‘Yote Notes –
Oct. 28, 2002
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
GENERAL ATHLETICS
NEWS:
C.A.A. BOOSTER DINNER
SET FOR TUESDAY NIGHT: The first Coyote Athletic Association booster dinner is scheduled for
Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Simplot Dining Hall. The pasta dinner will include both Mark Owen and Reagan Rossi
talking about their respective basketball teams, along with Marty Holly and
Dave Hahn discussing the recent budget concerns and how they pertain to the
athletic department. To RSVP, contact
the athletic department at 459-5512.
AN “EVENING
WITH THE COYOTES”: Come join Mark Adams, ESPN college basketball
analyst and motivational speaker, at "An Evening with the Coyotes", a
fundraising dinner on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at The Grove Hotel in Boise. The
evening is part of the Athletic Department's efforts to alleviate the 2002-2003
budget shortfall. Tickets will cost $100 a plate and "will be the best
$100 you've ever spent," says Athletic Director Marty Holly. For more information on the dinner, contact
Dave Hahn, director of athletic marketing at (208) 459-5835.
SEASON TICKETS ON
SALE: Men’s and
women’s basketball season-tickets are now on sale. Mailers have been sent out
to last year’s season ticket base. Plenty
of great seats are available for the biggest show in town, for as low as $40
dollars for student and seniors and $60 for adults - with at least 22 great
games on the docket. Contact Dave Hahn at (208) 459-5835 for more information.
MEN’S SOCCER (14-4): ‘Yotes
to host Western Baptist in CCC Tournament opener on Thursday
LAST
WEEK: Defeated Northwest Nazarene, 3-1; won at
Evergreen, 2-1; won at Northwest, 4-1.
COMING
UP: Cascade Conference Tournament – vs. Western
Baptist, Thursday, 2 p.m.; championship game, Saturday, site and time TBA.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Things have definitely changed in the playoff
scheme since last week. With two league
wins last weekend, the Coyotes secured the No. 2 seed into this week’s Cascade
Conference Tournament, hosting Western Baptist, while No. 1 seed Concordia
hosts Evergreen. The highest remaining
seed hosts the lowest remaining seed on Saturday for the second berth to the
regional tournament. Currently, three
teams have solidified spots to the regional tournament to be hosted by the CCC
Champion (according to women’s soccer chair, Grant Landy) – Concordia (as CCC
regular-season champion and No. 2 in longo ranking), Simon Fraser (No. 1 in
longo ranking), and Westminster (No. 3 in longo ranking). If Albertson wins its match with Western,
the Coyotes are assured a spot in the regional due to either longo rating (No.
4) or by winning the CCC title. If
Albertson loses on Thursday, Concordia would need to win the CCC Tournament for
the Coyotes to head to regionals – if Western or Evergreen took the crown, the ‘Yote
season is over.
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS: Five Albertson men’s soccer players were named to
the 2002 All-Cascade Conference team.
Both defender Drake Jakovac (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) and
midfielder Roger Aguilar (Payette, Idaho / Payette HS) earned
first-team honors for the first time, while keeper Jake Steele (Salt
Lake City, Utah / Viewmont HS) earned his fourth All-Conference award, and
his second first-team selection. Named
to the second-team were senior Coe Michaelson (East Wenatchee, Wash.
/ Northwest Nazarene) and sophomore Jason Southward (Hailey,
Idaho / Wood River HS). Concordia
head coach Dan Birkey and Evergreen chief Tom Boatright shared
Coach-of-the-Year honors, while Western Baptist standout Taurai Daka was named
Player-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season.
STRANGE OMISSIONS: With the influx of good strikers in the league,
many will wonder why Michaelson and Southward were left off the first
team. Michaelson leads the Coyotes with
12 goals and 11 assists, having earned All-Region and All-America honors a year
ago. Southward led the CCC in goals
scored in conference play, leading the ‘Yotes with 14 goals in just 14 games
played.
A FIRST IN 35 YEARS: A rare sight occurred on Saturday in the Coyotes
win at Northwest – head coach John Calpin received his first yellow card
in 35 years of coaching at the club, high school, college, and professional
level. Nonetheless, the 17-year head
coach moved alone into 19th-place on the NAIA wins list, improving
his overall record to 172-99-11. Calpin
is now one win away from Manfred Tschan (Concordia/George Fox, 1974-98) and 18th
place.
FIRST HALF EXPLOSION CARRIES
COYOTES PAST NORTHWEST: Four goals in the
opening 45 minutes gave Albertson a cushion it carried to the pay window in a
4-1 victory at Northwest on Saturday.
Two goals by Jason Southward, and single tallies from Roger Aguilar and
Coe Michaelson were all the ‘Yotes would need.
Freshman John Mitchell (Boise, Idaho / Boise State) had a
career-high three assists in the contest.
REVENGE ON THE
TIDEFLATS: In a flip-flop from the first
game between the teams, Albertson took a two-goal lead and held off a tough
Evergreen challenge in a 2-1 victory on Friday. Coe Michaelson scored off a Roger Aguilar feed in the tenth
minute, and John Mitchell scored an unassisted goal in the second half for
insurance as the Geoducks outshot the ‘Yotes 15-11, but could not penetrate
Jake Steele’s wall until there was four minutes remaining.
CONTINUED DOMINANCE OVER
CRUSADERS: Last time it took
overtime. This time it took 50 minutes, but the Albertson men's soccer
team finally figured out the Northwest Nazarene defensive scheme, scoring three
second half goals en route to a 3-1 victory at Symms Field last Tuesday
afternoon. The victory for the 'Yotes
was their ninth-consecutive win over their Canyon County rival, and their 40th
win against NNU in 52 tries. Playing
without four regulars, the Coyotes had chances in the first half - but could not
penetrate the net behind NNU keeper Eric Gamble. One-on-one opportunities
for both Roger Aguilar and Coe Michaelson were turned away. Things changed early in the second
half. Michaelson chipped a ball down the right side, where sophomore Dustin
Crim (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) crossed a ball over Gamble to reserve
forward Nick Zollinger (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) at the left post for a flick home and a 1-0
lead. In the 58th minute, Michaelson
again chipped a ball over the Crusader defense to Tyler Seaman (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS), and the freshman beat Gamble on a 1-on-1 attempt to
the top right shelf. NNU made things
interesting in the final ten minutes. Greg Kester was fouled in the box,
and converted his own penalty kick, beating Coyote keeper Jake Steele to the
left corner. However, the 'Yotes would answer with six minutes remaining,
as a Aguilar corner was redirected by Seaman to the waiting Zollinger, who
found the empty net.
MICHAELSON NOW IN THIRD-PLACE:
With two goals and three assists last
week, Coe Michaelson moved into third-place on the Albertson all-time scoring
list, passing former teammate Jared Larsen (1997-00). Michaelson now has 42 goals and 39 assists for 123 points in his
career, trailing only Matt Blazek (173 points) and Derek Jordan (135 points).
REGIONAL RANKINGS: Despite winning three times last week, Albertson
remained in the No. 4 spot in this week’s NAIA Region I rankings. Simon Fraser continues to hold the top spot,
with Western Baptist and Concordia sharing the No. 2 spot, and Evergreen
rounding out the top-five.
OUT FOR THE SEASON: A pair of Coyotes had season-ending knee surgeries
last week. Sophomore defender Brad
Brooks (Meridian, Idaho / Meridian HS) and sophomore center-mid Ryan
Abo (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) saw their season’s cut short due
to injury. Brooks was injured early in
the season, while Abo was injured in practice two weeks ago. Both should make complete recoveries.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW:
Albertson will host the hottest team in
the conference on Thursday, as Western Baptist comes to town for this
season’s rubber match. The Warriors
(12-6-1) have won six consecutive matches, including a 4-1 win against the
‘Yotes on Oct. 19, and a 4-2 win at Concordia on Oct. 24. Inspired play from Taurai Daka (26 goals, 11
assists), the all-time leading scorer in Western history, the Warriors have won
8-of-9, with the only blemish a 4-1 loss at Albertson on Oct. 5. The key for Western will be to keep Jason
Southward in check – the sophomore has scored in each of his four matches with
the Warriors – ten goals in all, including four in the Caldwell meeting this
season. The other match-up has Evergreen
heading to Concordia. The
Geoducks (8-10), having their best season since 1995, took the Cavaliers (14-5)
to overtime in their earlier meeting in Portland. Evergreen should be boosted by the return of striker Chris Pugh
and keeper Tom Kneeshaw, both who have been out nursing injuries. Concordia will be missing All-Conference
midfielder Tim Tubra due to a red card in Saturday’s match with Warner Pacific,
but still have plenty of firepower in Joe Beytebiere, Tony Ballew, and Justan
Wolvert.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson men’s soccer program, head to the
official site of Coyote soccer: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/menssoccer.htm.
CASCADE CONFERENCE HOTLINE: For up-to-date scores and information from the
Cascade Conference, call the Cascade Conference Hotline at (208) 459-5135.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (0-0): Coyotes
off to Las Vegas to open 2002-03 season
COMING
UP: at Las Vegas Invitational, Las Vegas, Nev. –
vs. Dakota Wesleyan, Friday, 6:30 p.m. (PST); vs. Bellevue (Neb.), Saturday,
4:30 p.m. (PST).
FINAL
TUNE-UP: In preparation for their
season opener this weekend in Las Vegas, the Albertson men’s basketball team
held a pair of scrimmages this weekend – impressing head coach Mark Owen. The opener
against Treasure Valley Community College saw the ‘Yotes struggle for the first
20 minutes, but the final 20 minutes, along with the second tussle with
Columbia Basin Community College, featured good things from a young club. “I am really pleased with the way we played
this afternoon,” said Owen. “Hopefully
we can carry over this experience into practice this week, and into the games
in Las Vegas.”
THE
ROTATION: Although everyone had a
chance to play this weekend, nine players saw the majority of the action. The frontcourt saw senior Eric Hare (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico / West Valley CC) and junior Tom Perkes (Spokane, Wash.
/ Big Bend CC) both impress on the
inside, along with sticking an occasional outside jumper. Joe
Green (Pocatello, Idaho /
BYU-Idaho) looked confident at the
point-guard position, while both Andy
Harper (Idaho Falls, Idaho /
Columbia Basin CC) and Jon Thomas (Nampa, Idaho / Gem State Academy) knocked down outside jumpers. Junior Justin McCarthy (Boise, Idaho /
Boise HS) spelled the big men
underneath, while sophomore Zach
Rasmussen (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS), along freshmen Derek Brown (Las Vegas, Nev.
/ Desert Pines HS) and Jake Reynolds (Sandy, Utah / Waterford HS) got plenty of action in the backcourt.
COACHES
POLL: Albertson was picked second this season in
the Cascade Conference preseason coaches poll, released earlier this
month. Oregon Tech led the way with
seven first-place votes, followed by the Coyotes (with two first place votes),
and Southern Oregon (with one first place vote). Last season’s champion, Evergreen, was in fourth place, followed
by Cascade, Concordia, Warner Pacific, Western Baptist, Northwest, and Eastern
Oregon.
UP
FIRST – DAKOTA WESLEYAN: Albertson opens
up the season on Friday night against fellow NAIA Division II member Dakota Wesleyan. The Tigers
(15-19 last season), members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, were a very
youthful team last season, and hope that it will pay dividends this year. GPAC Freshman-of-the-Year David Nour (14.4
ppg) returns in the backcourt, but the Tigers must replace forward Austin
Ledeboer (18.8 ppg) and shooting guard Rich Crow Eagle (12.2 ppg). Head coach Doug Martin, in his 15th season
at DWU, is 1-0 against Albertson – defeating the Coyotes 73-60 in 2000.
ABOUT
BELLEVUE: Day two pits the Coyotes
against Bellevue of Nebraska.
Albertson has seen the Bruins (22-11) once before, that coming in the
2001 NAIA National Tournament, a game the ‘Yotes won 72-68. Head coach Todd Eisner returns three
starters, all seniors, from last season’s team that lost in the Midwest
Collegiate Athletic Conference title game.
Seth Snedigar (12.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is the top returning scorer. Three players – Luther Hall, Brent Heller,
and Chris Payne all were a part of the Bruin team that met Albertson in 2001.
RADIO AND INTERNET BROADCAST
INFORMATION: All 31 regular-season games
will be broadcast live on 1490-AM KCID, the “Home of the Coyotes.” For the second consecutive year, sports
information director, Mike Safford Jr., will call the play-by-play. Tune in this weekend for ‘Yote action
against Dakota Wesleyan (7:15 Friday night) and Bellevue (5:15 Saturday night)
on KCID-AM, or log onto the Albertson athletic website to hear the internet
feed (www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/default.asp).
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the
official site of Coyote basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (7-7 CCC, 9-9): Road losses to Southern, OIT leave Lady ‘Yotes with a
must-win weekend
LAST WEEK: Lost at Southern Oregon, 3-0; lost at Oregon Tech,
2-1.
COMING UP: vs.
Evergreen, Friday, 2 p.m.; vs. Concordia, Saturday, 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.
UNCLEAR PLAYOFF PICTURE: With a chance to sew up
their first playoff berth since 1989, the Albertson women’s soccer team
struggled on last weekend’s road trip, dropping both games, and clouding the
post-season picture. Three teams –
Concordia, Western Baptist, and Evergreen have all clinched a spot in the
four-team tournament in Portland, Nov. 8-9.
Four teams – Albertson, Warner Pacific, Southern Oregon, and Oregon Tech
each are battling for one spot in the tournament. The Lady ‘Yotes clinch a spot in the tournament with a victory,
unless Southern sweeps its three games this weekend (OIT, Cascade,
Western). If Albertson were to lose its
two games (against playoff bound Evergreen and Concordia), the Lady ‘Yotes
would need Warner Pacific to drop its game Tuesday with Cascade, and Southern
Oregon to lose 2-of-3 to head to the post-season.
TOUGH WEEKEND: Anytime you travel nearly 1,000 miles on a bus,
strange things will happen. Friday
afternoon, a raucous crowd at Southern Oregon witnessed the Raiders 3-0 win
over Albertson. The Raiders, who lost
to the Coyotes in Caldwell, used a 24-18 shot advantage to the win. The next afternoon, Oregon Tech scored a
pair of first half goals and weathered a barrage of shots from the ‘Yotes in
the second half to win, 2-1. Chelsea Stevens (Bend, Ore. / BYU-Idaho)
scored the lone
goal of the weekend, a shot with five minutes left in the OIT match.
RECORD BREAKING SEASON: With the goal against
OIT, the Coyotes have tied the school record for goals in a season with 36,
which was established back in 1993. The
2002 team has already eclipsed the team record for wins (9), assists (39), and points (111) in a season.
LATHAM INCHES CLOSER TO MARK: With one more assists
this weekend, Alyssa Latham (Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC) continues
to add to her record setting season. The
junior now has 12 goals and 18 assists as a Coyote, just five points behind the
school mark of 47 set by Kristine Halter (Jones) in 1993. The 18 assists put her in a league of her
own, however, as six women in NAIA history have recorded 19 or more assists in
a single season. Closest to Latham is
Nora Ohrnberg of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), who had 19 assists in 2000. The national record is 25, held by Kristen
Tesch of William Penn (Iowa) and Sandy Shaneyfelt of Nebraska Wesleyan. Incidentally, Latham holds the Walla Walla
Community College school record for assists in a season, having recorded 24
last season.
GAME TIME QUESTION MARK: Saturday’s home finale
vs. Concordia is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff. However, if the men’s soccer team hosts the Cascade Conference
championship game on Saturday, the women’s contest would be moved to 11 a.m.,
with the men playing at 1 p.m.
HEADING INTO THE FINAL WEEKEND: The final home games of
the season will decide whether Albertson continues its season next week, or hangs
up the spikes. The Coyotes have a 6-1
record at Symms Field this season, including two straight wins. Up first on Friday is Evergreen, who clinched a playoff
spot with a 5-2 win at Warner Pacific on Saturday. The Geoducks (9-5, 9-8) are led by Tiffany Fenster (22 goals, 4
assists), who earned honorable mention All-American honors as a freshman in
2001. Evergreen defeated the Coyotes,
5-1, earlier this season, but lost 2-1 in the last trip to Caldwell. Albertson trails in the all-time series
10-4. The Cascade Conference buzz-saw
heads into town on Saturday, as regular-season champion Concordia making a pit stop before
the playoffs. The Cavaliers (14-0,
16-2), ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA National Poll, have won 15 matches in a
row after season opening losses in California. 2001 CCC Player-of-the-Year Missy Clark (28 goals, 9 assists) is
having a monster year, as is Aimee Wright (11 goals, 16 assists). The Cavs defeated Albertson, 7-0, earlier
this month, and have won the past nine meetings in the series.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For game stories,
statistics, and information regarding the Albertson women’s soccer program,
head to the official site of Lady ‘Yote soccer: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmenssoccer.htm.
VOLLEYBALL (7-6 CCC, 11-13): Weekend split in Oregon gives Lady ‘Yotes momentum heading
into three match week
LAST
WEEK: Won at Western Baptist, 3-1; lost at No. 14
Concordia, 3-0.
COMING
UP: at Eastern Oregon, Tuesday, 7 p.m. (PST); vs.
Northwest, Friday, 7 p.m.; vs. Evergreen, Saturday, 7 p.m.
COYOTES ON THE BRINK OF CLINCHING PLAYOFF BERTH: Five
of the six playoff spots in the Cascade Conference post-season tournament have
been clinched, with the Coyotes set to fill the final spot this week. Concordia, Southern Oregon, Western Baptist,
Oregon Tech, and Northwest have already punched their ticket to the tournament,
set for Nov. 15-16. Albertson, with a
win this week, would sew up a spot for themselves. The seeding for the tourney, however, is up in the air – with
four teams separated by two games for the final four slots.
BIG WIN AT WESTERN: A huge
night from senior Kristyn Price (Bellevue, Idaho / Wood River HS) jumpstarted
an Albertson 3-1 victory at Western Baptist on Friday night. Price tied the Cascade Conference mark for
kills in a four-game match this season with 27, swinging .486 for the
night. Katy Tipton (Ontario,
Ore. / Ontario HS) fought through back pain to put away 14 kills, with Kristen
Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah / Snow CC) adding ten kills and three
blocks. Setter Amanda Basañez (Elko,
Nev. / College of Southern Idaho) did an outstanding job in the passing
department, converting 59 assists.
CONCORDIA KEEPS ON TRUCKIN’: The mystique surrounding the Concordia volleyball
team continues, as the Cavs stopped the Lady ‘Yotes in three quick games,
extending their CCC win streak to 61.
“Concordia was able to use all of their options effectively,” said
Albertson head coach Liz Mendiola.
“We played well for two games, but Concordia is playing awfully well
right now.” Kristyn Price recorded 15
kills and 13 digs on the night to lead the Albertson attack, but the Coyotes
were limited to just 29 total kills.
PRICE INCHES CLOSER: With
42 kills and 19 digs over the weekend, Kristyn Price moves closer to a pair of
individual marks. The four-year veteran
eclipsed the 1,900 kill mark last weekend, and now needs 69 spikes to become
the first Coyote to reach 2,000 kills in her career. She also needs 63 digs to become the all-time leader in that
category as well, as Brecia Gamett recorded 1,594 from 1998-01. Price leads the Cascade Conference in kills
per game at 5.22, and is second in the loop in attack percentage at .339.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: With
season sweeps of both Oregon Tech and Western Baptist, it was a matter of time
for the Lady ‘Yotes to jump in the regional poll. This week, the Coyotes move up three spots to No. 7, despite
having a sub-.500 record (seven of the 13 Albertson losses have been to teams
ranked in the NAIA Top-20). Concordia
continues to hold the top spot, with Southern Oregon sitting in second. Montana-Western, Carroll, and Montana Tech
round out the top-five. Rocky Mountain
is at No. 6, followed by the Coyotes, Oregon Tech, Western Baptist, and
Lewis-Clark State.
TIPTON CLOSE TO 1,000: With
her big performance at Western, Katy Tipton got to within 14 kills of 1,000 for
her Albertson career. The senior now
needs just nine spikes to move into fourth-place on the career list, as Terra
Nidever (1995-98) had 994 kills in her Coyote career.
LASSEN PROVING HER WORTH: Sophomore
middle blocker Jessie Lassen (Buhl, Idaho / Filer HS) has been
one of the most consistent forces for the Lady ‘Yotes during the month of
October. Lassen is averaging nearly
three kills and a block and a half per game during the last nine games, along
with a .322 attack percentage. She had
a solid weekend as well, recording nine kills and a team-high six blocks at
Western, and backed it up with seven kills at Concordia.
THREE GAMES THIS WEEK: The
three-game road trip ends Tuesday with the two-hour jaunt to Eastern Oregon. The last time we saw the Mountaineers (2-11,
4-14) was at Blocktoberfest 2002, where Albertson served up a school-record 22
aces in the straight-set win. Since a
win at the tournament against Westminster, Eastern has dropped five matches in
a row. Outside hitter Kaki McLean (3.08
kills/game) is the main threat for Ryan Platt’s team. The Coyotes have defeated the Mountaineers 14 consecutive
times. That cannot be said for the
weekend opponents in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. Friday’s opponent, Northwest, stopped
the Coyotes in three games last month for their first-ever win over
Albertson. The Eagles (8-6, 12-8)
currently are a half-game ahead of the Lady ‘Yotes in the conference standings,
having swept Cascade and Warner Pacific over the weekend. Shaun Kupferberg’s squad leads the loop in
service aces, utilizing the jump serve to its max. Amanda Peterson (3.56 kills/gm) is an outstanding swinger that
gave the Coyotes fits earlier this year.
Saturday, the “Attack of the Clams” from Evergreen burrow into
Caldwell. The Geoducks (3-11, 5-18) set
a school record for wins in a season with a straight-set win against Cascade on
Saturday. Led by senior Courtney
Brandon (3.32 kills/gm), the quick setting Geoducks stopped Albertson in
five-games last month, the biggest win to date in the programs two-year
history.
INSIDE THE CONFERENCE: Ashland,
Ore. is the place to be on Saturday night, as No. 16 ranked Southern Oregon
hosts No. 14 ranked Concordia.
Along with the gaudy streak in conference matches, Concordia has not
lost a single game since Game 3 against Albertson on Sept. 21, a span of 29
games. If Concordia were to win, it would
all but seal up the home court for the Cascade Conference tournament. It will be a difficult week for Oregon
Tech, as the Owls host a pair of non-conference opponents early in the
week, then meet Concordia and Western Baptist. Warner Pacific, which won its fourth game in CCC play with
a 3-2 victory at Evergreen, will be eliminated from playoff contention with an
Albertson win. Cascade came
close for its first loop win since 2000, taking Northwest to five games before
losing 16-14 in the final set.
ON THE INTERNET: Due to men’s basketball on Friday night, the
Albertson-Northwest volleyball game will not be heard on the internet. However, Saturday night’s match with
Evergreen will be joined in progress following the Albertson-Bellevue men’s
basketball game. The Evergreen game,
along with archives of eight previous Lady ‘Yote games can also be heard by logging
on at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/profiles/2002/radio.htm.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY
‘YOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson volleyball program, head to the official
site of Lady ‘Yote volleyball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm.
- ALBERTSON -