Daily Archives: February 4, 2012

FREEDOM - The top spot in the Eastern Valley Conference girls basketball standings was at stake Friday night when co-leaders Fox Valley Lutheran and Freedom met.

Knowing what was on line, the Foxes and Irish were focused on making it tough on each other, and did they ever.

Both defenses swarmed as the teams combined for just 25 field goals and 36 turnovers. It wasn’t a beauty, but in the end Freedom was OK with what it looked like.

The Irish, behind 18 points from Nichole Van Den Eng, took sole possession of first place in the EVC with a hard-fought 42-37 win.

Afterwards, Freedom coach Mike VanderLoop was pleased with his players’ effort.

“In this type of setting, outstanding,” VanderLoop said. “The girls laid it on the line against a very good team and we’re fortunate to get a win.”

Freedom was fortunate, based on its offensive play. Freedom was just 10-of-43 from the floor (23.3 percent) and committed 16 turnovers.

FVL continually made things tough for the Irish, who didn’t even get a field goal from leading scorer Erin Higgins, who made eight free throws. Higgins and the rest of her teammates, for the most part, struggled scoring inside as FVL was not shy about playing physical.

However, Van Den Eng figured things out. The junior entered the game averaging four points per game and only once this season had she scored even 10 points.

She picked a perfect time to have her best game of her career and VanderLoop knew she had it in her.

“Nichole stepped up,” VanderLoop said. “She scored some big baskets for us. We know Nichole is a solid offensive player, because she shows it on occasions.”

Van Den Eng said she was just trying to her best.

“The matchups are always different,” Van Den Eng said. “I just try to always do my best, do what I can on offense and defense. Tonight they were just falling and I was open.”

Freedom trailed only once in the game, 3-1, after a Katie Doell 3-pointer. However, the Irish could never put away FVL.

Freedom led 21-14 in the third quarter and looked poised to run away from FVL. Notwithstanding, the Foxes stayed close and trailed 26-21 with a quarter to play.

In the fourth, FVL scored the first five points – all from sophomore Grace Schultz – as the game was tied at 26-all. Freedom didn’t flinch, though, as it showed a champion’s resolve.

Freedom scored the next seven points, five coming from Van Den Eng, to open a 33-26 lead and then held on as Schultz scored 13 points in the quarter.

Van Den Eng said part of the reason Freedom won this game was a little payback from the teams’ first meeting this season in which FVL won 50-34.

“There was a lot of emotion going into this game,” Van Den Eng said. “I think everybody wanted it that much more because of what did happen at FVL last time.”

Another key was Freedom’s defense, which limited FVL to 15-of-39 shooting (38.5 percent) and forced 20 turnovers. Furthermore, FVL was only 5-of-19 at the free throw line. Van Den Eng knew the defense had to be strong.

“We always focus on our defense first, because with good defense things will happen on offense for us,” Van Den Eng said.

While the win was big, it doesn’t clinch anything for the Irish. Freedom still has five conference games left, including road games at Xavier (third place in the EVC) and Berlin (fourth place in the EVC).

“We just have to play every game like we have been,” Ven Den Eng said. “The past is the past; just keep working forward and finish strong.”

Freedom has won the last three EVC titles, so VanderLoop knows what it takes down the stretch to win a conference title. Nonetheless, he’s not satisfied.

Freedom entered the game having not reached 40 points in its previous three games and the reason it topped 40 Friday was FVL fouling at the end of the game. Freedom made just 10 baskets, but was 20-for-31 at the free throw line.

“I think we’re getting better each game,” VanderLoop said. “There’s a couple things we have to work on. We’ve been frustrated with our offense the last few games.”

Notes: Freedom is 74-6 in the EVC in the last five-plus seasons. … Freedom is 0-3 when opponents score 50-plus points. … Freedom has won 37 straight conference games at home. Last loss came to Ripon, Dec. 15, 2007. … Schultz’s 16 points were a career high, besting a 10-point performance earlier this season. … FVL plays Monday against Winnebago Lutheran, while Freedom plays at Little Chute on Thursday. Game ball: Van Den Eng, who picked the perfect time to have her best game. Numbers game: 15 Points Freedom outscored FVL at the free throw line (20-5).

FREEDOM 42, FOX VALLEY LUTHERAN 37
Fox Valley Lutheran…5 8 8 16- 37
Freedom………… ….10 7 9 16- 42
Fox Valley Lutheran (11-4, 9-2)
Katie Doell 8, Abby Radue 4, Taylor Hammer 3, Erin Riley 4, Grace Schultz 16, Morgan Dorchester 2. 3-PT: 2 (Doell 2). FG: 15-39. FT: 5-19. Turnovers: 20. F: 21 Fouled out: Abby Huntington.
Freedom (13-3, 10-1)
Nichole Van Den Eng 18, Erin Higgins 8, Kim Runge 11, Jessia Runge 2, Maddy Albers

Continued here:
Freedom tops FVL, takes hold of EVC

Freedom High School posted a school record 147.2 team score at the AAA Cedar Run District gymnastics meet Feb. 1 at Patriot High School. The Eagles topped runner-up Battlefield by more than five points to claim the team title.

Broad Run placed third with 127 points, followed by host Patriot (126.85) and an Osbourn team that features just one gymnast. Freedom - coached by Laura Wrighte - and Battlefield (141.6) advance as teams to the Northwest Region meet Feb. 11 at Stafford High School.

Arianna Robinson led the Eagles charge - winning three of four individual events on her way to the all-around title with a score of 38.725. Robinson set a school record on the vault with a 9.925.

Below is a look at all the Freedom gymnasts who qualified as individuals for the regional meet.

Vault
Evelyn Soon - 8.8 in 8th
Shannon Landry - 8.85 in 7th
Alexis Chaet and Alli Gibbs - 9.0 in 3rd
Arianna Robinson - 1st and a new school record 9.925

Bars
Evelyn Soon - 7.8 in 8th
Alexis Chaet - 8.275 in 6th
Shannon Landry - 8.725 in 3rd
Alli Gibbs - 8.775 in 2nd
Arianna Robinson - 9.525 in 1st

Beam
Alexis Chaet - 8.8 in 6th
Shannon Landry - 9.325 in 4th
Alli Gibbs - 9.55 in 2nd
Arianna Robinson - 9.625 in 1st

Floor
Alexis Chaet - 9.025 in 8th
Alli Gibbs - 9.5 in 4th
Shannon Landry and Arianna Robinson - 9.65 in 2nd

All Around
Alexis Chaet - 35.1 in 5th
Shannon Landry - 36.55 in 4th
Alli Gibbs - 36.825 in 3rd
Arianna Robinson - 38.725 in 1st

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Freedom gymnasts set school record, win Cedar Run title

For at least the fourth time in its young history, the San Diego-based littoral combat ship Freedom has developed a serious mechanical or structural problem, the latest which caused the vessel to experience minor flooding while it was operating off Southern California.

The 378-foot monohull Freedom "suffered a failure of the port shaft mechanical seal" on Wednesday night, said Lt. Jan Shultis, a spokeswoman for the Navy in San Diego. "Some water went into the ship's bilge. Freedom returned to port unassisted."

Shultis said engineers are evaluating what happened to Freedom's propulsion system, which is composed of engines and water jets. The high-speed vessel was undergoing sea trials offshore when the incident occurred.

Freedom is the first vessel in a new class of warship that was developed by an industry group led by Lockheed Martin. The LCS was designed to rapidly perform a wide variety of missions in shallow waters throughout the world. The ship was commissioned in November 2008 and has suffered a string of problems that have raised questions in Congress about the vessel's design, construction and cost.

In May 2010, Freedom developed problems with a water jet that had to be repaired at General Dynamics-NASSCO in San Diego. In September 2010, one of Freedom's gas turbines broke down, requiring the ship to cut short offshore operations. The engine had to be replaced. Then in February 2011 Freedom developed a 6.5-inch crack in its hull during sea trials. The vessel took on some water, but returned to port safely. The severity of Wednesday's propulsion has yet to be made clear.

Lt. Shultis said that Freedom -- which cost at least $537 million -- is the lead vessel in a newly-designed fleet of ships, so early problems are not unusual.

The Navy also is building a second type of LCS, known as the Independence class. The lead ship -- the largely aluminum trimaran Independence -- has suffered "aggressive corrosion" in its propulsion system. news of the problem, and those suffered by Freedom, led Congressman Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, to write to the Navy last summer and say, "I strongly urge the Navy to immediately conduct a formal review of the entire LCS program, provide an assessment of the technical design flaws of the current fleet and determine the best way forward to include the possibility of rebidding this contract so that the program can be put back on a fiscally responsible path to procurement."

Navy officials said it had the problems under control, and that the vessels would enter service in a timely manner. The first 16 LCS vessels will be stationed in San Diego.

Navy unveils plans for 16 littorals in San Diego

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Warship Freedom again breaks down at sea