‘Yote Notes – August 20, 2002
(To subscribe to ‘Yote Notes, contact Mike Safford
Jr. at msafford@albertson.edu or
208-459-5681
GENERAL
ATHLETICS NEWS:
YES, WE
ARE BACK IN BUSINESS: After a summer hiatus, ‘Yote
Notes are back in full swing. All fall
sports have reported to campus, with the first games scheduled for the end of
next week. All schedules for fall and
winter sports have been posted on the Athletics Website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/default.asp.
COYOTE
OPEN COMING UP: The 2002 version of the
Coyote Open, one of the biggest golf tournaments in the area, is set for
September 27 at River Bend Golf Course.
For more information on how to play or sponsor this year’s tournament,
contact Athletic Marketing Director Dave
Hahn at (208) 459-5835.
SPEAKING
OF HAHN: Yes, it is the same person. Former “Voice of the Coyotes” Dave Hahn is
back in the athletic department. After
leaving his post as assistant athletic and sports information director to
broadcast the Idaho Stampede in the mid 1990s, and a successful stint as the
Albertson Annual Fund Director, Hahn has taken the new position of Athletic
Marketing Director. He will be in
charge of the Coyote Athletic Association, basketball season ticket sales, the
Coyote Open, along with general fundraising for athletics.
THE
SIMONTACCHI WATCH: Former Albertson baseball
standout Jason Simontacchi has earned the Coyotes attention coast-to-coast this
summer – as a rookie pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Simontacchi, who pitched for the ‘Yotes in
1996, is the first major league player from Albertson in decades. He currently has a 9-4 record with a 4.28
ERA, having won his past two starts.
The California native won the National League “Rookie of the Month”
award for June, and has graced the cover of Baseball Weekly magazine.
OTHERS
IN THE PRO RANKS: No less than eight former
Coyote baseball players have seen action in the professional ranks this summer,
chasing the trail blazed by Simontacchi.
Leading the way is Branden
Florence, playing for the Hagerstown
Suns, a Class-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Florence is hitting .301 with 11 home runs
and 57 RBI. Playing Short-A ball is
former shortstop Patrick
Gonzalez with the Aberdeen Ironbirds of
the Baltimore Oriole organization, and pitcher Jason Stefani, who bounced around three
other clubs before sticking to the Spokane Indians, the Northwest League
affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.
Pitcher David
Kuiper is having an outstanding
independent season with the DuBois County Dragons, boasting a 6-2 mark with a
3.35 ERA, and slugger Greg
Schelhaas is hitting .283, with 17 long
balls and 44 RBI with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the Northern League. Three others – Michael Kraemer, Chris Rennaker,
and Nick Williams, all pitched in the independent league during the
course of the summer, but were released.
MEN’S
AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ON THE AIR: We are
pleased to announce that 30 men’s and nine women’s basketball games will be
carried live on 1490-KCID this season, with Mike Safford Jr. calling the
action. The first broadcast is set for
Nov. 1, when the men travel to the Las Vegas Invitational, while the first
doubleheader is set for Dec. 17, when the men and women head to Western
Baptist. All league games this season
will be played as doubleheaders, with the women playing at 6 p.m., the men at 8
p.m.
COMING
UP: at Seaside Invitational, San Diego, Calif. –
vs. Olivet Nazarene, Aug. 30, 2 p.m.; vs. Madonna, Aug. 30, 6 p.m.; vs.
Missouri Baptist, Aug. 31, 9 a.m.; vs. Point Loma Nazarene, Aug. 31, 11 a.m.
A YEAR
UNDER HER BELT: For second-year head
coach Liz Mendiola, all of the rookie jitters are gone. After an 18-13 record in her initial
campaign, Mendiola is look past last season’s regional tournament berth, and
towards the NAIA Championships in San Diego this December. The key is simple, begin the season in San
Diego (at the Seaside Invitational), end the season in San Diego.
THREE
STARTERS LOST: Three starters from
last season’s team – setter Carly Merkel, and hitters Brecia Gamett
and Ellie Taggart – graduated, with both Merkel and Gamett earning
All-Conference honors in 2001. The
ability to plug the holes left by the seniors will be key in the Coyotes
success. “Our 2001 seniors will be very
difficult to replace,” remarked Mendiola.
Our current athletes will need to step up to fill those holes.”
THE “PRICE IS RIGHT”: Three-time All-Cascade
Conference outside hitter Kristyn Price (Bellevue, Idaho / Wood River
HS) returns to spark the Lady ‘Yote attack. The senior hopes 2002 will be a year to establish a legacy that
may stand at Albertson for a great while.
Already the school record holder for kills in a season and career, Price
needs 481 spikes to become the first-ever Coyote with 2,000 kills. Not only is she the top offensive threat,
the Wood River native led the team in digs in 2001, an should move into the No.
1 spot on the all-time list sometime this season.
IN THE NAIA
RECORD BOOK: To say Price
has been one of the most dominant outside hitters in school history is not an
overstatement – Price has 11 matches with at least 20 kills and digs, more than
all other Coyotes combined. This ranks
fifth-place on the all-time NAIA 20-20 list.
DON’T FORGET
ABOUT TIPTON: 2001 was a breakthrough
season for middle blocker Katy Tipton (Ontario, Ore. / Ontario HS). The six-foot senior led Albertson in attack
percentage and blocks for the second straight season, and was among the Cascade
Conference’s elite in both categories.
This earned Tipton earned All-Conference and All-Region honors, along
with three NAIA Region I Player-of-the-Week awards.
A NEW SETTER: With the graduation of Merkel, a former NAIA
All-American, the Coyotes have to find a new ball distributor. Transfer Amanda Basañez (Elko,
Nev. / College of So. Idaho) may be the answer. The junior was a two-year starter at CSI, leading her team to an
NJCAA National Championship as a freshman, and a fifth-place finish last
year. She stands at 5-10, which will
help the front-line block.
LIBERO?: A major rule change this season will allow teams
to utilize a libero (LEE-BURRO), or exclusive defensive specialist. The
libero is restricted to perform as a back-row player, and is not allowed to
complete an attack hit from anywhere (including the playing court and free
zone) if, at the moment of contact, the ball is entirely above the top of the
net. The libero may not serve, block, attempt to block, and must wear a different color uniform shirt or jersey in
contrast to the other members of the team.
TALKING ABOUT DEFENSIVE
SPECIALISTS: Now with the understanding of
the libero, the Lady ‘Yotes will have one player with the designated
jersey. Junior Amber Igoe (Blackfoot,
Idaho / Firth HS) , who stands at just 5-5, is the perfect player for the
new position. Igoe had nearly 200 digs
last season, dispite missing much of the second half of the year with
injuries. Other returning defensive
specialists include Laura Solberg (Castle Rock, Wash. / Castle Rock
HS), who led the Coyotes with 58 aces in 2001, and Kahli Mann (Nampa,
Idaho / Skyview HS), who became a part of the regular rotation late in the
season.
OUTSIDE AND RIGHT SIDE: With the graduation of Gamett and Taggart, two of
the three front-row starters must be replaced.
However, a big crop of players look to step right in. Sophomore Jessie Lassen (Buhl,
Idaho / Filer HS) along with junior Kristen Bailey (Fountain
Green, Utah / Snow JC) may see time as a blocker and a hitter. Lassen had an outstanding freshman campaign,
ranking second on the team in blocks, while the 6-4 Bailey moves becomes a
dual-sport athlete (she earned All-Conference honors in basketball last
season). Others in the mix include
sophomore Lindsey Ward (Murtaugh, Idaho / Murtaugh HS), who had
23 kills in a limited role in 2001, and freshmen Fran Hartman (Lakeview,
Ore. / Lakeview HS), Annie Rice (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS),
and Kip Michaelson (East Wenatchee, Wash. / Eastmont HS).
PLUGGING THE MIDDLE: Besides Tipton, the Coyotes do have other options
in their front-line defense. Redshirt
freshman Jaime Russell (Grangeville, Idaho / Grangeville HS) hopes
for playing time, as does Bailey and Lassen.
This season’s squad looks to lead the Cascade Conference in stuffs for
the second consecutive year.
VERY DIFFICULT NON-CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE : Prior to the Cascade
Conference grind, Mendiola has booked the Coyotes in a pair of well-rounded
tournaments – to say the least. Opening
the season for the third-straight season in San Diego at the Seaside Invitational,
Albertson finds itself just one of four teams in the ten team field not ranked
in the NAIA preseason poll. The Lady
‘Yotes will meet No. 4 ranked Point Loma Nazarene, No. 14 Olivet
Nazarene, No. 20 Madonna, and No. 22 Missouri Baptist – just
in pool play. Following the fun in the
sun, the squad heads north to the Whitworth Invitational, where it will meet
four tough opponents. NCAA Division III
foes Pacific Lutheran and Redlands each had solid 2001 season,
while NAIA opponents’ Lewis-Clark State and Montana-Western will
be vying all season long for a regional tournament bid. A home and home series with Northwest
Nazarene, and a Blocktoberfest weekend with Montana Tech,
Westminster, Victoria, and Montana-Western coming to
Caldwell, rounds out the non-conference slate.
CAN ANYONE STOP CONCORDIA?: If anyone is going to break the Concordia stranglehold
atop the Cascade Conference volleyball standings, this may be the year. The Cavaliers (25-5 in 2001) who are ranked
No. 8 in the preseason NAIAl poll, have a new head coach in Christopher Duenow
and return All-American setter Mindy Wallis to try and extend their CCC-record
47 consecutive match win streak.
Closing fast on the Cavs is Paul Elliott’s Southern Oregon squad,
the NAIA Region I representative at last season’s nationals. The Raiders (23-10) were ranked No. 15 in
the preseason poll – and return CCC Player-of-the-Year Kristina Matchett. Other contenders include Western Baptist and
Oregon Tech. The Warriors
(15-11) have an outstanding outside hitter in Liz Howe, while the Owls (14-11)
must replace a pair of All-Conference players.
Never count out Eastern Oregon (9-16), who has a new head coach
in Ryan Platt, with Northwest (8-15) being one of the more difficult
gyms in the conference to compete in.
Second-year program Evergreen (6-13) hopes an early season Hawaii
trip will pay dividends in the long run, while Warner Pacific (4-18) and
the return of the Cascade program after a one-year hiatus, battle to
stay out of the conference basement.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: 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.
COMING
UP: Host Mount Vernon Nazarene, August 29, 2 p.m.
COYOTES
EARN TOP BILLING IN REGION: The
success of the past two Albertson men’s soccer teams have finally paid
dividends for John
Calpin and the Coyotes. After back-to-back 17 win seasons, the ‘Yotes were ranked No. 1
in the NAIA Region I in its preseason poll – the first time in school history
that it has taken place. “The ranking
is nice, but it is rather meaningless,” Calpin said. “The goal is to have the rankings at the end of the season, when
all of the chips are on the table.”
Albertson finished the 2001 season ranked No. 23 in the NAIA-NCSCA
poll. The first 2002 national poll is
released Tuesday, August 20.
TEAM
LOSES ONLY TWO STARTERS: After having to
break in a plethora of freshmen last season, the Coyotes lose just two starters
from its regional runner-up squad in 2001.
However, both were key components of the 17-5 season. Midfielder Ryan Masingill was the ‘Yotes
stopper in the middle, and added six goals and 11 assists. Defender Jake Carson was as good of defender
in the region. Both graduates earned
All-Cascade Conference, All Region I, and honorable mention All-American honors
last season. A pair of reserves, Brian Davies and Seth
Carlson, also graduated.
TWO
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS: Anchoring the team for
the second-straight season are a pair of seniors – Coe Michaelson (East
Wenatchee, Wash. / Northwest Nazarene) and Jake Steele (Salt Lake
City, Utah / Viewmont HS). Each
earned All-American honors in 2001 with outstanding numbers, along with
mentoring the youthful team. Michaelson
led the team with 21 goals and 14 assists, the third-best season in school
history. The forward recorded
three-consecutive hat tricks midway through last season, part of the Coyotes
school record 11-game winning streak.
Michaelson was also an NAIA and Verizon Academic All-American. Steele has been the mainstay in goal for
Albertson the past three seasons. He
has a career record of 46-18-2 in goal with 24 shutouts, to go along with a
1.09 GAA, while playing in every minute of every game. Last season, Steele had a 1.04 GAA, and even
assisted on a pair of Coyote goals.
THE FRONT THIRD: No one positional area will be without returning
All-Stars this season. In fact, the
forward position has a multitude of personnel with the ability to put the ball
in the net. Along with Michaelson,
sophomore Jason Southward (Wood River, Idaho / Wood River HS) returns
after an All-Conference freshman campaign.
Southward was fourth in the loop with 11 goals and eight assists,
including a crucial hat trick in the Coyotes 3-1 over Western Baptist. Also returning is speedy Roger Aguilar (Payette,
Idaho / Payette HS), who tallied five goals and five assists in earning
honorable mention All-Conference honors as a sophomore. As a bonus, add true freshman Scott Ward
(Rexburg, Idaho / Madison HS) to the mix. The frosh was named Idaho’s top prep player in 2001, having
scored 34 goals last season.
THE MIDFIELD: The ability to control the midfield area will be
key for the Coyotes. Sophomore
center-mid Ryan Abo (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) returns after
successful knee surgery from an injury late in the 2001 season. Abo was third on the squad with 10
assists. Also back is Dustin Crim (Boise,
Idaho / Borah HS), who filled in admirably in the postseason following
Abo’s injury. Everyday starters Brad
Thornburg (Yreka, Calif. / Yreka HS) and John Reinschmidt (Mountain
Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) will help control the wings. Thornburg (two goals, two assists), one of
only four seniors on the squad, earned All-Conference honors last season. Reinschmidt added four goals, while playing
in all 22 games as a freshman. Despite
losing Masingill, the ‘Yotes stopper in the middle, a trio of freshman recruits
hope to battle for playing time. Treasure
Valley natives Ryan Huber (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), Sam Reed (Eagle,
Idaho / Eagle HS), and Tyler Semans (Boise, Idaho / Centennial
HS) were All-Metro selections out of high school and can play at a high
level.
SHORING UP THE DEFENSE: Although the leadership of Jake Carson is gone –
but plenty of standouts are still left fill the void in the back. Starters Brad Brooks (Meridian,
Idaho / Meridian HS) and Drake Jakovac (Boise, Idaho / Timberline
HS) learned the Albertson way of
soccer as freshmen patrolling the back-third with Carson. Redshirt freshman Shane Carmody (Boise,
Idaho / Timberline HS) will be a go-to guy. Carmody was the 2000 Idaho Prep Player-of-the-Year, but
missed last season with a broken leg.
Also in the mix is true freshman Nate Burns (Boise, Idaho /
Capital HS). The Coyotes gave up
just 23 goals last season.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH: The 2002 Men’s Soccer season marks the 17th
campaign for head coach John Calpin.
The native of York, England is only one of two coaches that Albertson
College has had in 19 seasons of football.
Calpin is the dean of coaches at Albertson, having been the Director of
Soccer and head men’s coach since 1985.
During his tenure with the Coyotes, Calpin has amassed a 159-95-11
record, ranking him among the Top-20 in NAIA all-time wins and winning
percentage. He currently is third on
the NAIA all-time wins list among active coaches. Calpin has also been the Director of Coaching of the Boise
Nationals Soccer Club since 1989. He has been a USSF "A" licensed
coach for 14 years and also has the English Football Association Full
Badge. Calpin played many years professionally in the English First
Division and has also coached professionally. His club experience consisted of
being selected as the Head Youth Coach / Chief Scout Director of Youth Development
in England (York City AFC), the United States (Los Angeles Skyhawks and Los
Angeles Aztecs), and in Mexico (Club America).
TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: The 2002 schedule may be one of the toughest the
Coyotes have ever faced. A trio of
non-conference games to open the season – all against nationally ranked
competition, will see if Albertson is indeed worthy of its lofty regional
ranking. The campaign begins at home on
Thursday, Aug. 29, as Mount Vernon Nazarene comes to town. The Cougars (14-6-2 in 2001), from Mount Vernon,
Ohio, are ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Region IX.
MVNU has advanced to the NCCAA Championship three of the last five
years, placing second once and third twice.
It’s then off to Salt Lake City, where Alliant International and Westminster
await. Alliant (14-6-2) won the
NAIA Region II tournament and advanced to the NAIA Championships last season,
and is ranked No. 3 in their preseason regional poll. Westminster (15-5) was eliminated by the Coyotes in the regional
semifinals last season, and find themselves ranked No. 3 in the Region I
poll. Albertson will also have a
home-and-home series with Northwest Nazarene, who is now a full-fledged
NCAA Division II member, and a road tilt at Walla Walla College, whom
the Coyotes swamped 13-1 last season.
INSIDE THE CASCADE CONFERENCE:
After winning the CCC post-season
tournament in 2000 and the regular-season title in 2001, the Coyotes are
definitely the preseason favorite to take the crown in 2002. But 12 league games must be played before
any trophy can be hoisted to the sky. Concordia
and Western Baptist look to be the two teams that have the firepower to
be able to knock the Coyotes off. The
Cavaliers (12-8) lost to Seattle University in the regional semifinals and
return three All-Conference players, including All-American Lucas Brooks. The Warriors (11-8-1) have a new head coach
in Justin Rivard, but return CCC Player-of-the-Year Taurai Daka (32 goals in
2001). Teams vying for a possible
playoff berth are Cascade and Warner Pacific. The T-Birds (10-9-1) posted their first
winning season in school history, including two wins against Albertson in
Caldwell. The Knights (8-9-1) are
looking for a return to the glory days of the late 80s, when Warner Pacific was
among the NAIA’s elite teams. Hoping
for improvement are both Northwest and Evergreen. Both the Eagles (4-11) and Geoducks (3-15)
have new head coaches and are hoping for a better 2002.
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.
COMING
UP: at Arthur D. Ortmann Tournament, Nampa – vs.
Pacific Lutheran, Aug. 30, Noon; vs. Eastern Oregon, Aug. 31, 11 a.m.; vs.
Northwest Nazarene, Sept. 2, 12:30 p.m.
A NEW BEGINNING: Change is in the air surrounding the
Albertson women’s soccer program with the 2002 season quickly approaching. With six consecutive losing seasons, and five
straight years with no more than four wins – a new beginning was
necessary. Front and center is
first-year head coach Aisha Reed, a
former Coyote player, who is in charge of a new vision of Lady ‘Yote
soccer. The 23-year-old has run the
Osprey Soccer Club in Boise for the past two years, responsible for over 100
girls on five select teams. “Aisha’s
youth will be one of the major assets to the women’s soccer program,” said John Calpin, Albertson soccer
director. “She has ambition, desire,
and a drive to succeed, and is very mature for her age. Having such an extensive soccer background
and playing at such a high level of competition will help as well.” Reed is no stranger to the Coyotes. The native of Madison, Wis., transferred to
Albertson prior to the 1999 season and had a banner campaign. Not only did she lead the team in scoring,
Reed was named to the All-Cascade Conference team, and earned the distinction
of being honored as Albertson’s Senior Female Athlete-of-the-Year. Prior to becoming a Lady ‘Yote, Reed played
three seasons at Arizona State University, where she earned a pair of Pac-Ten
All-Academic Team honors.
THE
CENTERPIECE OF THE PROGRAM: It
is nice for a new coach to have an attention getting senior to lead the
way. Becky Robertson (Othello,
Wash. / Columbia Basin CC) is that sort of player for the Lady ‘Yotes after
a near record-setting 2001. Despite a
4-11-2 record, Robertson led the squad with 16 goals, en route to All-Cascade
Conference and second-team All-NAIA Region I honors. The 16 goals were not only fourth in the Cascade Conference, but
were two off the school record, set in 1993.
The forward is one of the fastest players on the team, moves well
without the ball, and has a powerful right foot.
OTHERS UP
FRONT: Robertson will be
joined in the front third by fellow senior Jessie Harwood (Walla
Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC), junior Nicole Voorhees (Portland,
Ore. / Caitlin Gable HS), and sophomore Heidi Pitman (Bishop,
Calif. / Bishop HS). Harwood
started 14-of-17 games as a junior, scoring a crucial late goal in a win at
Eastern Oregon. Voorhees started six
games as one of the outside wings, and Pitman started a pair of games, knocking
home the game winner in overtime against playoff-bound Southern Oregon.
AN ANCHOR IN THE MIDDLE: One of the prized recruits
for the Lady ‘Yotes in 2002 is junior college transfer Alyssa Latham (Walla
Walla, Wash. / Walla Walla CC). A
former teammate of fellow Coyote Heidi Pitman, Latham will become an immediate
factor on the field. A two-time
All-NWAACC selection, Latham is the all-time assist leader at Walla Walla CC
with 30, having scored 14 goals and 24 assists last season. She will also play basketball and softball
for Albertson.
RETURNERS IN THE MIDDLE: Joining Latham in the middle is last season’s
second-leading scorer, Adria Carley Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS). The sophomore scored four goals and had four
assists in 15 games, including a goal in each of her first two collegiate
games. Also returning are juniors Chelsey
Hill (Bend, Ore. / Bend HS) and Andrea Ebert (Boise, Idaho
/ Centennial HS). Hill started
14-of-17 games and recorded two goals and an assist, with Ebert starting
16-of-17 games, scoring one goal.
ALL-CONFERENCE DEFENDER LEADS
THE BACK: The back-third for the Coyotes
will be patrolled by junior Kristi Dalsoglio (Boise, Idaho / Meridian
HS), who earned honorable mention All-Cascade Conference honors in
2001. Dalsoglio is the only returning
Coyote player to have started every game last season. Also returning in a defender role is junior Britney Cross (Washougal,
Wash. / Washougal HS), who started 16 games last season, and sophomore Alana
Hansen (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS), who scored one goal and had one
assist in 15 games. Also throw in
transfer Katie Rupert (Boise, Idaho / North Idaho CC), who
started for two seasons at the community college level.
WHO WILL BE BETWEEN THE
PIPES?: The goalkeeper position is
still a big question mark as preseason camp opens today. Two-year starter Nicole Funk (Kingston,
Wash. / North Kitsap HS), who earned honorable mention All-Conference
honors as a freshman, may or may not join the team in 2002. Nontheless, true freshman Danielle Dorsch
(Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), who had an outstanding local prep career,
will vie for playing time.
SHORT BUT COMPETITIVE
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: With 9-of-10 Cascade
Conference teams fielding a women’s soccer program in 2002, the Lady ‘Yotes are
limited to just four non-conference games.
By playing in the season opening Arthur D. Ortmann Tournament in Nampa,
scheduling for the season was a piece of cake.
Albertson opens up the season at the Labor Day tourney against Pacific
Lutheran, an NCAA Division III school.
The Lutes (3-12-2 in 2001) have a new head coach in Jerrod Fleury and
hope to return to the glory days of a decade ago when the school won three NAIA
titles. The Coyotes will play the first
of three games against Cascade Conference rival Eastern Oregon on day
two of the tournament. The Mountaineers
(1-16-1) are in just their third year of intercollegiate soccer. The finale will be against host Northwest
Nazarene, who has made the jump to NCAA Division II. The Crusaders (13-9), who will round out the
non-conference schedule when the come calling in Caldwell on Oct. 1, finished
third at the 2001 NCCAA national championships.
WELL-ROUNDED CASCADE
CONFERENCE: With four slots available to
the Cascade Conference post-season tournament, each game will be crucial if the
Coyotes return to the post-season for the first time since 1993. A clear-cut favorite is Concordia,
who won the NAIA Region I tournament last year. The Cavaliers (20-5) are ranked No. 6 in the NAIA preseason poll,
and return a pair of All-Americans. On
their heals is Western Baptist, who lost eight games in 2001 by one
goal. The Warriors (13-11-1) return
conference MVP KeriAnn Lawson, who scored 22 goals last season. The two other playoff teams from a year ago,
Southern Oregon and Evergreen each hope to challenge the top
two. The Raiders (8-10-2) were the lone
CCC team to defeat Concordia last season, and return All-CCC keeper Emily
Schifferling. The Geoducks (7-10-2) had
their best season since 1997 and return All-American Tiffany Fenster. Teams on the brink include Oregon Tech
and Cascade. The Owls (8-9-1) dropped
out of the playoff race after the final game of the 2001 season, while Cascade
(5-12) looks to rebound with a solid recruiting class. Joining Eastern Oregon as an unknown is Warner
Pacific, who will be playing women’s soccer for the first time in 2002.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: 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.