Lyssa Beyer

As the semester comes to a close it’s time to take a look at the spring season of Blugolds sports.

Softball
The softball team earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The Blugolds lost in the WIAC tournament, but their 28-11 overall record and 10-4 WIAC record helped them earn their chance to compete for a national championship. The 28 wins is the fourth highest total for the Blugolds since 2000.

Men’s tennis
The men’s tennis team finished their season with a 25-4 record in dual meets and overall. The team’s four losses came against St. Cloud State (Minn.), Luther (Iowa), Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) and UW-Whitewater. The 25-4 record is an improvement from its 13-8 finish last season. The team has not had more than 20 wins in any season since the 2002-2003 season.

Women’s tennis
In the 2007-2008 season the women’s tennis team finished with a 25-11 overall record, a 14-9 record in dual meets and a 5-1 record in WIAC dual meets. The women finished 25-9, tying for the most wins the team has had since they finished with 30 in the 2002-2003 season.

Women’s track and field
The women’s track and field team has a 157-27 overall record. Indoors they are 106-19 while outdoors they are 46-8. Like the men, the women have four more competitions before they will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championships from May 22 to May 24.

Men’s track and field
The current record of the men’s track and field team is 112-80.The men currently are 80-58 indoors and 32-22 outdoors. The men still have four more competitions this month before entering the NCAA Outdoor Championships May 22 to May 24.

Men’s golf
The men’s golf team experienced two different halves to their season. Their first half of the season was a good one for the Blugolds as they finished with a 65-5-1 record; however, the second half didn’t treat the men as well. Their 14-16-0 record in the spring dropped their overall record to 81-21-1 and almost cost them their chance to compete for a national title. The men did, however, get accepted into the national championships, which will be held from May 13 to May 16. Since the 1966-1967 season the men’s golf team has finished with 81 or more wins only five times.

Women’s golf
The women finished the season with a 64-41-2 overall record. Unlike the men, the women’s spring season was the better of the two halves. In the spring they compiled a 20-9-1 record whereas in the fall they finished 44-32-1. The women will be making their eighth consecutive appearance in the National Championships which will be held from May 13 to May 16. The season could be considered somewhat of a disappointment because, since the 1999-2000 season the team has finished with fewer wins only once; however, the season isn’t over yet, and the team still has a chance to win a national title.

Men’s hockey
The men’s hockey team finished its season 11-16-1 overall, 6-7-1 in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, and 3-5-0 in the WIAC. The men were able to advance for the first time ever in the NCHA playoffs after they defeated UW-Superior in three games. Following the season, the university named then interim coach Matt Loen as the permanent coach of the hockey team.

Women’s hockey
It took a double overtime game to eliminate the women’s hockey team from the NCHA playoffs. The 0-1 loss to Lake Forest (Ill.) put an end to the women’s season after they had finished 12-14 overall and 9-9 in NCHA play. Since 2000 the women’s hockey team has only finished with more wins once, that coming in the 2004-2005 season when the team finished 15-9-1 including playoffs.

The team did not lose any seniors this year, and had 10 incoming freshmen this season.

Gourdoux is a freshman print journalism major and French major and sports editor of The Spectator.