QU Soccer Alunmi Golf Shootout 2009

Quincy University's Sixth Annual Soccer Alumni Golf Shootout 5/29/2009 at Clinton Hill Golf Course in Swansea, IL...

There were 36 foursomes ready to move out on to the course!

Since Larry Franzoi ('75) has traveled from Poway, California, to play in all six QU Soccer Alumni Golf Shootouts, Coach Jack Mackenzie tees up Larry's ball to start the event.

Coach Jack Mackenzie now suggests to Larry that he shouldn't try to over-power his tee shot...

Apparently not paying attention to his former coach, Larry swings with all his might... Bam!!! The old "exploding ball" trick...

Look what showed up in Coach Jack Mackenzie's Quincy front yard during election season!!!



Go Hawks!

QU Soccer Hawks Earn High Marks…

For the 6th time in the last seven years the QU Soccer Hawks have been awarded the Athletic Director’s Academic Achievement Award as the QU Men’s Athletic Team with the highest GPA. Every graduating Senior had over a 3.0 GPA, and every Senior graduated within 4 years which is the norm at Quincy University. Of the 18 returning players 15 had GPA’s over 3.0 with 8 of them being over 3.5!



If I may, let me put in a plug with any potential employer receiving this. If you should be looking for a young, intelligent, quality employee you might be well served with one of our graduates. Two earned their Degree in Business Management; two in Marketing; one in Finance; and one in Chemistry. Should you have an interest in any of these get back to me and I’ll put you in touch with them.


GO HAWKS! FLY HIGH!

QUINCY UNIVERSITY MEN’S SOCCER: SPRING RECAP…

The spring here in Quincy was pretty cold and WET, and interfered with a lot of our soccer plans. Our previous blog was the set up for our initial spring game with the St. Louis Lions. It was cancelled due to extremely wet grounds at the Lion’s stadium and we couldn’t come up with a make up date. Due to the uncertainty of whether games were going to be played or not or if they were going to get switched to another field, and other pressing matters, weekly blog updates were not sent out. Below is a recap of what happened with the Soccer Hawks during spring 2009.

Our April 4th game with William Woods was supposed to be played there, but at the last minute got switched to our QU North Campus Field because the ground at William Woods was unplayable. The game ended in a 0-0 tie with QU having the better of the play throughout the contest. The Hawks had several very good scoring chances but came up empty in the goals column either due to a very nice save by the Woods goal keeper or because we just didn’t convert on a few real good opportunities.

After taking off Easter weekend the Hawks were back in action up in Macomb against WIU on April 18 and lost 0-1 on a goal in the first 5 minutes of action. After converting for a goal on their first shot the WIU Leathernecks had perhaps only one or two more decent opportunities to score throughout the whole game. While the Hawks played quite well defensively (except for the one hiccup on the opening goal) and through the midfield they never launched a serious attack on the WIU goal. It was a real hard fought game with the Hawks standing in toe –to-toe with WIU’s NCAA Division I side.

The Hawks wrapped up the spring schedule with a 0-0 home match on April 25 against neighboring HLG. Hannibal LaGrange had finished the fall 2008 season as the Number 3 ranked NAIA team in their National Poll at the end of the regular season and had lost in the opening round in the NAIA National Tournament on PK’s after drawing through overtime. Once again the Hawks did well defensively never allowing HLG even a glimpse of a scoring chance. However, once again the Hawks did not put any real pressure on the HLG keeper either so the game was a battle mostly between the 18’s. After the contest a PK shoot-out was held just for the practice of it and the Hawks prevailed 3-2.

One of the Hawk’s objectives during the short spring season was to shore up their defense and lessen the number of goals allowed. By giving up only 1 goal in their three games the Hawks responded well. Hopefully in the fall the squad will continue to be stingy on defense and even rack up a number of shutouts. However, they are going to have to work better at producing a lot more scoring opportunities than they did in April and May and converting on many of them if they are going to launch a successful run at the elusive GLVC Championship they’d so like to claim.

On May 4th the Mart Heinen Club hosted their annual Student-Athlete Appreciation Dinner and gave out several awards. Senior Bane Isailovic was honored with the Bro Clete Award given annually to the Senior Athlete with the best combination of athletic and academic ability. Dan Merkel received a H.A.W.K. Award recognizing him for all the work he put into Hawk soccer practices for the past four years and for being a great teammate with a terrific attitude. Bane, Dan and Mike DiSalvo, Steve Miller, Justin Bowser, and Kyle Koenig as graduating seniors all received plaques with the 2008 team photo on them as souvenirs from the Mart Heinen Club as their thank you for being QU athletes.

GO HAWKS…MAKE ’09 THE YEAR!

More later…

QU’S FIRST SPRING GAME…

The QU Soccer Hawks will play their first spring exhibition game on Sunday, March 29th with the St. Louis Lions PDL team. Kick-off is slated for 2 PM at the Lions home field “The Lions Den”.
The field is located at #2 Woodlands Parkway in Cottleville (MO) 63376. Their phone number is 636-939-5151.

Directions to the field are:

From I-70…go S on Mid Rivers Mall Drive about 3.8 miles to Ohmes Rd and turn right. Follow Ohmes to the second street (Woodland Parkway) and turn right. The complex is on the right.

From I-64/40…go N on Hwy 94 to Mid Rivers Mall Drive and make a left. Follow Mid Rivers Mall Drive about 1.9 miles to Omes Rd. and make a left. Follow Ohmes to second street (Woodlands Pkwy)
and turn right. Complex is on your right.

As with all spring games weather and/or field conditions may force some changes or cancellations. It’s always best to call and make sure that the game will still be played as scheduled.

Coach Jack Mackenzie (217-617-1166, cell #)

Coach Mike Carpenter (217-653-1558, cell #)

Spring Schedule and Notes

HAWKS…Parents…Alumni…Fans…Media…

Some have been asking about our Spring playing schedule. See below. Also know that Spring schedules are tentative and sometimes get changed for one reason or the other.

It’s always best to call me at (217) 617-1166 to verify if all is A-OK.

Sun. 3/29 in the St. Louis area vs the Lions PDL team at 2 PM. The game site is still TBD.

Sat. 4/04 in Fulton (MO) vs William Woods College (NAIA) at 2 PM.

Sun. 4/12 HAPPY EASTER! TIME FOR CHURCH & FAMILY.

Sat. 4/18 in Macomb (IL) vs WIU (NCAA I) at Noon.

Sat. 4/25 at Home vs Hannibal-LaGrange (NAIA) at 2 PM.

Practice for our Spring season begins on Monday 3/16. Six seniors finished their careers with the last game of 2008 and need to be replaced. Besides training on the basic soccer skills necessary to improve our player’s individually, the Spring season will be used to find out who among our returning 18 squad members will step in to replace our graduates. Therefore it’s fair to say that some experimenting will take place with what positions players will be asked to play in and also that a few different playing systems will be looked at.

When we begin Spring drills Assistant Coach Chris Mackenzie will be cutting back his time with the team quite drastically and will serve mostly as a volunteer coach, helping out only when he has time. Chris’ primary job as a Financial Consultant is taking up more and more of his time as he assumes a greater leadership role with his company, Investment Planner’s Inc. Also, since he, and his wife Leigh and son Julian have welcomed Isabella into their home he’s needed there much more than before. Isabella is the little girl they adopted from Ethiopia last March and so with his family expanded Chris needs more time for them. And, as if adopting Isabella isn’t enough in itself Chris, Leigh and Julian have led a fund drive here in Quincy that has raised thousands of dollars for the orphanage Isabella came from. Little six-year old Julian was a major player in this fund drive as he went around giving talks about where his little sister came from and how poor all those people over there are. They are departing from Quincy on March 11 and are taking that money, and lots of supplies over to the orphanage. While there they are hoping to help build a kitchen area, and on another planned visit back at a later date they are hoping to help build a well for a better, cleaner water supply. So, Chris is going to be very busy. However, don’t be surprised to see him back with us now and again when time allows him. I hope so anyway because I cherish his involvement with our team.


Coach

QU SOCCER ALUMNI NEWS

Dear Soccer Alum,

I hope you had a great Christmas and I wish you all the best for the New Year.

Our 2008 fall season finished 9-6-2. It was a winning season, but not as good a season as we expected. I believe all, players and coaches, are disappointed that we didn’t do better. We got off to a good start winning 5 in a row, including winning Soccer Bowl XV for only the third time in the last 15 years. Then the ‘wheels fell off the wagon’ and we lost 4 in a row (ugh). From our last 8 games we won 4, lost 2, and tied 2. We recovered, but not well enough to achieve what we had hoped for.

Completing their QU soccer career at the close of the 2008 season were starting defenders Steve Miller (DeSmet HS); Kyle Koenig (Quincy Notre Dame HS); Bane Isailovic (Belgrade Serbia)…starting midfielders Justin Bower (Quincy Notre Dame HS) and Mike DiSalvo (Whitfield HS in St. Louis)…and reserve forward Dan Merkel (St. Anthony HS in Effingham IL). All were very good teammates and contributors to the Hawk soccer program . They will be missed.

Award winners from the 2008 season were:
Most Improved Player…Ryan Hirtz (SO. from St. Dominic HS in O’Fallon)
Silver Boot Award…….Grant Ellison (SO. from St. Dominic HS in O’Fallon)
Gold Boot Award……..Jack Wedemeier (SO from Notre Dame HS in Cape Girardeau)
Best Defensive Payer…Bane Isailovic (SR from Belgrade, Serbia)
Most Valuable Player…Bane Isailovic (SR from Belgrade, Serbia)

Grant Ellison was selected to the ALL-GLVC 3rd Team
Bane Isailovic was chosen to the ALL-GLVC 1st Team

Bane Isailovic was also chosen to the 2nd Team All-Region Teams sponsored by both the NSCAA and by Daktronics.

During Homecoming Weekend 2008 both John Gallo and Craig Hingle were inducted into the QU Hall of Fame as outstanding Hawk soccer players as was the 1975 NAIA National Championship team. These inductions brought a lot of soccer players and their families and friends back for the HOF Banquet to celebrate with all the honorees. It made for a great night. I believe all really enjoyed getting back together here at QU reliving the great times they had here.

You may recall from my last Soccer Alumni Newsletter that I said I mentioned that I wanted to bring the teams of 1977-1978-1979-1980-1981 back to Quincy to celebrate their winning FIVE CONSECUTIVE NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. This was the first time any Men’s college soccer team…from any Division (NAIA, NCAA, NJCAA, NCCAA) had ever won 5 in a row (quite an achievement). In my last Newsletter I said the reunion date would correspond to QU’s 2009 Homecoming Weekend (10/23-25/09). HOWEVER, that will NOT be the weekend of the reunion because our GLVC playing schedule has been changed due to the inclusion of two more teams joining the Conference and we are now scheduled to play on the road 10/23 & 25.

The new weekend chosen for this reunion is September 18-20, 2009. The current Soccer Hawks will play two home games that weekend (Fri. 9/18 with Missouri S & T (Rolla) and Sun. 9/20 with Maryville. The reunion banquet will be on Sat.urday evening 9/19. I hope that all who were part of the 1977-81 Soccer Hawks…and I mean ALL (not just the 18 players that the NAIA limited me to take to the Finals) because every year it took the hard work of ALL on the squad (those who played a lot, and those who just practiced against them to make them better) to achieve the success each team earned.

I will get a separate mailing out to all the players on the ’77-’81 teams with more information about the event. Soccer Alums fro other years are most certainly welcome to join in with the celebration of the Quincy Soccer Tradition. If you want the event arrangements that I’ll be sending to those on the ’77-’81 teams just let me know and I’ll forward that information to you. I want this to be as inclusive as possible for all QU soccer alums.


Our QU Soccer Alumni Golf Shootout in May was once again a great success. We had 32 foursomes playing and quite a few others join in at dinner and the social that followed.
Thanks to our loyal golf committee (Jim Eagan, Erv Pesek, Bob Hanson, Bill Fann, Craig Hingle, Paul Geerling, Mike Gallo) for all the work they have put into this event over the past 5 years. They are the ones who make it a “happening”. Thanks to our major sponsors Marty Schafer, Drury Southwest Inc., Wachovia Securities, Bill Lawrence, and Tom Dawson who underwrite a good portion of the event. And thanks to all who purchased hole sponsorships or who donated items as prizes or for the auction, particularly Dave Brunette and Brian Belobradic who came through for us big time. Of course, thanks to those of you who come and play golf. This event is a great way for you guys to keep connected with each other and to keep connected to the soccer program and the university as well. If you haven’t been to one of our QU Soccer Alumni Golf Shootouts you’ve missed out on a real good time. THE DATE FOR OUR EVENT IN 2009 WILL BE, FRIDAY, MAY 29. MARK THAT DOWN. SEE YOU THEN!


For QU’s Homecoming weekend in 2009 (10/23-25) I want to encourage a whole lot of you guys to come back for that one. Why? Because that’s when QU is going to celebrate the Hawk Soccer Teams of 1977-1978-1979-1980-1981…the teams who won FIVE CONSECUTIVE NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. Throughout the entire 2009-10 school-year (QU’s 150th) the University is celebrating a number of special occasions. You were chosen for Homecoming because you were the first and only Men’s collegiate soccer team in America to accomplish this feat. Please make note of the date (10/23-25) and make plans to be here.

Congratulations to Bob Pollihan who will be inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame on September 19th, and congratulations to Mike DiRaimondo who was inducted into the DuBourg Hall of Fame last Spring.

In case you hadn’t heard, I was honored at QU’s graduation on May 18th with an Honorary Degree, along with former Athletic Director/Basketball Coach John Ortwerth, Women’s Coach Sharlene Peter, and History professor Dave Costigan. All were recognized for many years of service to QC/QU. This was a real surprise to all of us. If any of you may have been wondering when I was going to retire let me say it won’t be for a while yet. I just signed a three year contract renewal to coach our team through the 2010 season. If my health holds up to see me through the next three seasons I will have coached here for six decades. Wow. It’s been a great run and I hope to finish out strongly and successfully. My passion for Hawk Soccer still runs high.

This Fall’s Alumni game at North Campus Field will be on Saturday night, August 23. Kick-off will be at 7 PM. If you plan on playing will you please let me know by
e-mailing me back so I know who to expect? You can get our 2008 schedule and roster by going to www.quincy.edu and clicking on to the Men’s Soccer section. I hope you get a chance to see us play either in Quincy or at a venue near where you live.

Best wishes,

Jack


If I may, let me give you something to think about and reflect on. The other day one of our younger coaches was talking to me about the many years I’ve coached here. He said, “With as long as you’ve been here, and with all the success you’ve had, I’ll bet you get a lot of donations and support from your former players”. My answer was no, I really don’t. I only get support from my golf committee, and the sponsors, donors and golfers who participate in that one event. (And thank God for them.) Otherwise, basically nothing comes back to the soccer program (or even to QU as an institution) from the majority who have benefited from their experiences here on the soccer field, in the classroom, and around the campus. When I send out these Soccer Alumni Newsletters, I personally attach the mailing label on to each envelope. As I put each label on the envelope I look at the name of the player and recall his experiences here. The majority (not all) have had some tremendous experiences and benefits from attending QC/QU and being a member of this storied soccer program. I see names of players who got pretty good scholarships…who played on one or more National Championship teams…who got to make a foreign playing trip to places like Israel, Central America, Holland, Mexico, Scotland, England…who during the regular season were flown to Florida, New York, California, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina…and I wonder why so many neglect to “give back” to the program and school who provided them with so much. Why? This soccer program and university has never been and will not ever be perfect. However, the soccer program and university have honestly striven to provide all of you with the best we have to give. If you will, please think about this. If you had a lot benefits and good experiences while here, and perhaps have been negligent in “giving back”, please consider finding a time (and a way) when you can get on board and help the Soccer Hawks and Quincy University progress and excel for the benefit of our current and future students.

SOCCER HAWKS RECEIVE AWARDS…

Four QU Soccer Hawks picked up awards at the team’s end of season get together Sunday evening. Ryan Hirtz, a sophomore from St. Dominic HS in O’Fallon (MO) was selected by his teammates as the squad’s Most Improved Player while Grant Ellison, also a sophomore from St. Dominic HS earned the Silver Boot Award as the team’s second leading scorer with 9 goals. Jack Wedemeier, a sophomore from Notre Dame HS in Cape Girardeau (MO) won the Gold Boot Award for being the team’s top point maker with 7 goals and 5 assists. Branko (Bane) Isailovic, a senior from Belgrade, Serbia, took home two plaques as he was selected by his teammates as the squad’s Best Defender and also as the Most Valuable Player.

The end of the 2008 season completes the careers of six senior players who have given a great deal to the Hawk soccer program over the years. Besides ‘Bane’ Isailovic, the Hawks are also losing the services of defenders Steve Miller and Kyle Koenig, midfielders Justin Bower and Mike DiSalvo, and forward Dan Merkel. All will be missed. The coaching staff wishes them the very best in whatever they choose to do with the rest of their life.

Hawk coaches sincerely thank all the players for the hard work they put in during the season, and also want to thank the parent’s of the players for their interest and support. Thanks also to the alums and fans who came out to watch the team play. We appreciate you being there.

Even though losing six seniors from the squad the Hawks look forward the 2009 season bolstered by the fact that they have close to 20 returning players, including 11 who started at one time or the other during the 2008 campaign. The coaching staff is looking to recruit 4-5 new additions to put the team in a position to better meet the challenges of the 2009 season successfully.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

GO HAWKS…