‘Yote Notes – Sept. 16, 2004

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

COYOTE OPEN: 

The 20th Annual Coyote Open golf tournament to benefit the Coyote Athletic Association and Albertson College Athletics will take place September 24 at River Bend Golf Course.  The shotgun start will take place at 12:30 p.m. with a barbeque and silent auction (which includes a suite to a Idaho Steelheads game and a family season pass to Bogus Basin) to follow after the event.  Players and teams for the five-man scramble are still needed, with cost at $90 per person before September 15, and $110 up until tournament Friday.  The 'Yotes are also actively seeking hole sponsors for $100 - which is tax deductible.  All proceeds go to fund athletic scholarships and provide post-season travel to Coyote teams.  For more information, contact Dave Hahn at (208) 459-5835.

BASEBALL:

The 2004 Albertson College baseball Alumni Game will take place on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Simplot Stadium.  Festivities begin at noon with a home run derby, followed by the game with the 'Yotes.  To get more information on the game, contact head coach Shawn Humberger at 459-5861.

MEN’S SOCCER (2-0): Coyotes win Westminster Tournament for first time, ranked No. 27 in NAIA

 

LAST WEEK: at Westminster Tournament, Salt Lake City – vs. Embry Riddle (W 2-0), vs. Westminster (W 1-0)

 

COMING UP: at Warner Pacific, Friday, 4 p.m. (PDT); at Western Baptist, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (PDT)

 

COYOTES WIN TOURNAMENT TITLE: The much anticipated start to the 2004 men’s soccer season at Albertson College lived up to its billing, as the Coyotes took home the Westminster Tournament title for the first time in nine tries.  The ‘Yotes shutout Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 2-0 on Saturday, then backed it up with a windswept 1-0 victory over host Westminster.  Going into this year’s tournament, Albertson was just 9-15 in games played in Salt Lake, but have now won seven of their last ten.

 

200TH WIN IN PROGRAM HISTORY: The victory for Albertson against Westminster was the 200th victory for the Coyote men’s soccer team in their 21-year history.

 

BIG JAY PICKS RIGHT ON UP: Three-time All-Cascade Conference striker Jason Southward (Hailey, Idaho / Wood River HS) continued to perform well for the Coyotes.  Now a senior, Southward scored the game-winning goals in both contests – recording an unassisted first half goal against ERAU, then scoring a one-time strike off a Ryan Abo (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) slotted ball in the box late in the Westminster match.  “Big Jay” now has 47 goals in his Coyote career, just two behind Jared Larsen and fourth-place in Albertson history.

 

HUBIE SOLID IN THE PIPES: The key for the two wins for the ‘Yotes was goalkeeper Ryan Huber (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS).  The junior, who notched five shutouts during the 2003 season, did not allow a goal in the two matches, making one save on Saturday afternoon, and following it up with nine key saves against Westminster.

 

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE: First-year head coach Brian Smith now holds the all-time winning percentage record at Albertson – that is for the time being.  Smith is 2-0 heading into weekend play, with a 1.000 winning percentage, ahead of the .640 percentage of his predecessor, John Calpin, in 304 matches.  Calpin has his number in men’s soccer wins – JC had 189 in 18 years (203 overall), while Smitty has two.

 

COYOTES MOVE UP IN NATIONAL POLL: With their two wins, Albertson moved to No. 2 in the NAIA Region I poll for the first time in 2004.  The ‘Yotes also moved to No. 27 in the second NAIA national poll of the regular-season.  Simon Fraser, ranked No. 11 in the nation, leads the regional rankings, followed by Concordia, Warner Pacific, and Western Baptist.  The top-two teams in the Cascade Conference regular-season standings along with the top-two Longo rating teams in the NAIA Region I will advance to the postseason in 2004.

 

KEY TRIP TO THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY: With the changes to the playoff structure (no CCC Tournament), conference play is key and the 12-game schedule begins this weekend with road games at Warner Pacific and Western Baptist.  The Knights (3-2-2, 0-0-1 CCC) have been the talk of the league thus far, having won games at Western Washington and Pacific, and losing one-goal matches with NAIA power Simon Fraser and NCAA Division III power, Linfield.  All-American Garen Bedoyan (two goals, one assist), a 6-3 brute of a striker, is tough to handle.  Warner has also been helped by newcomers Ryan Delo (five goals) and Trevor Tharpe (three goals, two assists), along with keeper Dustin Fuchs (1.20 GAA in seven matches).  It is the 19th meeting between the teams, with the Coyotes holding a 10-7-1 edge.  Albertson has won nine consecutive matches against the Knights.  Saturday, the grudge match between the ‘Yotes and Western Baptist continues in Salem.  The Warriors (4-1-1, 0-0-1) were eliminated by Albertson last season in the CCC Tournament by a 6-2 margin.  Coach Justin Rivard would like redemption, and has a trio of scorers – Josh Crain (five goals, one assist), Scott Marshall (four goals, two assists), and Caleb Louvier (four goals, two assists) to help their cause.  It is the 31st meeting between Albertson and WBC, with the ‘Yotes leading the all-time series, 16-14.

 

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2004 men’s soccer team can be found on Albertson men’s soccer official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/menssoccer.htm.  Up-to-date Cascade Conference standings can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/msoccer/stats/standings.htm.

 

VOLLEYBALL (5-4, 3-1 CCC): Coyotes win two, head off on key road trip, Cherrington named Setter of the Week

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Concordia (W 3-1), vs. Western Baptist (W 3-2)

 

COMING UP: at No. 11 Southern Oregon, Friday, 7 p.m. (PDT); at Oregon Tech, Saturday, 7 p.m. (PDT)

 

COYOTES SWEEP HOME SERIES: After splitting their first road trip of the Cascade Conference season, the Albertson volleyball team did exactly what they needed to do – hold serve at home.  The Lady ‘Yotes did not have it easy against both Concordia and Western Baptist, but a pair of victories against two of the more formidable teams in the loop kept the squad amongst the league leaders.

 

CHERRINGTON EARNS WEEKLY HONOR: A solid all-around performance by setter Erin Cherrington (Granby, Colo. / Middle Fork HS) earned her this week’s Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Setter-of-the-Week award.  The sophomore, in her first season as the primary setter, averaged 13.2 assists per game in the Coyote wins.  She set a career-high with 55 assists against Concordia (in a four-game win), then upped it with a 64-assist night vs. Western Baptist (in a five-game win).

 

ENDING THE DROUGHT AGAINST CONCORDIA: Last season, Albertson ended an 11-match losing streak against Concordia.  On Friday night, they ended another streak against the pesky Cavs, defeating Concordia four games for the first time in Caldwell since 1997.  The team hit at a .246 clip, with senior Ashlea Thornton (Glendora, Calif. / Cal Baptist) recording 16 kills and 14 digs.  Libero Kahli Mann (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) had seven aces and 19 digs, with Charity Gaston (Harrisonburg, Va. / James Madison U.) recording 16 digs.

 

BIG NIGHT FOR THE MIDDLES: The three-headed middle blocker for the Lady ‘Yotes dominated play against the Cavs.  Junior Fran Hartman (Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview HS) had a career-high 19 kills in the win, while freshmen Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) and Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) were solid.  Hogue recorded 11 kills and six total blocks, while Parker spiked 13 balls and had five assists.  The trio had a combined .402 hitting percentage.

 

DIG PARTY VS. WESTERN: On Saturday, Western Baptist gave Albertson everything they could – but the ‘Yotes persevered in five games.  What fans at the Activities Center saw was a defensive struggle, as the two teams combined for 217 digs.  Jaime Ruda set a Western Baptist record with 44 digs, just one off the CCC all-time mark.  Three different Coyotes were in the 20-dig club – Kahli Mann with a career-high 26 digs, Charity Gaston with 24 digs, and Ashlea Thornton with 23.

 

NOT A PRETTY SIGHT: Outside of the defensive play of the two teams, Saturday’s match was not a pretty one.  Albertson and Western combined for 80 attack errors and 22 service errors.  Ashlea Thornton did lead the ‘Yotes with 18 kills, and Gaston blasted 16 kills.  However, the Coyotes recorded a dismal .133, but forced WB into a .080 hitting night.

 

REGIONAL AND NATIONAL RANKINGS: The second regular-season regional and NAIA national rankings were released on Tuesday, with the Coyotes holding pat at No. 5 in the NAIA Region I.  Southern Oregon leads the regional rankings and is ranked No. 11 in the nation, with Carroll College sitting No. 2 in the region and No. 17 in the NAIA.  Rounding out the top-five in the regional rankings are Northwest, Oregon Tech, and the ‘Yotes, followed by Lewis-Clark State, Concordia, Montana Tech, Western Baptist, and Rocky Mountain.  Albertson is a combined 4-2 against regionally ranked teams.

 

CONFERENCE STATS: As a team, the ‘Yotes rank third in the Cascade Conference in kills, assists, and blocks, ranking fourth in digs per game.  Individually, Katie Hogue leads the league in blocks per game and Erin Cherrington ranks second in the loop in assists per game.  Also in the top-ten is Kahli Mann, who is fifth in digs per game and Fran Hartman ranks sixth in attack percentage.

 

ON OUR WAY SOUTH: Albertson will try to reprise their late-season surge from 2003 when they bus to Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech.  Last year, the ‘Yotes swept the Southern-OIT trip for the first time in school history, part of a nine-match win streak.  The Raiders (8-3, 3-0 CCC), the No. 11 team in the NAIA, have had a ton of success against the ‘Yotes – including beating Albertson in five games in the finals of last season’s CCC Tournament.  The Lady ‘Yotes, however, ended a 15-year losing streak at Southern’s McNeal Pavilion with a regular-season win in 2003.  The new-look Raiders are led by Kristen Farris (3.5 kills/gm) and setter Melissa Beard (10.2 assists/gm).  It is the 39th meeting between the teams, with SOU holding a commanding 33-5 series lead.  Saturday, the Owls (5-5, 2-1) host the Coyotes.  OIT is much improved, as indicative of their upset of then third-ranked Biola at the Fresno Pacific Tournament.  Jen Cueto (2.94 k/g) is the top hitter for the Hooters, with setter Megan Albertson (8.6 a/g), a high school teammate of Fran Hartman, a solid passer and netminder.  It is the 21st meeting between OIT and the ‘Yotes, with Albertson holding a 15-5 advantage.

 

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2004 volleyball team can be found on the Albertson volleyball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm.  Up-to-date Cascade Conference standings can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/stats/standings.htm.

 

CROSS COUNTRY: Coyotes harriers open season at NNU, Edwards top finisher in eighth-place

 

LAST WEEK: at Hampton Inn Classic, Nampa – Men (6th Place), Women (5th Place)

 

COMING UP: Idle until Oct. 2 at Willamette Invitiational

 

WELCOME BACK TO THE HARRIERS: Last Saturday, Coyote long distance runners made their return to the competitive ranks at the Hampton Inn Classic, hosted by Northwest Nazarene.  Although the times were not among the best in the seven-team field – one must take into consideration that it is early in the training for the runners.

 

EDWARDS PICKS UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF: The top finisher for the Albertson women was an eighth-place award for Shannon Edwards (Sherwood, Ore. / Eastern Oregon Univ.), who completed the 4,000-meter circuit in just under 15 minutes and 30 seconds.  While competing for Eastern Oregon last year, Edwards was a member of the Mountaineers squad that qualified for the NAIA Championships, finishing 127th out of 256 runners at the meet.  No other Albertson female finished in the top-30, as the other four scoring runners were bunched in a pack near the end of the field.

 

HAAS LEADS THE MEN’S CHARGE: The Albertson men’s team was led by an 11th-place finish by sophomore Jacob Haas (Portland, Ore. / Eastern Oregon Univ.), who completed the 6,000-meter course in just over 20 minutes.  The ‘Yotes also saw Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) finish in 28th-place, despite running with a lingering injury.

 

COYOTES COMPETED SHORT-HANDED: Head coach Pat McCurry was very pleased with the men’s results, considering two of his top end runners – freshman Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan HS) and sophomore David Flueckiger (Herisou, Switzerland / Va. Commonwealth Univ.) did not compete last week.

 

TWO FULL WEEKS OFF: The harriers had thought of competing in the Bronco Cross Country Invite next Saturday, but decided against it – opting to focus on training and the much anticipated Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore.

 

A HOME MEET?: It was discovered at the Cascade Conference fall meeting that Albertson will be the host of a conference-wide meet next season.

 

ABOUT CROSS COUNTRY: Cross country is a bit different than most sports – similar to golf, where the lowest score is the best.  Teams compete in races, with the top-five times on a squad counting toward a team score.  The place a runner finishes in the race equals that many points (third-place is three points, 12th is 12 points), with the team with the fewest points (the squad with the highest finishers) winning the team event.

 

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information on the 2004 cross country team can be found on the Albertson cross country official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc.htm. 

 

WOMEN’S SOCCER (0-5, 0-1 CCC): Never-ending road saga continues at Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech

 

LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon (L 5-1)

 

COMING UP: at Southern Oregon, Friday, 4 p.m. (PDT); at Oregon Tech, Saturday, 3 p.m. (PDT)

 

LADY ‘YOTES STRUGGLE CONTINUES: The tough start to the 2004 women’s soccer season at Albertson continued last Saturday, as Eastern Oregon knocked off the Lady ‘Yotes, 5-1.  The host Mountaineers got a trio of goals from freshman Aimee Fitch to hand the Coyotes their eighth-consecutive loss dating back to last season.  Albertson was able to avoid their fourth shutout of the season by converting a second-half penalty kick, as transfer Lindsay Russell (Idaho Falls, Idaho / Idaho State Univ.) found the net.  A total of 23 players saw action for Eastern, all 13 that suited up for the Coyotes received playing time.

 

FRESHMEN GIVE GAME EFFORT: Head coach Aisha Reed was very pleased with the play of freshmen Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) and Laura Fink (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS), who gutted out an entire 90 minutes despite nagging injuries.  The ‘Yotes played without starting center-mid, sophomore Allison Rupert (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS), due to illness.

 

CONFERENCE NUMBERS NOT KIND TO COYOTES: When you have the kind of start the Albertson women have had this season, the Cascade Conference statistics are not something to stare at.  Albertson ranks in the bottom-three in the loop in shots, shots per game, points scored, goals, goals per game, assists, assists per game, corner kicks, goals allowed, an goals against average.  The lone Lady ‘Yote player in the individual stat categories is keeper Candice Frank (Sandy, Utah / Rocky Mountain Coll.), who is second in saves per game (10.6).

 

GONE FOR SEPTEMBER: The Treasure Valley will not see the Lady ‘Yotes during the entire month of September.  After opening the slate with three games in Nampa at the Les Schwab Tournament, Albertson has all six September matches scheduled on the road – two trips to Washington and a trip to Oregon, before coming home to play eight of their final nine games at Symms Field.

 

CAN SOUTHERN AND TECH OFFER SOLACE?: The ‘Yotes continue their exodus this weekend, traveling south to meet Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech.  The Raiders (0-4-1, 0-1 CCC) are in the same boat as Albertson, searching for their first win after an 11-7 season in 2003.  Southern has not received much production out of All-CCC striker Katie Emerson (one goal, two assists), who tallied 22 goals and seven assists last year.  It is the eighth meeting between the teams, with the Raiders leading the all-time series, 4-3.  It is then over Lake of the Woods Pass to Klamath Falls and the yearly grudge match with the Owls (4-1, 0-1).  OIT started its season off on the right foot – playing a light preseason schedule against California Pacific Conference clubs, dominating the sister conference schools by a 20-3 margin.  2003 leading scorer Dena Young (16 goals, three assists) has scored three goals this year – right behind Heather Olliffe (six goals, one assist in 2004) and Lindsay Selle (five goals, one assist in 2004).  It is the eighth meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 3-2-2 advantage.

 

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2004 women’s soccer team can be found on Albertson women’s soccer official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmenssoccer.htm.  Up-to-date Cascade Conference standings can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wsoccer/stats/standings.htm.

 

 

- ALBERTSON -