This Week In #EagleNation – November In Like A Lion

This Week In #EagleNation – November In Like A Lion

LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMPOSITE CALENDAR

As October ends and November begins, the stakes continue to be raised in the fall season and the winter sports campaigns keep getting into swing.

FOOTBALL (LINK)  – The Eagles (7-2 overall, 5-2 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) will play their last regular-season game at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field in 2016 on Saturday (Nov. 5) at 1 p.m. against Walsh (1-8, 0-8). On Senior Day/Band Day, Ashland will look to clinch the GLIAC South Division, as it comes into the week with a percentage-points lead over Ohio Dominican.

ONE TO WATCH: Junior tight end Adam Shaheen has set a new AU single-season record with 13 touchdown catches, and needs two more to tie the NCAA Division II tight ends mark.

CROSS COUNTRY (LINK) – Ashland's men and women will look for spots at 2016 nationals when they compete at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Saturday at Southern Indiana (men's 10K at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, women's 6K at 12:45 p.m. Eastern). The top five men's and women's teams plus the top five individuals in each gender not on a qualifying team advance to the Division II Championship meet, Nov. 19 in St. Leo, Fla.

ONE TO WATCH: Senior Nick Hall finished sixth at the Midwest Regional meet in 2014, crossing the 10K finish line in 30:47.8.

WOMEN'S SOCCER (LINK) – The Eagles (10-2-4, 7-2-2) have qualified for their fourth GLIAC Tournament in a row and fifth in the last six seasons, and will play host to a quarterfinal on Tuesday (Nov. 1) at 3 p.m. against Walsh (9-5-4, 4-4-3). The Final Four will be hosted by the highest remaining seed on Friday (Nov. 4) and Sunday (Nov. 6).

ONE TO WATCH: Junior forward Morgan Bittengle has eight goals (five game-winners), three assists and 19 points in 2016, and her 35 career goals are fourth all-time at Ashland.

VOLLEYBALL (LINK)  – The Eagles (16-8, 7-5) will look to extend their six-match winning streak during a three-home-match week at Kates Gymnasium. Ashland will play host to Tiffin (16-10, 6-6) on Tuesday at 7 p.m., Lake Erie (16-13, 7-5) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Ohio Dominican (8-14, 3-9) on Saturday at 6 p.m.

ONE TO WATCH: Senior outside hitter Alli Cudworth needs 91 digs to become the third player in program history to have 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.

MEN'S GOLF (LINK) – Ashland will finish the fall portion of the 2016-17 schedule with a trip to Knoxville, Tenn., for the Trevecca Nazarene Fall Invitational on Monday (Oct. 31) and Tuesday.

ONE TO WATCH: Sophomore Austin Kondratick finished the Motor City Invitational earlier in October at an 8-over-par 152 (78-74).

WRESTLING (LINK) – The No. 11-ranked Eagles officially will open 2016-17 on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Eastern Michigan Open. Ashland prepped for the opener with the outdoor Alumni Dual on Oct. 22.

ONE TO WATCH: Senior 133-pounder Michael Labry is ranked No. 2 at his weight class in the D2Wrestle.com preseason national rankings.

SWIMMING/DIVING (LINK) – Ashland's men and women will go on the road for the first time in 2016-17, traveling to Wayne State for a dual meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. It is the Eagles' third meet of the season.

ONE TO WATCH: Junior Grace Reichard finished first in the 100-yard freestyle and 200 free on Oct. 22 at home against Findlay.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (LINK) – Before starting 2016-17 at home on Nov. 11-12, the Eagles will play an exhibition game at Division I Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday (Nov. 6) at 1 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center. Ashland was 31-2 in 2015-16, and was chosen last week to repeat as GLIAC South Division champions, while the Buckeyes were 26-8 a season ago and were picked to finish second in the Big Ten this season.

ONE TO WATCH: Junior forward Laina Snyder is a preseason All-GLIAC South selection and needs just 20 points to reach 1,000 for her career.

MEN'S BASKETBALL (LINK) – Ashland will begin 2016-17 at the Indianapolis Tournament on Nov. 12-13, but before that, there is the exhibition game on Friday at 7 p.m. against The College of Wooster at Monroeville High School. In 2015-16, the Eagles were 25-6, and last week, they were picked to finish second in the GLIAC South. The Fighting Scots were 24-8 last winter.

ONE TO WATCH: Senior guard Boo Osborne earned preseason All-GLIAC South honors and is coming off a 2015-16 season where he led the Eagles with 57 3-point field goals and 47 steals.

 
 

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