Lance Kriesien Talks About Playing Football in Serbia

Lance Kriesien played for the Lumberjacks from 2005-08, finishing his career ninth on the career passing list for 3,522 yards, ninth in total offense with 4,704 yards, ninth in passing attempts with 507 and ninth in completions with 298. Overall, he contributed 38 touchdowns including 15 rushing, 21 passing touchdowns and four receiving in 33 career games.

BELGRADE, Serbia - So far, so good. We are well into our schedule and approaching the playoff season. We have been fortunate enough to find victory each week as we are currently 9-0 and undefeated in both out domestic and international leagues. The guys have been working hard all year and it is showing as we progress through our games: we are improving each week.

The coaches have kept us in favorable positions by getting ready for a fresh approach to each game while keeping things simple and allowing us to maximize our collective talents. Since my arrival, I have been impressed with my teammate's knowledge of the game and ability to adapt in game situations.

Their effort and the coaches savvy have allowed me to blossom as an athlete as I am currently leading the league in passing and rushing. I am surrounded by greatness!

So far we have had games against teams all over the country, Slovenia, and Croatia, as well as road games against an Austrian team. This week we travel to Budapest, Hungary to rematch a team we beat earlier in the season 53-35. The team is much improved and will provide another good test for us. Here is the game preview provided by the league:

http://www.european-league.com/preview/482/rematch-week.html

Traveling with the team is always a great experience. We are able to enjoy our journeys combining a light-hearted approach to the trip while maintaining a "business trip" mentality and purpose. We travel well and the teams needs are always met when are on the road. For me, it offers a chance for me to gain prospective as a traveler and player: my passport is definitely getting a workout too.

Living abroad has been an experience of a lifetime. Being able to further my career as a player and coach has truly been a blessing. Lately, I have learned a lot about myself as a person, player, and student of this game. Serbia has offered a unique opportunity to redefine life as an American.

During my down time, I have been able to take trips to 8 different countries where I have learned a lot about what life is like outside of the States. Which, in turn, has proved to be one of the things I have enjoyed the most during my time out here.

We have reached our goals thus far this season, but there is still much work to do. Anything less than a championship is unacceptable for us. I am looking forward to another great performance from my team as we move forward in our quest for a ring!

Ajmo Vukovi !

(let's go wolves - Serbian)

Also, the game is going to be televised regionally (Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro, etc.) . Click the following link for more information:

http://www.sportklub.info/programska-sema

Battle of the Lumberjacks: Round 1

Three former Lumberjack Football players are playing overseas in Germany: Conrad Meadows, Michael Herrick and Reid Worthington. They faced off on the field on May 19. In of a series of blog updates from overseas, including quarterback Lance Kriesen, who plays in Serbia, the Lumberjacks talk about their experiences.

By Conrad Meadows, Berlin Adler

We (Berlin Adler) traveled west to face Mike & Reid’s team, the New Yorker Lions, in Braunschweig, Germany, on Saturday the 19th of May. We pulled out a 21-7 victory. The game itself was very exciting. The fans in Braunschweig are very supportive of their team and are loud on every play making it hard for myself to hear my quarterbacks’ cadence and audibles. I was very impressed with the knowledge and passion of the fans out there.

As far as playing in the game it was a great experience. Reid and I had our share of jokes and words for each other on the field which made it fun. I only played a couple snaps on defense so Mike and I didn’t get to interact too much. However I flopped on a late hit out of bounds on the Lions sidelines and drew a 15-yard penalty.

The first New Yorker Lion player to greet me after the hit was Mike. Two weeks prior Mike and Reid came to Berlin and stayed with me for the weekend. Mike had spoken about that exact flop I used to do in college, and then I used it against his team in a close game during the 3rd quarter. I’m not sure if he thought it was so funny during the game. Anyways, both of our teams will be much improved when we play each other again in August.

Life in Berlin is exciting and full of entertainment. Any night of the week one can find great food or music along with other types of entertainment. Everyone in the Berlin Adler organization from the coaching staff, equipment staff, and training staff along with the guys on the team is great and welcoming.

My first bus trip back from my first away trip was unexplainable; these guys simply know how to have a good time. I’m living with a German, two British and an American (other import) and we all get along which makes life here much more comfortable.

We are 3-0 in the GFL and we start our Eurobowl run this weekend vs. United Kingdom’s London Blitz here in Berlin, Germany. 

By Reid Worthington, New Yorker Lions  
 

The game on Saturday was another great experience. It was fun lining up against Conrad and joking around on the field. There is only so much as an individual player you can control. I just go out every play, give it my best and have fun. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to play football one more time. Living here is different to say the least. I’m glad to have Mike with me. There are some great things in Germany like the culture, history and art. It’s been fun traveling and have new life experiences.

Lumber...Jack Murphy To Lead New Era of NAU Basketball

By Stayson Isobe, NAU Media Relations 

Today, Northern Arizona University ushers in a new era in Lumberjack men’s basketball. After what seems like months of anticipation, the Lumberjacks have a new basketball coach in Jack Murphy and the hiring has received hoots and hollers that could be heard from atop the San Francisco Peaks.

So who is Jack Murphy you say? Well although he’s just 32 years of age, Murphy has a wealth of experience under his belt at both the collegiate and professional levels. He started of his career at the University of Arizona, spending eight years under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson in a variety of positions. Hee began as a team manager, Murphy ascended up the ranks to recruiting coordinator, administrative assistant and video coordinator and finally took over as the director of operations.

Murphy played a big role in recruiting a high level of talent to UA, including future NBA talent such as Chase Budinger. While he was with the Wildcats, Arizona made eight-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, posting 20-plus victories in all eight seasons in the process and appeared in the national title game in 2001.

Following his stay at Arizona, Murphy moved on to the Denver Nuggets where he spent three years as an advance scout. While his main responsibilities involved scouting and breaking down game film of opponents, Murphy gained a reputation as one of the top trainers, working with stars such as Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony during his tenure.

Most recently, Murphy has spent the last three seasons as the top assistant at Memphis. Serving under Josh Pastner, a fellow assistant dating back to his UA days, Murphy helped guide the Tigers to a set of 20-win seasons, a Conference USA regular season championship and two conference tournament championships resulting in a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

With 14 years of experience in a number of positions in the basketball world, Murphy appears to be just what the men’s basketball program needs in a period of transition for a number of reasons.

First, he’s a fantastic recruiter. As mentioned before, Murphy had a hand in bringing in guys of the caliber of Budinger to Tucson, but he also played a huge role in Memphis’ recent recruiting success. In 2010, Memphis brought in a recruiting class that was ranked No. 2 nationally by Scout.com, No. 2 by Rivals.com and No. 4 by ESPN and featured four players ranked in the nation’s Top 100 and two McDonald’s All-Americans. Since then, the Tigers have signed three more Top 100 players and two more McDonald’s All-Americans.

His strong recruiting background will prove to be pivotal in turning around a Lumberjack squad that will enter the 2012-13 season on a 16-game losing streak and coming off a 5-24 campaign. The Lumberjacks will return solid players on the perimeter and will also have Gaellen Bewernick and Ephraim Ekanem in the paint, so Murphy isn’t walking into an empty cupboard. His ability to recruit will only help bring the Lumberjacks back towards the top of the Big Sky Conference.

Secondly, Murphy, who was in charge of Memphis’ defensive efforts this past season, will bring a level of credibility back to NAU on the defensive end. This past year, the Tigers were 10th in the country in field goal percentage defense at 38.6 percent. As for the Lumberjacks, they were 335th out of 338 Division I teams at 49.3 percent. Memphis was also 44th in defending the three-point line, only allowing opponents to shoot 31.2 percent from behind the arc, compared to NAU who was 337th in allowing their opponents to shoot at a 39.8 percent clip. At times this season, when the Lumberjacks struggled to score on the offensive end, they had no answer at the defensive end, which was a big reason for 18 double-digit losses.

All in all, Murphy seems to be the perfect fit for our Lumberjacks. If you don’t believe me, check out what those closest to him are saying. That’s right, the likes of Olson, Pastner and George Karl, along with NBA pros who’ve worked with him all hold Murphy in high regard.

“I told him that Northern Arizona is a perfect fit,” Karl said to me. “I think the alumni and the university will love his ambition and his passion.”

Throw in the fact that he’s worked his way from the bottom up with his start as a student manager, and Murphy won’t be taking anything for granted. He’s known for his work ethic, something that Luke Walton emphasized among the others.

“His work ethic and his love for the game have made him a great career in basketball so far,” Walton said. “He’s one of those guys that is up early ready to work and staying up late looking at game films and doing whatever he can to give his team the best opportunity to win. He’s going to be a great fit for NAU.”

Coupled with the hiring of Dr. Lisa Campos as the new vice president of Intercollegiate Athletics, there is renewed excitement around NAU Athletics and specifically the men’s basketball program. Opponents should beware starting next fall because at 7,000 feet, they’ll be entering the new and improved Lumberjack Country.

Go Lumberjacks!