University of Minnesota Duluth fans paying close attention to the women’s ice hockey competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics will surely see and hear some familiar faces and names, since as many as 10 of the program’s current and former student-athletes could be skating for their respective nations in Torino, Italy, next month.

Five former Bulldogs and one current member of the squad already have been selected to national teams scheduled to compete at the upcoming Olympics. Freshman forward Michaela Lanzl, who leads the nation with five game-winning scores, will represent her native Germany. Former members of the three-time NCAA national championship program who also will compete on behalf of their countries include Jenny Potter (United States), Caroline Ouellette (Canada), Patricia Sautter-Elsmore (Switzerland), and Maria Rooth and Erika Holst (Sweden).

Another current standout student-athlete for Minnesota Duluth, forward Mari Pehkonen, along with former Bulldogs Satu Kiipeli, Nora Tallus and Anna-Kaisa Piiroinen also could earn spots on the Finnish National Team, which has yet to be finalized. Pehkonen, who is in her freshman campaign for the Bulldogs, has eight points, including a game-winning goal, to her credit this season.

Other Minnesota Duluth women’s ice hockey alumni who have appeared in past Olympiads include Hanne Sikio (2002) and Tuula Puputti (1998, 2002) of Finland and Russia’s Kristina Petrovskaia (2002).

USA South institutions display ‘can-do’ attitude

Greensboro College outdistanced its fellow USA South Athletic Conference members in a different kind of league championship that benefited communities sur-

rounding each school. The Pride collected 3,863 canned goods and nonperishables to win the “Cans Across the Conference” food-drive competition.

Launched by the league’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the food drive generated a total of 16,619 items that ultimately were distributed to food banks, the Salvation Army, churches and other community outlets of each school’s choosing.

Rounding out the top three finishers in the eight-school race were Christopher Newport University, which collected 3,547 cans and Methodist College, which was credited with 2,820 items.

Each member institution’s  SAAC used a variety of methods to collect as many canned foods and nonperishable items as possible between October 3 and November 17. For example, Ferrum College student-athletes spent Halloween trick-or-treating in search of canned goods. Methodist pitted athletics teams against each other to see which squad could collect the most items, while Peace College held an 1980s-themed prom and charged an admission fee of 15 canned goods.

Conference Commissioner Rita Wiggs said, “Our SAAC initiated the Cans Across the Conference food drive last fall to assist those less fortunate in their communities. The need is magnified this year by the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disasters. We are grateful to all who supported this initiative and bless those who will feel its benefits in a time of need.”  

Greensboro will be presented with a trophy at a future date recognizing its first-place finish. The conference plans to make the food drive an annual event.

Henderson State SAAC creates special rec league

Jared “Skippy” Goff died more than a year ago at the age of 14 in a four-wheeler accident. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Henderson State University is helping to sustain the legacy of Goff’s love of sport through a youth basketball league at a local elementary school.

Fifty-five Perritt Primary School first-graders composed the Jared “Skippy” Goff Memorial Basketball League. The youths were divided into four boys’ teams and three girls’ teams for league play that ran twice a week for three weeks in November at the Arkadelphia (Arkansas) Recreation Center. Members of the SAAC and the sports management class at Henderson State introduced basic basketball skills to participants during a physical education class and also served as coaches.

The idea for the memorial league came from David Thigpen, an assistant director of athletics and former head women’s basketball coach at Henderson State, who coached Goff in several sports through the local recreation department. Goff also was close friends with Thigpen’s son and daughter.

Plans already are underway to expand the league by one grade per year until there are teams representing grades one through six. In the spring, the SAAC also is organizing a Super Stars Clinic for league participants that will focus on instruction in fitness.