‘Yote Notes – Sept. 29, 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 was a success last Friday afternoon at River Bend Golf Course. Nearly 150 golfers and 113 sponsors made this year's "Yotee" one of the best ever.  For results and unclaimed raffle prizes, click on the following link: Coyote Open Results

GOLF:

The Albertson men's and women's golf team competed in a friendly dual with Northwest Nazarene last Thursday.  Earning medalist honors for the Coyotes was Travis Gibbens with a 68, while Sarah Gallant shot a 39 over nine holes.  This concludes the fall portion of the golf schedule, with the 'Yotes adding an addition tournament to play in during the spring.

MEN’S SOCCER: Coyotes to open home season this week with Homecoming tilts vs. Clams & Eagles

 

LAST WEEK: at Cascade (W 5-0), at No. 27 Concordia (W 2-1)

 

COMING UP: vs. Evergreen, Friday, 4 p.m.; vs. Northwest, Saturday, 11 a.m.

 

BIG ROAD WINS CATAPULT COYOTES: Facing a possibility of missing the playoffs for the first time this decade, the Albertson men’s soccer team jumped out of the cellar of the Cascade Conference with a pair of road wins in Portland against Cascade and Concordia.  With their CCC record even at 2-2, the ‘Yotes look ahead to the next three weekend’s, as Albertson will play their next six league counters on the Symms Field pitch.  Since the 2000 season, the Coyotes have registered a 28-7 record on their home field, winning at least six games per season (and a 9-0 mark in 2000).

 

RISE IN THE REGIONAL POLL: With the 2-1 win over No. 27 Concordia, Albertson moved three spots in the NAIA Region I poll, back to the No. 2 spot.  Continuing to lead the region is Simon Fraser, which won the Humboldt State Tournament in California over Notre Dame de Namur.  Concordia dropped from No. 2 to No. 3, Evergreen jumped into the rankings at No. 4 for the first time this season, and Warner Pacific fell to No. 5.

 

ON THE BRINK OF THE NAIA POLL: By virtue of moving into the No. 2 spot in the region, the ‘Yotes should receive votes in this week’s NAIA national poll.  Albertson received eight votes in the preseason poll (No. 31) and 17 votes two weeks ago (No. 27), but have not been ranked in the Top-25 since the 2002 season.  The Coyotes have earned a Top-25 ranking on five occasions in school history, cracking the poll at the end of the 2000 season (No. 25), doing the same in 2001 (No. 23), and on three occasions during the 2002 season (highest being No. 15).

 

FOUND THE NET VS. CASCADE: Head coach Brian Smith stressed converting scoring opportunities during training throughout last week – and early in Friday’s match at Cascade, the ‘Yotes struggled again.  However, thirty minutes into the game things clicked – Joe Chandler (Nampa, Idaho / Univ. of Utah) tucked home a ball off a Dustin Crim (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) touch, then Crim flicked home a one-time ball from Mitch White (Boise, Idaho /Gonzaga Univ.) – and Albertson was on their way to a 5-0 win.  White would add a pair of second half goals, while keeper Ryan Huber (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) recording his league-leading third shutout of the year.

 

EVERYONE GOT TO PLAY: What helped the Coyotes out on Friday was the fact that the starters were on the bench less than ten minutes into the second half of the match.  Freshmen Reuben McCrum (Bonners Ferry, Idaho / Bonners Ferry HS) and Evan Williams (Arlington, Vt. / Burr & Burton Academy), along with sophomore Andrew Heisler (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) saw their first action of the 2004 season.

 

COYOTES WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT VS. CONCORDIA: League-leading Concordia University was riding high this fall, having opened the 2004 season by Winning four consecutive matches on their home field.  However on Saturday afternoon, a second-minute goal by Albertson College set the tone, as the Coyotes took their fourth-straight win over the Cavs, this time by a 2-1 score.  In a game that saw only 11 shots taken by the two teams, Joe Chandler rocketed home a shot from just inside the 18 in the 33rd minute to provide the winning margin.  Concordia kept the ball in the Coyote zone for a majority of the second half, but the defense of All-American Drake Jakovac (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS), Skiff Larson (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS), Scott Fuller (Boise, Idaho / Cal State-Fullerton), and John Mitchell (Boise, Idaho / Boise State) kept the Cavs at bay.

 

DOESN’T PLAY LIKE A FROSH: A huge key to the two wins over the weekend was the play of youngster Michael Delgado (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS).  The freshman, who was moved into the starting line-up on the ‘Yotes first trip to the Willamette Valley, extending his consecutive goal scoring streak to four with strikes against both Cascade and Concordia.  Delgado used a nifty move late in the first half at Cascade to score an unassisted goal, then figured in the scoring of both goals at Concordia.  He converted a nice set play less than 120 seconds into the contest, flicking home the opening goal, then fed Joe Chandler with the winning goal later in the half.  The striker is fourth in the Cascade Conference in goals per game and is tied for sixth in both points per game and goals scored.

 

GIMPY OFFERS A SPARK: The Coyotes were given a big boost in the weekend matches from Shane Carmody (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS), who came off the bench against Cascade for his first action since mid-2003.  The junior, who has been plagued by a rash of injuries since coming to Albertson, then played the first 30 minutes against Concordia, shuffling a nice pass to Michael Delgado for an assist on the ‘Yotes opening goal.  “Shane had some of our best runs on top during the Concordia match,” said head coach Brian Smith.  “He is probably the smartest player on the field at any given time.  He gave us a huge boost.”

 

HOMECOMING SCHEDULE: With soccer finally returning to Symms Field for the first time in 2004, a full schedule of games will give fans a big taste of collegiate soccer.  Friday, Eastern Oregon and Rocky Mountain College will play a women’s tilt at 2 p.m. – prior to the Coyotes match with Evergreen.  A trio of games cover the field on Saturday – a women’s game between the Lady ‘Yotes and Rocky at 11 a.m., the Coyotes against Northwest at 1 p.m., and Eastern meeting Carroll College at 3:30 p.m.  Sunday, the Lady ‘Yotes round out a six-game weekend with a noon match against Carroll.

 

BY MUD AND AIR – HERE COME CLAMS AND EAGLES: The opening of the home slate has a pair of vastly improved teams headed for a trip to Caldwell.  Friday, the top team in the Cascade Conference, Evergreen, comes to town having swept a homestand against Western Baptist and Warner Pacific.  The Geoducks (5-3, 3-1 CCC) have as potent of a three-man punch as any team in the league – thanks to brothers Joe Gjertsen (five goals, one assist) and Jason Gjertsen (three goals, four assists), along with Nathan Ford (four goals, one assist).  Keeper Tommy Kneeshaw (0.75 GAA), a four-year starter, leads the league in goals against average.  The visitors from Olympia, Wash. have not had much success against the ‘Yotes, winning only two of the previous 13 encounters – but defeated Albertson 2-1 in 2002 a Symms Field.  Saturday, newly named Northwest University makes the long jaunt a much-better team than the previous two seasons.  The Eagles (2-4, 1-3) won only two matches all of last year – and dropped 9-0 and 6-1 decisions to the Coyotes.  In 2004, Northwest started the season 2-2, with wins over George Fox and Cascade – thanks to the play of former Seattle Pacific player, Anthony Ricciardelli (three goals, four assists), and striker Seth Wilson (four goals, two assists).  Northwest has lost their last nine meetings with Albertson, with the Coyotes holding a 16-2 all-time advantage.

 

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: Lady ‘Yotes outlast NW Nazarene, host Warner Pacific and Cascade for Homecoming

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Northwest Nazarene (W 3-2)

 

COMING UP: vs. Warner Pacific, Friday, 7 p.m.; vs. Cascade, Saturday, 7 p.m.

 

BIG WIN OVER CANYON COUNTY RIVAL: Tuesday’s lengthy rivalry match-up between the Albertson volleyball team and Northwest Nazarene was like an epic prize fight.  The two clubs, both having solid starts to the 2004 season, exchanged blow after blow – with the Coyotes taking the match 30-25, 28-30, 30-27, 30-32, 15-7.  To make things even closer – each of the first four games were tied at 25-25, including Game 4, where NNU jumped out to take a 20-11 lead, only to see Albertson score 13-of-15 points to grab the lead back.

 

ERASING THE PAST VS. NNU: With the win over Northwest Nazarene, it extended the Coyote win streak over the Crusaders to four-in-a-row, which is a school record.  Since NNU broke away from the Cascade Conference following the 1999-2000 season to join the NCAA Division II, Albertson has had more success than ever in the series, winning 6-of-9 meetings, including a 4-3 mark under Liz Mendiola.  When the two schools were CCC partners, the series was dominated by the Crusaders, as NNU won 22 of the 29 meetings from 1990 to 1999.

 

WHERE HAS THE RIVALRY GONE?: There was a time when students and fans looked forward to one name on any Coyote schedule – Northwest Nazarene.  Basketball games were packed, soccer games were rowdy, and the most attended volleyball matches in school history were against the Red and Black.  It was a weird sight on Tuesday, as maybe 150 fans watched the Canyon County Showdown – with a quarter of those fans comprising the Albertson baseball and basketball teams.

 

THORNTON’S ARM MUST HURT: A breakout match of sorts lifted Ashlea Thornton (Glendora, Calif. / Cal Baptist) into the Albertson College record book on Tuesday.  The senior blasted a career-high 28 kills on 81 swings in the win, to go along with 20 digs.  The 81 swings ties her atop the all-time single-game list with Kristyn Price, who had the same feat against NNU in 2000, while becoming the seventh player to join the 20-kill, 20-dig club.  The 28 kills were the most by a Coyote player in over two seasons – since Price recorded 30 against Pacific Lutheran on Sept. 6, 2002.

 

DUO ECLIPSES DIG MARK: The ‘Yotes were stellar defensively against NNU, recording a season-best 108 digs.  Two players, Kahli Mann (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) and Charity Gaston (Harrisonburg, Va. / James Madison Univ.) each surpassed the single-game record for digs in a rally-scoring match (28 by Brittany Bonnett vs. Southern Oregon last November).  Mann recorded 34 digs on the night, while Gaston bumped 33 balls.  Both players were just off the all-time school record of 36 digs, set by Miranda Harris on Oct. 13, 1995 against Western Baptist.  Since moving to rally-scoring at the start of the 2001 season, a Coyote player has recorded 25-or-more digs just 11 times (Kristyn Price – five times, Mann – two times, Gaston – one time, Bonnett – one time, Amber Igoe – one time, Brecia Gamett – one time).

 

CHERRINGTON SETS HER OWN RECORD: Another record was broken in the NNU win, as setter Erin Cherrington (Granby, Colo. / Middle Fork HS) established a new school and Cascade Conference rally-scoring record with 73 assists.  The total blew away the old mark of 65, set by Carly Merkel during the 2001 season (in a four-game match), and destroyed Merkel’s five-game record of 64.  Cherrington did not break the former All-American’s all-time side-out school record of 78 assists, set on Oct. 24, 2000 – incidentally against Northwest Nazarene.

 

REGIONAL AND NATIONAL RANKINGS: The fourth regular-season regional and NAIA national rankings were released on Tuesday, with the Coyotes moving up to No. 4 in the NAIA Region I, thanks to a pair of road losses by Oregon Tech.  Southern Oregon leads the regional rankings and is ranked No. 15 in the nation, with Carroll College sitting No. 2 in the region and No. 21 in the NAIA.  Rounding out the top-five in the regional rankings are Northwest (No. 31 in NAIA) and the Coyotes, followed by Concordia, Montana Tech, Montana State-Northern, Western Baptist, Oregon Tech, and Rocky Mountain.

 

CONFERENCE NUMBERS: As a team, the Lady ‘Yotes rank second in the Cascade Conference in kills per game (14.33) and third in assists per game (13.10), digs per game (18.08), and blocks per game (1.86).  Individually, Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) leads the loop in blocks per game (1.16), and Erin Cherrington leads the CCC in assists per game (11.94).  Fran Hartman (Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview HS) is third in the league in hitting percentage (.286), Kahli Mann is third in digs per game (5.12), and Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) ranks fifth in blocks per game (0.84).

 

HOMECOMING WEEKEND: The Lady ‘Yotes end their four-game homestand this weekend, ending the first half of the Cascade Conference slate with matches against Warner Pacific and Cascade.  It also marks Homecoming on the Albertson campus, drawing back many former volleyball players to the weekend games.  On Friday, the Knights (4-9, 2-5 CCC) head to Caldwell, trying to defeat the Coyotes for the first time in school history – having lost all previous 13 matches.  Led by middle blocker Orejeona LaFever (2.52 k/g) and outside Michelle Allen (2.24 k/g, 2.67 d/g), Warner Pacific have extended regionally-ranked Rocky Mountain, Oregon Tech, and Southern Oregon all to four-games – but the Knights four match wins have come against opponents with a combined 8-32 record.  Another long losing streak heads to town, as the Thunderbirds (3-7, 1-6) look to end a 14-match losing streak to Albertson.  In fact, Cascade has not defeated the ‘Yotes since the days they were known as Columbia Christian College.  The 2004 T-Birds are much improved – led by Jolene Anderson (3.04 k/g, 2.58 d/g) and Danielle Selvidge (2.82 k/g).  It is the 20th meeting between the schools, with Albertson holding a 15-4 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.

 

WOMEN’S SOCCER: First-ever “Coyote Classic” opens home schedule at Symms Field

 

LAST WEEK: at Evergreen (L 4-2), at No. 3 Concordia (L 6-2)

 

COMING UP: Albertson hosts “Coyote Classic” – Eastern Oregon vs. Rocky Mountain, Friday, 2 p.m.; Lady ‘Yotes vs. Rocky Mountain, Saturday, 11 a.m.; Eastern Oregon vs. Carroll, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Lady ‘Yotes vs. Carroll, Sunday, Noon.

 

LADY ‘YOTES SET A DUBIOUS RECORD: With losses at Evergreen and Concordia, the Albertson women’s soccer team has set a pair a school records.  The Coyotes have now lost 11 consecutive games (dating back to a 1-1 tie at Warner Pacific in 2003).  The previous mark was ten, as the 1997 club lost their final two matches of the season, then the 1998 squad dropped their first eight games to start the year – combining for a ten-game losing streak.  The 0-9 start to the 2004 season is also a record, surpassing the single-season eight-game skid from the 1998 club.

 

SOLID COMEBACK AT EVERGREEN: At times during the 2004 season, a noted intensity breakdown during the first 25 minutes of matches has been the downfall to the Lady ‘Yotes.  In fact, 15 of the 42 goals that Albertson has allowed have come early in matches.  That was the case on Friday at Evergreen, who scored three goals in the first 25 minutes in their 4-2 win over the Coyotes.  Head coach Aisha Reed was pleased, however, with the way that the visitors did not fold.  Following the Clams third goal, the Lady ‘Yotes quickly organized – earning a corner kick that Lindsay Russell (Idaho Falls, Idaho / Idaho State Univ.) chipped into the box, with Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) flicking the ball into the net to get the Purple & Gold on the board.  The ‘Yotes would make it a one-goal game late in the half, when Leah Roach (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) scored on a 1-on-1 situation to make it a 3-2 game.  Albertson would get six more second half shots, but could not convert.

 

TALE OF TWO HALVES AGAINST NATIONAL POWER: That breakdown of emotion was apparent again on Saturday against No. 3 ranked Concordia, as the Cavs scored three goals in the first 13 minutes of the match to sting the ‘Yotes, 6-2.  However, Albertson has to be pleased with their second half effort – scoring two goals against a Concordia team that had allowed only three goals in eight matches this year, and just six goals in 25 matches last season. 

 

FRESHMEN PLAY WELL: The tandem of Leah Roach and Jaime Peoples (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS) were the busy-bees against Concordia.  The freshmen duo worked together early in the second half to cut the lead to 3-1, as Peoples delivered a long through-ball to Roach for her second goal of the weekend.  Peoples would do the work herself later in the match, beating Concordia back-up keeper Kali Smith on a 1-on-1 situation.  The coaches were also pleased with the work ethic of sophomore Adele Johnson (Riverton, Utah / Waterford HS) on Saturday afternoon.

 

REGIONAL RANKINGS: Heading into the fourth week of the 2004 season, Concordia continues to lead the NAIA Region I poll.  The Cavs are followed by Simon Fraser, Caroll, Western Baptist, and Rocky Mountain.

 

CONFERENCE STATS: The Cascade Conference numbers continue to align themselves with the sluggish start for the Coyotes.  As a team, Albertson ranks eighth in the nine-team league in four categories (shots attempted, goals per game, goals allowed, goals against average) and seventh in four categories (points per game, assists, assists per game, corner kicks).  The team is first in total saves and saves per game, and fifth in fouls.  The only player listed in the top-ten in CCC statistics is keeper Candice Frank (Sandy, Utah / Rocky Mountain College), who leads the league in saves and saves per game.
 
HOME SWEET HOME: After beginning the 2004 season with nine consecutive matches on the road (or neutral site), Albertson finally returns to Symms Field, when the Lady ‘Yotes will play seven of their final eight games of the year.  The Coyotes have fared well on their home pitch during the first two seasons Aisha Reed has been head coach – Albertson posted a 6-3 record during the 2002 season, then had a 3-3 record at home last year (combined 9-6 mark).
 
SCOUTING THE COYOTE CLASSIC: Three other NAIA Region I teams will be headed to Caldwell for the three-day tournament.  Albertson will not meet Eastern Oregon, whom has already handed the ‘Yotes 2-1 and 5-1 losses (the two teams will tangle one more time on October 12).  The other two teams will be making their first trek to Caldwell in years – as Rocky Mountain and Carroll head to town.  The Battlin’ Bears (3-5) ended a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over Concordia-Moorhead over the weekend in a tournament in Bismarck, N.D.  Claire Crosbie is the team’s most potent scorer, having tallied 19 points in 2003.  Rocky has a 2-1 record this season against Cascade Conference opponents – having defeated Evergreen and Western Baptist, but losing to Concordia.  It will be the fourth meeting between Albertson and the Bears, with the Coyotes holding a 2-0-1 advantage – outscoring Rocky 3-0 in the three matches.  Sunday, the Coyotes will tangle with the Fighting Saints (8-1), who jumped into the NAIA national poll for the first-time ever this week at No. 22.  Carroll has only one loss on their season (a 2-1 loss to Concordia) – and has allowed only eight goals in nine matches.  It is the fourth meeting between the teams, with Carroll holding a 3-0 advantage, including a 5-1 win during the 2001 season in Nampa.
 
GRAND CANYON GAME CANCELLED: The Lady ‘Yotes received word that the October 19th match with Grand Canyon University at Symms Field has been cancelled.  The squad from Arizona does not have enough money in their travel budget to make the trip to play Albertson and Northwest Nazarene and were force to eliminate the trip.
 

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: The Albertson soccer teams would like to thank the sponsors who will make the upcoming 2004 media guide a success – Carmody Real Estate, Sport Shoppe, Fairview Service Center TuneTech, Idaho Power, Domino’s Pizza, Intermountain Community Bank, Meridian Dental, Acapulco Mexican Restaurant, Tolsma Auto Body, Family Vision, Performance Chevrolet, Bodybuilding.com, and GlenCo Construction.

 

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.

CROSS COUNTRY: Runners off to Willamette Invitational for biggest meet west of the Mississippi

 

COMING UP: at Willamette Invitational, Salem, Ore., Saturday – men’s 8,000-meters at 10:45 a.m., women’s 5,000-meters at Noon (PDT)

 

THREE WEEKS OFF TO PREPARE: The Albertson College cross country team has had three full weeks off to prepare for the biggest regular-season meet on the schedule, the Willamette Invitational.  With the time off, injuries have been able to heal, according to head coach Pat McCurry, and training has been taken to a new level.  The squad competed at the Hampton Inn Invite in Nampa over a short course (4K for the women and 6K for the men), while this weekend’s meet is the same distance (5K and 8K) as the NAIA Championships.  According to assistant Tim Riley, “The race this weekend is the first time that some of our runners have competed at the longer distance, but I am very pleased with the way our team has conditioned over the past two weeks.”

 

BIGGEST MEET WEST OF MISSISSIPPI: Organized chaos is what is expected at the Willamette Invitational at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, when nearly every cross country school in the Northwest competes in the biggest meet  west of the Mississippi River.  The event will have three different races (for men and women) taking place during the morning – an NCAA Division I race that will also have junior college and unattached runners competing, a college division race (NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA teams), and a high school division.  In the men’s and women’s college division races, typically 300 to 350 runners are on the course at one time, with the races ending at Willamette’s McCulloch Stadium. 

 

TOP MEN’S TEAMS: In the men’s race, look for Eastern Oregon to be the class of the NAIA teams, having risen to No. 3 in the national poll.  Other NAIA teams with title hopes include Southern Oregon (11th in NAIA) and Lewis-Clark State (22nd in NAIA).  Top NCAA Division II teams include UC-Davis and Western Oregon, with the top Division III team coming from host Willamette and Lewis & Clark.

 

TOP WOMEN’S TEAMS: Believe it or not, the top two teams in the NAIA are from the Region I – Simon Fraser and British Columbia, but both teams have opted to not run at the Willamette Invitational.  That has opened the door for Lewis-Clark State (No. 9 in NAIA), Eastern Oregon (No. 19) and Northwest (No. 24) to make a run at the title.  Pacing the NCAA runners are Willamette and Pacific University.

 

NEXT WEEK: The Coyotes will compete just across the Snake River at the Treasure Valley Community College Open in Ontario, Ore.

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

- ALBERTSON -