by Danny Kotula | Feb 6, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s soccer team started their 2021 season off right with a 3-1 home victory over the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday. In a complete team performance, the Bisons produced three goals and only conceded one from a late penalty kick. In the attack, freshman forward Javanne Smith scored a brace and added an assist, having a hand in all three of Lipscomb’s goals on the night. The Nottingham, UK native is starting life as a Bison in excellent form after scoring two goals in the space of five minutes. Smith’s goals came in the 65th and 70th minutes, putting the game to bed midway through the second half after Tyrece Spicer opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Spicer, also a freshman, added a goal on his only shot attempt of the match. After scoring early on in Lipscomb’s exhibition match against UAB, the Trinidad and Tobago international student is making a name for himself with his goal-scoring abilities. Signal Mountain-born Thomas Priest anchored the midfield, lasting all 90 minutes in primarily a defensive midfield role. The redshirt sophomore was the only midfielder to play the entire match. Center-back Honore Kalala led a stalwart defensive unit for the Bisons. Including the two exhibition matches, the Danish defender is the only player to have played every minute of every match this year. To his left, Louis Robinson enjoyed plenty of success in his new role at left-back. His electricity down the wing provided plenty of chances, while his defensive intensity stopped multiple attacking chances at the other end. True freshman Will Turner also impressed on the backline, working...
by Mckenzi Harris | Feb 6, 2021 | News, News Slider
This morning president Lowry announced his departure from the role of President of Lipscomb University after 16 years. While President Lowry and his wife Rhonda Lowry will still be around as the transition to chancellor will take place next semester. In an email to the Lipscomb community, President Lowry shared the following. “Earlier this morning at the Board of Trustees meeting, I officially announced that after 16 years as president of this exceptional institution, I will transition to the role of chancellor in the near future. I will remain as president through the summer until a successor is in place following a national search. At that time, Rhonda and I will take a sabbatical and we will return renewed and energized to continue to serve this institution.” “The transition to chancellor is something we and the board have envisioned for a long time. While perhaps less familiar in our history, it is a common approach used by universities to capture the benefits of one’s presidential era and to continue that influence for the institution into the future.” “I will also engage through my faculty appointment, and look forward to working with students in our College of Leadership & Public Service.” President Lowry hopes that the transition will go smoothly and that his successor will be able to do more than even he was for the university. “The greatest compliment to someone who has tried to lead is that those who come after can do even more.” President Lowry will continue his presidency through to May of 2021. “There is no greater privilege and honor than having served as your president...
by Micah Kennedy | Feb 6, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The end of a COVID-induced 441-day offseason began with disappointment for Lipscomb’s women’s soccer team. The Bisons fell to the Lee University Lady Flames 2-1 in a game that served as a huge boost to the D-II team in its eight-game virus-abbreviated season. In the early going of the first half, the Lady Bisons came out aggressive and on the attack. They applied pressure to the Lee defense and goalkeeper Jacqueline Burns rose to the occasion with five saves in the first six minutes of the half. The Lady Bisons defense was solid early as well, keeping Lee from attacking the final third of the field with only two shot attempts approaching the 40-minute mark. The complexion of the first half changed as Lee’s resilient bunch adjusted to Lipscomb’s high press and pieced enough productive touches to set up a Kelsey Yoder goal assisted by Mallory Hayden [40:57]. That 1-0 score would hold going into halftime with the Lady Bisons entering the half as the more aggressive team with very realistic hopes that later shot opportunities would score. As the second half progressed, Lee looked more poised and confident with the ball and the backline of their defense was stout as well. Lipscomb remained aggressive offensively with six more shot attempts by the 74-minute mark. However, many of those attempts were not challenging shots that led to a few flat-footed saves by Burns. The aggressive Lady Bison offense was able to capitalize off a corner kick [73:52] and kept the ball in striking distance until Evee Reeder was able to convert a goal for Lipscomb off the assist from Emily...
by Micah Kennedy | Feb 5, 2021 | News, News Slider, Sports
It feels like it’s been over a year since we’ve last seen the women’s soccer team take the field. Well, that’s because it has been over a year. “It’s been 441 days from our last competition against Louisville…,” said coach O’Brien. “For the players, it’s been a long haul. 2020 was a tough year mentally for them.” Everything about the offseason has been far from normal, from its length, the state of the world, and the uncertainty that it brought players and fans alike. While so much in the world has changed, the back-to-back ASUN champs have experienced some changes on their roster as well. The team graduated seven seniors last year, and the roster currently features nine freshmen. Along with the large freshman class, the team has brought in three transfers from other D-I programs with coach O’Brien highlighting Kelli Beiler, a midfielder from Penn State, as one of the captains coming into the season. The team expects solid production from the experienced transfer group this year. Among the 15 returning players, Molly Grant, Katia Hanger, Logan McFadden, and Cami Rogers were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team. With the combination of talented newcomers and promising returners, expectations for the team to have a legitimate shot at a third consecutive ASUN title are inevitable. The Bisons’ selection as the favorite to finish first in the preseason coaches’ poll is just one example of those high expectations. Naturally, the team also has to deal with the perennial “target” on their backs as long as “defending ASUN champions” precedes their name. Teams around the ASUN will have their matchups with...
by Danny Kotula | Feb 5, 2021 | News, News Slider, Sports
It’s been a long time coming, but the Lipscomb men’s soccer team can finally look forward to a full season of soccer. In all likelihood, it will be a season well worth the wait, as head coach Charles Morrow is optimistic about the Bisons’ squad this year. He says he’s especially excited about the mix of veteran leaders and youthful exuberance within the team. “We’re younger upfront [than last year] and more veteran in defense. If you had to choose, that would probably be the way to go.” One of the reasons the Bisons are so experienced on the backline is Nottingham, England native Louis Robinson’s positional move. After playing mainly forward last year, he and his attacking prowess are moving to the left-back position. With attack-minded fullback Noah Gulden occupying the right-back position, there’s a lot of expectation being placed on the outside defenders to create attacking chances for the Bisons. Alongside those two junior fullbacks are returning starter Honore Kalala and junior Scott Gulden, occupying the starting center back slots. It’s a quality back four that knows what they’re capable of, so expect some clean sheets for the Bisons this year. Meanwhile, as Coach Morrow alluded to, there are plenty of new faces in the attacking ranks. Javanne Smith is a freshman who joins Lipscomb from Chesterfield FC, a club in the 5th tier of the English soccer system. “Javanne is a forward for us that we expect to have a big year as a freshman,” Coach Morrow said when asked about freshmen to expect big things from. Another freshman forward in the mix is Tyrece Spicer,...
by Kathryn Farris | Feb 2, 2021 | News, News Slider
“Bittersweet” is how Vice President of Student Life Al Sturgeon describes his decision to leave Lipscomb to fill the same job at a college in Illinois. But Sturgeon, who will leave in the next month or so for Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, describes his reason for taking the new job as “a calling.” “It’s very bittersweet,” says Sturgeon, who announced his departure in an email to students on January 31. “I hate to leave wonderful people, and there’s so many great things and programs happening here at Lipscomb” Sturgeon says he is following a “calling” to serve at a work-study college with a focus in education accessibility. “I’m a first-generation college student,” he said, explaining the fuel for that calling. “My dad was a high school dropout, and so the idea of affordability within social mobility is an important value to me.” In his two years at Lipscomb, Sturgeon gained popularity among students, even inspiring an “Al for President” page on Instagram. Sturgeon is both “flattered” and confused by the fanfare but says it might just indicate his time at Lipscomb was successful. “I know that what I wanted was for every student, every pocket of students and every type of student to feel equally valued. … When I hear people say that they felt love, that’s what I wanted.” Under Sturgeon, Lipscomb’s Student Life has been completely reconstructed (both figuratively and literally). This new organizational structure was one of Sturgeon’s initial goals for Lipscomb, he said, as he looks back on his tenure here. “I knew that I was coming in to reset the organizational structure of the Student Life...
