Sioux tie a school record of a four-game unbeaten streak at home.

The Sioux face another tough test early in the 2011-12 campaign next weekend as the head back on the road to take on WCHA rival Minnesota Duluth.

 

As a U of M alum, it pains me that Abby Williams was credited by her coach as the reason the Beavers were able to defeat the 2nd-ranked Gophers this weekend.  OK, Abby still gets Super Fan priority!  😉

2010-11 (Redshirt-Sophomore)
  • Academic All-WCHA
  • WCHA Scholar Athlete
Played in all 35 games for BSU scoring two goals…first goal as a Beaver came on Feb. 4, 2011 against then-No. 1 Wisconsin…scored on Feb. 18, 2011 at Ohio State…had a total of 43 shots on goal…saw extensive time on the penalty-kill unit for the Beavers.

2009-10 (Sophomore)
Red-shirted for the season after transferring from Minnesota State.

2008-09 (Freshman at MSU)
Tallied an assist in a 3-3 tie, shootout loss to the Huskies on Feb. 6…had her first collegiate assist in a shootout loss to Ohio State (Dec. 13). Scored her first collegiate goal Nov. 30…played in every game last season and had four points (2G, 2A) on the season.

Prior to BSU
Led her high school team, conference and section in scoring with 42 goals and 38 assists her senior season, leading the cardinals to a Class A State Championship and setting the school’s record for wins in a season 27…Led the team in scoring her fresman (62 points) and sophomore (68 points) years…Tallied 365 varsity points in her high school career (187 goals and 178 assists)…during her high school career she led the team to a state championship, five section championships and three conference championships…was named to the to the state all-tournament team, all conference team five times, all-state her senior and junior year, all-state honorable mention her sophomore and freshman seasons…was a Herb Brooks Award Winner her junior year…named Team MVP five times and team captain her junior and senior seasons…received the EXCEL Award and Spotlight on Academics Award…is a member of the National Honor Society.
Personal
Abby Elizabeth Williams…born Jul. 21, 1989…daughter of Jim and Martha Williams…majoring in spanish education. 

After the Minnesota Lynx won the WNBA title, Rachel Blount wrote the following column for the Minneapolis StarTribune:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/lynx/131492038.html

Of course, on behalf of the Super Fans, I immediately initiated the following correspondence with Ms. Blount:

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tom, belated thanks for the note! I will have to keep an eye on your Alexandria girls. That is wonderful that they have such great fan support!

Rachel Blount

sports reporter

Minneapolis Star Tribune

rblount@startribune.com

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:39 AM
To: Blount, Rachel
Subject:  Thanks for the great Lynx reporting!

Oh, and p.s.  Then I totally forgot to mention our (Alexandria’s) state tournament girls’ basketball team from last year.  They didn’t have the shooters to win state, but they were the most athletic team I have ever seen.  To watch them run and play defense made us really look forward to every game last year.

Thanks again, Tom Obert

The Super Fans in Alexandria have been ahead of the learning curve on women’s sports for years – I started a blog just to cover (so the snowbirds can keep up over the winter).  😉

https://alexandriacardinals.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/the-background/

– Tom Obert

Thanks to Rachel for her response!  I would also note that Strib columnist Jim Souhan, my other close personal friend, who usually covers such as the Vikings, Twins, and Gophers, noted in several columns that the Lynx were easily the best game in town this year – and said if any 6’0″ guy thought he could take Maya Moore one-on-one, he would be faked out of his proverbial male sports garment.

In the absence of any other place to put these, a couple videos from Keven Kimek at SAWA last night – Hawaii Five-O and Yakety Axe (which I should have videoed a long time ago).  For his new close personal friends, Anne and Bill:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crYcDX-AuJc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3-aigsshM0