‘Yote Notes – Aug. 18, 2005

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS:

COYOTE OPEN: The 21st Annual Coyote Open will take place at River Bend Golf Course on Friday, September 23.  To become a sponsor or to secure your team in the tournament, contact Dave Hahn at 459-5835.

NEW C.A.A. WEBSITE: For more information on the Coyote Athletic Association, visit the C.A.A.'s website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa.htm.

 

WOMEN’S SOCCER: New look Lady ‘Yotes open season next Thursday at Northwest Nazarene

 

COMING UP: exhibition vs. Treasure Valley CC, Tuesday, 1 p.m.; at Northwest Nazarene, Thursday (8/25), 4 p.m.; vs. Central Washington, Saturday (8/27), Noon; vs. Eastern Oregon, Monday (8/29 at NNU), 1 p.m.

 

COYOTES HAVE 12 NEWCOMERS JOIN CLUB: What the ‘Yotes will have in 2005 is a deep pool of players to dip from – considering the squad finished last season with only 13 healthy bodies.  Reed has brought in the biggest recruiting class in years – 12 players, many with hopes of cracking the starting line-up.  The group is very diverse – with players hailing from Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, and Vermont.

 

REPLACING FOUR PLAYERS: Head coach Aisha Reed must replace four starters from last season, including leading goal scorer Jaime Peoples, who decided to pursue a career in the military.  The Coyotes will also have to replace Lynnette Jacome, who started all 17 games at forward, along with defenders JaymeLynn Andersen and Jessica Spannagel.

 

BATTLE IN THE NET: Shoring up the amount of goals heading into the net by opponents is a major key in 2005.  Last year, the Coyotes allowed 65 goals in 17 games, nearly four goals a contest, which ranked second-to-last in the Cascade Conference.  Albertson has a group of keepers to choose from this season – including last year’s starter, Candice Frank, and two-year starter Danielle Dorsch.  Joining the mix this year are a pair of freshmen – Tiffany Elsberry, an All-League player from Sandy, Ore., and Justine Bushey from Manchester Center, Vt.

 

THE DEFENSE: Helping out the keepers will be a much-improved defensive group in the back-third.  Two-year starter Adele Johnson will return to anchor the defense, flanked by sophomores Laura Fink and Katie Ball.  Also returning to the team is Ali Jakubowski, who was a part-time starter two seasons ago, but missed all of 2004 with injury.  Freshmen Martine Troy and Sarah Barlow, both from Utah, will also figure into the mix.

 

IN THE MIDFIELD: Reed has options in the midfield this season, with the addition of four key recruits.  Two-year starter Allison Rupert returns at center-mid, while senior Lindsay Russell and sophomore Jennifer Phillips will receive plenty of field time.  The Coyotes added experience at the position with the arrival of junior college standouts Ryann Lagomarsino and Nikki Anderson, who started for a Top-10 junior college program in California.  Also heading to Caldwell are freshmen Kat Becker and Emily Dickerson, both All-Conference players in high school.

 

SCORING PUNCH: The Coyotes look to speed to help them put goals in the net in 2005.  True freshmen Allie Dufault from California was the top goal scorer for the Mission Viejo Soccer Club, while Jayne Saunders of Emmett was the leading scorer in the Southern Idaho Conference last year.  Also returning at forward is sophomore Leah Roach, who scored three goals last season.

 

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: The ‘Yotes will prepare for the 11-game Cascade Conference season with five non-conference games and three scrimmages.  Albertson will gain much needed experience while taking on a pair of junior colleges – Treasure Valley and Walla Walla, along with playing their first-ever women’s soccer alumni game.  The diverse preseason schedule also has the Lady ‘Yotes meeting a pair of NCAA Division II schools – Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington, taking a trip to Montana to play NAIA Region I competitors Carroll and Rocky Mountain, along with a friendly against Eastern Oregon.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE PREVIEW: The CCC will be split into a North and South Division for the third consecutive season, with Albertson paired with Concordia, Evergreen, and Eastern Oregon in the North Division.  Concordia will be a preseason Top-10 selection in the NAIA poll, after losing the NAIA national championship game, 2-0, to Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).  Evergreen will continue to improve as the Geoducks return their top-three leading scorers.  Eastern posted their best season last year since starting women’s soccer in 2000 and loses only one senior.  The other division will be a battle between Corban (formally Western Baptist) and Southern Oregon, while Warner Pacific, Oregon Tech, and Cascade try to crack the top-two.  Each team will play a home-and-home series with their own division, while playing each team in the opposite division once.

        

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2005 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.

 

VOLLEYBALL: Lady ‘Yotes to open up 2005 season at Region I Cross-Over Tournament, August 26-27

 

 

COMING UP: at NAIA Region I Cross-Over Tournament, Lewiston, Idaho – August 26 vs. Montana State Northern, 1 p.m. (PDT), vs. Westminster, 5 p.m. (PDT); August 27 vs. Lewis-Clark State, 1 p.m. (PDT), vs. Carroll, 5 p.m. (PDT)

 

SEASON OPENS IN LEWISTON: Albertson opens up the season next weekend, traveling to Lewiston for the Holiday Inn Express NAIA Region I Challenge.  Four Cascade Conference teams will meet four Frontier Conference teams in the two-day event.  The Lady ‘Yotes meet Montana State-Northern and Westminster on the opening day, meeting host LC-State and regional participant Carroll College to close the tourney.  Both MSU-Northern and Carroll finished 2004 ranked in the regional poll, while both Westminster and LC-State are to be much improved this season.

 

LOOKING BACK TO 2004: After starting 5-6 coming out of the gate in 2004, things were going swimmingly well for the Albertson College volleyball team – winners of nine matches in a row and 12-of-13, heading into their sixth consecutive Cascade Conference postseason tournament.  However a three-game loss to Oregon Tech ended the party, and the season, abruptly, leaving a sour taste in the Coyotes’ mouth.  With ten players and five starters returning from that club, the Lady ‘Yotes are gunning for redemption in 2005.  Lost in the commotion of the playoff loss was a season of outstanding performances and record-breaking nights.  2004 was the first time that the Coyotes went unbeaten at home, winning all 11 matches in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center – currently holding a school-record 15-game win streak on their home court.  Albertson defeated regional rival Lewis-Clark State twice, including in Caldwell for the first time in school history.  The Lady ‘Yotes also swept two matches with Concordia, ending a seven-year drought against the Cavaliers.  Records for attacks and block assists in a match were tied, two players established a new school record for digs in a rally-scoring match, and season marks for assist and dig average were shattered.

 

‘YOTES TO REPLACE TWO STARTERS: The ‘Yotes do have to replace a pair of record-setting contributors from the 2004 season in Ashlea Thornton and Kahli Mann.  Thornton earned All-Cascade Conference and All-Region honors last year, leading the team with 361 kills, including a monster 28 kill, 20 dig match vs. Northwest Nazarene.  Mann had the most prolific season for a Coyote defensive specialist, averaging 5.15 digs per game – including 12 matches with 20-or-more digs. 

 

BIG BLOCK TO HELP THE 2005 CLUB: Head coach Liz Mendiola (5th year, 74-45) knows that the nucleus of the 2005 team will be a talented group of middle blockers.  The “Great Wall of Caldwell” has the potential to be the top front line of defense in the Cascade Conference.  Leading the way is Fran Hartman (284 kills, 64 blocks), an honorable mention All-CCC selection who has been a starter in the middle for the Coyotes each of the last two seasons, ranking seventh in the league is attack percentage in 2004.  CCC Freshman of the Year, Katie Hogue (244 kills, 126 blocks), has a year under her belt and is poised to avoid the sophomore slump.  Hogue led the league in blocks per game – with her 1.33 average ranking second on the Albertson single-season list.  Six-foot three-inch sophomore Anne Parker (152 kills, 73 blocks) emerged as a force at the net for the Lady ‘Yotes as the season progressed – including a 13 kill, eight block match vs. Northwest.  Rounding out the quartet is transfer Aubrey Harding (577 kills, 229 blocks), who had a monster season as a sophomore at Walla Walla   Community College, where she earned All-NWAACC honors, leading her team to a second-place finish in the post-season tournament.  Harding, who turned away NCAA Division I scholarship offers to come to Albertson, is the all-time leader in kills and blocks at WWCC.

 

SETTING FANCY: The ‘Yotes also return one of the top setters in the league in junior Erin Cherrington (1,191 assists, 230 digs), who ranked eighth in the NAIA with a 12.54 assist per game average – breaking the Albertson school record.  Cherrington won an astounding five CCC Setter of the Week awards in 2004, along with four NAIA Region I Setter of the Week honors.  She is also a very dependable player, having played in all 209 games during the past two seasons.  Sophomore Annie Branch, a reserve last year, and freshman Stephanie Pledger, an Oregon 3A All-State player, will serve as the Lady ‘Yotes back-up setters.

 

FINDING THE KEY OUTSIDE: The success of the Coyotes in 2005 will probably be determined by the development of their group of outside hitters.  Charity Gaston (180 kills, 303 digs) leads the group of returning players on the outside.  The senior, who was a defensive specialist at NCAA Division I James Madison, may end up becoming the Lady ‘Yotes libero.  Kimberly Horn (70 kills, 48 digs) and Michelle Riordan (37 kills, 15 digs) got limited action playing behind Thornton and Gaston on the outside, but will be asked to step up their production this season.  Albertson has two wild cards to help on the outside.  Tiffany Sower (267 kills, 317 digs, 60 aces in 2003) returns to the team after missing the entire 2004 season with a knee injury.  The sophomore averaged 2.8 kills and 3.3 digs per match during CCC play during her freshman season.  The other wild card is six-foot tall true freshman Kathryn Ely, the Greater Oregon Conference Player of the Year and 3A All-State selection at La Grande High School.

 

AROUND THE CASCADE CONFERENCE: Looking ahead to the 18-game Cascade Conference schedule, there is no clear-cut favorite to win the conference crown in 2005.  Four-time defending NAIA Region I champion Southern Oregon is expected contend, despite losing All-American Kristin Ferris.  The Raiders do return two All-CCC performers in setter Jamie McCreary and blocker Nicholette LeBel, and have three standout recruits headed to Ashland.  Northwest looks to get over the hump in 2005, having lost the lead late in the fifth-game of the 2004 regional title match.  The trio of setter Jessie Buck, blocker Emily Marquez, and hitter Lisa Langmade have started for the Eagles during the last four seasons and are as potent of an attack in the entire CCC.  Oregon Tech advanced to their first regional tournament last season and returns All-CCC setter Megan Albertson, Concordia must replace All-CCC hitters Melissa Rowe and Amanda Larsen, while Corban (formally Western Baptist) must replace blocker Kendra Mitchell.  The rest of the conference is a bunch of question marks – Warner Pacific must replace setter Marcy Oakland (who transferred to Southern Oregon), Eastern Oregon has a new head coach in Amy Spruiell, but loses All-CCC hitter Kaki McLean, while both Cascade and Evergreen are coming off 1-17 seasons.

 

 MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2005 volleyball team can be found on 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.

 

MEN’S SOCCER: Coyotes add eight players in quest to return to the playoffs in 2005

 

COMING UP: exhibition vs. Walla Walla CC, August 31, 4 p.m,; exhibition vs. Albertson Alumni, September 3, Noon.

 

COYOTES TO PLAY TOUGH PRESEASON SLATE: Unlike the 2004 season, when the Coyotes played only 15 games, the 2005 squad will play a full 18-game schedule, along with their annual Alumni game in early September.  The non-conference schedule may be the toughest in school history – including the ‘Yotes first-ever trip to Southern California for three early games.  In SoCal, Albertson will meet at trio of teams from the Golden State Athletic Conference, quite possibly the top NAIA soccer conference in the nation.  The trip opens with Cal Baptist, who struggled scoring last season, managing just 14 goals in 15 games.  Game two has the ‘Yotes playing The Masters, who has three NAIA national tournament appearances, who returns All-GSAC forward Jared Thornton.  The trip ends with a match at Hope International, hoping to rebound from a 2-14 season.  Albertson then makes its yearly exodus to Salt Lake City for the Westminster Invitational.  The ‘Yotes will meet the host Griffins to open the weekend, as Westminster looks to rebound from a 9-10-1 season.  The finale has the Coyotes meeting Holy Names, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Championships last year – and return the nation’s top scorer in Guilberme Souza (32 goals, nine assists).  Albertson will also play a friendly in October against Walla Walla College. 

 

2004, A SEASON OF FIRSTS: The 2004 season was a year of firsts for the Albertson College men’s soccer team.  The Coyotes had their first new head coach in nearly 20 years when Brian Smith took over the club for John Calpin in early January.  However, Smith’s first season wasn’t the dream-year he envisioned, as the ‘Yotes failed to reach the postseason for the first time in six seasons.  With a year under his belt, a good nucleus of returning players headed back, and a solid recruiting class, Albertson hopes to return to the playoffs for the eleventh time since 1989.

 

COYOTES TO REPLACE SENIOR CLASS: The Coyotes will have to replace a group of players that compiled 56 wins during their Albertson careers.  The back-third took the biggest hit, as three-time All-American Drake Jakovac is now gone from his sweeper position, while running-mates Skiff Larson and Brad Brooks have also departed.  The ‘Yotes lost a pair of central midfielders in two-time All-American Ryan Abo and Dustin Crim, along with attackers John Reinschmidt and Jason Southward, who finished his career with 50 career goals.

 

IN GOAL: Assistant coach, Jake Steele, a three-time All-America goalkeeper, will have a battle to work with in the net this season, as the ‘Yotes have two quality keepers in camp.  Two-year starter Ryan Huber, an All-Cascade Conference selection, has a 25-9-1 career record, along with a 1.45 goals against average.  However, newcomer Rob Erichson will pressure Huber from the get-go.  Erichson, who led Walla Walla Community College to the NWAACC semifinals, had a 15-2 record the past two seasons, with a 1.00 GAA.

 

SCORING PUNCH: The Coyotes have a pair of proven scorers to turn to in 2005.  Senior Joe Chandler has amassed 21 goals and 19 assists in his career, while sophomore Michael Delgado earned All-CCC honors last season after scoring seven goals as a freshman.  Chandler has an outstanding left foot, while Delgado utilizes his speed for success.  Joining the duo are freshman Mauricio Both and sophomore Scott Ward (four goals in 2002).  Both, from Brazil, was an All-Southern Idaho Conference selection at Nampa High in 2003, while the speedster Ward returns to the ‘Yotes after a two-year LDS mission in Asia.

 

CONTROLING THE MIDFIELD: Midfielder Mitch White (nine goals, four assists) led the 2004 club in scoring and will be the leader of the distributing corp.  White, who transferred to Albertson after a year at Gonzaga, was a member of the All-CCC team.  Joining him on the outside is true freshman Derek Erstad, who earned All-Southern Idaho Conference honors as a prep.  The central-mid slots should be filled with Tyler Seaman (five goals, nine assists in career), who is returning after an All-CCC season, which was stopped short by knee surgery, and freshman Alex Penrod, an All-Southern Nevada all-star.  Returner Andrew Heisler is expected to receive playing time in a midfield role.

 

THE ATTACK IN THE BACK: Probably the deepest unit for the 2005 ‘Yotes will be their group of defenders.  Starters John Mitchell (17 career assists) and Scott Fuller return to their starting roles and must step up as vocal leaders.  Mitchell is a four-year starter, who has started all 55 career games, and Fuller, who transferred to Albertson after a year at Fullerton State, started all 15 matches last year.  Returners Stephen Reinschmidt and Sam Reed are expected to receive considerable playing time in the back, along with true freshmen Brian Weiss and Brandon Koomler, who both were All-Southern Idaho Conference selections in high school.  The wild cards in the back are senior Shane Carmody and junior Nate Burns – who have both battled injuries throughout their Coyote careers.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE TO PROVE TOUGH: Recruiting will be the key around the Cascade Conference as the seven teams battle for a chance to participate in the NAIA Region I postseason tournament.  Evergreen proved to be the surprise team of 2004, winning the NAIA Region I crown as the No. 3 seed – going back to the NAIA Championships and advancing to the national quarterfinals.  The key for the 2005 Geoduck club is to replace 75-percent of their goals, as All-Americans Joe Gjertsen (24 goals), Nathan Ford (15 goals), and Jason Gjertson (six goals, 11 assists) have all graduated.  They do return All-CCC defender, Zephyr Titus.  Same can be said about Warner Pacific, who lost to Evergreen in the regional title game as the No. 4 seed.  The Knights lose All-Americans Ryan Delo (13 goals) and Garen Bedoyan, but return All-CCC midfielder Trevor Tharp (eight goals, five assists).  Lost in the regional shuffle was Concordia, who won their third-consecutive CCC regular-season title.  The Cavs lost Joe Beytebiere to professional soccer, but return proven scorers Luis Garcia (13 goals, eight assists) and Robert Lossett (seven goals, two assists), and keeper Jeremy Wells (1.12 GAA).  Corban (formally Western Baptist) looks to rebound from a fifth-place finish in 2004, returning All-CCC players Caleb Louvier (nine goals, six assists) and Scott Marshall (13 goals, nine assists).  Northwest looks to be improved, returning 13 players including defender Chris Chapman, while Cascade tries to win a CCC game for the first time since 2002 with new coach, Jeremy Schwartz.

 

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2005 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.

 

 

- ALBERTSON -