FSU soccer player earns GLIAC honor
FSU sophomore goalkeeper Rachel McCollum was recently awarded GLIAC Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Week. In league play on the road, McCollum recorded a pair of shutout victories as the Bulldogs improved to 6-2-2 in GLIAC action. In FSU’s 1-0 overtime win over Saginaw Valley, she tallied 13 saves. McCollum also added a pair of saves in the team’s 1-0 victory over Northwood. In her last six appearances, she has posted four shutouts. FSU is currently second place in the GLIAC North Division standings behind defending national champion Grand Valley.
Men’s and women’s cross country recap
The FSU men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in a largely Division I field at the Penn State National meet on Friday in State College, Penn. The Bulldog women finished eighth despite running without senior standout Tina Muir, who sat out the race in order to rest for the GLIAC Championships. Sophomore Samantha Johnson captured ninth place for FSU on the 6K course in a time of 21:40. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs finished in twelfth place. Junior Tyler Crossman placed 54th with a time of 27:46. FSU will compete in the GLIAC Championships, Oct. 22 in Ashland, Ohio.
Women’s tennis falls to GVSU in rescheduled match
The FSU women’s tennis team dropped its final regular-season GLIAC match to Grand Valley Oct. 13 at the FSU Racquet and Fitness Center. The match was originally scheduled for Sept. 30 but was postponed due to power outages and severe weather. The visiting Lakers routed the Bulldogs in an 8-1 victory. GVSU took all three doubles flights and the five final singles flights. The lone FSU win came in singles play where number one player sophomore Ana Jan defeated GVSU player Niki Shipman. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall and GLIAC record.
FSU basketball teams opened practice Saturday
In preparation for the 2011-12 campaign, the FSU men’s and women’s basketball teams held their first official practices Saturday at Jim Wink Arena. The men’s team is guided by 10th-year head coach Bill Sall. The team, which last year won the GLIAC North Division and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen, welcomes back eight letterwinners. At the helm for the women’s team, which also welcomes back eight letterwinners, is 14th-year head coach Tracey Dorow. The Bulldog men will play a 26-game regular season schedule while the women’s team has 25 contests on tap. Both teams have 19 conference games scheduled. The men’s team will take the court against Michigan State Oct. 30 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing for an exhibition match-up. The women’s team is slated to travel to Rochester Hills Oct. 29 for an exhibition match-up against Oakland University.
FSU hockey alum re-signs with Pittsburgh Penguins
The National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward and former Bulldog hockey standout Chris Kunitz to a two-year contract extension. The Penguins’ executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero released the announcement Oct. 13. Last year, Kunitz had one of his best NHL seasons as he ranked second on the team with 23 goals and added 25 assists. The deal will begin with the 2012-13 season and has an average value of $3.725 million annually.