MSU-Northern Fall Sports Tab 2015

8

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

2015 Lights football already underway New Era: Northern is talented, but will face plenty of challenges this fall ■ From Page 2 a young receiver group led by the superathletic Jake Messerly and sophomore tight end Kagen Khameneh.

"To be successful offensively, we have to run the football well," Christensen said.

"Our running game has to be good. I think we have a really good group of returning guys in our running game, and it starts with our running backs.

"Zach and Mario are both very good running backs," he continued. "But what's just as important is what they do off the field.

Yes, they're both really good athletes and really good football players, but they are also just really good kids. They are good students and they are leaders, and that's really important. It would be hard to find any football team out there that has two running backs like those two."

Of course, the key to a good running game isn't just turning around and handing off to talents like McKinley, who already holds 10 different Northern rushing records, and who is on track to break Stephen Silva's all-time rushing record of 2,856 yards. No, to be great in the running game, the offensive line must be good, too, and Christensen thinks he has a good one this season.

Led by returners Morales (6-2, 295) and Matt McKeen (6-2, 290), the Lights are big up front. Northern's starting five on the line — which also includes newcomers Jeremy Eisenmann (6-3, 250), Clint Willis (6-6, 280)

and Jacob Folk (6-4, 335) — averages 290 pounds, and though the Lights are starting four new players up front, they look to have the pieces in place to have an outstanding season running the football.

"If you look at what's the strength of our offense right now, it's certainly the running game and our offensive line," Christensen said. "Pete Morales is a really good football player, and we have Matt McKeen back.

Jeremy Eisenmann has also really stepped up and is playing well right now. So I think the line is going to do a really good job for us, and that's important because one of the things we talk about a lot is wanting to be a very physical football team."

The Lights are also looking sharp on the defensive front, led by All-Conference defensive end Tyler Craig, as well as end Jordan Brusio and tackle Pat Barnett. That front could be the strength of the entire MSU-N team. Add in linebackers Tucker Dunn and Garet Fowler and cornerback Malcolm Manuel and the Lights have a defense that returns a host of starting experience and veteran leadership.

While Craig is touted as one of the top defensive players in the league, his mates along the defensive line are also very good.

Fellow defensive end Jordan Brusio (5-11, 240) had 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season, and he’ll benefit greatly from so much attention being paid to Craig this

season. On the inside, MSU-N starts two outstanding tackles, led by Patrick Barnett (6-2, 265), who is both a pass rusher and run stopper. Add in the talents of Lane Urick (6-1, 285), as well as promising backups like Josh Loutzenhiser (6-1, 255) and Linwood Kirkland (6-0, 260) and the Lights should be very formidable up front.

And in actuality, the Lights’ front seven could pose a serious challenge this season for opposing offenses. Junior Tucker Dunn (6-1, 225) is MSU-N’s top returning tackler after registering 71 tackles and seven TFLs last year. And fellow linebacker Garet Fowler (5-10, 205) saw plenty of time a season ago. Jonathan McGinnis (6-1, 205) will also start on the outside, while sophomore Jesse Morales (6-0, 210) should see significant time as well.

“The strength of our defense is our line,” Christensen said. “Tyler Craig is a really good football player who has worked really hard to get even better. Pat Barnett is another guy who I think is a really good football player, and as a group, the guys on the line have a lot of experience and have played together.

“And I think our entire front seven will be really strong,” he continued. “With Tucker Dunn and Garet Fowler back from last year, we have some experienced linebackers. So I think our defense has a chance to do some great things this season.”

Indeed, Northern even returns some expe-

Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern running back Zach McKinley, right, is one of the best running backs in all of NAIA football this season. He's also on pace to shatter Northern's career rushing record this season.

www.havredailynews.com Lights Football Schedule

Sept. 12

at Rocky Mountain

Sept. 19

vs. UM Western

Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 14

at Southern Oregon BYE vs. College of Idaho at Montana Tech vs. Eastern Oregon at Carroll College at UM Western vs. Rocky Mountain

will be breaking in some new players there.

With cornerback Manuel (5-9, 170) back for his senior season, and Garrett Jericoff (5-9, 195) sliding into a starting safety position, the Lights have some stability in the secondary, even with the losses of two of the top tacklers on the team in 2014 in safeties Hunter Chandler and Butch Hyder.

“We have a lot of athleticism on this team.

I think we got a great freshman class,” Christensen said. “We are young, but we do have good leadership and experience at key positions, too. There is a lot of talent on this football team. The big thing is just learning to play and learning to win at this level. That’s something we have to do.”

While the Lights have a wealth of returning experience on defense, the same can’t be said for the kicking game. Instead, Christensen is breaking in two new players to do the kicking.

The place kicking duties will fall on the shoulders of transfer Jaime Toscano (5-8, 210).

He’ll replace All-Conference standout Jordan Rueschhoff, who was stellar for the Lights the last two seasons. The punting job will go to fellow transfer Dillon Barnes (6-0, 160), and Christensen is excited about what both players bring to the table.

In the return game, Jake Messerly (6-1, 195) has been a stalwart for the Lights and is explosive as both a kickoff and punt returner. After Messerly, the Lights will be working in new returners, but with his explosiveness, MSU-N could be very dangerous in the return game this season.

Winning right away in the Frontier will be a challenge for the Lights, who ranked at the bottom of the conference in both scoring and scoring defense a season ago. Add to that the conference boasts the defending NAIA national champion in the Southern Oregon Raiders, as well as perennial NAIA powerhouse Carroll College and nationally-ranked Eastern Oregon, and wins are extremely hard to come by.

Still, optimism is high at Northern right now, as a new era gets ready to begin, and Christensen says that while it might be cliché, the only thing that matters is what his Lights do in the present.

“I feel like we can win here, I’ve felt that way since I got here,” Christensen said. “But as far as success this season goes, it’s really hard to say what is successful and what isn’t. I know it’s cliché, but really, all we’re trying to do is win our next game. We’re just trying to be 1-0 each week. If we do that, and we consistently improve week after week, then we’ll be successful this season.”

Next up for Northern is a road trip to Rocky Mountain College, followed by its homecoming game aganst the UM-Western Bulldogs on Sept.

19 at the Blue Pony Stadium. The Lights round out the month of September with a road trip to defending NAIA national champion Southern Oregon, Sept. 26.

2

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

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7

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

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Dawn of a new era of Northern football Northern golf teams ready to hit the links Frontier Conference golf championships, featuring the Lights and Skylights, will once again be held in warm and sunny Arizona this spring

George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Starting over, starting something new, even something unfamiliar, it’s not easy on anyone.

It’s especially not easy for a college football program. And, under first-year head coach Aaron Christensen, that’s exactly what the Montana State University-Northern Lights have been doing the last several months.

Christensen was hired as Northern’s third official head coach since the football program was re-instated nearly two decades ago. He replaces Mark Samson, who guided the Lights for 11 seasons, and in the interim, MSU-N defensive coordinator Jake Eldridge stepped in to run the show last fall, a season in which the Lights went 3-8, but finished on a high note, beating Rocky Mountain College in a thriller in the season finale last November.

And while the Lights finished with some positive momentum, in what was otherwise a very difficult 2014 season for everyone involved, since Christensen arrived in Havre in January, he’s been hard at work preparing to put his own stamp on the program.

“When I got here, it was all very exciting for me,” Christensen said. “It’s exciting knowing you’re at a good school like this and in a really good conference like the Frontier. And since that time, it’s been all about preparing for what we’re going to do now. The offseason went really well, and spring ball, I thought we accomplished a lot.

“But that’s all kind of the buildup to the season, and when fall camp got here, that’s when you really start to get excited,” he continued. “And fall camp has been great. We made it tough on the players because we had a lot of work to do and a lot to learn. With a new coach and new systems and things like that, it’s not easy, and we’ve also made it very clear to them that it’s not easy to win football games either. So we threw a lot at them in fall camp and they worked really hard, and now you try to go out and make all of that pay off.”

And the Lights are looking for a payoff Saturday night in Dickinson, North Dakota.

But the payoff, as Christensen noted, won’t come easy. Again, with a new head coach, there’s plenty of change, though Christensen did maintain continuity on his staff, with Eldridge at defensive coordinator, as well

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com Golfing in the state of Montana can sometimes be an adventure, especially when you are trying to do it during the fall and the spring like the Montana State UniversityNorthern golf teams do.

The Lights and Skylights, who will be directed once again in the 2015-16 season by head coach Dave Boles, each finished last in the Frontier a season ago, but starting on Sept. 20, they will see what they can do to

Jim Potter The 2015 Montana State University-Northern football team has a new head coach in Aaron Christensen. The Lights opened their season Aug. 22 at Dickinson State. as Cody O’Neil, Jorge Magana and Arthur Smith all back, and the addition of Darold DeBolt, who coached defense at Northern previously.

Still, with implementing a new offensive scheme, with over 40 new players and roster with just four seniors on the entire Lights team, change won’t come easy, especially in the Frontier, and Christensen understands that.

“With so many new players, a lot of younger players, and a new offense and a new head coach, there’s a lot of learning going on,” Christensen, who comes to Northern after a successful stint at Missouri Valley College

said. “So one of the big things we’ve been focusing on is making sure we do the right things at the right time. That’s one of our big goals every time we’re out there. We also talk about what type of team we need to be all the time. We talk about making sure we’re a physical football team, at every single position. We talk about being a smart football team and being an efficient football team.

Those are the things we’re striving for.”

Of course, especially after a grueling fall camp and a couple of tough seasons in a row, the Lights certainly want to win. Even though they’re younger across the board, and were picked to finish last in the Frontier this fall,

they definitely have the talent to win, and the leadership to do so as well.

Star running back Zach McKinley highlights a host of returning Northern players who will look to lead the way. A FirstTeam All-Conference performer a year ago, McKinley could reach even higher heights this season, and he’s got a stout backup in Mario Gabboto, an RB who would start for most Frontier schools. MSU-N’s running game should be a focal point this season, and that should take some pressure off of sophomore starting quarterback Jess Krahn, and

■ See New Era Page 8

climb up the Frontier conference ladder.

“I am very excited about the kids that we have this year,” Boles said. “We lost some kids, but I think that we have some talent and that we should have a good chance to finish better in the conference.”

Boles isn’t lying when he says that he has a young roster. The MSU-N men’s team is without a single senior and has just one upperclassmen in junior Taylor Allery of Lakeview, Minnesota. Sophomore Kevin Tibbets of Havre is next in terms of experience and rounding out the roster are three freshmen, including Devin Bray of Missoula, Tyler Tharp of Sunburst and Mason McDunn of Great Falls. Bray and Tharp are Montana All-State golfers who will also play basketball at MSU-N. The women’s team is not quite so young, thanks to the return of seniors Ashley Hooper of Ryegate and Kirsten Bense of Glasgow.

Carrigan Jones of Harlem and Molly Kreycik of Douglas, Wyoming, also bring back valuable experience. Yet, the Skylights also have three youngsters in Whitney Bahms of Pendleton, Oregon, Diana Ball of Harlem and Mariah Adsem of Helena, who should each have a chance to contribute.

“We will have to have some kind of playoff for our women’s team,” Boles said. “We will have a playoff and the best player will earn that last spot. But, we do want to take all of

our kids to our first meet, so they each get a chance to gain some experience in Frontier golf, which is pretty tough. That’s only fair.”

Boles has been coaching the Lights and Skylights golf teams ever since the women's program was started over a decade ago. The men's program was added some years later, and the teams have now been a staple of the Frontier Conference.

Other schools in the league that compete in golf include Rocky Mountain College, Lewis-Clark State, Carroll College and Montana Tech.

The Lights and Skylights will open their season at a tournament in Shelby at the Marias Valley Golf Course. It will start Sept. 21 and conclude Sept. 22. Then, Northern will complete the fall portion of its schedule in Helena at a tournament hosted by Carroll College Sept. 28-29.

Following the tournament at Carroll, the Northern golf teams will take a break until the spring schedule kicks off April 4-5 in Lewistown, Idaho at the Lewis and Clark State tournament. And last but not least, the Lights and Skylights will compete in the Frontier Conference tournament, which will take place in Phoenix, Arizona April 19-20.

“We voted to have the Frontier tournament down in Arizona this year just at a different course,” Boles said. “At first, we were

a little concerned because of the cost, but we are going to do it again. It’s a great idea because it allows the kids to play and not have to worry about the weather. So, hopefully it’s something that we can keep doing.”

The Northern golf teams will start their 2015-16 seasons Sept. 20 in Shelby at a tournament MSU-N will be hosting.

6

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

Volleyball: Skylights have plenty of new talent

X-Country: Northern has a brand new sport

■ From Page 6

■ From Page 6

libero and back row a year ago as a true really nice job so far, but as an entire group, freshman, as well as middle hitter Mikayla they’re all playing really well, and that’s a Virostek (6-0). She red-shirted last season great sign because we have only been togethand will be asked to step up in the middle er for two weeks. So that shows we can get even better and that’s exciting to see.” this fall.

While that group gives Huebsch a solid And while Huebsch is excited about the talcore of players who have been in his 5-1 sys- ent, athleticism and upside to his entire rostem, he’s also excited about all the new re- ter, it’s how they are as a group that has him feeling very optimistic as Northern embarks cruits that complete the Skylight roster.

At the top of that list is sophomore outside on its new season, a season that includes four hitter Cassie Krueger (6-0), the daughter of a non-conference tournaments, many of which pair of former Northern standout basketball will feature nationally ranked opponents, players. Krueger transferred to Northern and a new 12-match Frontier schedule, with after a stint at Montana State, and Huebsch Westminster College no longer a part of the league. said she should have an immedi“The preaseason has gone really ate impact. Four junior transfers well,” Huebsch said. “I thought we will also see plenty of floor time have improved every day. I thought this season, including setter Emwe looked pretty good at times in ily Russell (5-8), who will likely our scrimmage against Medicine earn the starting nod. Huebsch Hat College. There are plenty of also brought in freshman setter things we can keep getting better Samantha Martinez (5-8) and he at, but overall, I really like where says both players are passing the we’re at right now. ball well in practice. Junior Jacy “And the biggest reason why is Vining (5-7) is also stepping into this team’s chemistry,” he contina libero role, while Rebecca Egan ued. “That’s this team’s biggest (5-6) is a strong defensive specialstrength right now. These girls ist and Korrie Stephenson (5-11) Huebsch have come together really quickly, will provide more power on the and if you watch us, I don’t think outside. Freshman middle hitter we look like a team that’s only Taleah Ross (5-9) rounds out a been together for two weeks. They have reSkylight roster that boasts just two seniors.

“Some of the things this team is showing ally bonded on and off the court. They really right away is that we’re stronger and more support and push each other, and they work athletic right now than we were a year ago,” really hard each and every day. It’s a really Huebsch said. “And we have a lot of versa- fun group to coach and when you have so tility with where some of the kids can play. much chemistry, like this team has already, This group gives us a lot of options, so we’re it’s really exciting to see, and it makes the experimenting with some different things start of a new season really exciting. I know they’re looking forward to getting out on the with our lineups. And that’s really exciting.

“I really like this group,” he continued. road and competing, and I’m looking forward “Erin and Jessica both have a lot of experi- to watching this team because I think they’ll ence in our program, and Cydney Auzenne just get better and better as the season goes is really coming into her own now. And with on.” all of the new players we brought in, they are Northern has already played three tourall very talented and are going to have an naments this season, and the Skylights are impact on this program. Cassie Krueger is inching closer to their home and conference an outstanding player and she’s only going to debut against Lewis-Clark State Sept. 17 at get better. I think Emily Russell has done a the Armory Gymnasium.

standout Alissa Borlaug on its roster, while tain College last year and brings important Amelia Clark of Colstrip and Courtney Cota experience to our very young team. Alissa and Rachel Nelson of Roundup round out Borlaug, Amelia Clark and Rachel Nelson are all true freshmen with a ton of potenthe Skylights lineup.

“I think the big thing for this first year tial.” is to establish a program that we can build Potential is something that can be realon,” Spangler said. “Our team motto this ized and, now, Northern gets to do it for real year is Kaizen, which means continuous in cross country. Northern, and UM-Western are both first-year programs improvement. As a team we feel in the Frontier, which also has this fits because we're not aiming teams from Rocky Mountain Colto win the national championship lege, Carroll College and Lewisthis year. Rather, we want continuClark State and UGF. MSU-N ous improvement in our runners has four meets on its schedule, and our program. That said, just then will head to the Frontier because we're a focused more Conference championships Nov. on process-goals this year, I still 6 in Great Falls. think we can be competitive if we “I'm so excited to see how we continue with our current trainmatch up with the other runners ing intensity. We have some fast, in the Frontier Conference,” experienced male runners in TrisSpangler noted. ten Belgarde, Jamie Lieberg, Will The Lights and Skylights will Ketchum, and Tristin Gone. On the Spangler race for the first time Sept. 11 at female side, we have strong leaderthe Carroll College Early Bird ship and productivity in our sophMeet. They will also race at both omore runners McKenna Barkus, Breck Don and Courtney Cota. McKenna ran the Montana State and Montana Invitationals, as well as the UGF Invitational. for Rocky Moun-

3

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

MSU-N rides into a new rodeo season Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com While many Montana State UniversityNorthern sports fans will be focused on football and volleyball this fall, there are other sports that the Lights and Skylights will compete in and one of them is the rodeo.

The Northern rodeo program will once again be led by head coach Doug Kallenberger, who enters his third season at the helm and MSU-N will once again have a busy schedule that starts sooner rather than later.

Northern will open its season in Cody, Wyoming, where they will compete in a rodeo hosted by Northwest College Sept. 11-12.

Then, the Lights and Skylights will travel to Glendive at the end of September to compete in the rodeo hosted by Dawson Community College, which takes place Sept. 24-26.

The fall rodeo season will then wind down during the first weekend of October, when the Northern rodeo teams will travel to Dillon for a three-day rodeo that hosted by University of Montana-Western. That rodeo will start Oct. 3 and conclude Oct. 5.

Both the men’s and women’s team lost talent from a season ago but, thankfully for Kallenberger, each team brings back plenty of experience.

The MSU-N women’s team will have to overcome the losses of seniors Sarah Peterson and Mariana Jochim, but returns a number of veterans, including Sierra Collins, who competes in barrel racing and breakaway roping, Meagan Raty, who competes in barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying and team roping, Laramie Pursley, who participates in barrel racing and Paige Raty, who competes in barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying and team roping.

The men’s team graduated just one senior in Jordan Lewis and returns a number of experienced riders from a season ago. The Northern men will feature Colton Weekes in team roping and tie-down roping, Andrew Leo in team roping, Canyon Rehbein and Cole Wagner in bull riding, Kiin Salios in bareback riding and Colton Henderson in saddle bronc riding. Dillon Pankratz and Kyle Clutter will also compete for the Lights.

The fall rodeo season kicks off for the Northern rodeo team Sept. 11 in Cody, Wyoming.

Havre Daily News/File Photo The Montana State University-Northern men's and women's rodeo teams are about to start the fall season. The Lights and Skylights have three rodeos scheduled for the fall, but the Northern Rodeo won't be held until spring this season.

4

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Talented Skylights start fresh George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com In the world of sports, a short-term memory is a good thing. It’s always best to leave the past in the past. And that’s exactly what the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team is setting out to do this season.

In 2014, the Skylights started the season one year removed from one of the best seasons in school history, falling just short of winning a Frontier Conference championship. However, with the loss of five quality seniors from that 2013 squad, the Skylights couldn’t keep the momentum going as head coach Bill Huebsch’s team went 3-11 in the Frontier and 7-21 overall.

Now, though, much has changed as Huebsch hit the recruiting trail hard and has brought a team together that is poised to be outstanding this fall. With a mix of solid returning players and exciting newcomers, Huebsch, who enters his seventh season at the helm, says that 2014 is already nothing but a distant memory.

“It’s hard to explain what didn’t work last year, other than that we lost five really good players from a very successful season the year before. But for whatever reason, things just didn’t come together for us,” Huebsch said. “But that’s in the past and it’s been particularly easy to put that behind us already because we have a very new team. But, mostly, it’s been easy because this team has come together so quickly. The chemistry they have, it’s honestly like they’ve been playing together for a long time, not just two weeks. They get along, they push each other, they have great communication and they have great chemistry. Our practices have just been awesome and they come in the gym every day excited and enthusiastic. So that’s been a lot of fun.”

But while a talented MSU-N team, led by returning veterans like Erin Jensen, Jessica Wilcox and Cydney Auzenne are more than ready to put last year’s tough season behind them, there’s someone the Skylights won’t forget and she is a daily motivator for Northern to push on.

Sophomore middle hitter Taylor Woolman was severely and critically injured in last May’s horrific stabbing in Havre. Woolman, a Belgrade native was a breakout player last year for the Skylights and was set to be a major contributor this season before the senseless attack happened this spring. While she continues her long and tough recovery, and won’t be with her teammates this season, Huebsch said she is very much still with the team in spirit and that her toughness and courage inspire the Skylights daily.

“She’s still a huge part of our team, and she inspires these girls every day,” Huebsch said. “Taylor saw substantial time as a freshman last year and was having a great offseason and was doing great in spring ball before this senseless act happened. And she’s an inspiration to us all. Instead of doing a team retreat last week, we drove down to Belgrade and spent the day with her, and she’s getting better every day. She is fighting and working so hard to recover and get back to where she was before, and even though she has a long way to go — the way she’s working so hard,

www.havredailynews.com Northern Volleyball Schedule Sept. 17 Sept. 19 Sept. 25 Sept. 26 Oct. 2 Oct. 9-10 Oct. 15 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 29 Oct. 31 Nov. 5 Nov. 7 Nov. 12-14 Nov. 16-21 Dec. 1-5

vs. Lewis Clark State vs. Rocky Mountain vs. Montana Tech vs. Carroll College at UM Western BYE WEEK at Rocky Mountain at University of Great Falls vs. UM Western at Lewis Clark State at Carroll College at Montana Tech vs. University of Great Falls Frontier Con. Tournament NAIA Opening Round NAIA National Championships

Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern's Erin Jensen is a key returning player for a Skylights team that has a lot of newcomers this fall. how tough she is and her attitude towards all of this — she’s just a huge inspiration to these kids, and to me, and she’s very much still a huge part of this team.”

While Woolman won’t be able to be on the floor for the Skylights this season, her teammates will honor her in many different ways throughout the year. And, that Skylight team will be an athletic and interesting mix of returning veterans and exciting newcomers.

Jensen (5-8) is Northern’s top returning

scorer. The senior middle hitter tallied 197 kills and 49 blocks a year ago and will again provide firepower for the Skylights at the net.

Wilcox (6-0), plays on the outside, and she totaled 170 kills and 39 blocks a season ago.

Auzenne (5-10), now a sophomore, should also be ready to contribute more offensively this season on the outside, while MSU-N also returns libero Kylie Pasieka, who played both

■ See Volleyball Page 6

Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern's sophomore Cydney Auzenne strikes a ball during a Frontier Conference volleyball match last fall in Havre. The Skylights have already played three of their four non-conference tournaments this season and are off to a great start. Now, in just over a week, Northern will make its home debut when the Skylights play Lewis-Clark State Sept.

17.

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MSU-Northern

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

September 2015 Northern Cross-Country Schedule

Sept. 11 Sept. 19 Oct. 3 Oct. 23 Nov. 6 Nov. 21

Carroll College Early Bird Meet - Helena Montana State Invitational - Bozeman Montana Invitational - Missoula Great Falls Invitational - Great Falls Frontier Conference Championships - Great Falls NAIA Cross-Country Nationals - Charlotte, NC

George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The sport of cross country is nothing new to the fall. And it’s certainly not new to the HiLine. But it is new on the campus of Montana State University-Northern.

For the first time in school history, Northern has cross country as an official sport, and the university chose former Havre Blue Pony great Chad Spangler to head up the program. Spangler began putting together his new Lights and Skylights teams last spring, and now, his teams are about to make their debut.

“We had a great fall camp this first year,” Spangler said. “We spent two weeks training and getting to know each other before school started — it was a lot of fun. It's clear we have some really good kids to start a program with. And, based on the turnout for our first fun run, we obviously have a lot of support in the community. That's so important, for any student-athlete.”

Spangler does have a lot of good runners for Northern’s innaguaral cross country season. And many of them have local ties.

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Northern's new kids on the block MSU-N cross country teams ready for debut season

The Lights have five local runners on a roster of nine. Included in that group are former Havre High runners Jamie Lieberg and Sundance Lodge, both of whom competed at the Class A state cross country meet a year ago.

The Lights also added a trio of standout runners from the area, in Rocky Boy’s Tristen Belgarde, Box Elder’s Will Ketchum and Harlem’s Tristen Gone. All three have medals from state meets in distance running, and all three are set to be standouts on the Northern team.

Rounding out Northern’s men’s roster is Nick Bear of Dodson, Justin Seevers of Bozeman, Patrick Yuhas of Helena and Alex Williams of Glassboro, New Jersey.

Spangler also signed seven women to run for the Skylights in their first season, and again, local talent was key. Three former Blue Ponies, McKenna Barkus, Sydney Huston and Breck Don will all compete for the Skylights this season. Barkus and Huston have cross country experience, while Don was a standout tennis and volleyball player at HHS. Northern also has former North Star

■ See X-Country Page 6

Jim Potter The 2015 Montana State University Northern men's and women's cross country teams pose for a photo this summer in Havre. The new Lights and Skylights are in their first year as a program under head coach Chad Spangler.

4

MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Talented Skylights start fresh George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com In the world of sports, a short-term memory is a good thing. It’s always best to leave the past in the past. And that’s exactly what the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team is setting out to do this season.

In 2014, the Skylights started the season one year removed from one of the best seasons in school history, falling just short of winning a Frontier Conference championship. However, with the loss of five quality seniors from that 2013 squad, the Skylights couldn’t keep the momentum going as head coach Bill Huebsch’s team went 3-11 in the Frontier and 7-21 overall.

Now, though, much has changed as Huebsch hit the recruiting trail hard and has brought a team together that is poised to be outstanding this fall. With a mix of solid returning players and exciting newcomers, Huebsch, who enters his seventh season at the helm, says that 2014 is already nothing but a distant memory.

“It’s hard to explain what didn’t work last year, other than that we lost five really good players from a very successful season the year before. But for whatever reason, things just didn’t come together for us,” Huebsch said. “But that’s in the past and it’s been particularly easy to put that behind us already because we have a very new team. But, mostly, it’s been easy because this team has come together so quickly. The chemistry they have, it’s honestly like they’ve been playing together for a long time, not just two weeks. They get along, they push each other, they have great communication and they have great chemistry. Our practices have just been awesome and they come in the gym every day excited and enthusiastic. So that’s been a lot of fun.”

But while a talented MSU-N team, led by returning veterans like Erin Jensen, Jessica Wilcox and Cydney Auzenne are more than ready to put last year’s tough season behind them, there’s someone the Skylights won’t forget and she is a daily motivator for Northern to push on.

Sophomore middle hitter Taylor Woolman was severely and critically injured in last May’s horrific stabbing in Havre. Woolman, a Belgrade native was a breakout player last year for the Skylights and was set to be a major contributor this season before the senseless attack happened this spring. While she continues her long and tough recovery, and won’t be with her teammates this season, Huebsch said she is very much still with the team in spirit and that her toughness and courage inspire the Skylights daily.

“She’s still a huge part of our team, and she inspires these girls every day,” Huebsch said. “Taylor saw substantial time as a freshman last year and was having a great offseason and was doing great in spring ball before this senseless act happened. And she’s an inspiration to us all. Instead of doing a team retreat last week, we drove down to Belgrade and spent the day with her, and she’s getting better every day. She is fighting and working so hard to recover and get back to where she was before, and even though she has a long way to go — the way she’s working so hard,

www.havredailynews.com Northern Volleyball Schedule Sept. 17 Sept. 19 Sept. 25 Sept. 26 Oct. 2 Oct. 9-10 Oct. 15 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 29 Oct. 31 Nov. 5 Nov. 7 Nov. 12-14 Nov. 16-21 Dec. 1-5

vs. Lewis Clark State vs. Rocky Mountain vs. Montana Tech vs. Carroll College at UM Western BYE WEEK at Rocky Mountain at University of Great Falls vs. UM Western at Lewis Clark State at Carroll College at Montana Tech vs. University of Great Falls Frontier Con. Tournament NAIA Opening Round NAIA National Championships

Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern's Erin Jensen is a key returning player for a Skylights team that has a lot of newcomers this fall. how tough she is and her attitude towards all of this — she’s just a huge inspiration to these kids, and to me, and she’s very much still a huge part of this team.”

While Woolman won’t be able to be on the floor for the Skylights this season, her teammates will honor her in many different ways throughout the year. And, that Skylight team will be an athletic and interesting mix of returning veterans and exciting newcomers.

Jensen (5-8) is Northern’s top returning

scorer. The senior middle hitter tallied 197 kills and 49 blocks a year ago and will again provide firepower for the Skylights at the net.

Wilcox (6-0), plays on the outside, and she totaled 170 kills and 39 blocks a season ago.

Auzenne (5-10), now a sophomore, should also be ready to contribute more offensively this season on the outside, while MSU-N also returns libero Kylie Pasieka, who played both

■ See Volleyball Page 6

Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern's sophomore Cydney Auzenne strikes a ball during a Frontier Conference volleyball match last fall in Havre. The Skylights have already played three of their four non-conference tournaments this season and are off to a great start. Now, in just over a week, Northern will make its home debut when the Skylights play Lewis-Clark State Sept.

17.

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MSU-Northern

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

September 2015 Northern Cross-Country Schedule

Sept. 11 Sept. 19 Oct. 3 Oct. 23 Nov. 6 Nov. 21

Carroll College Early Bird Meet - Helena Montana State Invitational - Bozeman Montana Invitational - Missoula Great Falls Invitational - Great Falls Frontier Conference Championships - Great Falls NAIA Cross-Country Nationals - Charlotte, NC

George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The sport of cross country is nothing new to the fall. And it’s certainly not new to the HiLine. But it is new on the campus of Montana State University-Northern.

For the first time in school history, Northern has cross country as an official sport, and the university chose former Havre Blue Pony great Chad Spangler to head up the program. Spangler began putting together his new Lights and Skylights teams last spring, and now, his teams are about to make their debut.

“We had a great fall camp this first year,” Spangler said. “We spent two weeks training and getting to know each other before school started — it was a lot of fun. It's clear we have some really good kids to start a program with. And, based on the turnout for our first fun run, we obviously have a lot of support in the community. That's so important, for any student-athlete.”

Spangler does have a lot of good runners for Northern’s innaguaral cross country season. And many of them have local ties.

www.havredailynews.com

Northern's new kids on the block MSU-N cross country teams ready for debut season

The Lights have five local runners on a roster of nine. Included in that group are former Havre High runners Jamie Lieberg and Sundance Lodge, both of whom competed at the Class A state cross country meet a year ago.

The Lights also added a trio of standout runners from the area, in Rocky Boy’s Tristen Belgarde, Box Elder’s Will Ketchum and Harlem’s Tristen Gone. All three have medals from state meets in distance running, and all three are set to be standouts on the Northern team.

Rounding out Northern’s men’s roster is Nick Bear of Dodson, Justin Seevers of Bozeman, Patrick Yuhas of Helena and Alex Williams of Glassboro, New Jersey.

Spangler also signed seven women to run for the Skylights in their first season, and again, local talent was key. Three former Blue Ponies, McKenna Barkus, Sydney Huston and Breck Don will all compete for the Skylights this season. Barkus and Huston have cross country experience, while Don was a standout tennis and volleyball player at HHS. Northern also has former North Star

■ See X-Country Page 6

Jim Potter The 2015 Montana State University Northern men's and women's cross country teams pose for a photo this summer in Havre. The new Lights and Skylights are in their first year as a program under head coach Chad Spangler.

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

Volleyball: Skylights have plenty of new talent

X-Country: Northern has a brand new sport

■ From Page 6

■ From Page 6

libero and back row a year ago as a true really nice job so far, but as an entire group, freshman, as well as middle hitter Mikayla they’re all playing really well, and that’s a Virostek (6-0). She red-shirted last season great sign because we have only been togethand will be asked to step up in the middle er for two weeks. So that shows we can get even better and that’s exciting to see.” this fall.

While that group gives Huebsch a solid And while Huebsch is excited about the talcore of players who have been in his 5-1 sys- ent, athleticism and upside to his entire rostem, he’s also excited about all the new re- ter, it’s how they are as a group that has him feeling very optimistic as Northern embarks cruits that complete the Skylight roster.

At the top of that list is sophomore outside on its new season, a season that includes four hitter Cassie Krueger (6-0), the daughter of a non-conference tournaments, many of which pair of former Northern standout basketball will feature nationally ranked opponents, players. Krueger transferred to Northern and a new 12-match Frontier schedule, with after a stint at Montana State, and Huebsch Westminster College no longer a part of the league. said she should have an immedi“The preaseason has gone really ate impact. Four junior transfers well,” Huebsch said. “I thought we will also see plenty of floor time have improved every day. I thought this season, including setter Emwe looked pretty good at times in ily Russell (5-8), who will likely our scrimmage against Medicine earn the starting nod. Huebsch Hat College. There are plenty of also brought in freshman setter things we can keep getting better Samantha Martinez (5-8) and he at, but overall, I really like where says both players are passing the we’re at right now. ball well in practice. Junior Jacy “And the biggest reason why is Vining (5-7) is also stepping into this team’s chemistry,” he contina libero role, while Rebecca Egan ued. “That’s this team’s biggest (5-6) is a strong defensive specialstrength right now. These girls ist and Korrie Stephenson (5-11) Huebsch have come together really quickly, will provide more power on the and if you watch us, I don’t think outside. Freshman middle hitter we look like a team that’s only Taleah Ross (5-9) rounds out a been together for two weeks. They have reSkylight roster that boasts just two seniors.

“Some of the things this team is showing ally bonded on and off the court. They really right away is that we’re stronger and more support and push each other, and they work athletic right now than we were a year ago,” really hard each and every day. It’s a really Huebsch said. “And we have a lot of versa- fun group to coach and when you have so tility with where some of the kids can play. much chemistry, like this team has already, This group gives us a lot of options, so we’re it’s really exciting to see, and it makes the experimenting with some different things start of a new season really exciting. I know they’re looking forward to getting out on the with our lineups. And that’s really exciting.

“I really like this group,” he continued. road and competing, and I’m looking forward “Erin and Jessica both have a lot of experi- to watching this team because I think they’ll ence in our program, and Cydney Auzenne just get better and better as the season goes is really coming into her own now. And with on.” all of the new players we brought in, they are Northern has already played three tourall very talented and are going to have an naments this season, and the Skylights are impact on this program. Cassie Krueger is inching closer to their home and conference an outstanding player and she’s only going to debut against Lewis-Clark State Sept. 17 at get better. I think Emily Russell has done a the Armory Gymnasium.

standout Alissa Borlaug on its roster, while tain College last year and brings important Amelia Clark of Colstrip and Courtney Cota experience to our very young team. Alissa and Rachel Nelson of Roundup round out Borlaug, Amelia Clark and Rachel Nelson are all true freshmen with a ton of potenthe Skylights lineup.

“I think the big thing for this first year tial.” is to establish a program that we can build Potential is something that can be realon,” Spangler said. “Our team motto this ized and, now, Northern gets to do it for real year is Kaizen, which means continuous in cross country. Northern, and UM-Western are both first-year programs improvement. As a team we feel in the Frontier, which also has this fits because we're not aiming teams from Rocky Mountain Colto win the national championship lege, Carroll College and Lewisthis year. Rather, we want continuClark State and UGF. MSU-N ous improvement in our runners has four meets on its schedule, and our program. That said, just then will head to the Frontier because we're a focused more Conference championships Nov. on process-goals this year, I still 6 in Great Falls. think we can be competitive if we “I'm so excited to see how we continue with our current trainmatch up with the other runners ing intensity. We have some fast, in the Frontier Conference,” experienced male runners in TrisSpangler noted. ten Belgarde, Jamie Lieberg, Will The Lights and Skylights will Ketchum, and Tristin Gone. On the Spangler race for the first time Sept. 11 at female side, we have strong leaderthe Carroll College Early Bird ship and productivity in our sophMeet. They will also race at both omore runners McKenna Barkus, Breck Don and Courtney Cota. McKenna ran the Montana State and Montana Invitationals, as well as the UGF Invitational. for Rocky Moun-

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MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

MSU-N rides into a new rodeo season Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com While many Montana State UniversityNorthern sports fans will be focused on football and volleyball this fall, there are other sports that the Lights and Skylights will compete in and one of them is the rodeo.

The Northern rodeo program will once again be led by head coach Doug Kallenberger, who enters his third season at the helm and MSU-N will once again have a busy schedule that starts sooner rather than later.

Northern will open its season in Cody, Wyoming, where they will compete in a rodeo hosted by Northwest College Sept. 11-12.

Then, the Lights and Skylights will travel to Glendive at the end of September to compete in the rodeo hosted by Dawson Community College, which takes place Sept. 24-26.

The fall rodeo season will then wind down during the first weekend of October, when the Northern rodeo teams will travel to Dillon for a three-day rodeo that hosted by University of Montana-Western. That rodeo will start Oct. 3 and conclude Oct. 5.

Both the men’s and women’s team lost talent from a season ago but, thankfully for Kallenberger, each team brings back plenty of experience.

The MSU-N women’s team will have to overcome the losses of seniors Sarah Peterson and Mariana Jochim, but returns a number of veterans, including Sierra Collins, who competes in barrel racing and breakaway roping, Meagan Raty, who competes in barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying and team roping, Laramie Pursley, who participates in barrel racing and Paige Raty, who competes in barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying and team roping.

The men’s team graduated just one senior in Jordan Lewis and returns a number of experienced riders from a season ago. The Northern men will feature Colton Weekes in team roping and tie-down roping, Andrew Leo in team roping, Canyon Rehbein and Cole Wagner in bull riding, Kiin Salios in bareback riding and Colton Henderson in saddle bronc riding. Dillon Pankratz and Kyle Clutter will also compete for the Lights.

The fall rodeo season kicks off for the Northern rodeo team Sept. 11 in Cody, Wyoming.

Havre Daily News/File Photo The Montana State University-Northern men's and women's rodeo teams are about to start the fall season. The Lights and Skylights have three rodeos scheduled for the fall, but the Northern Rodeo won't be held until spring this season.

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MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

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MSU-Northern

September 2015

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

www.havredailynews.com

Dawn of a new era of Northern football Northern golf teams ready to hit the links Frontier Conference golf championships, featuring the Lights and Skylights, will once again be held in warm and sunny Arizona this spring

George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Starting over, starting something new, even something unfamiliar, it’s not easy on anyone.

It’s especially not easy for a college football program. And, under first-year head coach Aaron Christensen, that’s exactly what the Montana State University-Northern Lights have been doing the last several months.

Christensen was hired as Northern’s third official head coach since the football program was re-instated nearly two decades ago. He replaces Mark Samson, who guided the Lights for 11 seasons, and in the interim, MSU-N defensive coordinator Jake Eldridge stepped in to run the show last fall, a season in which the Lights went 3-8, but finished on a high note, beating Rocky Mountain College in a thriller in the season finale last November.

And while the Lights finished with some positive momentum, in what was otherwise a very difficult 2014 season for everyone involved, since Christensen arrived in Havre in January, he’s been hard at work preparing to put his own stamp on the program.

“When I got here, it was all very exciting for me,” Christensen said. “It’s exciting knowing you’re at a good school like this and in a really good conference like the Frontier. And since that time, it’s been all about preparing for what we’re going to do now. The offseason went really well, and spring ball, I thought we accomplished a lot.

“But that’s all kind of the buildup to the season, and when fall camp got here, that’s when you really start to get excited,” he continued. “And fall camp has been great. We made it tough on the players because we had a lot of work to do and a lot to learn. With a new coach and new systems and things like that, it’s not easy, and we’ve also made it very clear to them that it’s not easy to win football games either. So we threw a lot at them in fall camp and they worked really hard, and now you try to go out and make all of that pay off.”

And the Lights are looking for a payoff Saturday night in Dickinson, North Dakota.

But the payoff, as Christensen noted, won’t come easy. Again, with a new head coach, there’s plenty of change, though Christensen did maintain continuity on his staff, with Eldridge at defensive coordinator, as well

Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com Golfing in the state of Montana can sometimes be an adventure, especially when you are trying to do it during the fall and the spring like the Montana State UniversityNorthern golf teams do.

The Lights and Skylights, who will be directed once again in the 2015-16 season by head coach Dave Boles, each finished last in the Frontier a season ago, but starting on Sept. 20, they will see what they can do to

Jim Potter The 2015 Montana State University-Northern football team has a new head coach in Aaron Christensen. The Lights opened their season Aug. 22 at Dickinson State. as Cody O’Neil, Jorge Magana and Arthur Smith all back, and the addition of Darold DeBolt, who coached defense at Northern previously.

Still, with implementing a new offensive scheme, with over 40 new players and roster with just four seniors on the entire Lights team, change won’t come easy, especially in the Frontier, and Christensen understands that.

“With so many new players, a lot of younger players, and a new offense and a new head coach, there’s a lot of learning going on,” Christensen, who comes to Northern after a successful stint at Missouri Valley College

said. “So one of the big things we’ve been focusing on is making sure we do the right things at the right time. That’s one of our big goals every time we’re out there. We also talk about what type of team we need to be all the time. We talk about making sure we’re a physical football team, at every single position. We talk about being a smart football team and being an efficient football team.

Those are the things we’re striving for.”

Of course, especially after a grueling fall camp and a couple of tough seasons in a row, the Lights certainly want to win. Even though they’re younger across the board, and were picked to finish last in the Frontier this fall,

they definitely have the talent to win, and the leadership to do so as well.

Star running back Zach McKinley highlights a host of returning Northern players who will look to lead the way. A FirstTeam All-Conference performer a year ago, McKinley could reach even higher heights this season, and he’s got a stout backup in Mario Gabboto, an RB who would start for most Frontier schools. MSU-N’s running game should be a focal point this season, and that should take some pressure off of sophomore starting quarterback Jess Krahn, and

■ See New Era Page 8

climb up the Frontier conference ladder.

“I am very excited about the kids that we have this year,” Boles said. “We lost some kids, but I think that we have some talent and that we should have a good chance to finish better in the conference.”

Boles isn’t lying when he says that he has a young roster. The MSU-N men’s team is without a single senior and has just one upperclassmen in junior Taylor Allery of Lakeview, Minnesota. Sophomore Kevin Tibbets of Havre is next in terms of experience and rounding out the roster are three freshmen, including Devin Bray of Missoula, Tyler Tharp of Sunburst and Mason McDunn of Great Falls. Bray and Tharp are Montana All-State golfers who will also play basketball at MSU-N. The women’s team is not quite so young, thanks to the return of seniors Ashley Hooper of Ryegate and Kirsten Bense of Glasgow.

Carrigan Jones of Harlem and Molly Kreycik of Douglas, Wyoming, also bring back valuable experience. Yet, the Skylights also have three youngsters in Whitney Bahms of Pendleton, Oregon, Diana Ball of Harlem and Mariah Adsem of Helena, who should each have a chance to contribute.

“We will have to have some kind of playoff for our women’s team,” Boles said. “We will have a playoff and the best player will earn that last spot. But, we do want to take all of

our kids to our first meet, so they each get a chance to gain some experience in Frontier golf, which is pretty tough. That’s only fair.”

Boles has been coaching the Lights and Skylights golf teams ever since the women's program was started over a decade ago. The men's program was added some years later, and the teams have now been a staple of the Frontier Conference.

Other schools in the league that compete in golf include Rocky Mountain College, Lewis-Clark State, Carroll College and Montana Tech.

The Lights and Skylights will open their season at a tournament in Shelby at the Marias Valley Golf Course. It will start Sept. 21 and conclude Sept. 22. Then, Northern will complete the fall portion of its schedule in Helena at a tournament hosted by Carroll College Sept. 28-29.

Following the tournament at Carroll, the Northern golf teams will take a break until the spring schedule kicks off April 4-5 in Lewistown, Idaho at the Lewis and Clark State tournament. And last but not least, the Lights and Skylights will compete in the Frontier Conference tournament, which will take place in Phoenix, Arizona April 19-20.

“We voted to have the Frontier tournament down in Arizona this year just at a different course,” Boles said. “At first, we were

a little concerned because of the cost, but we are going to do it again. It’s a great idea because it allows the kids to play and not have to worry about the weather. So, hopefully it’s something that we can keep doing.”

The Northern golf teams will start their 2015-16 seasons Sept. 20 in Shelby at a tournament MSU-N will be hosting.

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MSU-Northern

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

2015 Lights football already underway New Era: Northern is talented, but will face plenty of challenges this fall ■ From Page 2 a young receiver group led by the superathletic Jake Messerly and sophomore tight end Kagen Khameneh.

"To be successful offensively, we have to run the football well," Christensen said.

"Our running game has to be good. I think we have a really good group of returning guys in our running game, and it starts with our running backs.

"Zach and Mario are both very good running backs," he continued. "But what's just as important is what they do off the field.

Yes, they're both really good athletes and really good football players, but they are also just really good kids. They are good students and they are leaders, and that's really important. It would be hard to find any football team out there that has two running backs like those two."

Of course, the key to a good running game isn't just turning around and handing off to talents like McKinley, who already holds 10 different Northern rushing records, and who is on track to break Stephen Silva's all-time rushing record of 2,856 yards. No, to be great in the running game, the offensive line must be good, too, and Christensen thinks he has a good one this season.

Led by returners Morales (6-2, 295) and Matt McKeen (6-2, 290), the Lights are big up front. Northern's starting five on the line — which also includes newcomers Jeremy Eisenmann (6-3, 250), Clint Willis (6-6, 280)

and Jacob Folk (6-4, 335) — averages 290 pounds, and though the Lights are starting four new players up front, they look to have the pieces in place to have an outstanding season running the football.

"If you look at what's the strength of our offense right now, it's certainly the running game and our offensive line," Christensen said. "Pete Morales is a really good football player, and we have Matt McKeen back.

Jeremy Eisenmann has also really stepped up and is playing well right now. So I think the line is going to do a really good job for us, and that's important because one of the things we talk about a lot is wanting to be a very physical football team."

The Lights are also looking sharp on the defensive front, led by All-Conference defensive end Tyler Craig, as well as end Jordan Brusio and tackle Pat Barnett. That front could be the strength of the entire MSU-N team. Add in linebackers Tucker Dunn and Garet Fowler and cornerback Malcolm Manuel and the Lights have a defense that returns a host of starting experience and veteran leadership.

While Craig is touted as one of the top defensive players in the league, his mates along the defensive line are also very good.

Fellow defensive end Jordan Brusio (5-11, 240) had 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season, and he’ll benefit greatly from so much attention being paid to Craig this

season. On the inside, MSU-N starts two outstanding tackles, led by Patrick Barnett (6-2, 265), who is both a pass rusher and run stopper. Add in the talents of Lane Urick (6-1, 285), as well as promising backups like Josh Loutzenhiser (6-1, 255) and Linwood Kirkland (6-0, 260) and the Lights should be very formidable up front.

And in actuality, the Lights’ front seven could pose a serious challenge this season for opposing offenses. Junior Tucker Dunn (6-1, 225) is MSU-N’s top returning tackler after registering 71 tackles and seven TFLs last year. And fellow linebacker Garet Fowler (5-10, 205) saw plenty of time a season ago. Jonathan McGinnis (6-1, 205) will also start on the outside, while sophomore Jesse Morales (6-0, 210) should see significant time as well.

“The strength of our defense is our line,” Christensen said. “Tyler Craig is a really good football player who has worked really hard to get even better. Pat Barnett is another guy who I think is a really good football player, and as a group, the guys on the line have a lot of experience and have played together.

“And I think our entire front seven will be really strong,” he continued. “With Tucker Dunn and Garet Fowler back from last year, we have some experienced linebackers. So I think our defense has a chance to do some great things this season.”

Indeed, Northern even returns some expe-

Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern running back Zach McKinley, right, is one of the best running backs in all of NAIA football this season. He's also on pace to shatter Northern's career rushing record this season.

www.havredailynews.com Lights Football Schedule

Sept. 12

at Rocky Mountain

Sept. 19

vs. UM Western

Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 14

at Southern Oregon BYE vs. College of Idaho at Montana Tech vs. Eastern Oregon at Carroll College at UM Western vs. Rocky Mountain

will be breaking in some new players there.

With cornerback Manuel (5-9, 170) back for his senior season, and Garrett Jericoff (5-9, 195) sliding into a starting safety position, the Lights have some stability in the secondary, even with the losses of two of the top tacklers on the team in 2014 in safeties Hunter Chandler and Butch Hyder.

“We have a lot of athleticism on this team.

I think we got a great freshman class,” Christensen said. “We are young, but we do have good leadership and experience at key positions, too. There is a lot of talent on this football team. The big thing is just learning to play and learning to win at this level. That’s something we have to do.”

While the Lights have a wealth of returning experience on defense, the same can’t be said for the kicking game. Instead, Christensen is breaking in two new players to do the kicking.

The place kicking duties will fall on the shoulders of transfer Jaime Toscano (5-8, 210).

He’ll replace All-Conference standout Jordan Rueschhoff, who was stellar for the Lights the last two seasons. The punting job will go to fellow transfer Dillon Barnes (6-0, 160), and Christensen is excited about what both players bring to the table.

In the return game, Jake Messerly (6-1, 195) has been a stalwart for the Lights and is explosive as both a kickoff and punt returner. After Messerly, the Lights will be working in new returners, but with his explosiveness, MSU-N could be very dangerous in the return game this season.

Winning right away in the Frontier will be a challenge for the Lights, who ranked at the bottom of the conference in both scoring and scoring defense a season ago. Add to that the conference boasts the defending NAIA national champion in the Southern Oregon Raiders, as well as perennial NAIA powerhouse Carroll College and nationally-ranked Eastern Oregon, and wins are extremely hard to come by.

Still, optimism is high at Northern right now, as a new era gets ready to begin, and Christensen says that while it might be cliché, the only thing that matters is what his Lights do in the present.

“I feel like we can win here, I’ve felt that way since I got here,” Christensen said. “But as far as success this season goes, it’s really hard to say what is successful and what isn’t. I know it’s cliché, but really, all we’re trying to do is win our next game. We’re just trying to be 1-0 each week. If we do that, and we consistently improve week after week, then we’ll be successful this season.”

Next up for Northern is a road trip to Rocky Mountain College, followed by its homecoming game aganst the UM-Western Bulldogs on Sept.

19 at the Blue Pony Stadium. The Lights round out the month of September with a road trip to defending NAIA national champion Southern Oregon, Sept. 26.