February 22, 2012

Bowman, Morrison close historic careers

Brock Morrison is in the top ten in points, rebounds and assists in the HCAC. (Photo: Cristian Sandoval)

Here is a strange thought for any AU basketball fan: imagine the team next year with no Brock Morrison or Andrew Bowman on the court. It will seem strange when the Ravens take the court for the first time in 2012-13 and neither player’s name is called for starting lineups. For the past three seasons the two have played together, and fans have become accustomed to watching them pursue every rebound and score 15 points almost every night out. Every player who plays a sport will sometime reach … [Read more...]

Women finish ninth

Danielle Eng and three other seniors have played their last games. (Photo: Sports Information)

With a 55-43 defeat at Mount St. Joe’s on Saturday, the AU women’s basketball team saw their season come to an end. The team finished 8-17 and ninth place in the HCAC with a 5-13 conference record. They had a tough schedule at the end of the season and lost their last five games after picking up two huge wins at the start of the month. Four of their last five opponents were HCAC tournament qualifiers. On Wednesday night, they had to play a tough Manchester squad, and the Spartans won the … [Read more...]

Ravens lock up fifth seed

When the dust finally settled and the HCAC standings were set in stone, the AU men’s basketball team had secured the fifth place spot, which qualified them for the conference tournament. After splitting their final two games of the season, the team finished 14-11 overall with a 10-8 conference record. The team won six of their last eight games to move up in the standings and overcame a five game losing streak in the middle of the season. Now they are preparing to potentially play … [Read more...]

Soccer honored with postseason awards

The AU men’s soccer team was recently recognized with two prestigious awards. The team won its third Ethics/Sportsmanship Award, which was handed out at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention. The Association gives this highly respected award to only eight teams. The Ravens were one of three teams to win the Silver Award which recognizes teams with no red cards and no more than five yellow cards. AU finished the season with only four yellows. The team also … [Read more...]

Ravens make late season surge

It is a common notion that a team wants to improve as the season goes on, ideally playing their best ball at the end of the season. The AU men’s basketball team is doing just that, evidenced by their current four-game winning streak, which included two more wins on the road this past week. There has not been just one player shouldering the load, but a host of Ravens who have contributed for a balanced attack. The winning streak has propelled AU to fifth in the HCAC with more time and room … [Read more...]

Lady Ravens on cusp of postseason play

Amy Wuestefeld and the Ravens have excelled from behind the arc. (Photo: Sports Information)

Four games remain for the AU women’s basketball team, and they are oh so close to making the postseason tournament. At 5-9 in HCAC play, they are just one game out of the conference tournament, and they split a pair of games this past week. The Ravens had started a mini winning streak of two games before Bluffton handed them a 12 point defeat on Saturday, and now AU is left with two weeks’ worth of games in which to sneak into the top six. Wednesday night the Ravens had no problems with … [Read more...]

Sorting through the Colts predicament

Has there ever been a more interesting build-up to the NFL Draft than this year? The Indianapolis Colts’ dismal season earned them the first overall pick and what they have now is a conflict. Peyton Manning’s well-documented neck injury kept him from playing the entire 2011-12 season, and the Colts suffered greatly. It is clear how much of an impact Manning had on that team, and it is realistic to think that if he was healthy, Indy would have won at least 10 games. He’s that good. However, … [Read more...]

New football coach hired

AU announced the hiring of Bobby Ladner as the new head football coach last week. Ladner is the 12th head coach in AU history and comes to the program after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Concordia University in Selma, Ala. Ladner has also coached at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. and Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss. Ladner replaces Jeff Judge, who coached the Ravens for 12 years before his departure a few weeks ago. A 2003 graduate of … [Read more...]

Coaching legend Paterno dies at 85

Joe Paterno was successful on the sidelines but the scandal has marred his legacy.

When most public figures die at the age Joe Paterno did, their legacies are already well established. Their obituaries are already written, and the only thing that needs to be added is the date and cause of death. The same could have been said about Paterno until a few months ago when Jerry Sandusky, an assistant coach under Paterno for three decades, was indicted and arrested for forty-two counts of child molestation over a fifteen- year period. According to a grand jury investigation, … [Read more...]

Wuestefelds lead AU

The AU women’s basketball team split a pair of conference games this week and sit at seventh in the HCAC standings as the season goes into the final stretch. At 7-12 overall and 4-8 in conference, the Lady Ravens will play two of their next three games on the road. With both Wuestefeld twins back to full health, AU is primed for the late season push. The key will be putting it all together on both ends of the floor for 40 minutes. On Wednesday, the Ravens traveled to Defiance and lost … [Read more...]