Bluejay Sports Recap as Fall Season Comes to a Close
Men’s Soccer
The Bluejays soccer team has a record of 4-8-2 overall and 1-3 record in conference. The currently sit eighth place in the CCIW with four more conference games to play. To make the conference tournament they need to finish in the top six.
Klaus Gartner, Max Aquino and Caden Sultzberger lead the team in goals each with three. Niyen Ruffin has been in goal for most of the season for the Bluejays. The next game is against Beloit College on Oct. 22 at Langhorst Field for their senior day.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s team started off very well, but has struggled against teams in conference. They have a 9-4-2 record overall and a 1-3-1 record in the CCIW. The Bluejays currently hold the last spot in the conference with only three conference games remaining.
Lauren Nevins has ten goals so far this season and even scored a hat trick in a game against Rockford University. Erin Fitzharris is the primary goalkeeper with an impressive 0.78 goals against average. Nevins and Fitzharris have earned CCIW athlete of the week awards this season. Their next game is against Knox College on Oct. 22 at Langhorst Field.
Men’s Cross Country
The season could not have started any better for the cross country team as they finished in first place at the North Park invite in August.
“The cross country season is going extremely well,” said David Stone, director of track & field and cross country. “The team has adjusted to the new coaching staff remarkably well and have had one of the best starts to their season ever.”
The team’s next match will be conference championships on Nov. 1.
Women’s Cross Country
Women’s cross country also got out to a fast start as they finished in second place at the North Park invite and the North Central invitational to start their season. This is the first year with the new coaching staff, including Stone.
“I think the team has exceeded our expectations,” said Stone. “More importantly than their results, this team has persevered through a huge change and have used that to come together as a team.
Like the men’s team, the women’s team’s next meet will be conference championships on Nov. 1.
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team had a back and forth fall season with some middle of the pack finishes with some high place finishes in a few matches. In the Delaware CC shootout in Muncie, Ind., Bluejays finished in second place as a team and Bo Smith won the individual event with a score of one under par.
In the St. Francis fall classic Bluejays once again finished in second. Lachlan Bowen tied for third place overall. They will start the second half of their season in the springtime.
Women’s Golf
Women’s golf completed their season in early October. The Bluejays finished most of their matches towards the middle of the pack with their highest finish be\ing a second place out of 14 teams at the Judson fall invite in early September.
Laine Leonard shot an 83 to get fifth place overall. During CCIW championships, EU struggled and finished in sixth place out of eight teams. They will start the second half of their season in the springtime.
Football
The first season under new head coach Mike Heffernan got out to a promising start, as the team won its opening game against Rockford University by a score of 34-30. However, since then the Bluejays have dropped four straight conference games by an average of 32 points.
Alexis Casey during the Elmhurst Women’s Volleyball match vs. Aurora University on Sept. 19. The Bluejays lost this game 2-3 in their first match of the Elmhurst invitational. (PC: Norman Cohen/Elmhurst Athletics)
They now have a record of 1-4, needing two more wins to match last year’s total. Quarterback John Odom shined in the first game, throwing for 400 yards and four touchdowns. Their next game is on the road against Carroll University on Oct. 25.
Volleyball
Off to a nightmare of a start after not winning their first six matches, volleyball has rallied to play right around the .500 mark since then. They currently sit with a 7-14 record and a 1-3 conference record. The Bluejays are tied with two other teams in last place in the CCIW but are only a half game back of a conference tournament spot.
Ashley Clardy and Blair Johnson lead the team in kills and Freddie Temple leads in assists. Their next matchup is with future CCIW member Concordia Wisconsin at R.A. Faganel Hall on Oct. 21.