Chapman Teams Start Season Friday

The Chapman men’s and women’s basketball teams open their seasons with games Friday.

The men’s team, coached by Mike Bokosky, hosts L.I.F.E. Bible College at 8 p.m. in Hutton Sports Center. On Saturday, the Panthers host Southwestern College of Phoenix, also at 8.

Bokosky will begin his seventh season without the bench support he had last season. Assistant coaches Richard Bossenmeyer and Bob Thornton recently left after one season to join Coach Bob Hawking’s staff at Cal State Fullerton, leaving Brian Wood as Bokosky’s only assistant. Wood, who played basketball for the Titans and Panthers, begins his third season.

Top returners for Chapman, 12-11 last season, are senior guard Derek Mitchell (Cypress High), junior guard/forward Nate Strange (Fountain Valley) and sophomore guard Tim Werdel (Santa Ana Valley).

The women’s team, coached by Mary Hegarty, will play in the Redlands tournament Friday and Saturday. The Panthers’ first home game is Nov. 25 against Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

The top returner is senior forward Lyndsay Brown (Esperanza), the only Panther to average in double figures (16 points) last season. Also coming back are junior forward Stephanie Flaxbeard, junior center April Abeyta and sophomore guard Shamekia Perkins (Tustin).

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Concordia junior forward Brian Vander Wal, held scoreless in the Eagles’ season-opening, 88-50, victory over visiting La Sierra Nov. 10, responded with a perfect night of shooting Saturday against Dominican.

Vander Wal, who attended Cerritos Valley Christian, made all five of his field-goal attempts and all six of his free throws for a total of 16 points. He added 12 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal during the 81-56 victory.

In a school press release, Coach Greg Marshall called Vander Wal’s performance “almost perfect.” What did he miss, coach?

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Mike Sterner’s assist in Chapman’s 2-1 loss to Pacific University in the second round of the NCAA Division III West Regional men’s soccer playoffs Saturday gave him the school career record for points with 101. The previous mark was 100 by Eddie Alvarez (1980-83).

Sterner scored a school-record 44 goals in four seasons for the Panthers, who finished 12-8-1 this year.