This Week in the Forest: Feb. 12-18

The 2018 Midwest Conference Swimming and Diving Championships highlight an exciting week for Forester teams.

Lake Forest will travel to Grinnell College for the three-day meet, which begins on Friday. David Bunting, Corryn Christjansen, Susan Guo, Lily McCarthy, Heath Ogawa, and Max Rowland appear atop the conference rankings in a combined 11 individual events this season and several more figure to be among the contenders in other races. The Forester men were the runners-up at last year's championship meet, claimed their last title in 2015, and have finished as one of the league's top two teams eight years in a row. The women were third last season, won their last championship in 2012, and have been among the top three in eight of the last nine years. 

Championship competition also begins in men's hockey this week as the Foresters' travel to Concordia University Chicago for a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup quarterfinal series. After taking three points in a home-and-home series with Aurora University last weekend, Lake Forest completed the regular season 13-10-2 overall and in third place in the NCHA South Division at 10-6-2 in conference play. The Falcons, who swept the season series with the Foresters, finished 16-7-2 overall and second in the division with a 12-6-0 league record. The teams will play Friday and Saturday night with a 20-minute minigame, if necesary, to follow game two. The winner will play a semifinal game at Adrian College or against Milwaukee School of Engineering next weekend.

The Forester women's hockey team has one more week of regular season play. Lake Forest prevailed 4-1 and 2-1 at St. Norbert College last weekend to clinch home ice in the NCHA Slaats Cup Quarterfinals (February 23-24). The team is now 15-8-0 overall and 13-3-0 in the conference and will host College of St. Scholastica (14-4-4, 13-1-2 NCHA) Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Lake Forest was 4-1-1 in six meetings with the Saints last season.

There is also one more week remaining in the regular season for the Lake Forest College basketball teams. The men are coming off a 76-64 victory at Cornell College on Saturday and are now 16-7 overall and 12-4 in the conference play. They will host St. Norbert College (17-6, 12-4 MWC) Tuesday evening with the winner remaining in contention for at least a share of the 2018 MWC crown. The Foresters will then close out the regular season at Lawrence University (11-11, 7-9 MWC) Saturday afternoon. Lake Forest was defeated at St. Norbert last Wednesday and prevailed against Lawrence at home last month.

The women's basketball team dropped Saturday's contest at Cornell to fall to 11-12 overall and 8-7 in the league. The Foresters won in dramatic fashion at St. Norbert (8-5) last Wednesday and will take on the Green Knights again Tuesday night at home. Lake Forest will be looking for another season sweep at Lawrence (7-16, 5-9 MWC) on Saturday with a win earning the Foresters a spot in the four-team MWC Tournament. They would also qualify for the league's postseason with a loss by Illinois College on Tuesday or Saturday.

The Lake Forest handball teams were extremely successful at the Circle City Tournament in Indianapolis last weekend, with Leo Canales, Ricardo Palma, Frankie Corrado, and Kyra Vidas contributing to a sweep of the Men's and Women's Open Singles and Doubles titles. The Foresters will be in action again this weekend at the Illinois Handball Association State Doubles Championships at the Glass Court Swim and Fitness Club in Lombard. Play will begin on Friday and continue throughout the weekend.

Select members of the Forester track team traveled to Grand Valley State University at competed against several NCAA Division I runners at last Friday's GVSU Big Meet. The entire team will resume the program's first season since 1973 at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Big Dawg Invitational this Saturday.

The Lake Forest men's tennis team split a pair of matches at Carthage College on Saturday and is now 3-1 on the season. The Foresters will host Judson University Friday night and Prairie State College Saturday night at the Racquet Club of Lake Bluff.

Home events in Bold.
* Conference game 

All-Sports Calendar