UMC Golden Eagle News Archive:
June 6, 2006 - July 1, 2009

(Crookston, Minn.)- Tonight in Lysaker Gymnasium there was a maroon and gold war between the University of Minnesota, Crookston and the University of Minnesota, Duluth. It was a game that saw the Bulldogs of Duluth barely edge out a win over the Golden Eagles with a final of 76-73.

In a physical first half, the Golden Eagles went into the locker room down 37-35. U of M, Crookston’s Matt Pelzer (Jr., G, St. Cloud, Minn.) led the team with 10 points (4-4 from the field) and added two rebounds.  Justin Peddycoart (Jr., C, Springfield, Ill.) worked the post scoring eight points, blocked a shot and grabbed four rebounds.  The first 20 minutes were a rollercoaster as the lead changed six times and was tied nine times.  For the Bulldogs, Brian Sykora played the post well as he scored 16 points and stole two passes.  Both teams played well down low and contributed 22 points in the paint combined.

The second half was just as exciting as the first. The lead change eight times and the score was tied 14 times overall.  The hero of the half for the Golden Eagles came in the form of Joey Kollar (Sr., F, Norwood-Young America, Minn.) who scored a season high 17 points in the second half after a scoreless first half.  His hustle contributed to two steals and two rebounds on the night. Tonight brought two career-tying performances from Peddycoart and Pelzer as both young men scored 10 points in the game.  Akeem Cubie (Fr., G, Minneapolis, Minn.) had a solid night on the court for Minnesota, Crookston scoring 14 points, 13 of which came in the second half.  Bryce Cummings (Soph., G, Mukwanago, Wis.) distributed the ball to his teammates effectively, dishing five assists on the night.  Cummings also was the go-to player on the game-winning shot that took a bad bounce out of the rim as time expired.  Minnesota Duluth’s Jordan Nuness led all scorers with 26 points and four assists. His teammate Brian Sykora scored 24 points (10-21 from the field) and grabbed nine rebounds to go with three steals.

Tonight’s loss brings the Golden Eagles to 2-7 overall on the season, while the Bulldogs of Duluth improve to 7-3 overall.  The University of Minnesota, Crookston will be back in action Friday night at 7:00 pm in Lysaker Gymnasium against University of Minnesota, Morris. 

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com  

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Golden Eagle Hockey is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

(Story written by Matt Scheerer, Sports Information Intern)