This Week In Drury Athletics (September 7-13) ...
First of all, welcome back to all of the DU students in what promises to be an exciting 2010-11 athletics year. Several of the DU athletics staff and administration are in their new offices in the O'Reilly Family Event Center as of this morning, and the upcoming year promises to be another fruitful one for the DU squads.
And, in addition to the opening of the OFEC to one and at all at the end of this month, our
www.drurypanthers.com official athletics website will take on a whole new, exciting look sometime tomorrow. Be sure to check back throughout the day for this development.
What's on tap this week ...
VOLLEYBALL
Coach Ashleigh Shear Fitzgerald's Panthers are coming off a 4-0 weekend in the Texas Woman's University Classic in Denton, Texas.
Drury defeated Northwest Nazarene, East Stroudsburg and Texas A & M International by 3-0 scores and host TWU by a 3-1 count to improve to 5-3 on the season.
It's another weekend on the road for the Panthers, who compete Friday and Saturday in the Middle Of Everywhere Invitational in Rolla on the Missouri S & T campus. DU will play Missouri Western (noon) and Upper Iowa (6 p.m.) on Friday before closing out the event with matches Saturday against Mary (1 p.m.) and Southeast Oklahoma State (5 p.m.).
Drury has one more road weekend - opening Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Maryville on Sept. 17 and a non-league match at Missouri Southern in Joplin on Sept. 18 - before coming home to face Rockhurst in the home opener on Tuesday, September 21.
MEN'S SOCCER
The Panthers, ranked No. 9 nationally in the NSCAA preseason poll, opened play with a split on the road last weekend, falling 1-0 at Ashland before downing nationally third-ranked Lewis 3-0 in Romeoville, Ill., to open GLVC play on Sunday.
The latter also served as a measure of revenge for coach Ryan Swan's Panthers, as they defeated the same Lewis squad that ended their NCAA-II Tournament run last November with a 1-0 victory over DU in the Sweet 16 at Harrison Stadium.
Up next for Drury - GLVC matches at Quincy on Friday (7:30 p.m.) and at Illinois-Springfield on Sunday (2:30 p.m.). The Panthers (1-1 overall, 1-0 in the league) will open up their home schedule on Friday, September 17 with an 11 a.m. match against MIAA power Truman State at Harrison Stadium before playing host to rival Rockhurst on Sunday, September 19 at 2:30 p.m.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
It was not as successful an opening road trip for the DU women, who fell at Ashland 2-1 in overtime on Thursday with a controversial goal at the final horn, defeated a strong Tiffin team 1-0 on Saturday and then fell 1-0 in overtime at Lewis to open league play on Monday.
Coach Alf Bilbao's Panthers (1-2, 0-1 in the GLVC) are at Quincy (5 p.m.) and Illinois-Springfield (noon) for league matches on Friday and Sunday, respectively, with QU representing one of the league's top teams this season.
DU is back home to face Northeastern State on Friday, September 17 (1:30 p.m.) to open their home slate with the non-conference match before taking on rival Rockhurst (noon) on Sunday, September 19 at Harrison.
MEN'S GOLF
Coach Kellen Mast's Panthers are opening the season today, participating in the annual Missouri Intercollegiate two-day meet at the Porto Cima course in Osage Beach.
The Panthers should have one of their strongest teams in recent seasons, led by the senior trio of Thomas Hay, Kyle Martin and Andrew Funk to go with talented young players like sophomore Shawn Vanderwahl and freshman Jonathan Fulp.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Coach Jon Van Arkel's Panthers opened with a practice meet of sorts last Friday at Southwest Baptist, and will now be idle until the Missouri Southern meet in Joplin on Sept. 18.
The DU men's squad, including two-time defending GLVC individual champion Jaime Villa Zapatero, is ranked No. 18 in the NTSCAA national D-II poll.
DU ATHLETICS CALENDAR
TUESDAY
All Day - Men's Golf in the Missouri Intercollegiate tourney at Porto Cima, Osage Beach
WEDNESDAY
All Day - Men's Golf in the Missouri Intercollegiate tourney at Porto Cima, Osage Beach
FRIDAY
Noon - Volleyball vs. Missouri Western in the Missouri S & T Invitational in Rolla
5 p.m. - Women's Soccer at Quincy
6 p.m. - Volleyball vs. Upper Iowa in the Missouri S & T Invitational in Rolla
7:30 p.m. - Men's Soccer at Quincy
SATURDAY
1 p.m. - Volleyball vs. Mary in the Missouri S & T Invitational in Rolla
5 p.m. - Volleyball vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State in the Missouri S & T Invitational in Rolla
SUNDAY
Noon - Women's Soccer at Illinois-Springfield
2:30 p.m. - Men's Soccer at Illinois-Springfield