Alumni News - Hannibal-LaGrange University
Alumni News - Hannibal-LaGrange University
Alumni News - Hannibal-LaGrange University
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ReflectionFall03.qxd 9/22/2004 4:33 PM Page 30<br />
by Rhonda Hufty• Director of Public Relations<br />
Sports<br />
Men’s Soccer Benefits<br />
from RetentionR<br />
The depth and overall strength<br />
of the men’s 2003 soccer team are<br />
reflected in the retention of last season’s<br />
players. The 2003 Trojan<br />
Men’s Soccer team will return 14 out<br />
of a possible 16 players. “Our<br />
returning players understand the system,<br />
they understand each other and<br />
they understand how to work<br />
together as a team,” said Head<br />
Coach David Erskine.<br />
Team retention adds to the success<br />
of the program. “In post season<br />
interviews, I ask, ‘What are our<br />
strengths’” shares Erskine. “And<br />
the majority respond, ‘how we get<br />
along as a team’,” added Erskine.<br />
“Returning 14 guys that feel that<br />
way will aid us in performing very<br />
well.”<br />
In addition to many individual<br />
awards, the 2002 Men’s Soccer Team<br />
received the AMC Fair Play and<br />
Sportsmanship Award. This award,<br />
which has been in existence for<br />
three years, has twice found a home<br />
at HLG. “I like to receive this<br />
award,” said Erskine. “I teach my<br />
guys to play intense, tough, but fair,”<br />
added Erskine. This philosophy has<br />
led to personal recognition for David<br />
Erskine. He was named the 2002<br />
American Midwest Conference<br />
“Coach of the Year.” This high<br />
honor is voted upon by Coach<br />
Erskine’s peers—the seven head<br />
coaches within the conference.<br />
Above all the team<br />
awards, honors and personal<br />
recognition, Coach<br />
Erskine sets his sights on a<br />
higher goal. “My goal is<br />
that all these men end<br />
their season and their<br />
time here at HLG with a greater<br />
understanding of Jesus Christ and<br />
who He is and what salvation<br />
through Him means,” said Erskine.<br />
Women’s Soccer<br />
Young and Strong<br />
A handcrafted piece of art hangs<br />
on the office wall of Jason Nichols,<br />
Head Women’s Soccer Coach. This<br />
gift, given to him by the 2001<br />
women’s soccer team, reflects a part<br />
of Coach Nichols’ coaching philosophy.<br />
It reads, “So whether you eat or<br />
drink (play soccer) or whatever you<br />
do, do it all for the glory of God. 1<br />
Corinthians 10:31.” Nichols continues<br />
to model this principle as he<br />
begins his sixth season coaching<br />
women’s soccer, and his third season<br />
as Head Coach of the Lady Trojans.<br />
Coach Nichols returns two<br />
AMC 2002 All-Conference<br />
Honorable Mention awarded players<br />
to his squad. Lydia Anderson and<br />
Katherine Minx will help lead a<br />
young recruiting class of ten freshmen.<br />
Four sophomores and four juniors<br />
complete the 2003 team. Junior<br />
Jodie Nelson, one of the team’s top<br />
goal scorers, returns as a solid forward<br />
for the squad and Nichols<br />
believes “she will provide even more<br />
offensive power for us.” Nichols is<br />
excited about the incoming freshmen.<br />
“This is one of the strongest<br />
recruiting classes we have had here<br />
at HLG,” said Nichols.<br />
Nichols plans to continue building<br />
the women’s soccer program as<br />
each season’s record indicates. In<br />
2000, HLG’s first season for<br />
Women’s Soccer, the team finished<br />
with one win and fourteen losses,<br />
followed by a 6-11 record in 2001,<br />
and a 9-10 record last season. “We<br />
want to do better than the year<br />
before,” said Nichols. Competing in<br />
the AMC, voted last year as one of<br />
the most competitive conferences in<br />
the nation, provides an opportunity<br />
for the Lady Trojans to play against<br />
three of the top 25 teams. “With<br />
five teams in the conference and<br />
three of those teams ranked, we really<br />
have our work cut out for us,” said<br />
Nichols.<br />
Coach Nichols believes that he<br />
is at HLG to invest in lives and<br />
coaching soccer is just an avenue in<br />
which to accomplish that purpose.<br />
“I want to build a team that understands<br />
[the concept of] playing soccer<br />
for the glory of God and playing<br />
soccer with an eternal perspective,”<br />
adds Nichols. “Every individual and<br />
team statistic will fade over time, but<br />
understand that playing soccer is a<br />
gift of God and we should play in a<br />
way that represents Him.”<br />
Volleyball WelcomesW<br />
New FacesF<br />
The 2003 Lady Trojan Volleyball<br />
team began this season not only<br />
acclimating to new offense and<br />
38 R E F L E C T I O N S H A N N I B A L - L A G R A N G E C O L L E G E<br />
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