Jess Thelemann fights for rebound against a Sibley East opponent last Thursday. LS-H won (Photo by James Brenno)


Royals end Giants streak

LS-H had won three MRC games in a row

by James Brenno, editor

The Le Sueur-Henderson girls basketball team’s mid-to late-season turnaround hit a minor roadblock Monday evening as the Giants fell to the No. 6 ranked team in Class 2A Watertown-Mayer 94-72 in Watertown.
But before the loss to the Royals, the Giants had reeled off three consecutive wins against Minnesota River Valley opponents, which included Belle Plaine, Tri-City United and Sibley East.
What makes these latest wins even more impressive is the fact the Giants had lost to two of those three teams earlier in the season.
In fact, LS-H had fallen to both Belle Plaine and Sibley East by 11 points back in earlier December.
The Giants, in turn, defeated Belle Plaine 65-59 at Belle Plaine two weeks ago and smoked Sibley East 64-52 on Thursday in Le Sueur.
The Giants, now 6-13 on the season and 4-8 in the MRC, will get two more chances to improve their conference record this year as they’ll host Norwood-Young America on Friday and then finish off their conference schedule next Thursday, Feb. 16 as they travel to Mayer Lutheran.

LS-H 64, Sibley East 52
The Giants started hot, cooled off, but finished strong against Sibley East last Thursday winning 64-52.
“We came out really strong in the game and seemed to have everything pretty much under control early,” head coach Don Marcussenn said. “The lead was at 18 points (30-12) with two minutes left before halftime and then the wheels fell off.”
The Giants turned over the ball on six of the next seven possesions which led to a 12-0 Sibley East run leading into halftime.
At haftime it was 30-24, with LS-H ahead.
Sibley East managed to take a brief lead early in the second half before the Giants poured it on.
“We tightened up the defense, made some nice passes on our offensive side of the floor, knocked some free throws down, and built our lead back up to 14 points. A couple of months ago, we wouldn’t have won that game, but the girls are playing at a little different confidence level right now.  We still have to learn to put teams away when we have the chance and not let up,” coach Marcussen commented.
Gretta Schultz sported another double-double on the season finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Schultz also dished out four assists and had three steals.
Jess Thelemann scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds and Callie Boelter dropped in 10 points and had six rebounds.
Mary Heinz had seven points and team high five assists and Amber Zeiher finished with four points and seven rebounds.
  




   

   

Giants split pair of duals

By Troy Koester
Staff Writer

The LS-H wrestling team split a pair of duals last week, then had eight place winners at Mankato East on Saturday to help it earn fourth place in the eight team Mankato East tournament.
Chris Pfarr (145) and Brett Pfarr (170) took home top honors. Heavyweight Aaron Bruihler and Austin Anderly (106) finished second, and Austin Pagel (220) and Jarek Connelly (182 third place). Mark O’Connell placed fourth and John Klein fifth as the Giants compiled 135.5 team points, behind champion Watertown-Mayer (175), Maple River (156.6) and Annandale-Maple Lake (156).
 On Thursday night in LeSueur, LS-H beat Waseca 52- 24. Anderly, Casey Weldon, Poole and Brett Pfarr won by fall. The Giants were then defeated by WEM/JWP 44-31. Brent O’Connell and Pagel won by fall.
 LS-H will have a lengthy break before the Section tournament starts next Thursday night. LCWM is ranked #7 in the state and would be the favorite to defend their crown. St. James is receiving recognition in the state polls. Le Sueur Henderson and Sibley East could also make a strong bid for an upset. Seeding and first-round sites will be determined next week. The team competition is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 20.


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 Giants pick up win against Redbirds

   Although it has been a tough stretch for the Le Sueur-Henderson boys basketball team, the Giants managed a solid victory over Minnesota River Conference opponent Montgomery-Lonsdale 67-56 last Friday at Hilltop.
   The boys had dropped seven in-a-row before the win, including a tough 62-57 loss to Belle Plaine at Belle Plaine  last Tuesday. LS-H had last won on January 3 against, believe it or not, Montgomery-Lonsdale. Then, the Giants won 66-55.
   The win improves the Giants to 5-13 on the season and 3-7 in the Minnesota River Conference.
LS-H will host Sibley East this Thursday at Hilltop Elementary. The Wolverines are currently one game ahead of the Giants in the MRC standings. The Giants will travel to Watertown-Mayer to face the No. 8 ranked Royals next Tuesday, February 14.
-JB
 

Bulldogs down both East, West

Dogs fell to New
Ulm 4-2 last Tuesday
 

The Bulldogs pursuit of a piece of the South Central Conference title came to an end last week as the New Ulm Eagles slipped by the Bulldogs by a score of 4-2.
The loss essentially sealed the title for the Eagles, who improved to 5-0 in conference play while the Bulldogs dropped to 3-2 and remain in second place in the SCC.
There are a couple of SCC contests left in the regular season, but the Bulldogs and the Eagles won’t face each other again.
The Bulldogs did bounce back from the loss to shutout Mankato East 7-0 on Thursday and scored a 4-1 win over Mankato West on Monday. The Dawgs improved to 15-5 on the season and have won 12 of the past 14 contests.

Bulldogs 7,
Mankato East 0
The Dawgs poured it on early against Mankato East, dropping in three goals apiece in both the first and second period.
Jack Swanberg led the attack with two goals and two assists.
Swanberg was followed Brock Solomon and Austin Braun who both sported two goals and one assist.
Zach Steuck sported the other goal and also had two assists. Logan Connor, Robbie D’Amato, Ryan Moriarty, Jonathan Favre, Luke Regner, Ryan Hoehn and Jordan Wilmes each had one assist.
Goalie Chris Amsden finished the game with six saves as Mankato East managed only six shots on goal for the entire game. This was second time this season that Amsden shutout East and his seventh shutout of the season.
The Bulldogs finished with 36 shots on goal against Mankato East.

Bulldogs 4,
Mankato West 1
Against the better of the two Mankato schools, the Bulldogs skated their way to a 4-1 win over Mankato West on Monday.
The Bulldogs hit West with a balanced attacked with four different players dropping in goals.
Cole Shaughnessy, Logan Connor, Mitch Skluzacek and Wilmes each scored a goal while Braun, Regner and Swanberg each sported one assist.
The Bulldogs dropped two goals in the first and third periods. West scored once in the third period.
For the game, Amsden had 52 saves on 53 shots on goal. The Bulldogs sported 21 shots on goal.

Bulldogs 2, New Ulm 4
For what was perhaps the title match for the South Central Conference, the New Ulm Eagles defeated the Bulldogs at home for the second time this season last Tuesday.
New Ulm won 4-2. Earlier in the season, the Eagles had defeated the Bulldogs 2-1 in New Ulm.
Both the Bulldogs and the Eagles had scored one in the first period, but it was a two-goal second period that opened the contest for New Ulm.
Swanberg and D’Amato scored the two goals for the Dawgs while Braun, Shaughnessy and Wilmes each finished with one assist.
Amsden had 32 saves. The Bulldogs ended the contest with 17 shots on goal to New Ulm’s 35.
The Bulldogs have five contests left in the season including one against SCC rival Waseca. Waseca in currently third in the SCC behind the Bulldogs. The Dawgs will face Two Harbors this Thursday and Waseca this Friday.
-JB

    

Bulldogs down Luverne, Worthington

The girls hockey team finished the regular season on a high note winning four of the last six contests including two last week against Luverne, 7-1, and Worthington, 10-0. The Dawgs did fall to New Ulm, 5-3, and Dodge Center, 4-0, last week.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season 11-13-1 on the season and 2-3-1 in conference play and will start the playoffs as a No. 6 seed against No. 3 seed Hutchinson in Hutch. The Dawgs lost to Hutch 10-0 earlier in the season.

Bulldogs 3, New Ulm 5
Megan Bittner had two goals and Libby McCoy had one but it wasn’t enough against New Ulm as the Dawgs lost 5-3 last week.
Alison Plieseis, Shannon Meyer and Alexis Filzen each sported one assist.
Veronica Sinell had 35 saves.

Bulldogs 10, Fairmont 1
In their last SCC contest of the season, the Bulldogs put on an offensive show beating Fairmont 10-1 last Saturday. Meyer led the Bulldogs with three goals and two assists. Filzen finished with two goals and two assists and Maddie Kleschult chipped in two goals and one assist.
Kelsey Skelly, Bailey Wilmes and Libby McCoy each sported one goal.
Sinell sported 12 saves.
-JB