Scholastic Notes

Midwest region

Wisconsin

UNIVERSITY SWEEPS LEAGUE, POST-SEASON DOUBLE

Liz Kreig is thankful that four of her players decided to go to Europe in the summer of 2000.

But Kelly Stover, Holly Palin, Thekla Brumder, and Maggie Hayes didn't do the backpack tour on trains. No, instead, these four members of the University School of Milwaukee (Wisc.) went to play field hockey in Spain on the EuroTour program.

They helped University to a 20-3-1 record, including a win in strokes over Brookfield (Wisc.) Academy in the Wisconsin state championship game. After a goalless draw after regulation and 10 minutes of overtime, Stover, Palin, and Brumder hit on their stroke attempts.

"They did a great job, since we had gone down 2-0 (in the stroke shootout)," Kreig said. "They came back (from Europe) very strong, and they were able to stroke well."

Hayes withstood the last three Brookfield shooters, and University had its championship -- an undefeated (11-0) season amongst Wisconsin teams.

University's only losses were to a Michigan team and to Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) and to Oak Park River Forest (Ill.).

"We played up to Oak Park," Kreig said. "They were a very good team."

Missouri

FROM THE "GO FIGURE" FILES

After St. Louis St. Joseph's (Mo.) shut out St. Louis Lutheran South (Mo.) by a 7-0 offensive shellacking, head coach Michaela Walker couldn't stop talking about --- her defense.

"I was trying to get them to be very, very aware of the defensive aspect of the game," she told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I thought Lutheran South did a great job of keeping the ball on the right hand side, which is what I have been trying to key on with my defense -- how to play left-side defense against somebody trying to bring the ball down the right side."

One might surmise that a seven-goal output might tell you that the defense did its work.

BURROUGHS-VILLA CONFRONTATION BUCKS SEEDINGS

St. Louis John Burroughs (Mo.) probably thought it was robbed.

Despite a bunch of wins and only one regional loss to neighboring Mary Institute-Country Day School (MICDS), Burroughs was only seeded third in the 2000 state tournament.

What better revenge against the selectors than to beat the top seed? That's what John Burroughs did, topping St. Louis Villa Duchesne (Mo.) 2-1.

"So much for the seedings," deadpanned Beth Kinsella, the 27-year head coach at Burroughs. "The thing is, our intensity and consistency have been hard to find. The workload at Burroughs is so intense, I can count on some games when we can be really lackluster in our play."

Even though Villa Duchesne outshot Burroughs 11-8, and there was no second-half scoring, Kinsella was not unpleased.

One big reason is that there is plenty of motivation that her team can use: Burroughs had been working on an unbeaten season until losing in strokes to Kansas City Pembroke Hills (Mo.).

"It was good, in a way, to lose that game because they don't become complacent," Kinsella says. "They get mad."

Burroughs will have to win two games in the state tournament to possibly meet MICDS in the semifinals, but, as in all hockey, it is possible that matchup might not happen.

"But if we do play MICDS," Kinsella says. "we will be motivated to play better."

And if that contest leads to another meeting with Villa Duchesne?

"What's interesing is that my own children go to Villa," Kinsella says.

Texas

TIE SIGNIFICANT FOR TRINITY VALLEY

Fort Worth Trinity Valley (Tex.) was hoping to get out of the Gateway Classic more or less alive, having to play five games over Labor Day weekend at the Anheuser-Busch Sports Complex.

Trinity Valley, as well as opponent St. Louis Villa Duschene (Mo.) had late Sunday games before an 8 a.m. wakeup call on Labor Day itself.

But Trinity Valley came out with a 2-2 tie against the Saints, which should give the Texans a major lift going into their regular season, given Villa's history of excellence in the Midwest.