CLU Sports News

Cal Lutheran Handles Hope International

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:30:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Cal Lutheran women's tennis remained unbeaten this season following an 8-1 win over Hope International at the Poulson Tennis Center on Friday night. The Regals reeled off eight straight victories to open their match with the Royals.

Results: CLU 8, HIU 1 - F

Cal Lutheran was able to handle the blustery wind conditions and dominate play early on. CLU dropped only two total games while sweeping Hope International in doubles play.

The Royals managed to win just two more games in the No. 3 through No. 6 singles matches as the Regals clinched their second win of the year.

"Players handle these types of conditions differently," said CLU's Carly Mouzes. "I was trying to play safe and be patient." Mouzes saw her first action of the season and cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles.

Handling the elements with equal success but different tactics was freshman Sarah Baker. "In this type of (environment), I just go for it." Baker moved up from No. 6 in the season opener to the No. 4 singles slot and has yet to drop a game in four sets this year.

CLU was without usual No. 1 singles player Kim Koblias for Friday's match. Holly Beaman stepped up into the No. 1 singles slot for the first time in her career, and nearly closed out the match without too much resistance.

Serving for the match up 5-4 in the second set, Jasmin Zaragoza broke Beaman's serve and held to go up 6-5. After Beaman forced a second set tiebreak, a couple of fortuitous glances off the net helped end the match 6-3, 7-6 (2).

HIU's Jeannette Rodriguez earned the lone point for the Royals to cap off the match. She effectively used the lob shot and overcame losing the first set to win 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3) in a third set super tiebreak.

Cal Lutheran (2-0) will host Westmont on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m.

Play 4 Kay Coming to CLU

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Saturday evening the Gilbert Arena will be the site of a collegiate basketball game, but the message being sent to fans in attendance will be much greater than the outcome of that contest. The women's basketball team will be promoting breast cancer awareness month as part of the Play 4 Kay campaign.

Play 4Kay is an opportunity for coaches and players to raise awareness of breast cancer on the court, around campus and in the community. Members of the team will be decorating the gym and wearing a number of pink items, including shoes, shoe laces and headbands, while head coach Roy Dow will sport a pink shirt and tie.

The official charity is the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in partnership with The V Foundation and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

Cal Lutheran and all teams in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will be participating in the event over the coming week.

Halvaks Embraces NCAA Convention Opportunity

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:30:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - CLU senior Brett Halvaks got an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes when he attended the NCAA National Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. earlier this month as a Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member.

Halvaks represented CLU, as well as both the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and North West Conference (NWC), as one of just 75 Division III student-athletes in attendance at the convention. Twenty-two of those students were members of their leagues respective SAAC committees. He has served as the NCAA Division III SAAC SCIAC representative for two years, also attending the NCAA Convention in 2011 held in San Antonio, Texas.

During the six-day convention, Halvaks had an opportunity to attend numerous meetings, a variety of educational sessions, luncheons and an honors dinner celebration and a Business Session.

Among the keynote speakers he heard speak were Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and the President of the University of Cincinnati, Gregory H Williams. Halvaks was present at the 2012 NCAA Division III Business Sessions were legislation was voted on.

Members of the SAAC congregated for the most important of three yearly in-person meetings in Indianapolis.

One of the hot topics discussed amongst his group was how uneducated some student-athletes are with regards to what is going on behind the scenes in collegiate athletics.

"It was really interesting to learn more about what is going on, because some people have no idea about all the different pieces of legislation that are being passed or denied," he said.

One way to student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans to become more up to date on what is happening in Division III would be through the DIII Facebook site.

About the page, Halvaks said, "It is a very valuable tool that I would love for more of our student athletes to follow."

Other topics garnering significant attention in Indy were text messaging restrictions in the recruiting process (which was passed by legislation) and mandating Sickle Cell testing at Division III institutions (something that CLU already does), which the legislation referred to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards & Medical Aspects of Sports to take a further look into, additionally assessed and re-addressed a the next meeting.

At the SAAC meeting, the group brainstormed ways to promote their new partnership with the Special Olympics and how to encourage more people to get involved.

Another subject discussed was the 40^th Anniversary of Title IX to which Halvaks commented, "As a member on the Committee on Women's Athletics, I was very happy that this was being promoted so much."

Overall, he described the week as, "A wonderful event filled with many great experiences that provided me with memories I will have for the rest of my life."

Because the group only meets a trio of times during the year, they need to make the most of the opportunities, and Halvaks has done just that.

"I love chance I get to represent the SCIAC and NWC and spend time with all my other national SAAC members from around the country," he said. "We only get to see each other three times a year, so I truly cherish every meeting we have had together," he went on, "over the past couple of years they have become some of my closest friends. It truly is an honor and a privilege to represent the SCIAC, NWC and all the CLU student-athletes at the national level."

The convention left an indelible impact on Halvaks and he encourages anyone who wants to learn more about Division III to "Like" NCAA Division III on Facebook.

To CLU student-athletes who would like to know more and get involved at Cal Lutheran to contact him or talk to your coaches about how to get more educated and involved.

Women's Hoops Paints Winning Picture

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran women's basketball team controlled the boards and played solid defense throughout Thursday night's 54-34 conference road win over Pomona-Pitzer.

Box Score: CLU 54, PP 34 - F

Cal Lutheran outrebounded Pomona-Pitzer 52-28 overall including 22 offensive boards. The Regals dominance on the glass featured four major contributors led by Channing Fleischmann with 14 rebounds. Cameron Jones grabbed 12 boards including nine of the offensive variety, Erica Whitley snatched 10, and Keeley Anderson hauled in eight.

Despite that major advantage near the basket, Cal Lutheran was unable to shake Pomona-Pitzer in the first half. The Sagehens knocked down five first half 3-pointers and were tied 16-16 with the Regals at the 3:29 mark of the opening period.

Cal Lutheran closed out the frame on an 11-5 scoring run to lead by six at the break. After starting out the half 1-for-7 from deep, the Regals made 5-of-9 to close out the period.

Cal Lutheran held Pomona-Pitzer to just 13 second half points and 1-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers. Following a bucket by CLU's Hayley Jensen at the 15:36 mark of the second period, CLU led by double figures the rest of the way.

Jones finished with 13 points to lead all players and complete her double-double. She played the biggest role in Cal Lutheran's bench outscoring the Pomona-Pitzer reserves 26-5.Whitley dished out a career-high eight assists to go along with five points.

Pomona-Pitzer's Ruthie Shapiro and Alexis Sones scored 11 apiece in the losing effort. They did most of their scoring in the first half netting 18 of their 22 combined points over the first 20 minutes of play.

Cal Lutheran (13-7, 6-3 SCIAC) will host La Verne (5-15, 3-6 SCIAC) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m.

CLU Softball Swinging into Spring

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – With just five returning players from a year ago, the Cal Lutheran softball program welcomes 11 new faces to the diamond in 2012. The Regals will look to improve in the SCIAC standings and bring a winning tradition back to CLU.

A new look Cal Lutheran team has just one senior with five juniors, four sophomores and a half a dozen freshmen for the 2012 campaign. CLU nabbed five transfers while six women will get her first taste of collegiate softball.

There are high expectations for a team that has been completely revamped.

Head Coach Debby Day shared, “We have quality returners in four sophomores and one senior who have really embraced the more rigorous practice structure and a group of transfers who have smoothly transitioned and are already providing leadership.” Leading the group of returning players are sophomores Danika Green and Kayla Sakamoto and senior Sarah Lichtsinn.

Green earned Second Team All-SCIAC honors following her freshman campaign in which she batted .331 with 39 hits and 17 RBIs, both team highs. Mainly filling the role of designated player, Green connected for nine doubles and a homerun.

Sakamoto was next in line with a .294 batting average that included 32 hits. She scored 23 times and was a threat on the bases swiping 10-for-11 chances. In centerfield she recorded 74 putouts with nine assists.

The lone senior on the squad, Lichtsinn, started in all 39 games last season. She was a staple at first base where she was responsible for 205 outs with 199 putouts and six assists. Lichtsinn collected 31 hits, nine of which were doubles, while driving in 12 and scoring 10 runs. She was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts for CLU a year ago. A versatile player, Lichtsinn will move from first to the hot corner at third base.

Also returning to the diamond with a year of college experience is the sophomore duo of Katelyn Dowling and Jennifer Shipley who each look to play bigger roles this spring. Dowling will split time between pitching and the outfield while Shipley will step into the circle for the Regals.

Five newcomers to CLU are by no means amateurs to college softball as each has playing experience.

The veteran leadership of Shannon Tinsley will make an immediate impact for the softball program. Tinsley was a two-year member of the University of Arizona Wildcats where she was a member of the NCAA National Runner-up team and a team that advanced to the NCAA Super Regional. She will guide the young pitching staff from behind the plate and will also use her bat to spark the CLU offense.

Following a two-year stint at William Penn University where she was an All Conference player, Brittany Labbe joins the Regals. She will likely fill the designated player role but will also see time in the infield.

A trio of transfers will compete for playing time in the outfield. Kathleen Watson-Otani comes from Chandler-Gilbert Community College where she improved her game for two seasons. Nicolby Atallah played two seasons at Glendale Community College where she was an Honorable Mention pitcher. Rounding out the group, Debben Hoffer brings a solid glove from Foothill College where she earned a Golden Glove award in 2010.

Among the freshman class, look for a number of players to make contributions straight away. Shonna Christianson teams up with Atallah, Downing and Shipley in the pitching rotation, but will also see opportunities in the outfield, as will Kendra Varney. Liz Mertel, Ryanna Morua and Bethany Peterson will compete for playing time in the infield while Alex Templin will get some work catching.

Already a close knit team, the Regals hope to rebound from a down year last spring. Day believes this is the group to do just that as she described the group as a, “fun, high energy group doing everything asked of them.”

The Regals begin Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Feb. 11 against Redlands. To begin the season, CLU meets a pair of NAIA opponents. The season got underway on the road Saturday, Jan. 28 against Vanguard University.

Cal Lutheran will play 26 of their 40 games at home on Hutton Field. The season home opener is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12:00 p.m. against Concordia University of Irvine with the second game of the double header to follow.

Van Klaveren Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Aaron Van Klaveren was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 2011-12 Men's Basketball Team. He is one of five Division III players to be selected from District 8 which includes eight states and Canada.

On the court this season Van Klaveren is averaging over 16 points and 11 rebounds per contest. He has recorded double-doubles in 13-of-18 games this year and has held top-20 national marks in multiple statistical categories.

Van Klaveren is a senior currently pursuing his degree in business administration. His career goals include becoming a real estate entrepreneur, Ag. Commodities broker, and farming.

Rounding out the District 8 Division III team is Felix Friedt and Wade Gebbers of Whitworth, Kaleb Shelton-Johnson of Puget Sound, and Chris Barnes from Texas-Dallas.

All of the First Team District selections will also be automatically nominated for Academic All-America honors.

CLU's Stock Rising on the Dow Report

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - There are still a few weeds that sprout in the garden and some cracks that develop in the paint, but Roy Dow believes the Cal Lutheran women's basketball team has a strong foundation in place.

In his fourth season presiding over the Regals, Dow can see the progress that might not always be apparent on the surface.

"At the real macro level, I think there has been growth to get to where we are now," Dow said. "We have a more mature roster with more juniors and seniors than freshmen and sophomores for the first time in four years. I think we are making strides and will continue to make strides."

The two-steps-forward, one-step-back nature was on display last week when CLU (12-7, 5-3) followed big wins over Occidental and Chapman with a road loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

When Dow arrived at CLU, he created a notecard with certain benchmarks he wanted to reach. The Regals were only 1-12 against Northwest Conference opponents and 2-9 against Chapman in the preceding seven seasons.

Those records stretched to 1-16 and 2-11 after Dow's first season. But in the past three seasons, CLU is 7-2 against the NWC and 2-1 against Chapman - with the one loss coming by a point.

Dow scheduled games against nationally ranked opponents to see the level CLU needed to aspire to and what players it needed to recruit to get there.

"My big thing is not to have the narrow goal of only being SCIAC champions," Dow said. "The goal is to be contending at the national level. If we are competing to that goal, the SCIAC championship will take care of itself."

Dow has been impressed with the overall makeup of this season's team - from its athleticism down to its blue-collar work ethic.

"This team has a resilience and it has a sense of itself and a great team chemistry," Dow said. "There is a whole different kind of toughness and mental maturity with this group."

That toughness and resiliency is perhaps best exemplified by Channing Fleischmann and Meaghan Goodenough.

Fleischmann suffered a stress fracture in her lower leg yet has managed to play in 15 games.

Goodenough, a Simi Valley High graduate, has been dealing with balky knees since she arrived at CLU as a result of anterior cruciate ligament tears.

Both players spend a large portion of the day draped in ice and monitoring their pain threshold.

"Meaghan just went to have an MRI in her knee and pretty much told the doctor, 'Look. I know you are doing an MRI, but I am going to tell you guys when I will stop playing basketball. You can make a recommendation, but it's my senior year and I am going to be the one to say that,' " Dow said. "But that is how she is, and that is what makes her great."

Dow knows Cal Lutheran is far from a finished product. The most immediate priority is bouncing back from the loss to CMS.

The Regals are in fourth place in the conference standings, and only the top four teams make the SCIAC Tournament.

"Right now we are not really worried about wins and losses," Dow said. "Right now it's about coming out and being better for our game on Thursday and going back to being ourselves."

Cal Lutheran Succumbs to Second Half Scoring Blitz

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran defense allowed Whittier to score 57 second half points in Wednesday's 81-46 loss to Whittier. A tie game at halftime turned into the team's most lopsided loss of the season.

Box Score: WC 81, CLU 46 - F

It was a tale of two halves with the first going at the pace that Cal Lutheran desired. The Kingsmen controlled the paint and the glass while slowing down the Poets high octane offense.

Aaron Van Klaveren finished the first half with 14 points and 11 rebounds, providing more than half of the team's production in each category. Counterpart Drew Menez knocked down 3-of-5 from downtown to lead Whittier with nine points, but the rest of the cast went 0-for-5 from deep in the first half.

The Poets second leading scorer this season in Nathan Easterman experienced early foul trouble limiting his minutes. He managed just two points in six first half minutes, but was one of three Whittier players to finish with 11 or more points.

Cal Lutheran did all it could defensively to keep the Whittier offense at bay. The Kingsmen held the Poets, who had averaged over 89 points per game coming into the night, to just 24 first half points and a tie ballgame at intermission.

Whittier's pressure defense paid dividends in the second half and led to several fast break scoring chances and uncontested looks at the basket. The Poets scored 30 points in the paint, 16 off CLU turnovers, and 10 fast break points in the second half alone.

After scoring 24 points in the opening 20 minutes of regulation, the Poets had matched that total just eight minutes into the second period. The team's frantic pace set the tone early in the second half and forced 12 Kingsmen turnovers in the period.

Whittier's second half shooting display included a 22-for-32 performance from the field, highlighted by making 6-of-7 of its 3-point attempts. While the Poets made 9-of-17 from three, the Kingsmen managed to sink just 3-of-23 in regulation.

Menez finished with a team-high 21 points, followed by Greg Preer with 19 and Easterman with 11. Teammate Kelly Johnson finished with a game-high eight assists.

Van Klaveren finished with game-highs of 22 points and 16 rebounds. He shot near perfect from the floor making 10-of-11 shots. Teammate Martin Flowers led the CLU bench with 12 points in 17 minutes.

Whittier accomplished a season sweep of Cal Lutheran for only the second time since the 1990-91 season. The Kingsmen suffered just their second home loss to the Poets during that stretch.

Cal Lutheran (6-12, 2-6 SCIAC) will host La Verne (5-14, 2-6 SCIAC) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m.

Kingsmen Take Two in Season Debut

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Cal Lutheran opened its 2012 season at home on Saturday against San Diego Christian College. The Kingsmen earned an extra innings victory in game one and a seven inning win cut short due to darkness in game two.

Box Score (Game One): CLU 7, SDCC 6 - F/11
Box Score (Game Two): CLU 4, SDCC 1 - F/7

Heavy wind gusts through Saturday created unfavorable playing conditions for both sides. However the Kingsmen defense and hustle proved to be a major factor in a doubleheader sweep of the Hawks.

Cal Lutheran 7, San Diego Christian 6 - F/11
Byron Minnich earned the start on the mound for Cal Lutheran's season opener. It was his program record 62nd career appearance on the mound in a CLU uniform. He finished the day allowing four earned runs in 3.1 innings.

After surrendering four free passes courtesy of two walks and a pair of hit batsmen, Minnich gave way to Peter Ciaramitaro. He contained the damage allowing only one inherited runner to score after entering the contest with one out and the bases full.

On their ensuing team at bat the Kingsmen scored four times to tie the game. A one-out, first pitch, bases clearing double by John Leal sparked the rally. He would play a pivotal role on offense, defense and on the base paths.

"(John) Leal's effort was great today," said Head Coach Marty Slimak. "It was pure hustle...and his instincts were right on today...you can't teach that."

Leal scored the game-tying run from second base on a dropped third strike. After advancing to third on the original play he scurried home to beat out the throw. With neither team scoring over the next four innings, he came up big on the defensive end.

Backing up first base from his right field position on a ground ball to third base, he covered an errant throw and got the advancing runner out to start the top of the 11th. He later led off the bottom half of the frame with a leadoff four-pitch walk to represent the game-winning run.

After advancing to third with one out, teammate Iggy Wagner dribbled one a few feet down the third base line. The Hawks catcher picked up the ball and fired to first, Leal came charging home attempting to win the game.

A slight delay ensued before the home plate umpire called Leal safe to complete the Kingsmen comeback. The junior outfielder finished the day with scoring three runs and driving in three more in the victory.

CLU pitcher Chris Park tossed two shutout innings to close out the game and pick up the win. SDCC reliever Jeremy Blare held the Kingsmen scoreless over 4.2 innings allowing just two hits while striking out five batters.

Cal Lutheran 4, San Diego Christian 1 - F/7
Starting pitcher John LaMoure scattered seven hits over six innings to earn a victory in his first start this season. He got the crucial outs when needed stranding eight Hawks on base during his game two effort.

Garrett Smith's second inning RBI-single put the Kingsmen up 2-0, and a fifth inning two-run double by Kevin Leonard put the home side up 4-1. Seven different Kingsmen collected a base hit in the game.

Tyler Hebda closed out the seventh inning to pick up the save. After allowing the first two men on he struck out the following two and held the Hawks scoreless in the frame.

SDCC starter Dylan Jones was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs (one earned) in 4.1 innings of work. He walked five and struck out two in the defeat.

The game was called after one out in the seventh inning due to darkness. Game two got underway one hour later than its originally anticipated start time.

Cal Lutheran (2-0) will host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday, Feb. 10, in its conference opener.

Regals Tennis Wins Season Debut

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - In less than ideal conditions the Cal Lutheran women's tennis took to the court for the first time this season on Saturday morning. The Regals won all three doubles matches and cruised to a 7-2 home win over Master's College.

Results: CLU 7, TMC 2 - F

The No. 1 CLU doubles team of Kim Kolibas and Holly Beaman completed a doubles sweep by defeating the team of Tiffany Man and Maggie Becker, 8-5. Kolibas and Beaman enter the season ranked No. 14 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Pre-Season West Region rankings.

All four of Cal Lutheran's singles victories came in straight sets. Beaman, Jordan Leckness, and Lindsay Murphy won at No.'s 2, 3, and 4 singles respectively.

Sarah Becker made her collegiate debut a memorable one after shutting out her opponent 6-0, 6-0 in singles action. Earlier she teamed up with Lauren Toohey for an 8-2 win in doubles action.

With the team result already decided, the Mustangs picked up their two points to close out Saturday's action. Both Becker and Abigail Zaretsky won their respective singles matches in super tiebreakers.

Cal Lutheran (1-0) will continue its 12-match home stand to open the 2012 season on Friday, Feb. 3, against Hope International.

Softball Season Underway on Road

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:00:00 PST

COSTA MESA, Calif. - For the first time in 2012, the Cal Lutheran softball team took to the diamond, as they traveled to Vanguard University. The NAIA Lions mustered out a 3-2 victory over the Regals in the opening game and followed with a 5-0 shutout of CLU in the night cap.

Box Score (Game 1): VU 3, CLU 2 - F
Box Score (Game 2): VU 5, CLU 0 - F

A new look Cal Lutheran team has just one senior with five juniors, four sophomores and a half a dozen freshmen for the 2012 campaign. A number of Reglas made her CLU debut today.

In the season opener, Cal Lutheran lost by the slimmest of margins, falling 3-2.

Scoreless through five, CLU struck first, plating a pair in the top of the sixth on a two-run homerun off the bat of transfer Shannon Tinsley. Danika Green singled earlier in the inning and freshman Shonna Christianson came around to score on the long ball after pinch running. Senior Sara Lichtsinn and freshman Alex Templin connected for back-to-back singles, but the Regals were unable to add to their then 2-0 lead.

The Lions clawed back in the bottom of the sixth with three hits. A two-run double by Libby Archer equalized the score.

A scoreless top of the seventh would leave a chance for the home squad. A pair of CLU errors set the Lions up, as Brittany Colenzo had the game-winning hit, to win 3-2.

Transfer Brittany Labbe and freshman Ryanna Morua each recorded the first hit of her CLU career. Sophomore Kayla Sakamoto was responsible for the seventh Cal Lutheran hit of the morning.

Katelyn Downing was tagged with the loss after allowing just eight hits and striking out three in 6.1 innings.

Stacie Salazar earned the win for Vanguard, tossing a complete game.

Vanguard used the momentum they generated late in game two to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. They would never look back as the Regals collectively connected for just three hits in the game.

Two of those came in the second frame. CLU threatened on a one-out Lichtsinn double to left field. Liz Mertel then stroked the first collegiate single of her career to left, advancing to second on the throw, putting runners at second and third with two out, but a ground ball to third base would end the Regals chance of narrowing the deficit.

Mertel collected her second single of the game, in the fifth.

Nicolby Atallah was tagged with the loss after throwing 3.0 innings. Christianson came on to close out the final three innings.

Colenzo earned the victory for Vanguard while aiding her own cause with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring another pair. Shelby Ross was credited with the save.

For CLU Kathleen Watson-Otani also made her debut, roaming right field.

The Regals faced the Lions for the first time since February 13, 2004, when the teams split a double header in Thousand Oaks.

Cal Lutheran (0-2) will return to Hutton Field next Saturday, Feb. 4 to open their home schedule against another NAIA opponent in Concordia University. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

Early Lead Against Stags Fades

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Facing the top team in the conference and the No. 15 team in the nation, Cal Lutheran opened a 26-22 lead at the intermission but a spark by CMS late in the second half toppled that effort as CLU fell 59-53. Tonight marked the mid-way point of the league schedule for the Kingsmen.

Box Score: CMS 59, CLU 53 - F

Cal Lutheran came out fired up and took an early nine point lead. The Stags would claw their way back into things and keep the score close throughout the remainder of the opening half, but it was the Kingsmen, looking for their first road victory of the SCIAC season, who took a four-point, 26-22, lead at the break.

Although Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was able to limit Aaron Van Klaveren, the SCIAC Player of the Week last week, and Mike Harris to just five combined points in the first 20 minutes, CLU used other weapons to stay ahead of the Stags. Xavier Walton fueled the Kingsmen as he led all players with 13 points, going 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-5 at the free-throw line in the period. CLU knocked down 55 percent of its first half shots.

The strong Kingsmen defense created struggles for CMS shooting the ball as the Stags were just 24 percent from the field in the opening half. CLU limited the production of Chris Blees to a mere three points.

The tides, however, turned at the mid-way point of the second stanza. A pair of Walton free-throws gave CLU a 39-31 lead, but that was as separated as the teams would get.

With just over 10 minutes in regulation, CMS got the spark they were looking for on a pair of back-to-back buckets. The second was courtesy of a CLU turnover, which got the Stags within five and ignited the CMS crowd. That was the beginning of a 14-5 run, which gave CMS their first lead of the second half.

Jayvaughn Nettles twice tied the game via three-point shots as he was 5-for-6 from long range in the second half, finishing with a game high 21 points. Unfortunately, though for the Kingsmen, their hottest player in the game was called for a foul, his fifth of the night, with 3:57 remaining in regulation.

With 2:44 to go, a Ryan Benson free-throw for the Kingsmen would pull the squad within three at 52-49. CLU was just 2-for-8 in the final two minutes while CMS would go on convert 5-for-8 free-throws down the stretch to seal the victory and remain atop the league standings.

Overall, CLU cooled off to shoot just 31 percent in the final 20 minutes as the Stags headed up, connecting on 50 percent of their attempts.

The Kingsmen were stronger on the glass with 38 rebounds to CMS' 29.

Van Klaveren turned in yet another double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds, which led all players on the court. Walton finished with 17 points for CLU.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (16-1, 6-1 SCIAC) spread out the scoring but Tyler Gaffney and Jack Grodahl paced the pack with 13 and 11 points, respectively. CLU limited Blees to just seven points.

Cal Lutheran (6-11, 2-5) will return to action on Wednesday, February 1 when the host the Poets of Whittier College (13-5, 5-2) at 7:30 p.m. at the Gilbert Arena.

Regals Unable to Avenge Earlier Season Loss to CMS

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - It was the tale of two halves tonight on the road for Cal Lutheran who led 35-32 at halftime. A poor shooting effort in the second half doomed the Regals as they fell, for the second time this winter to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 61-52 in league action.

Box Score: CMS 61, CLU 52 - F

After dropping a close 57-53 game at home to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps earlier this season, the Regals were out to avenge that loss and move up in the SCIAC standings.

Things looked promising in the early goings as the teams matched up pretty evenly. The squads were never separated by more than five points in a first half of basketball that saw 10 lead changes and four ties.

CLU connected for 45.2 percent of its shots from the floor in the opening period. The Regals got a solid performance from Chelsea Hastigan, who finished with a team-high 13 points, seven of which came in the first half.

Cal Lutheran grabbed 21 rebounds to CMS' 13 in the opening half and used nine offensive boards for 11 points.

After the intermission, nothing seemed to fall for the Regals who shot a dismal 15.6 percent from the hardwood while CMS knocked down 40.6 percent of their opportunities. The CLU three-point game was hot, though, with Hastigan and Cameron Jones combining to go 4-for-5.

Jones came off the bench to pour in 12 points, shooting 3-for-7 from the field and hitting all three three-point attempts she took.

In the end, CMS out rebounded CLU, 41-37, although each team grabbed 17 offensive boards. Rachel Heagy came away with seven rebounds in just 10 minutes of action for CLU. A Regals trio of Jones, Erica Whitley and Channing Fleischmann finished with six rebounds apiece.

Hastigan had four steals to go along with her 13 points and Jones added one.

Cal Lutheran went to the free-throw line just eight times but finished 6-for-8 as a unit.

Kimberly Scamman led all players with 10 rebounds, adding 12 points for a double-double. Kalika Tullock was the leading scorer with 18 points and added seven rebounds for CMS.

Cal Lutheran (12-7, 5-3 SCIAC) will be back on the road Thursday evening, Feb. 2, when they travel to Pomona-Pitzer. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Cal Lutheran Honors Seniors in Final Home Meet of Season

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran men's swimming and diving team participated in its final home meet of the season on Saturday against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Kingsmen fell to the four-time defending conference champions 159-64.

Results: CMS 159, CLU 64 - F

Cal Lutheran honored its four active seniors in Grant East, Quinn Smith, Jon Rye and Scott Beatty. The team also recognized former teammate Chris Knorr who was forced to the sidelines during last season's schedule.

Kingsmen sophomore Conrad Sheffer provided the lone win of the day by taking the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 1:59.94. Sheffer defeated Vincent Pai who finished just ahead of him at last year's SCIAC Championship meet. Sheffer took sixth in the 200 IM and runner-up in the 400 IM at last year's meet.

The 1-meter diving competition was cancelled due to high winds.

Cal Lutheran (3-3 SCIAC) will head out to Whittier for its final regular season conference dual meet of the year on Saturday, Feb. 4.

CLU Honors Seniors in Home Finale

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran women's swimming and diving team participated in its final home meet of the season on Saturday against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Regals fell to the nine-time defending conference champions 140-82.

Results: CMS 140, CLU 82 - F

Mimi Harbach won a pair of events to lead Cal Lutheran. She was victorious in the 400-yard individual medley (4:42.33) and 500 yard freestyle (5:15.15). Taylor Faust won the 1,000-yard freestyle (11:22.81) and Kelli Miller won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.82).

Cal Lutheran honored its four active seniors in Brooke Dacus, Danielle Mooshagian, Jenna Snyder, and Brittany Vientos.

The 3-meter diving competition was cancelled due to high winds.

Cal Lutheran (2-4 SCIAC) will head out to Whittier for its final regular season conference dual meet of the year on Saturday, Feb. 4.

CLU Baseball Set to Slide into Season

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Kingsmen welcome back 20 players, adding 11 men to the roster, and will use their experience to continue a long tradition of 20 consecutive winning baseball seasons in Thousand Oaks. Leading that charge is a pair of preseason All-America selections.

CLU returns all but one starting pitcher in 2012 and six position players, which head coach Marty Slimak believes will benefit his squad this spring.

"We return another year older with more experience," he went on, "This is a veteran team with a number of proven leaders."

Among those key role players returning to the diamond are five All-SCIAC recipients from a year ago. The left side of the infield will again be manned by 2011 First Team selections Trevor Koons and Nick Boggan at shortstop and third base, respectively. Garnering Second Team honors a last season were centerfielder Iggy Wagner and a pair of pitchers in Byron Minnich and John LaMoure.

The duo of Boggan and Minnich were each named to the 2011 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) & Rawlings Division III West Region First Team in 2011 before Boggan collected a Third Team All-America nod as well. Earlier this month both were tabbed as d3baseball.com preseason All-America selections.

CLU's top three offensive threats from 2011 are back in Boggan (.409), Wagner (.352) and Koons (.339).

The Kingsmen will again hope for a hot bat from Boggan, a junior who played in all 40 games a year ago, leading the team with 61 hits, including 10 homeruns, and 45 runs batted in while also scoring a team high 48 times. At the hot corner, Boggan tallied 29 putouts and 63 assists.

Wagner started all 38 games in which he appeared and collected 56 hits, scoring 37 times. He navigated centerfield where he was responsible for 98 putouts during his junior season.

Koons hit at a .339 clip with 39 hits, including nine doubles as a sophomore. At shortstop he was part of 23 double plays, finishing with 107 assists and 48 putouts.

Anchoring the Kingsmen rotation will be Minnich. The senior righty appeared in 18 games a year ago, posting a 1.80 ERA after earning a 3-0 record with 10 saves in 40.0 innings pitched. He struck out 46 batters and walked just six men as he held opposing hitters to a .192 batting average. When Minnich takes the hill for the first time this year he will set a new CLU record for appearances in a career. He is currently tied with Robbie Selden ('10) with 61.

A pair of seniors will round out the starting-three after solid junior campaigns. The number two man in 2012 will be Ciaramitaro who went 5-4 in 13 appearances, 11 starts, and tallied 70.1 innings of work last spring. He recorded 51 strike outs. Clowing out weekend series will be LaMoure who threw a team high 71.2 innings last season, striking out a team leading 59 batters. The southpaw earned a 7-4 record in 13 starts.

CLU welcomes a trio of transfers with Michael Vinyard, Nick DeLorenzo and Dominick Solley joining the group.

Vinyard is expected to play a key role as the CLU backstop after playing two seasons at Cal State, Los Angeles.

DeLorenzo is set to start at first base for the Kingsmen following a two year stint at Santa Rosa Junior College where he earned Second Team All-Conference accolades.

Look for Solley to roam left field. He comes to Cal Lutheran from Santa Ana Junior College where his team was ranked No. 1 in the nation during his time there.

Completing the starting nine for the 2012 season are junior right fielder John Leal and junior second baseman Garrett Smith. Leal started 27 games last year and played in 35. He connected for 28 hits, driving in 16 and scoring 19 times. Smith earned his way into the starting line-up 10 times and played in 26 games. Both players were solid in the field, combining for just four errors in 158 touches.

Probable players to fill the designated hitter role will be Kevin Leonard or Tyler Kem who played in 11 games apiece last year. Leonard will also see some time in the outfield while Kem will get some opportunities in the infield.

The bullpen will be a mix of vets and rookies, powered by the senior trio of Spencer Trygg, Chris Park and Jordan Cox and sophomore duo of Tyler Hedba and Aaron Roth. Trygg, Park and Roth each struck out 19 men. Trygg posted a 3-1 record last spring in 27.2 innings. Park tossed 24.0 innings, taking the hill 17 times. Cox made 12 appearances, collecting 22.0 innings of work. Hedba took the ball seven times for 11.2 innings and Roth earned a 2.25 ERA in eight appearances that included four starts. All five players will play key roles in the success of the 2012 team. Rounding out the pen are junior Brian Kernochan and the left handed arms of freshmen Matthew Burden, Peter James and Scott Peters.

Completing the freshman class of seven are Logan Gangsei and Michael Alvarez, who will each vie for playing time in the outfield, while both C.J. Picerni and Spencer DuBois will work behind the plate as they get accustomed to collegiate baseball.

Finishing out the roster are infielders Craig Jacobson, Wyatt Byers and Nicho DellaValle, outfielder Elon Goldman and catcher Kevin Eto.

Also noteworthy as the season approaches is that Slimak is just nine wins shy of 500 in his career.

Cal Lutheran's campaign begins on Saturday, Jan. 28 when they host San Diego Christian on George "Sparky" Anderson Field at Ullman Stadium for the first of 22 home contests on their 40-game schedule. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

Cal Lutheran Prevails Over Caltech

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Cal Lutheran never trailed during a 70-37 Thursday night home win over Caltech. Senior Chelsey Hastigan returned to form against the Beavers knocking down four 3-pointers while scoring a game-high 16 points in the victory.

Box Score: CLU 70, CIT 37 - F

Cal Lutheran rested three of its primary starters and four active players creating opportunities for several individuals to provide major contributions to Thursday's result. All 11 active members of the CLU roster saw floor time and contributed to the scoring column.

Cal Lutheran senior point guard and floor general Meaghan Goodenough sat out Thursday's game leaving a leadership role temporarily unfilled. Fellow senior Shana Moore was one teammate who focused on trying to fill that void.

While Hastigan did damage from outside, the Regals offense was able to pound the boards and score from close range. A 32-6 points in the paint advantage came courtesy in large part to 16 offensive rebounds and snatching 15 more boards overall than the Beavers.

Cameron Jones and Keeley Anderson combined for 17 points and 18 rebounds. Jones finished with 10 points and 10 boards to earn her second double-double this season.

In her first start of the season Starla Wright made an immediate impact scoring the opening four points of the game. She played an efficient 13 minutes scoring 12 points and provided an early lead the Regals would hold throughout the contest.

Cal Lutheran dished out 15 assists as a team and were lead by four courtesy of Hayley Jensen. Teammate Natalie Stone recorded three points, three assists and three steals in her first action of the season.

Caltech's Marlyn Moore scored 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the floor. She was the only Beaver to attempt a shot from beyond the arc making 2-of-4 from downtown. Moore, along with Rachel Hess and Sarah Wright played the full 40 minutes.

As a team Caltech knocked down 11-of-14 free throws on the night. An early 10-2 scoring run came courtesy of a Moore 3-pointer and seven free throws which cut the lead to eight points early in the first half.

Cal Lutheran (12-6, 5-2 SCIAC) will be on the road Saturday, Jan. 28, against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (11-7, 5-2 SCIAC).

Kingsmen Stumble on Road to Bulldogs

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:06:20 PST

On the road for the first time in over a week, Cal Lutheran stumbled to the University of Redlands by a 72-56 margin in conference play.

Regals Power Past Panthers

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:29:30 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - For the final time as non-conference opponents, Cal Lutheran welcomed Chapman to Gilbert Arena where the Regals used a six-point halftime lead en route to a 65-59 victory over the visiting Panthers.

Box Score: CLU 65, CU 59 - F

It was the Panthers who controlled the pace in the opening half of basketball, but it was the Regals who came up with a 7-0 run to close out the period and sustain the momentum. CLU looked to four different players over the final 4:17 in the half to erase the one point deficit and take a 30-24 lead into the intermission.

Cal Lutheran used deep shots in the first half as five different Regals connected for a three-pointer as they combined to shoot 50 percent from behind the arc. Jazmyne Porter came off the bench to drain a pair in the first half before finishing the night 3-for-3 from three-point range.

The Chapman defense brought pressure on the Regals, using a full-court press throughout the game. The CLU squad, however, remained calm as a unit. After committing eight first half turnovers, Cal Lutheran handled the ball well over the final 20 minutes of action with just four miscues despite the numerous double-teams and defensive prowess of Chapman.

In a team effort head coach Roy Dow noted that, "Meaghan [Goodenough] and Erica [Whitley] played like poised veterans and kept the flow of the game moving forward."

The second stanza was more of the same as the Regals never trailed and led by as many as 14 at 54-40 with 8:42 in regulation.

Dow added, "Channing [Fleischmann] set the tone in the second half, playing hard as she went to the floor for numerous loose balls."

The Regals got three steals, three from Whitley and a pair from Fleischmann and the pair combined for three blocks.

CLU was also tough on the glass pulling down 44 rebounds while Chapman came away with 32. The home squad finished with 12 offensive rebounds and Shana Moore was responsible for six of them. She finished the night with nine rebounds to tie teammate Whitley for a game-high.

Whitley was the only other player for CLU to reach double figures with 11 points. S

Emily McCoy poured in 15 points for Chapman (11-8) to tie Porter for the game high. Both Anne Yoshimura and Kimi Takaoka turned in 11 point nights for the Panthers.

Cal Lutheran (11-6) will be on home at Gilbert Arena on Thursday, Jan. 26 when they host Caltech (0-17, 0-6 SCIAC) at 7:30 p.m.

Van Klaveren Selected SCIAC Athlete of the Week

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:30:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Men's basketball team member Aaron Van Klaveren was named the conference's male athlete of the week, announced on Tuesday. The senior scored his 1,000th career point to cap off the team's second straight league win.

Release: SCIAC Male AOW

Van Klaveren netted his milestone point at the free throw during a 60-54 home win over Occidental on Saturday, Jan. 21. It was his game-high 22nd point of the evening, to go along with 17 rebounds. Earlier in the week Cal Lutheran earned a 64-42 victory over Caltech. In limited action due to foul trouble, he still managed to put up 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Van Klaveren is the only player in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) to average a double-double per game. His 16.0 points ranks fourth, and he leads the SCIAC hauling in 10.6 rebounds per contest.

The senior has 10 double-doubles this season ranking eighth in all of NCAA Division III. Van Klaveren also holds top-20 national marks in field goal percentage (.628) and rebounds per game.

Cal Lutheran (6-9, 2-3 SCIAC) will be on the road Wednesday, Jan. 25, against Redlands (8-8, 3-2 SCIAC).