Big Sky Tonight 10.28.16: Vandals repeat as season champs; Griz rally at EWU

The Idaho Vandals took care of business against the Idaho State on Friday to wrap up a repeat of the regular season Big Sky championship. The Vandals, though, will host the postseason tournament at Eastern Washington University in Cheney due to field concerns at Guy Wicks Field, which has been a muddy mess in their last two games.

According to sources, the Vandals were working on alternatives to hosting at home during the week, reaching out to Eastern, CC Spokane's facility at Spokane Falls CC and even Washington State University. Even the pitch at Eastern - despite a lot of work to preserve it - showed the effects of the weeks of rain Friday as the field was slick and a few spots began to produce mud stains on sliding players. Staff borrowed baseball tarps from CC Spokane and Walla Walla CC in their efforts.

Eastern, though, was less successful on the pitch in their finale as a two goal lead was not enough against visiting Montana, which rallied with two in the second half and an early overtime winner.

Idaho State 0 :: 3 Idaho   #####

The Vandals outshot their state rival 12-6 in the first half, but Shawna Hennings made four saves for the Bengals to keep the match scoreless at the break. The second half, though, was a different affair. Clara Gomez and Kavita Battan combined in the 57th to set up Elexis Schlossarek for the opening goal. Gomez then went on to score the second 10 minutes later when Josilyn Daggs received her throw back from Megan Goo and sent the cross in to Gomez.

Schlossarek put the game out of doubt in the 84th when she buried a ball from Summer Kaneshiro in the 84th, and Torell Stewart finished things out with one save in her shutout performance. The victory gave Idaho the regular season title and the top postseason save. Based on other results, the Bengals would have been eliminated, but their third consecutive defeat left them four points and two spots out of the playoff picture.   MORE:  Idaho [+]  ISU [+]  

Montana 3 :: OT :: 2 Eastern Washington   #####

Knowing that they had already clinched a spot in the postseason thanks to Portland State's defeat around kick-off, the Grizzlies could have been content to just play things out, and it looked like that was going to happen. After a couple close chances, the Eagles opened the scoring 11 minutes into the contest when a cross from Allison Raniere was nodded down by Jenny Chavez, who rose above several defenders to get to it. Chloe Williams (Spokane, WA) scored in the 25th on an indirect free kick about 25 yards out to double the lead.

The Eagles, though, could not hold onto the lead. In the 39th, the Grizzlies got one back before the half when a shot by Charlene Burger was stopped by goalkeeper Emily Busselman (Richland, WA / CC Spokane), rebounding on the save to Ellie Otteson for the easy putaway from about nine yards. The Grizzlies completed the rally in the 61st minute when a corner kick led to a scramble inside the six. With both Busselman and Ashlee Pedersen (Spokane, WA / Shadow WFT) on the ground, it was the Montana striker knocking it over the line for the equalizer.

There were two injury stoppages late in the contest with one being a brief five-minute pause following a head-to-head collision, but with five minutes remaining a well-driven ball reportedly hit the face of Carlee Bates, resulting in nearly a half-hour delay as trainers and, eventually, EMS personnel tended to her on the pitch.

When play resumed, her replacement Jacey Delaney (Bozeman, MT) played a critical role in deciding the match three minutes into overtime. With the ball deep in the offensive end she fed a ball to Aspen Peifer, who headed it in from close range for the stunning victory that ultimately gave Montana the fourth seed as opposed to the sixth had they lost. Eastern went from being second had they won, to the fifth seed due to the loss.  MORE:  EWU [+]  UM [+]    

North Dakota 0 :: 2 Northern Colorado   #####

Last year's Big Sky tournament champions avoided missing the tournament, picking up the sixth and final seed with a win against the cellar-dwellers. Mariel Gutierrez scored in the 21st and Paige Morris headed in a corner in the 61st.

Southern Utah 0 :: 3 Northern Arizona   #####

The Lumberjacks rolled to the victory with Lindsay Doyle scoring five minutes in on a ball from Ali Lixandru, who went on to score the second on a free kick in the 26th. Riley Porter scored the third int he 52nd with Meghan Dickmann registering the shutout.

Sacramento State 2 :: 1 Portland State  #####

The Hornets picked up the road win with Jennifer Lum tallying in the 25th minute and Andrea Boehm providing what proved to be the winner with a flick-in of a Rachel Leonard free kick in the 56th. The hosts answered a minute later on a free kick as well when Krystal De Ramos put away a deflection that came off a Hornet defender.

BIG SKY TOURNAMENT Schedule ##### 

Wednesday, October 2 - Cheney, WA
(6) Northern Colorado v Northern Arizona (3)
(5) Eastern Washington v Montana (4)

Friday, October 4 - Cheney, WA
No. Colorado / No. Arizona v Idaho (1)
EWU / Montana v Sacramento State (2)

Sunday, October 6 - Cheney, WA
Championship

###

HS DAILY - 10.27.16: Hanford survives via PKs, NC rallies to win as top seeds prevail in GSL-MCC Regionals

Wednesday's postseason action was highlighted by a pair of close contests, one each in the 4A and 3A classifications, while Thursday evening saw two surprising upsets, one each in the Northeast A League and Great Northern League.

In a late afternoon affair, North Central played host to Kennewick, whose only win of the year in official play was their playoff opener Monday against woeful Rogers. The Indians fell behind just before the break, but rallied for a 3-1 win. Down south, top MCC 4A seed Hanford, though, had a bit more trouble against the GSL's 4-seed Lewis & Clark. The Tigers took the Falcons to a shootout scoreless before the hosts prevailed to avoid the upset. On the day, the GSL and MCC came out even with three victories each as all the higher seeds prevailed.

In the NEA, perhaps Freeman should be called Survivalists rather than Scotties. After a bizarre ending to their season in the finale in which Riverside missed out on taking the final seed by letting the game go right to a shootout instead of overtime (they needed a regulation or overtime win), the Scotties shocked regular season champion Deer Park Tuesday with a 1-1 draw and a shootout victory. On Thursday, they repeated the feat against Lakeside, the second seed, with a shootout win following a 1-1 draw, marking what is believed to be the first time the league's fourth seed has won the district tournament.

In the opening round of the GNL playoffs, Clarkston handily defeated Pullman, but West Valley upset Cheney 3-1 to move onto the second round.

In other Thursday postseason action, the Central Washington Athletic Conference (2A) had no true surprises as all four sides tied at 7-2 on the season, but third seed Ephrata topped Ellensburg 2-1 in overtime and top seed Selah blanked Othello 3-0, placing Ellensburg and Othello in the regional crossover path to face the Great Northern League duo that will be East Valley and either Clarkston or West Valley.

Things also went as expected on the final night of play in the Columbia Basin Big Nine. The postseason begins for the 4A league with a pair of play-in matches Saturday.

Here's a look around the action from Wednesday and Thursday...

4A PLAYOFFS (GSL-MCC)  - Wednesday, October 26 #####

Lewis & Clark 0-1 (1-4 SO) Hanford:  Both goalkeepers made eight saves in the contest with Kelsee Winston recording her seventh clean sheet for Hanford and Jessie Quacquarini representing the Tigers with her first shutout of the season and the Tigers' second - the only other one coming versus Rogers. Quacquarini and the defense's efforts went for naught, though, as they went to the spot in the shootout. Rebekah Reason, who thought she had a winner with two minutes later only to be ruled offside, scored for the Tigers in the tiebreaker, but her lone tally was not enough as Hanford's first four shooters - Jessica Maher, Ellie Harlow, Anabel Lin and Taylor Matheny - converted. It was only the second time Hanford had been shutout, and the first time for the Tigers.

Gonzaga Prep 0-5 Chiawana:  US U16 international Summer Yates dominated the contest with four goals and an assist, sending the defending state champions into the losers side of the bracket in convincing fashion. Yates scored 10 minutes in with a rocketed shot and then beat three defenders in the 22nd minute to net her second. Gonzaga stopped the bleeding for a span of about 50 minutes, but Ruthie Edrington found her again in the 71st and she made it four goals three minutes later, giving her 29 for the season despite having spent several weeks abroad playing for the US. Yates wasn't quite done, though, finding Edrington for the final tally with under two minutes left. Alisha Ramos recorded the shutout, her seventh in official play.

Richland 0-4 Central Valley:  Kaelyn Barnes scored 15 minutes in on a ball from Natlie Cabiad, but the visiting Bombers made things interesting in the first half as the two went to the break separated by one. That quickly ended though with Anna Hilbert finding Maggie Ames only one minute into the second half. Ames struck again in the 59th and Barnes joined her with a brace on the night with a last-minute tally in the 79th to cap the game. AJ Crooks finished the night with the shutout, her first complete game clean sheet of the campaign.

Walla Walla 1-7 Mead:  Katie Greene gave Mead control of the match in a hurry, scoring in the third and fourth minutes of the match. Walla Walla kept the Panthers from making the hole bigger the rest of the half, but the first four minutes of the second half was like deja vu. Olivia Sloan struck in the opening minute and then Greene found Kendal Houston to push the lead to four in the 44th. Alyssa Ortiz put the Blue Devils on the board in the 48th, but Greene answered with two goals in the next six minutes to finish with four goals and one assist on the night, and push her goal tally to 12 for the campaign. Natalie Martell capped the night with a goal in the 65th.

3A PLAYOFFS (GSL-MCC)  - Wednesday, October 26 #####

Kennewick 1-3 North Central:  The Lions jumped out in front first at Joe Albi Stadium in a contest that was a back-and-forth affair for the first half-hour. As halftime approached Klarissa Barajas caught goalkeeper Sarah Manor a bit too far out of goal, launching a ball from at least 35 yards that soared over her reach for the opening goal in the 37th minute.

The contest was still back-and-forth in the second half, but it was the Indians that were able to find the finishing touch. Kaylee Mellgren struck in the 55th minute and Kylee Devore fed Morgan Smith seven minutes later to put NC in front. It was the first goals of the campaign for both. The Lions made it dramatic to the end, but Mellgren found Quincy McDeid for the final insurance tally that proved to only come seconds before the final whistle.

Shadle Park 0-7 Kamiakin:  The Braves rolled to the victory with Britney Donais scoring 10 minutes in and Izzy Conover following it up nine minutes later. Aaliya Valladares scored two minutes before the break for a three goal margin going into the second half. Kahlea Sullivan struck just two minutes in and Donais converted a penalty for her second in the 45th. Valladares netted her second in the 56th and Paige Savage capped things off in the 71st. Donais and Valladares also had assists in the match while Grace Wilbur and Alyssa Humphrey combined for the shutout, Kamiakin's eighth of the campaign.

CBBN REGULAR SEASON - Thursday, October 27 #####

Davis 1-4 West Valley:  Jordan Karnes put the Rams in front in the 11th minute, but Davis answered in the 31st with a goal from Alyza Palma to even it up. Kendra Hanses, though, restored the lead just four minutes later and Carli Short scored with four minutes remaining in the half on a ball from Karnes to make it a two goal margin. Karnes set up another just a minute into the second half, finding Lilly Fetzer as the Rams cruised to their perfect 12-0 season, making them the lone unbeaten 4A or 3A side east of the Cascades.

Sunnyside 1-4 Moses Lake:  The Grizzlies got on the board in the 23rd minute and Morgan Duim did well in goal to keep the Chiefs at bay in the first half, but the hosts finally broke through when Abby Rathbun found Denali Knowles for the equalizer five minutes before the break. Rathbun put the Chiefs in front in the 50th and Morgan Skone doubled the advantage six minutes later. Knowles netted her second with two minutes left to leave no double.

Eisenhower 0-4 Eastmont:  Maddy Chandler scored in the opening minute of play and set up Kara Pinard eight minutes later to give the Wildcats quick control of the contest. Maria Mendoza scored in the 26th and Alyssa Konarek made it four in the 34th.

2A PLAYOFFS (GNL & CWAC) - Thursday, October 27 #####

West Valley 3-1 Cheney:  The Blackhawks won their first meeting and finished as the second seed, but the Eagles won their last two meetings and kept the run going against Cheney with the postseason win. Baylee Trejo opened the scoring the Eagles in the 14th minute with Kaitlin Teeters evening things up in the 24th. Chelsea Koker scored her eighth goal of the campaign four minutes before the break to give the visitors the lead and Akylah Beitey provided some insurance in the 51st to send the Eagles through to the second round.

Pullman 0-5 Clarkston:  Winless Pullman just could not stop Taylen Wohl and Makinzie Packwood. Packwood set up Wohl six minutes in and again in the 24th before the two reversed roles two minutes later to make it a three goal margin for halftime. Packwood scored a second goal four minutes in the second half to put her tally to 18 for the campaign before setting up Wohl's final tally in a hat-trick performance in the 63rd. Katelyn Bittle registered her fourth shutout.

Ephrata 2-1 OT Ellensburg:  Haley Cantu put the Bulldogs in front six minutes before the break, but Myra Spencer evened things up on a penalty in the 54th. The two were in a stalemate the rest of the way with Courtney Richardson making four saves in the match for Ephrata and Brooklyn Koss making nine stops for Ellensburg before Spencer found Katelyn Ostrowski with less than two minutes left in overtime to give the Tigers the win moments before a shootout would be needed.

Othello 0-3 Selah:  The Vikings won a non-league preseason meeting, but when the two met during the campaign, it was Othello coming away victorious 2-0 on the road two weeks ago. The Vikings avenged the home loss with Lilly Kikendall blanking the Huskies with five saves while Madison Brownell scored twice for the win. She scored in the 33rd minute and Roni Rasmussen doubled it two minutes before the break. Brownell put it out of reach in the 57th with her second.

1A PLAYOFFS (NEA) - Thursday, October 27 #####

Freeman 2-1 (5-4 SO) Lakeside:  Unlike their upset of Deer Park where the Scotties found an equalizer on a free kick, Freeman took the initial lead at Spokane Falls CC beneath the lights when Claire Love struck in the 10th minute on a ball from Chloe Thosath. They took the lead well into the second half before Kayleigh Talbott scored in the 65th. The two went to overtime for the third time this year. The Scotties won the first in a shootout but lost the second in extra time. Freeman, which was 2-1 in the tiebreaker during the regular season showed no nerves from the spot for the second time this week, making all five to move onto the regional crossovers as the district champion.

STANDINGS & STATS ##### 

COMING UP ##### 

Saturday, October 29
GNL 2A Playoffs - West Valley @ Clarkston 12:00
GSL/MCC 3A Playoffs - North Central @ Southridge 12:00
CBBN 4A Playoffs - Sunnyside @ Moses Lake 1:00
CBBN 4A Playoffs - Eastmont @ Davis 1:00
GSL/MCC 4A Playoffs - Central Valley @ Hanford 1:00
GSL/MCC 4A Playoffs - Walla Walla @ Gonzaga Prep 1:00
GSL/MCC 4A Playoffs - Chiawana @ Mead (SFCC) 2:00
GSL/MCC 4A Playoffs - Lewis & Clark @ Richland 4:00
GSL/MCC 3A Playoffs - Kamiakin @ Mt Spokane (SFCC) 4:00

PLAYOFF BRACKETS ##### 

Missing Data... If you have scoring / goalkeeping information for the following games, please email to gbarnsoccer-at-gmail or message INWsoccernews on Facebook:  9.13 Davis @ Eisenhower... 9.15 Eisenhower @ Wenatchee... 9.20 Eisenhower @ Sunnyside... 9.22 Sunnyside @ Wenatchee... 9.27 West Valley @ Eisenhower (Ike goal)... 9.27 Eastmont @ Sunnyside (GK info)... 9.29 Sunnyside @ Davis... 9.29 Eisenhower @ Moses Lake (Ike info)... 10.4 Eastmont @ Eisenhower (GK info)...  10.11 Wenatchee @ Eisenhower... 10.13 Sunnyside @ Eisenhower... 10.18 Moses Lake @ Davis (Davis goal)... 10.18 Wenatchee @ Sunnyside... 10.20 Eisenhower @ West Valley (GK Info)... 10.20 Moses Lake @ Wenatchee (Wenatchee scoring)... 10.20 Riverside @ Freeman... 10.25 Moses Lake @ Eisenhower (GK / assists info)... 10.25 Eastmont @ Wenatchee (GK info)... 10.27 Eisenhower @ Eastmont (GK info)... 10.27 Sunnyside @ Moses Lake (Sunnyside scorer)  

####

LD COLLEGE ROUND-UP: Whitworth men sweep; berths halfway set for CCC

Playing host to the other two regular powerhouses in the league last week, the Whitworth men posted a pair of victories, one in overtime, against Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound. With the results Whitworth put the duo essentially out of championship contention and now holds a five point lead over Pacific, which faces the powerhouse duo of Pacific Lutheran, currently third, and Puget Sound, which is fourth. The Pirates, meanwhile, face two of the bottom three teams in the league on the road.

The Whitworth women, meanwhile, are essentially in a three-way race for third in the conference, which they have not achieved since 2012. They are tied with Linfield and one point in front of Willamette. The topped regional foe Whitman in overtime midweek before dropping an overtime decision at Willamette.

In the Cascade Conference, the big match of the week was a showdown of the two unbeaten women's sides. After already posting a victory Thursday, Carroll played host to a Southern Oregon side that not only was unbeaten, but had not allowed a goal in league play either. Not surprisingly, the contest was a stalemate that was only decided by an overtime penalty for a handball in the box, ending the Raiders' shutout streak and giving Carroll the top spot in the table going into the final week of play in which they are idle.

Most of the rest of the region's sides all did fairly well with College of Idaho earning four points and the duo of Eastern Oregon and Great Falls spitting their contests.

On the men's side, it was a big week as well with contenders Southern Oregon and Evergreen making trek's eastward. Rocky Mountain had the most success with a victory and a draw, ensuring one of the eight spots in the postseason. Carroll, Great Falls and Eastern Oregon all split on the weekend to stay in the postseason picture, sitting sixth, seventh and ninth, respectively, going into the final week of the season.

MEN  ######  NORTHWEST CONFERENCE - DIII 

Saturday, October 22

Pacific Lutheran 1 :: OT :: 2 Whitworth 
The Pirates found themselves trailing at home after 13 minutes against the second place Lutes, and were unable to find an equalizer until the late stages of the game. With just eight minutes left on the clock, Alfredo Ornelas scored on a rebounded save of a Moi Diaz shot. Seven minutes into overtime Ornelas was the hero again with the game-winner. Eric Espinoza fed a through ball to Austin Cassity, who found Ornelas with a cross for the deciding strike.  MORE [+]  

Puget Sound 0 :: OT :: 1 Whitman
The Missionaries surprised the Loggers for the second time this season, following up their road draw with a victory at home for their first unbeaten season against PLU since they did the same in 2012. Locked in a stalemate with five saves by the Loggers and three from Owen Davis-Bowen, Ben Freedman created the winning goal four minutes into overtime with a fantastic run up the left side before sending a ball into the box to Eric Conte, who redirected it to Jacob Fritz for the tap-in winner.  MORE [+]  

Pacific 3 :: OT :: 2 Linfield 
George Fox 3 :: 3 Willamette 

Sunday, October 23

Puget Sound 1 :: 2 Whitworth
Alfredo Ornelas' hot streak continued as he scored his third of the weekend on a cross from Aaron Yanagi for the early lead eight minutes into the contest. The Loggers evened things back up in the 39th, but another cross from Yanagi proved decisive when he found Moi Diaz in the 53rd minute. Timmy Costa took care of business the rest of the way with six saves for the game.  MORE [+]  

Pacific Lutheran 3 :: 2 Whitman 
The excitement from the day before was quickly erased as the Lutes scored two goals in the span of 20 seconds in the 21st minute. Collin Faunt, though, quickly answered on a ball from Jadon Bachtold in the 23rd minute. Just before intermission Bachtold leveled the contest with a header off a ball from Noah Cavanaugh with 67 seconds left in the period. The two were deadlocked in the second half before a foul in the box allowed the Lutes to snare the win from the penalty spot in the 80th minute.  MORE [+]

Linfield 2 :: 1 George Fox
Willamette 0 :: 1 Pacific

This Week... 

Saturday, October 29
Whitworth @ Linfield 2:30
Whitman @ Willamette 2:30
George Fox @ Puget Sound 2:30
Pacific @ Pacific Lutheran 2:30
Sunday, October 30
Whitworth @ Willamette 1:30
Whitman @ Linfield 2:30
George Fox @ Pacific Lutheran 2:30
Pacific @ Puget Sound 2:30

WOMEN  ######  NORTHWEST CONFERENCE - DIII 

Wednesday, October 19

Whitworth 1 :: OT :: 0 Whitman
The two local foes were locked in a stalemate with Haley Case making five saves for the Missionaries before Jenna Morris slotted a ball in to Arielle Van Peursem in the 100th minute for the winner. Jenna Rogers made three saves in the first half for the Pirates and Sienna tanner made three in relief the rest of the way.  MORE:  Whitworth [+]   Whitman [+]     

Saturday, October 22

Whitman 1 :: 2 Willamette 
The contest was deadlocked until the second half when the visitors scored just after the hour mark and doubled the lead in the 73rd. An own goal in the 79th accounted for the Missionaries' only goal.  MORE [+]

Linfield 0 :: 4 Pacific Lutheran 
Pacific 0 :: 0 Lewis & Clark 
George Fox 0 :: 4 Puget Sound

Sunday, October 23

Whitworth 1 :: OT :: 2 Willamette 
After a scoreless first half the hosts got on the board with a curling 22-yard free kick in the 54th minute. The Pirates tied things up just nine minutes later with a shot from about 23 yards from Arielle Van Peursem on a ball from Dallas Nelson. It was her second tally of the week, and sent the game to overtime where a header gave the Bearcats the win in the 97th minute.  MORE [+]  

Lewis & Clark 0 :: 6 Pacific Lutheran
George Fox 0 :: 1 Linfield 
Pacific 0 :: 0 Puget Sound  

This Week... 

Wednesday, October 26
Pacific @ Linfield 12:00
Saturday, October 29
Lewis & Clark @ Whitworth 12:00
George Fox @ Whitman 12:00
Willamette @ Puget Sound 12:00
Pacific @ Pacific Lutheran 12:00
Sunday, October 30
George Fox @ Whitworth 11:00
Lewis & Clark @ Whitman 12:00
Linfield @ Puget Sound 12:00
Willamette @ Pacific Lutheran 12:00

WOMEN  ######  CASCADE CONFERENCE - NAIA 

Thursday, October 20

Oregon Tech 0 :: 1 Carroll
Jamie Carter made five saves in the shutout performance, including two in the scoreless first half. In the 58th minute Michaela Stock fed Cassidy Hammons (Kennewick, WA), who scored the winner on a long shot from about 25 yards.  MORE [+]

Friday, October 21

Eastern Oregon 2 :: OT :: 1 Corban
After starting the season unbeaten in their first five, the Mountaineers finally ended their current three-game winless run on an overtime winner from Zoe Anderson on a cross from Alexandria Cuaresma in the 103rd minute. They took the initial lead on the road in the 42nd minute when Katherine Hood nodded in a free kick from Chelsey Nicol. The hosts tied it up in the 76th.  MORE [+]

Oregon Tech 0 :: 2 Great Falls
After a scoreless first half, the Argos jumped in front in the opening minute of the second half when Eme McLaughlin (Great Falls, MT) scored from about 20 yards out on a ball from Katie Bennett (Butte, MT). She scored again in the 82nd minute on a ball from Becca Wendt to provide some insurance and Kyra Dorvall (Helena, MT) made nine saves for the shutout.  MORE [+]

Southern Oregon 0 :: OT :: 1 Carroll
In a showdown of the CCC unbeatens, the Saints were facing a side that had not allowed a goal in their previous seven league matches. To no surprise, the two were locked in a stalemate that went into overtime before a handball in the box allowed Natalie Johnston to put an end to the Raiders' shutout run in the 96th minute. Jamie Carter made four saves for the clean sheet. It was a spectacular way to end the campaign for the Saints, who are idle for the final week of play.  MORE [+]  

Evergreen 1 :: 3 College of Idaho
After a scoreless first half Maddie Brown (Greenleaf, ID / CC Spokane) wasted no time changing things in the second period with a goal off a cross from Jamiece Yizar (Pocatello, ID) in the 46th minute. Yizar combined with Bailey Watson (Boise, ID) in the 63rd to deliver a cross to Brown for her second of the contest. Alli Crain (Post Falls, ID) put the Geoducks on the board in the 75th minute, but it was not enough as Allie Boyd (Boise, ID) struck in the 87th to put the match out of doubt.  MORE [+]

Northwest 4 :: 3 Rocky Mountain
In a wild game of big momentum swings, the Eagles took the initial lead on the road with a penalty in the 38th minute but Lauryn Gamache tied it up with less than 30 seconds left in the half. Gamache went on to score the go-ahead goal for the Bears in the 55th minute on a ball from Brittany Greenback, who made it a two goal advantage in the 60th on a penalty. The Eagles, though, began their big rally for the win in the 62nd and tied it up just three minutes later. Rylee Rassier (Spokane, WA) set up the game-winner in the 83rd.  MORE [+]  

Warner Pacific 0 :: 2 Northwest Christian

Saturday, October 22

Southern Oregon 1 :: 0 Great Falls
After giving up their first goal - a penalty - in eight league games, the Raiders defense proved difficult to beat yet again with a goal in the 25th minute giving the visitors the victory.  MORE [+]  

Eastern Oregon 0 :: OT :: 1 Northwest Christian
The Mountaineer defense kept Northwest Christian from putting a shot on target that Cydni Cottrell (Pasco, WA) would need to save until the hosts put their second shot of the game past her for the win in the 99th minute for the win in what was EOU's fourth consecutive overtime contest.  MORE [+]  

Warner Pacific 1 :: 2 Corban

Sunday, October 23

Evergreen 3 :: 2 Rocky Mountain
Lauryn Gamache set up Evelina Aberg eight minutes into the match. Alli Crain (Post Falls, ID) put the Geoducks in front before the break, setting up Ana Vigil in the 39th and scoring herself in the 42nd minute. Ellie Engel (Sandpoint, ID / North Idaho College) set up what proved to be the winner in the 57th for the visitors with Alyssa Schneider scoring int he 59th for the Bears.  MORE [+]  

Northwest 0 :: 0 College of Idaho
Brittany Houghton made nine saves as the Yotes played to the scoreless draw, extending their unbeaten streak to five games.  MORE [+]  

Clinched Conference Playoff Berths (8 available): Carroll, Southern Oregon, Corban, Eastern Oregon

Remaining Regular Season Schedule... 

Friday, October 28
Northwest @ Corban 1:00
College of Idaho @ Southern Oregon 2:00
Rocky Mountain @ Oregon Tech 2:30
Evergreen State @ Northwest Christian 3:00
Saturday, October 29
Warner Pacific @ Eastern Oregon 11:30
Rocky Mountain @ Southern Oregon 2:00
College of Idaho @ Oregon Tech 2:30
Northwest @ Northwest Christian 7:00
Evergreen State @ Corban 8:00


MEN  ######  CASCADE CONFERENCE - NAIA 

Thursday, October 20

Oregon Tech 1 :: 2 Carroll 
It looked like the match was going to the break scoreless before a through ball from Jose Mena found Henry Smaldon (Spokane, WA) for the opening goal with 25 seconds left in the half. The Owls tied it up at the hour mark, but Mena set up a second when his shot was saved, rebounding to Kyle Thomson for the winner in the 71st.  MORE [+]

Friday, October 21

Evergreen 2 :: 1 College of Idaho
Joao Cardoso put the Yotes in front on a cross from Carter Perry (Boise, ID) in the 28th minute, but the Geoducks rallied to the victory in the second half. Miguel Viramontes (Wenatchee, WA) evened things up in the 48th minute and Crisantos Chavez (CC Spokane) set up the winner in the 81st.  MORE [+]  

Eastern Oregon 2 :: 4 Corban
The Warriors put four on the board in the opening 32 minutes and never looked back. Elvis Pavon would put the Mountaineers on the board 30 seconds into the second half on a cross from Oscar Munoz and Steven Beaudry tallied the second in the 72nd.  MORE [+]

Warner Pacific 2 :: 0 Northwest Christian

Southern Oregon 3 :: 1 Carroll
The Raiders went up two in the first 15 minutes and made it three in the 58th before the Saints answered in the 64th. Henry Smaldon (Spokane, WA) combined with Jonathan Taylor (Missoula, MT) to deliver a cross that James Lamont finished for their lone goal.  MORE [+]

Oregon Tech 1 :: 3 Great Falls
The first half was a stalemate, but things changed quickly in the second half. The Owls opened the scoring in the 53rd, but Adrian Gomez connected with Ian Ooko to even it up less than two minutes later. The Argos grabbed the lead a short time later on a strike from Christopher Chavez and added some insurance when a through ball from Christian Esparza set up Mohamed Oulare in the 70th.  MORE [+]

Northwest 0 :: 4 Rocky Mountain
Marco Kummerle scored on a ball from Tulio Melo in the sixth minute and Gregor Watson set up Chasen Lasure to double the lead in the 44th. Lasure scored five minutes into the second half to push the lead to three. Nolan Sherwood capped the scoring courtesy of Tiago Ewald and Cole Catlin (Billings, MT) made four saves for the shutout.  MORE [+]  

Saturday, October 22

Southern Oregon 3 :: 1 Great Falls
The Raiders opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, but the Argos answered quickly with Mohamed Oulare scoring a minute later on a through ball from Camilo Martinez. The visitors went back in front in the 39th and added some insurance in the 76th.  MORE [+]

Eastern Oregon 1 :: 0 Northwest Christian
Jorge Chavez found Elvis Pavon 10 minutes into the contest for what stood as the game-winner with Aiden Wright making a pair of saves for the shutout.  MORE [+]

Warner Pacific 0 :: 3 Corban
Walla Walla 0 :: 5 Multnomah

Sunday, October 23

Northwest 3 :: 1 College of Idaho
The Eagles were up two after 18 minutes and held the advantage until late in the game when Carter Perry (Boise, ID) tallied from about 10 yards out in the 75th. The visitors restored the two goal advantage three minutes later.  MORE [+]

Evergreen 2 :: 2 Rocky Mountain 
The Bears scored the lone goal of the first half when Tiago Ewald scored courtesy of Gregor Watson in the 26th minute. A penalty converted by Luca Wiechers in the 62nd proved key as the Geoducks rallied with Christian Segovia (Walla Walla, WA / Walla Walla CC) tallying in the 64th for the first of back-to-back goals in the less than three minutes for the draw.  MORE [+]  

Clinched Conference Playoff Berths (8 available): Corban, Southern Oregon, Rocky Mountain, Evergreen State

Remaining Regular Season Schedule...

Friday, October 28
Northwest @ Corban 11:00
Rocky Mountain @ Oregon Tech 12:00
Evergreen State @ Northwest Christian 1:00
Walla Walla @ Great Falls 1:30
Multnomah @ Carroll 3:30
College of Idaho @ Southern Oregon 4:30
Saturday, October 29
College of Idaho @ Oregon Tech 12:00
Rocky Mountain @ Southern Oregon 12:00
Multnomah @ Great Falls 1:30
Warner Pacific @ Eastern Oregon 2:00
Northwest @ Northwest Christian 5:00
Evergreen State @ Corban 6:00
Sunday, October 30
Walla Walla @ Carroll 12:00

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NWAC East Tonight 10.26.16: Spokane clinches divisional title in Mudbowl at NIC

In the only game that ultimately mattered this week on the women's side, a first-place showdown in Coeur d'Alene between North Idaho played and visiting Spokane highlighted Wednesday afternoon's slate. At stake was a third consecutive NWAC East title for the Bigfoot while the Cardinals had a chance to move atop the table.

Three goals from Erica Simpson of nearby Post Falls, Idaho gave CC Spokane a third consecutive NWAC East championship as their 3-1 victory over the Cardinals on a quagmire of a field moved the Bigfoot five points clear with one game remaining.

The men's contest at NIC was cancelled as the previously questionable pitch was utterly destroyed by the earlier women's match. The Cardinals, though, still managed to clinch one of the three postseason spots with Wenatchee Valley falling. The Knights loss also clinched a spot for Walla Walla, which won at Columbia Basin.

WOMEN  ##############

Spokane 3 :: 1 North Idaho - Though NIC tried every trick in the book and more to reduce the amount of water on the pitch, the field in Coeur d'Alene was a sloggy, water-logged mess right from the start. Standing water continually splashed about as the players hit the wet spots and killed balls that were even moderately struck.

Spokane came out the more aggressive side of the two and had the better of the play offensively, though both had chances in the early going as an ball in the offensive third was potentially dangerous in the conditions. In the 29th minute it was Spokane jumping in front when Erica Simpson (Post Falls, ID) took advantage of a defender missing as she attempted to collect the ball, snatching it and driving to goal, where she beat another defender in the box before stabbing it past the on-rushing keeper, extending her scoring streak to five games.

Ten minutes later Simpson doubled the lead when a corner from Cali Moscrip (Lewiston, ID) ripped across the box about shoulder level from the left side. Simpson stuck her head out and sent it on frame with the ball somehow finding its way past two defenders and the keeper.

The league leaders took the two goal lead late into the match, but the Cardinals made things interesting when the ball was pinging around in the area, finishing with Megan Lowery (Hayden, ID) finding Emily Aspden for the their first in the 71st minute.

Spokane put some urgency back into their step looking to lock up the division title and not allow an equalizer. In the 79th minute Anisha Nicholson (Post Falls, ID) beat a defender in the left corner and sent a ball just off the endline at the goal that took a deflection, but dropped in front of the goalline, allowing Simpson to come sliding several yards through the mud and knock it over the line.

"I think the story of the match was our team's desire to stay unbeaten and win a region title no matter the field conditions. We tried to not let the field conditions be a distraction, although that was tough once we saw the pregame attempts to remove the water," said Spokane head coach Jim Martinson, who watched the Cardinals staff and students attempt to clear water away with a wet-vac, a sump pump drawing water out of a tarp that covered the pitch and puppy potty-training pads.

"The big story was Erica. She had missed the three previous NIC matches. Being a Post Falls kid, she was determined to succeed.  She was the X-factor amongst our group where everyone played well."

Walla Walla 3 :: 1 Columbia Basin - Haley Berryman (Ephrata, WA) was the guiding force for the Warriors in the victory. In the eighth minute she set up Sam Filingeri-Oleson (Yakima, WA) for the opening tally. The two reversed roles in the 23rd minute as the visitors doubled the advantage. Berryman netted a second goal in the 65th minute courtesy of Tate Kautzky (Richland, WA) and the Warriors were on their way to the win. The Hawks' Madison Gatherum (Richland, WA), though, spoiled the shutout for Paige Kubista (Nampa, ID) with a goal in the 90th minute.

Wenatchee Valley 9 :: 0 Blue Mountain - Katie Michkiosky (Wenatchee, WA) finished the blowout with a goal and two assists, scoring the opener in the 14th minute and setting up Gabriella Flores (Quincy, WA) for one of her strikes in the 20th. Lupita Tejeda (Cashmere, WA) made it three in the final minute of the half. An own goal started the scoring in the second half, which saw Abby Pendergast (Benton City, WA) score and set up two goals. Also scoring in the contest were MaryKate Henning (Selah, WA), Brenna Whitney (Warden, WA) and AdriAnna Simmons (Ephrata, WA), who also posted the shutout.

Yakima Valley 0 :: 7 Treasure Valley - The Chukars, and Madison Wells (Nampa, ID), dominated the contest. Wells scored her first in the ninth minute on a ball from Lindsey Williams (Twin Falls, ID), who went on to tally herself four minutes later courtesy of Chelsea Entrambasaguas. Another assist from Entrambasaguas set up Wells for her second in the 25th for a three goal lead at the break. Wells finished her hat-trick in the 58th, but was not done. She set up two more goals while Entrambasaguas added a goal to her ledger. Marisa Saldivar (Ontario, OR) and Maris Mortensen also scored and Taeler Torres (Idaho Falls, ID) posted the shutout.

Remaining Regular Season Schedule... 

Saturday, October 29
Yakima Valley @ Blue Mountain
Wenatchee Valley @ North Idaho
Spokane @ Walla Walla
Columbia Basin @ Treasure Valley

NWAC PLAYOFFS - WOMEN  #####

Wednesday, November 2
Game A: (W3) Green River @ (E2) North Idaho
Game B: (E3) Walla Walla @ (W2) Tacoma
Game C: (S3) Southwest Oregon @ North-2
Game D: North-3 @ (S2) Lane
Saturday, November 5
A Winner @ (S1) Clark
B Winner @ (N1) Peninsula
C Winner @ (W1) Highline
D Winner @ (E1) CC Spokane

MEN  ##############

Walla Walla 2 :: 0 Columbia Basin - The Warriors picked up the needed win to ensure a postseason berth thanks to goals from Missael Lopez (Tieton, WA) in the 27th and Brenden Kenley (Meridian, ID) in the 69th. Jorge Llerenas (Pasco, WA) made just one save to record his sixth shutout of the campaign.

Wenatchee Valley 0 :: 3 Treasure Valley - Needing a win to stay in the playoff hunt, the Knights instead dropped the road fixture against the last-place Chukars, eliminating them from playoff contention. Gerardo Bartolo (Blackfoot, ID) did the damage, factoring in all three goals for the hosts. He scored 21 minutes in and then set up Cristian Muniz (Twin Falls, ID) in the 37th and Ayoob Zahroun (Twin Falls, ID) in the 81st. Flavio Betancourt (Pendleton, OR) made six saves for the shutout.

Spokane 4 :: 1 North Idaho (at SFCC) - Postponed the day before due to field conditions, the match was moved to Spokane Falls for a Thursday meeting between the two sides as NIC needed the match for postseason seeding. The Sasquatch broke through inthe 35th minute when Breno Rocha hit Chase Reidt for the opener and they made the lead two with a second three minutes before the break when Jonny Cortez scored on a ball from Oswal Lopez. Rocha made it three at the hour mark before Alec Maldonado put the Cardinals on the board in the 65th. Rocha then fed Eric Sanchez-Flores a minute later to cap the game.

Remaining Regular Season Schedule... 

Saturday, October 29
Spokane @ Walla Walla
Columbia Basin @ Treasure Valley
Wenatchee Valley @ North Idaho

NWAC PLAYOFFS - MEN  #####

Wednesday, November 2
Game A: (W3) Pierce @ East-2
Game B: East-3 @ (W2) Tacoma
Game C: South-3 @ North-2
Game D: North-3 @ South-2
Saturday, November 5
A Winner @ South-1
B Winner @ (N1) Peninsula
C Winner @ (W1) Highline
D Winner @ (E1) CC Spokane

STATS  ##############  (does not reflect 10.27 NIC v CCS game)

ELSEWHERE ##############

Maddy Parton (Leavenworth, WA) set up two goals and Sarah Reiber (Yakima, WA) had another assist in a 5-0 victory for Peninsula over Whatcom... Sarah Beck (Bonners Ferry, ID) made eight saves in leading Edmonds to a 2-1 win over Skagit Valley... Sergio Vela (Warden, WA) set up the second goal in South Puget Sound's 3-2 win against Pierce.

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