‘Yote Notes – Nov. 5, 2002

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@albertson.edu

GENERAL ATHLETICS NEWS:

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.

BOGUS BASIN RELAY RUN TO SUPPORT SKI PROGRAM: The Bogus Basin Relay Run is a fundraising venture to benefit the Albertson College Ski Teams.  It is a relay from Albertson College to the Bogus Basin Ski Area – a distance of 45 miles.  The relay will be performed on foot, rollerblades, and roller-skis by student-athletes on the ski teams.  Pledges can be made on a per mile basis or as a fixed dollar amount.  For more information, contact head coach Ron Bonneau at 459-1705.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (1-1): ‘Yotes head to Salt Lake City after season opening split at Las Vegas Invitational

LAST WEEK: at NAIA Las Vegas Shootout, Las Vegas, Nev. – defeated Dakota Wesleyan, 76-69; lost to Bellevue, 81-65.

COMING UP: at Homestead Suites Invitational, Salt Lake City, Utah –  vs. Montana-Western, Thursday, 3 p.m.; vs. Lewis-Clark State, Friday, 3 p.m.; vs. Westminster, Saturday, 6 p.m.

UPS AND DOWNS OF A NEW SQUAD: With five new players in the regular rotation, it is safe to say that the Coyote men’s basketball team will take a while to adjust to the style Mark Owen wants the team to play.  That was definitely evident in Las Vegas, where at times the squad looked like seasoned veterans, and at other time, struggled to execute the offensive set.

BALANCED ATTACK LEADS TO OPENING WIN: Playing solid defense and making free throws was key last Friday night as the Coyotes opened the 2002-03 season with a 76-69 victory over Dakota Wesleyan.  Albertson used a 15-5 run over the final six minutes of the first half to open up a halftime margin of 37-32, a lead they would never relinquish.  Three players scored in double figures, with seven players scoring five points or more.

COMMENTS FROM COACH: “I thought we came out and did the things we needed to do to bring home a victory,” said a hoarse Owen following the victory.  “We did not make mistakes (eight turnovers) and our “bigs” got the job done in the paint.  Most often, we will get outrebounded, as we did tonight, but we will fight hard and find a way to win.”

BIRTHDAY BOY: Celebrating his 23rd birthday last Friday, senior forward Eric Hare (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico / West Valley CC) gave himself a night present with an 18 point, nine rebound evening.  Hare was 9-of-14 from the floor, using a nice combination of inside and outside moves.

BELLEVUE RUNS PAST COYOTES: Things looked good for the Coyotes during the first ten minutes of their Saturday game vs. Bellevue of Nebraska, but the Bruins ran off 13 points midway through the first half en route to an 81-65 win over Albertson.  The ‘Yotes led by as many as six in the early going, hitting their first five shots from the field.  However, as Bellevue picked up the defense, the Coyote offense hit the tank – as the squad could not get closer than five in the second half.

PERKES HAS HIS PERKS: The bright spot for Albertson against Bellevue was junior transfer Tom Perkes (Spokane, Wash. / Big Bend CC), who scored 18 points and pulled down five rebounds.  Perkes had a slam dunk to go along with 5-of-6 shooting from the line in the loss.  Over the weekend, the 6-7 forward averaged 16.5 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the floor.

THOMAS FINDS HIS NICHE: Ever since Mark Owen stuck Jon Thomas (Nampa, Idaho / Gem State Academy) in the starting line-up with three games remaining in the 2001-02 regular season, the Idaho native has produced.  This weekend, the senior was consistent, averaging 14 points, including five three-pointers.  In his six career starts, Thomas averages nearly 15 points a game.

DISHING OUT SUCCESS: After playing an entire season without a true point guard, it was evident last weekend that the 2002-03 team has a gifted player running the point.  Sophomore Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho) had a very steady two games, averaging 5.5 assists per night while playing a team-high 37 minutes per game.  Green also chipped in nearly six points and two rebounds in the two games.

NO OLYMPICS, BUT SALT LAKE’S STILL THE PLACE: Although the Winter Olympics are long gone from Salt Lake City, Utah, the capital city still plays host to the Homestead Inn and Suites Invitational at Westminster College.  The three-day event will pit the Coyotes against three extremely tough NAIA Division I teams from the Frontier Conference.  Thursday afternoon, Albertson meets Montana-Western for the first of two games with the Bulldogs (15-15 in 2001-02) this season.  Western opened the campaign with a 84-65 win over Lethbridge College from Canada.  It is a rebuilding year in Dillon, as the Bulldogs lost their top six scorers from a year ago.  Albertson stopped UMW in Salt Lake 99-90 last season, behind 27 points from Ty Shaw.  Friday the ‘Yotes tangle with Lewis-Clark State.  The intrastate rival Warriors (24-10) were one of four Frontier Conference teams to advance to the 2002 National Tournament.  George Pfeifer’s team returns leading scorer Jason Brazier (18.8 ppg) and swingman Sta’Fon Lawson (14.7 ppg), along with point guard Brian Meneely (14.5 ppg, 3.4 apg).  Albertson stopped LCSC 98-86 at last year’s Golden Rule Shoot-Out.  The weekend finale pits Mark Owen up against good friend Tommy Connor and Westminster College.  The Griffins (18-12) split a pair of games with Albertson last season, each winning on the other’s home court.  Returning forward Matt Sparrow (14.7 ppg) is the go-to player.

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 Montana-Western (Thursday at 2:50 p.m.), Lewis-Clark State (Friday at 2:50 p.m.), and Westminster (Saturday at 5:50 p.m.) 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.

MEN’S SOCCER (14-5): Regional Tournament in Portland awaits Coyotes

LAST WEEK: Cascade Conference Tournament – lost to Western Baptist, 5-0.

COMING UP: NAIA Region I Tournament, Portland, Ore. – vs. Simon Fraser, Friday, 1:30 p.m.; championship game, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

DOWN, BUT NOT OUT: A very chilly afternoon in Caldwell eliminated the Coyotes from the Cascade Conference Tournament, but not from the postseason.  Thanks to a Concordia 1-0 win over Western Baptist, the Albertson men’s soccer team will advance to the NAIA Region I Tournament for the fourth-consecutive year.  The ‘Yotes advance due to their higher longo rating (177) than that of the Warriors (169).

FIVE GOALS?: The 5-0 loss to Western Baptist was the first time that Albertson had given up five goals in a game since the 1999 NAIA Regional Tournament.  During the stretch between lopsided losses, Albertson recorded a 48-15 record, including a 29-7 mark in conference play.

WOES IN THE CASCADE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: For the third time in the last four years, the ‘Yotes dropped an opening-round match in the Cascade Conference tournament at home.  Last season, Albertson fell 1-0 to Cascade, while in 1999, they lost 4-3 to Northwest.  The lone break in the skid was in 2000, when Albertson stopped Northwest and Concordia en route to the regional championship.

MORE ON LOSS TO WESTERN: Despite holding a 28-11 shot advantage on the visiting Warriors, Albertson could not find the net on an afternoon where the wind chill was in the teens.  Danny Agee scored twice in the first eight minutes of the contest, part of his three-goal afternoon.  Trailing 2-0 at the break, Albertson could not stop CCC Player-of-the-Year Taurai Daka in the second half, as the 28-year-old Zimbabwe native struck gold twice to put the Coyotes away.

FINAL REGIONAL POLL: With the Cascade Conference championship in their back pocket, along with a pair of Simon Fraser losses, Concordia pulled even with the Clan – sharing the top spot in the final regional poll.  Western Baptist finishes the year in third, followed by the Coyotes and Westminster.  Incidentally, SFU finishes the regular season with a No. 15 national ranking, while Concordia ends the year with a No. 17 national mark.

OFF TO PORTLAND: The ‘Yotes third trip to the Rose City will hopefully be as successful as the previous two – Albertson holds a 3-0 record in Portland this season.  Following the regional opener between Concordia (16-5) and Westminster (9-11), Albertson takes on Simon Fraser for the first time since the 2000 Coyote upset that send the ‘Yotes to the NAIA Championships.  The Clan (11-4) are coming off of a pair of losses – a 6-0 defeat at Seattle Pacific, and a 2-1 home loss to Western Washington.  The team from British Columbia is led by striker Andrew Corraza (20 goals, 2 assists) and midfielder Kevin Crouch (11 goals, 8 assists), who combined have nine of the 11 game winners for the Clan.  SFU holds a two games to one lead on Albertson in the series, but the ‘Yotes pinned a 3-1 win on the Clan in Burnaby, B.C. to win the 2000 NAIA Region I title – the last meeting between the teams.

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.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (10-10): Lady ‘Yotes to meet Concordia in first-round of Cascade Conference tournament

LAST WEEK: Lost to Evergreen, 3-2; lost to Concordia, 6-0

COMING UP: at Cascade Conference postseason tournament, Portland, Ore. – vs. Concordia, Thursday, 11 a.m.

BACKING INTO THE PLAYOFFS: To say that the Albertson women’s soccer team has been struggling as of late would be an understatement.  The Lady ‘Yotes have lost four consecutive matches, including a pair late weekend – but still had enough padding from earlier in the season to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1989.  During the past two weeks, Albertson has been outscored 14-3.

SOUTHERN SAYS THANKS TO THE CLAMS: The entire Cascade Conference standings, along with the playoff picture was cleared up completely this morning, as the NAIA ruled an Evergreen player was ineligible, forcing the Geoducks to forfeit the eight victories they compiled while the player was on the field.  Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech, and Cascade each picked up a pair of wins, with Albertson and Eastern Oregon picking up one.  Southern is thankful that the NAIA penalized the Clams, as the Raiders vaulted from sixth-place in the standings to a third-place tie with Albertson, winning a tie-breaker for the No. 3 seed into this week’s tourney.

LATHAM FINDS HERSELF IN NAIA RECORDS: With two assists in the loss to Evergreen on Friday, junior Alyssa Latham (Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC) ran her season total of assists to 20, placing her fourth on the NAIA all-time single-season list.  Latham is in a deadlock with Patty Avalos (Southern Nazarene, Okla. – 1996) and Audrey Gaadert (Bethel, Kan. – 1996), just one assist behind Nicole Tobin (Siena Heights, Mich. – 2001) for third-place.  She has recorded 44 points this season, three behind the school record set by Kristine Halter (Jones) in 1993.

TOUGH HOME LOSS TO EVERGREEN: With a 6-1 record at home this season, Evergreen had a tough chore to beat the Lady ‘Yotes, considering Albertson pinned a loss on the Geoducks last year at the Symms Field pitch.  The Coyotes took a 1-0 halftime lead on a Katie Rupert (Boise, Idaho / North Idaho CC) blast off an Alyssa Latham assist with just four minutes left in the half.  The lead was short lived, however, as Evergreen scored three unanswered goals in the second half, and although Chelsea Stevens (Bend, Ore. / BYU-Idaho) found the net for the third time in four games, Albertson finished one goal short.

NEW GOAL RECORD: With the two goals against Evergreen, Albertson established a new school record for goals in a season with 38.

CONCORDIA COMPLETES PERFECT SEASON: With a 6-0 shutout of Albertson on Saturday afternoon, the Concordia women’s soccer team completed a perfect 16-0 season within the Cascade Conference.  Missy Clark scored four times for the Cavs, who have won 18 games in a row.

FINAL HOME GAME FOR SENIORS: The game on Saturday was also the final home game for the five Albertson seniors.  Center-mid Jessie Harwood (Walla Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC), midfielder Alana Hansen (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS), sweeper Kristi Dalsoglio (Boise, Idaho / Meridian HS), and forwards Becky Robertson (Othello, Wash. / Columbia Basin CC) and Chelsea Stevens played their final game at Symms Field.

POSTSEASON, THE NEXT GENERATION: It will be a daunting task for the Lady ‘Yotes, having to face No. 4 ranked Concordia, who outscored Albertson 13-0 in the previous two meetings this season.  However, the fact that Albertson improved this year by six wins, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1989, is enough to justify why the Coyotes are in the position they are.

BACK IN 1989: The names were different, but results were the same – Holly Miyasaki, Amy Wells, Brooke Antonson, Jennifer Peavey – the quartet led the College of Idaho to an 8-3 record, and a 2-1 loss to Willamette in the District 2 playoffs, the Coyotes only other playoff appearance in the 14-year history of the program.

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 (14-13): Lady ‘Yotes vault into fourth-place, Price just 14 kills away from 2,000 in career

LAST WEEK: Won at Eastern Oregon, 3-0; defeated Northwest, 3-0; defeated Evergreen, 3-1.

COMING UP: vs. Northwest Nazarene, Tuesday, 7 p.m.; at Cascade, Friday, 5 p.m. (PST); at Warner Pacific, Saturday, 7 p.m. (PST)

BIG WEEK CLINCHES PLAYOFF BERTH: With three consecutive Cascade Conference wins this week, the Albertson volleyball team clinched a berth in the six-team conference postseason tournament, set for Nov. 15 and 16 at Concordia University in Portland.  With the wins, Albertson jumped over both Oregon Tech and Northwest into fourth place, just one-half game behind Western Baptist.  The Coyotes also found themselves above the .500 mark (14-13) for the first time this season.  It is the fifth consecutive year that Albertson has reached the conference playoffs.

REGIONAL RANKINGS: With the three wins, the Lady ‘Yotes also moved up one spot in the NAIA Region I weekly rankings, sitting in the all-important No. 6 spot.  With the CCC and Frontier Tournament champions and runners-up each receiving automatic berths to the regional tournament, the regional ranking is the next standard for the two at-large teams to the six-team tourney, set for Nov. 22-23.  Concordia continues to sit atop the poll, followed by Southern Oregon and Montana-Western.  Carroll and Montana Tech round out the top-five, with the Coyotes, Rocky Mountain, Western Baptist, Oregon Tech, and Lewis-Clark State rounding out the poll.

PRICE ON THE VERGE OF 2,000: With 55 kills in the Coyotes three wins last week, senior Kristyn Price (Bellevue, Idaho / Wood River HS) sits just under the 2,000 kill plateau in her Albertson career.  Price, the all-time leader in kills and aces, needs just 14 kills to become the first Lady ‘Yotes to reach the 2K mark.  With five aces last week, the outside hitter also became the first player over the 200 career ace mark.  One record Price does not own is the career dig mark (1,594 by Brecia Gamett from 1998-01), but needs just 35 bumps to take over the all-time lead.

MORE ON PRICE IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Along with the 12 games with 20 kills and 20 digs that places her third on the NAIA all-time list, Price has also cracked the national list in two other categories.  In her four seasons as a Coyote, Price has recorded 105 matches with double figure kills, placing her seventh on the all-time list.  Next on the list for her is Heather Arnold (St. Edwards of Texas, 1993-96) who had 108.  She also tied for third all-time with 33 matches with at least 20 kills – having pulled into a deadlock with Sara Seiter (Mt. Vernon Nazarene of Ohio, 1995-98).  Price is one back of second-place Dana Finlay (Madonna of Michigan, 1990-92).

TIPTON NEARING 1,000: Despite an injury-plagued senior season, middle blocker Katy Tipton (Ontario, Ore. / Ontario HS) will likely surpass the 1,000 kill mark in her career this week.  Tipton has 990 career spikes, just four behind Terra Nidever (1995-98) and fourth place on the all-time Coyote list.

LAST WEEK’S GAMES: Tuesday night, Albertson stopped Eastern Oregon in three games (30-21, 30-26, 30-18) – behind 18 service aces and an all-around great game from setter Amanda Basañez (Elko, Nev. / College of Southern Idaho).  Basañez recorded six kills without an error, had 29 assists, seven aces, and three blocks. Jessie Lassen (Buhl, Idaho / Filer HS) led the way with 11 kills, with Kristyn Price recording ten.  It was the 15th-straight win for the Lady ‘Yotes over Eastern.  Friday and Saturday, Albertson avenged road losses in September.  Northwest College was the first victim in three games (30-21, 30-21, 30-14), with Price dominating play with 22 kills and a .606 attack percentage.  After hitting over .300 during the first meeting the Eagles were held to a .020 attack percentage by the ‘Yotes.  Lassen added seven kills and six blocks, with Kristen Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah / Snow CC) adding eight kills and four blocks.  Saturday, Evergreen took its turn at the whipping post, as the Coyotes took out the Geoducks in four (30-16, 30-22, 27-30, 30-23).  Price and Bailey again were the big hitters, with 23 and nine kills respectively.  Also having a nice night was sophomore Lindsey Ward (Murtaugh, Idaho / Murtaugh HS), who had seven kills, and freshman Fran Hartman (Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview HS), who had six kills.

UH-OH, HERE COMES NNU: In their first season as full NCAA Division II members, Tuesday’s opponent in the home finale, Northwest Nazarene, has had a solid season within the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  The Crusaders (11-10) sit in the middle of the pack in the conference, and have already picked up a three-game victory over Albertson on October 1.  NNU dropped weekend match-ups with Western Washington and Seattle Pacific on the road, but hitters Louise Free (3.85 k/g, 1.09 b/g) and Sarah Ahlers (3.28 k/g) always get up for the Coyotes.  The Crusaders have won three consecutive matches against their Canyon County rivals.

LAST HOME MATCH FOR SENIORS: For Kristyn Price, Katy Tipton, and Cristin Cook (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS), Tuesday game vs. NNU is the final home contest in their Albertson careers.  All three players are in their fourth-year with the Coyote program.

WEARING A PATH DOWN I-84: The final two matches of the regular season will hopefully begin a streak of three consecutive weekends that the Coyotes make the 400 mile journey west on I-84 – over the Blue Mountains, through the Columbia River Gorge, to Portland – the site of weekend matches with Cascade and Warner Pacific, along with the CCC and NAIA Region I tourneys.  But first things first, Friday’s match with the T-Birds (0-16, 5-18) is not one to overlook.  Although Albertson dominated Cascade last month, Cascade took Northwest College to five-games on the road, and is a much improved team, led by outside hitter Seila Latiti (2.96 k/g).  Saturday’s game with the Knights (5-12, 7-14) should be more interesting than the white-washing Albertson imposed on WPC in Caldwell.  Warner Pacific is having their best season since volleyball was reinstated in 2000, led by Jo’lene Bogle’s 3.32 kills per game.  Neither Cascade (11-0), nor Warner (6-0) has ever defeated the Lady ‘Yotes.

THANKS TO OUR INTERNET CREW: Special thanks goes out to Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean for an outstanding job at the mike for the first-ever season of volleyball on the Internet.  All home games that were broadcast are archived on the volleyball homepage.

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.

CASCADE CONFERENCE HOTLINE: For up-to-date scores from the Cascade Conference, call the Cascade Conference Hotline at (208) 459-5135.  Each night, scores and updated standings are posted on the Conference Standings page within the Albertson volleyball website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/stats/standings.htm.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (0-0): Banged-up Lady ‘Yotes head to Big Sky Country to open 2002-03 campaign

COMING UP: at Carroll Classic, Helena, Mont. – vs. Montana Tech, Friday, 6 p.m.; vs. Carroll, Saturday, 4 p.m.

SCRIMMAGE TAKES ITS TOLL ON SQUAD: Although the Albertson women’s basketball dominated play in its lone preseason scrimmage with Treasure Valley Community College, key injuries may play a factor in this weekend’s opening trip.  The most serious of the injuries is to senior forward Megan Henrichs (Preston, Idaho / Preston HS), who suffered a knee injury while grabbing a rebound.  The Academic All-American and honorable mention All-Conference selection had an MRI on Monday with the results unknown.  Also injured in the scrimmage was off guard Heidi Goicoechea (Burley, Idaho / Burley HS), who suffered a Grade I concussion at the hands of the Chukars – but head coach Reagan Rossi stated that Goicoechea is probable for Friday’s game at Montana Tech. Back-up post Sarah Wilkin (Twin Falls, Idaho / Southwestern Oregon CC) is also nursing a knee injury and will not make the trip.

BAILEY TO MAKE THE TRIP: With the injuries, volleyball/basketball player Kristen Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah / Snow CC) has decided to travel with the basketball team this weekend, instead of the final two Cascade Conference volleyball matches.  Bailey averaged 12 points and nine rebounds last year on the hardwood, and was averaging 2.2 kills and 0.8 blocks per game with the spikers.

PROJECTED STARTING LINE-UP: Rossi looks to have Bailey along with transfer Lindsey Karren (Brigham City, Utah / Salt Lake CC) at the forwards, with freshman Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) at one of the three guards.  Either Goicoechea or freshman Dani Cotterell (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS) will be at a guard, while Krystal Thacker (Elko, Nev. / BYU-Idaho) or Carley Williams (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) is at the point.

OFF TO THE BIG SKY COUNTRY: Albertson opens up play at the Carroll Classic on Friday against Montana Tech.  The Orediggers (7-22 in 2001-02) opened up the new season with a 68-56 victory over Minot State.  The Lady ‘Yotes hold a 3-1 all-time advantage over the Techsters.  Saturday, its host Carroll, who stopped Albertson 88-87 in overtime to open up last season.  The Saints (17-18 in 2001-02) also defeated Minot State last weekend 70-59, and hope to improve on a fourth-place finish in the Frontier Conference.

RADIO AND INTERNET BROADCAST INFORMATION: A total of 23 women’s basketball games will be carried via the Albertson athletic website.  All nine regular-season games road games will be broadcast live on local radio at 1490-AM KCID, the “Home of the Coyotes,” and on the World Wide Web, with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action.  In addition, all 14 home games will be carried on the internet only, with students Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean providing the play-by-play.  To access the games, log onto the Albertson athletic website

MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: 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/wmensbasketball.htm.

- ALBERTSON -