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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 />

39

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