Butler News - CampusNews

Bulldogs Win Pioneer Football League

Butler’s record-setting football season will continue. The Bulldogs assured that with a heart-pounding 20-17 victory over Drake in a Pioneer Football League showdown at the Butler Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 21.

The win, which came on Butler’s final play of the game, gave the Bulldogs a school-record 10 wins against just one setback and a share of the PFL crown with Dayton. Since the Bulldogs defeated Dayton during the regular season, Butler will be the host of the Gridiron Classic, pitting the champs of the PFL and the Northeast Conference, the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, on Saturday, Dec. 5. That game will be played at the Butler Bowl, starting at 12 noon.

Sophomore David Lang kicked a 27-yard field goal with 0:01 left on the clock to give Butler a 20-17 lead. And when Jeff Larsen made the final tackle following multiple laterals on the ensuing kickoff, Butler had the PFL championship.

“A group of guys would never deserve anything more than this,” said Butler head coach Jeff Voris after the team’s game-ending celebration. “The effort that they’ve put in since August and some of them for four years has been unbelievable. They earned it, not just today, but over time.”

Butler, picked fifth in the league’s preseason poll, earned its first PFL title since 1994 and its second overall. This year’s squad became the first in school history to record 10 victories, breaking the mark it had shared with five previous Butler teams.

And the Bulldogs will be playing in a post-season game for the first time since 1991, when Butler participated in the NCAA Division II playoffs at eventual national champ Pittsburg State.

The road to this year’s title was anything but easy. Butler defeated Morehead State, 28-21 in overtime, and beat San Diego, 25-24, on a 37-yard field goal by Lang in the closing seconds. The Bulldogs pulled out a three-point win at Dayton, stopping the Flyers’ final play just inches short of the goal-line, and picked up a seven-point win against Davidson.

But the finale against Drake may have topped them all for drama.

“It’s kind of been the make-up of this team,” noted Voris. “The defense has never really let anyone run away from us and we’ve competed on offense, made plays on special teams and done whatever it takes to give us that opportunity. We play the play. They’re not concerned about what just happened; they’re looking for their next opportunity.”

It was Drake that took advantage of the first opportunity, turning a Butler fumble at midfield into a 23-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game. And the visitors had another opportunity minutes later after recovering another Butler fumble, but couldn’t move the ball against Butler’s resilient defense.

Butler eventually tied the game on a 29-yard field goal by Lang with 11 seconds left in the second period.

Drake hit first in the third quarter, following another Butler fumble and a 21-yard return by Ben Morrison to the Butler seven-yard line. Pat Cashmore found the end zone on the first play to put the visitors back on top, 10-3.

Butler struck right back, taking the ensuing kickoff and marching 71 yards in three plays to tie the game. The big play was a 47-yard run by tailback Ryan Hitchcock, setting up an 18-yard end-around play to Jordan Koopman for the touchdown.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Butler took the lead for the first time on a 12-play, 90-yard drive that finished with a 32-yard Andrew Huck to Zach Watkins touchdown pass with 12:36 remaining. But Drake came right back to tie the game on a 53-yard Mike Piatkowski to Joey Orlando touchdown pass.

The closing minutes had drama for both teams. Butler had the ball at midfield with just under three minutes remaining, but Drake stopped the drive with an interception by Michael Lahart. Butler took it right back on a pass interception by Nick Caldicott, his second of the game, with 1:27 left.

“That was a huge play,” said Voris. “It was one of several huge defensive plays in the game.”

Butler started the game-winning drive at the Drake 49-yard line with 43 seconds remaining. Huck moved the team to the Drake 33-yard line with 18 seconds remaining, and there he found Watkins with a sideline pass at the Drake 14-yard line. A five-yard run by tailback Scott Gray put the ball on the nine-yard line with four seconds remaining, settin the stage for Lang’s second game-winning field goal this season.

“We were preparing for overtime, but getting the ball back on that interception when we did gave us all the time we needed,” noted Voris. “We had timeouts and we just had to get it in field goal range. The team had all the confidence in the world on that final play.”

Butler out-gained Drake, 349-249. Gray led Butler’s rushers with 69 yards on 15 carries, while Hitchcock added 60 yards on seven attempts. Huck completed 24 of 35 passes for 234 yards and Watkins had 11 catches for 109 yards. Linebacker Derek Guggenberger paced Butler’s defense with 11 tackles.

Senior wide receiver Dan Bohrer finished with four receptions for 38 yards, giving him 2,172 yards for his career. He’s four yards shy of the all-time Butler record, held by Eric Voss (1990-93). Bohrer holds Butler’s all-time records for receptions (185) and touchdown catches (22).

Butler's Role in Denim Drive a Success

Students involved in Butler University’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) collected 2,500 pairs of jeans from their city wide denim drive to aid the “Cotton. From Blue to Green” campaign. The program recycles old jeans into insulation that is then turned into insulation to build homes across the country.

The chapter’s contribution of 2,500 pairs of jeans is equivalent to 5,000 pounds of cotton and 8,300 feet of insulation. In total, Butler University’s PRSSA is able to donate enough cotton to insulate five homes.

“The national PRSSA encouraged us to do this on campus, but we wanted to expand our focus on the entire city,” said Evan Strange, president of Butler University’s PRSSA chapter. “This campaign has given our members real-world experience working on a public relations campaign. It’s encouraging our first attempt at this was such a success.”

PRSSA members organized several events to involve the entire Indianapolis community in the denim drive. An event at City Market offered donors free T-shirts and the opportunity to win Pacers tickets in exchange for old denim. Another event, dubbed “Pants for Pasta,” took place at Noodles & Co. in Broad Ripple. In exchange for a denim donation, Noodles & Co. gave away free meals.

The chapter also partnered with Key Club organizations at Ben Davis, Lawrence Central and Avon high schools from which more than1,000 pairs of jeans were collected. Other participants included School 84, IPS School 359 and Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, R.I.

Butler’s PRSSA chapter was one of eight colleges nationwide participating in the denim drive. “Cotton. From Blue to Green,” first created in 2006, serves as a grassroots student-run campaign that converts denim into UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation. Habitat for Humanity affiliates first received this recycled insulation in spring 2009. Areas affected by natural disasters have received top priority from the organization. For more information about the “Cotton: From Blue to Green” campaign visit http://www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org/.

Green Bay Edges Bulldogs for Horizon League Soccer Title

Goalkeeper Ryan Wehking stopped three penalty kicks to lift Green Bay past Butler in the 2009 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Championship match at the Butler Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 15. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie through two overtime periods, setting up the first penalty kick situation in Horizon League championship match history.

Wehking stopped Butler’s first penalty kick attempt by Boris Gatzky to give his team the advantage, and he later stopped an attempt by Jared Isenthal after successful kicks by Julian Cardona and Ben Sippola. Green Bay’s first three attempts by David Prochazka, David Znaty and Francois Basty were successful, before Butler goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler deflected the attempt of Horizon League Player of the Year JC Banks.

Green Bay’s goalkeeper then sealed the decision by blocking Butler’s final attempt by Conner Burt. The stop gave Green Bay (14-2-3) its first Horizon League Men’s Soccer Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The match was exactly what would have been expected from the league’s top two teams. The #23-ranked Bulldogs (14-2-2) had a 16-11 advantage in shots for the contest, and both teams attempted three shots in the two overtime periods. Butler out-shot the Phoenix, 11-7 in the second half, but couldn’t slip one past Wehking.

Knopfler finished with four saves in the match, while recording his fifth shutout of the season. Wehking had two saves and picked up his ninth shutout. Sophomore Matt Hedges, who hit the cross bar with a shot in the second half, and Cardona had Butler’s two shots on goal.

Gatzky, Sippola and midfielder Kyle VondenBenken each were named to the 11-player All-Tournament Team. Also selected were Wehking, Banks, Prochazka and Scott Raymonds of Green Bay, Danny Jeftich and Adrian Ortiz of Valparaiso and Slavisa Ubiparipovic and Marco DiFranco of Cleveland State. Wehking was named the tournament’s MVP.

Men's Basketball Team Beats Evansville, 64-60

Shelvin Mack scored 17 points and Gordon Hayward hit 11-of-12 free throws to lead the Bulldogs over the Evansville Purple Aces, 64-60, Saturday night in Evansville.

Butler, the No. 10 team in the country, overcame a cold-shooting night (14-of-50 from the field) to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The game was back and forth for the first 10 minutes before Mack scored five quick points to put Butler ahead 19-14. The Dawgs never relinquished the lead, and went ahead by as many as 11 points in the second half. Evansville pulled to within two in the last minute when Colt Ryan hit two consecutive three-pointers, but free throws by Mack and Hayward sealed the win.

Hayward finished with 15 points, Willie Veasley had 11 points and Matt Howard added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The Bulldogs are back in action Thursday against Minnesota in Anaheim, Calif., part of the 76 Classic tournament. Game time is 8:30 p.m. Their next home game is Saturday, Dec. 5, against Valparaiso.

Men's Soccer Team Plays for League Title Sunday

Junior Ben Sippola broke a scoreless deadlock early in the second half and senior Boris Gatzky added the eventual game-winner less than four minutes later to lift No. 1 seed Butler to a 2-1 victory over No. 4 seed Cleveland State in the second semifinal match of the 2009 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship at the Butler Bowl.

The Bulldogs will meet No. 2 seed Green Bay in the championship match Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. Butler advances to the league tournament final for the first time since 2003.

Sippola's goal came on Butler's 15^th shot of the match and ended a long string of near-misses for the Bulldogs, as BU controlled play throughout the contest. Butler (14-2-1) had a 14-3 shots advantage in the first half and it was just a matter of time before the Dogs found the back of the net.

Sippola's tally, his second of the season, came off a pass from teammate Michael Clayton. Senior Kyle VondenBenken also picked up an assist on the goal, which came at 49:31. The goal ended Butler's long drought against Cleveland State, as Butler didn't scored on the Vikings the last two times the teams played.

The Bulldogs (14-2-1) made it 2-0 less than four minutes later on a penalty kick by senior Boris Gatzky, his team-high seventh goal of the season. BU received the PK after a Cleveland State defender pulled down a Bulldog attacker in the box.

CSU, which finishes 2009 with a 7-8-4 record, answered in the 77^th minute to make things interesting. Marco DiFranco scored on a shot that hit the crossbar and deflected into the net to cut the Bulldog lead to 2-1. Slavisa Ubiparipovic, Cleveland State's leading scorer, assisted on the play.

The Vikings would not find the equalizer however, as Butler managed to kill the clock.

Butler finished with a 20-6 advantage in shots, including 7-3 in shots on goal. BU also had a 9-4 edge in corner kicks.

Gatzky finished with a match-high six shots, with three on goal. Sippola attempted three shots, and four other Bulldogs had two. Fabian Knopfler made two saves and played all 90 minutes in goal.

The win over the Vikings is Butler's 14^th, tied for the third most victories in a single season. It is also the team's highest win total since the 1998 squad went 19-5-1.

Freshman Recognized as Outstanding First-Generation Student

Freshman pre-physician assistant major, Emily M. Blanche, was one of 32 Indiana college students recognized as an outstanding first-generation student at the “Realizing the Dream” banquet on Nov. 7.

Made possible by a grant to Independent Colleges of Indiana from Lilly Endowment Inc., “Realizing the Dream” awards first-generation students who demonstrate high academic performance and leadership in their first year of college. Blanche received a $2,000 grant for her achievements.

A former teacher or counselor was nominated by each “Realizing the Dream” award recipient to receive a $1,000 professional development award for their role in influencing the student to attend college.

Blanche chose Kaitlyn Curtain, a now retired teacher from Marian High School, Mishawaka, Ind.

“I not only chose Mrs. Curtin for because she was an amazing teacher, but because she cared about me as a person and helped me to succeed. She was the one teacher I had who believed learning was more important than a grade,” Blanche said.

Curtin also gave Blanche advice on college applications and entrance essays, and wrote letters of recommendation on her behalf.

“She went above and beyond what was necessary to help me. A lot of what I learned from her has come in handy in my classes here at Butler.”

Contact: Nicole Hangartner
(317) 940-6561
nhangart@butler.edu

'The Butler Way: The Best of Butler Basketball' Available Now

How did a small liberal arts school in Indianapolis become a national power in college basketball? That's the question answered by author David Woods in The Butler Way: The Best of Butler Basketball (Blue River Press, November 2009).

Despite limited resources, unheralded recruits and coaching turnover, the Bulldogs continued to win the Butler Way – that is, with a team-oriented system revived by coach Barry Collier and credited to the legendary Tony Hinkle. Butler ended the 2008-09 season with a record of 85-17, fourth-best in the nation behind college basketball giants Memphis, North Carolina and Kansas.

Butler is a college version of Milan, the tiny high school that won Indiana's state championship in 1954 and inspired the movie Hoosiers. Scenes in the film were filmed in Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the Bulldogs are creating real-life drama.

The book identifies the best teams, players, coaches and games in Butler's storied basketball history. The author chronicles the rise of the Bulldogs during the 2000s without neglecting heroes of yesteryear.

Two of the latter are Ralph "Buckshot" O'Brien, the last Butler player in the NBA, and Bobby Plump, who made the winning basket for Milan and went on to play at Butler. There are also profiles on Matt Howard, Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, who are on the current incarnation of the Bulldogs – the first Butler team to climb into preseason national rankings.

Woods has been the Butler beat writer for The Indianapolis Star since 2001 and teaches sportswriting as an adjunct professor at Butler. The Urbana, Ill., native is a University of Illinois graduate. He has reported from five Olympic Games for The Star.

Butler Student Performs at Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Concert

Butler University student Joe Longardner will perform in the 13th annual Jazz on the Avenue concert, a holiday showcase sponsored by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation that will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Madame Walker Theatre ballroom, 617 Indiana Ave.

Longardner, who plays the tenor saxophone, received a scholarship from the foundation earlier this year.

This year’s Jazz on the Avenue concert features Steve Allee, Cynthia Layne, Everett Greene and Mary Moss. Jazz On The Avenue refers to the historic jazz legacy of Indiana Avenue, which once was home to some of the greatest jazz stars of all time.

Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door), including dinner and entertainment. They are available at the Madame Walker box office.

The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation (http://www.indyjazzfoundation.org/) is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for young jazz performers with scholarships and performances. It also commemorates Indianapolis jazz greats through the foundation’s Hall of Fame. (http://indyjazzfoundation.org/index.php/hall-of-fame )

Clowes Foundation Supports Clowes Hall with $500,000 Gift

The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation has donated $500,000 to Butler University for repairs to Clowes Memorial Hall.

The $500,000 gift will provide support to the Clowes Infrastructure Fund Project to ensure the physical integrity of the University’s 2,100-seat concert hall for years to come. The grant will be used to keep Clowes’ various internal systems up-to-date and take advantage of current technology to provide the optimal environment for performers, patrons and staff.

“As Clowes Hall approaches its 50th anniversary, there is critical need for a comprehensive study of the hall’s infrastructure – HVAC, plumbing, electrical and fire-detection systems,” Clowes Hall Executive Director Elise Kushigian said. “The gift will provide an engineering-based assessment of these systems as well as funding to begin the most urgent tasks identified by the assessment.”

The assessment is estimated to cost $150,000 and should be completed within nine months. Butler will identify firms with targeted expertise, some of which are already familiar with Clowes Hall. The master plan will also provide guidance on the most efficient and cost-effective means to implement its recommendations.

This initial phase of upgrading Clowes will be completed in summer 2010 for minimal disruption of University and public events.

Clowes Memorial Hall, which opened Oct. 18, 1963, was built in memory of the late Dr. George Henry Alexander Clowes, former research director for Eli Lilly & Co., who devoted his life to science and the arts. He conceived the idea of a multi-purpose hall to serve Indianapolis and the community as a center for all the entertaining arts. Funds to erect and complete the hall were subscribed by Clowes’ family, with his wife, Edith Whitehill Clowes as the principal donor, Butler University and a small circle of friends sharing in George Clowes’ devotion to the arts.

Allen Whitehill Clowes, one of George and Edith Clowes’ two sons, served on the Butler Board of Trustees for 24 years. He championed the concept of a Butler Performing Arts Complex, consisting of multiple performance venues at the university. The University honored him in August by naming a new performing arts instructional space in his memory, the Allen Whitehill Clowes Pavilion.

Contact Marc Allan
(317) 940-9822
mallan@butler.edu

School Counselor Association honors Keller, COE

Associate Professor of Education Tom Keller (left) was honored as Counselor Educator of the Year by the Indiana School Counselor Association (ISCA) at its annual conference awards luncheon on Nov.13. Keller has served as an ISCA board member, president, mentor trainer, and invited conference presenter.

Dean Ena Shelley accepted an award from the association, recognizing the Butler College of Education’s support of ISCA. COE has provided facilities for school counselor mentor training and ISCA board meetings as well as tote bags distributed to the 2008 conference participants. Shown at the awards banquet, below left to right, are Dana Altemeyer COE BS ’04, MS Counseling ’07; Ena Shelley; Associate Provost for Student Academic Affairs Carol Hagans and Professor Emeritus John Bloom. (Photos curtesy of Ronald Goodman.)