‘Yote Notes – Sept. 28,
2005
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Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
msafford@collegeofidaho.edu
ATHLETIC
NEWS:
COYOTE OPEN A SUCCESS: The 21st Annual Coyote Open was a success on Friday
afternoon, despite a bitterly cold wind that blew all day at River Bend Golf
Course. Over 165 golfers braved the
elements for a fun day to support the Albertson athletic department. For complete results of the tournament,
along with unclaimed raffle prizes, go to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/2005Open.htm.
BASEBALL WELCOMES BACK ALUMNI: On Sunday, the Albertson College
baseball team welcomed back over 30 of their former players for the annual
Alumni weekend – which included a barbecue and a home run derby. The alumni games were won by the varsity –
8-3 and 7-5, with 2002 grad Eric Jensen tossing an inning and two thirds of
scoreless relief and going 2-for-2 at the plate in the opener, while 2003 grad
Darren Uranga went 2-for-3 with a homer in the nightcap. Head coach Shawn Humberger would like
to thank all of the alumni who were in attendance on Sunday for their continued
support of the Coyotes.
WOMEN’S TENNIS OFF TO LEWISTON: Four members of the Albertson
women’s tennis team will compete in the ITA Pacific Northwest Regional in
Lewiston next weekend. Kyla
Westerberg, Anna Moylan, Katie Webster, and Channing Yip will
compete for a spot at the ITA Small College National Tournament in Florida this
October.
WATCH YOUR MAIL FOR SEASON TICKET BROCHURES: Watch your mail, as Albertson
College basketball season ticket brochures will be sent out early next week. The basketball season is quickly
approaching, with the first home games scheduled for November 18-19.
MEN’S SOCCER (1-6, 1-1 CCC): Coyotes
notch first win of 2005, open home schedule with trio of games as part of
Homecoming Weekend
LAST WEEK: at No. 15 Evergreen State (L 2-0),
at Northwest (W 3-1)
COMING UP: vs. Warner Pacific, Friday, 4
p.m.; vs. Corban, Saturday, 2 p.m.; vs. Walla Walla, Sunday, 2 p.m.
A BREAKTHROUGH AT NORTHWEST: After
scoring just two goals in six matches this season, the Albertson College men’s
soccer team needed a play to jumpstart their season – Saturday, that play
happened. When freshman Derek Erstad
(Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) headed home a corner kick in the 14th
minute – the weight lifted off the shoulders of the Coyotes, as Albertson
rolled to a 3-1 win at Northwest – their 12th straight against the Kirkland,
Wash. squad. Despite allowing more
shots to the upstart Eagles, Albertson road the back of keeper Rob Erichson (Boise,
Idaho / Walla Walla CC), who made ten saves, and preserved a shutout until
the 84th minute.
TURNING THE “CORNER”: Albertson took advantage of
a season-high nine corner kicks to score their two first half goals. Michael Delgado (Caldwell, Idaho /
Vallivue HS) served up a pair of beauties – the first to Erstad, the second
to senior Joe Chandler (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS), whose header in
the 40th minute gave the ‘Yotes a 2-0 lead.
A nice combination between John Mitchell (Boise, Idaho / Boise
State) and Alex Penrod (Las Vegas, Nev. / Cimarron-Memorial HS) helped
find freshman Mauricio Both (Cachoeira do Sul, Brazil) for the ‘Yotes third goal.
ENDING A
SCORELESS DROUGHT: The
goal by the Coyotes in the first half ended the longest scoring drought in
school history. Albertson, who had been
shut out in four consecutive matches, had not scored a goal in 383 minutes – a goal
against The Masters in Game 2 of the season.
TOUGH LOSS AT EVERGREEN: Albertson nearly pulled off
the upset to start the weekend, losing a 2-0 decision to No. 15 ranked
Evergreen State on Friday afternoon.
The Geoducks scored a goal in the 14th minute on a Coyote defensive
lapse, then took a two-goal lead right before halftime when Rob Erichson could
not collect a routine shot on goal. It
was a pretty even game, according to head coach Brian Smith, as
Evergreen held a 17-10 edge in shots and a 7-6 edge in corners.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: With a 1-6 record, Albertson has
not been ranked in the NAIA Region I top-five rankings all-season. Currently, Simon Fraser holds the top spot,
followed by Evergreen State, Concordia, Westminster, and Corban. Simon Fraser is ranked No. 8 in the national
poll, Evergreen is ranked No. 15.
FINAL NOTE ON WORST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY: In the
20-plus year history of the Coyote soccer program, an 0-6 start had never
occurred until Albertson dropped the 2-0 decision to Evergreen State on Friday. Before this season, three previous College
of Idaho or Albertson College teams had started with three-straight
losses. The last team to start 0-3 was
the 1996 club, which finished the season, 7-11. That season, along with the 1987 season (in which the ‘Yotes went
7-6-2), saw the squad lose their first four games – which was the school record
for futility at the start of a season.
On the flip side, the record for season-opening wins is seven, set
during the 1990 season.
NEW LOSING STREAK RECORD AVERTED: Albertson ended
their overall seven-game losing streak with the win at Northwest on Saturday,
equaling the school record for consecutive losses. The 1995 team ended the year with three straight losses, followed
by four straight to start the 1996 season.
Incidentally, the last win by the Coyotes prior to Saturday was a 4-2
victory at Northwest on October 22, 2004.
GREAT BALL DROP A SUCCESS: While the ‘Yotes
were in Washington, the Coyote men’s soccer team’s fall fundraiser, the
Albertson College of Idaho Ball Drop 2005, will took place following the 21st
Annual Coyote Open golf tournament in Wilder.
A helicopter hovered above the 18th green at River Bend Golf Course and
dropped a bucket filled with golf balls, but unfortunately, no ball found its way
into the cup for $1,000. The ‘Yotes
thank the countless folks who purchased a golf ball as part of the fundraiser.
LONG ROAD TRIP FINALLY OVER: It has
been nearly a year since the Albertson men’s soccer team played a game on the
friendly pitch of Symms Field. After
playing nine consecutive road games, dating back to last season, the ‘Yotes
return home for Homecoming this weekend.
It has been 349 days since the Coyotes last played a home game – a 7-0
victory over Cascade College on October 16, 2004.
CONFERENCE TEAMS HEADED TO TOWN: The ‘Yotes
are hoping for an overflow crowd on Friday afternoon as they host Warner
Pacific in the nightcap of a doubleheader (women host Corban at 2
p.m.). The Knights (4-4-1, 1-1 CCC) are
coming off an outstanding 2004 campaign in which they advanced to the NAIA
Region I title game. J.B. Cunha has
been the story for Warner, ranking second in the league with eight goals. New keeper Brandon Mitalis (2.20 GAA) is
also solid for the Knights, which defeated Albertson 3-2 last season in
Portland, and tied the ‘Yotes 2-2 in Caldwell.
It is the 21st meeting all-time between the teams, with Albertson
holding a 10-8-2 edge. Saturday, the ‘Yotes
meet Corban for the first time since the Salem, Ore. school changed its
name from Western Baptist. The Warriors
(4-3-1, 1-1) have the CCC’s leading scorer in junior Scott Marshall (10 goals,
1 assist), along with super freshman Eric Branch (3 goals, 4 assists). Corban and Albertson split the series last
season, the Warriors winning 3-2 in overtime in Salem, while the ‘Yotes won 4-2
in Caldwell. Albertson holds a 17-15
edge in the series.
A SUNDAY FRIENDLY WITH WALLA WALLA: The
Coyotes round out the weekend with a non-conference match against Walla
Walla College. The Wolves (4-2-1),
a 1,100-student Seventh-Day Adventist school from College Place, Wash., is a
member of the National Christian College Athletic Association. WWC has wins this season against NAIA
schools Simpson and Cal-Maritime, has tied Cascade, and lost to Northwest. Last season, the Wolves played Albertson
tough, losing a 2-1 decision to the Coyotes.
Albertson is a perfect 4-0 all-time against WWC.
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.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (6-4-1, 4-1-1 CCC): Rough trip
to Montana, host Homecoming tilts this weekend with Corban and Warner Pacific
LAST WEEK: at No. 21 Carroll (L 6-2), at
Rocky Mountain (L 2-0)
COMING UP: vs. Corban, Friday, 2 p.m.; vs.
Warner Pacific, Saturday, Noon.
BIG SKY COMES UP EMPTY FOR LADY ‘YOTES: A
nine-hour bus ride, eight hours of sleep, a game, a four-hour bus ride, eight
hours of sleep, a game, and a ten-hour bus ride is what last weekend looked like
for the Albertson women’s soccer team as the Lady ‘Yotes headed to
Montana. A trek to Helena to meet
Carroll, a jaunt to Billings to meet Rocky Mountain, and then the drive through
Yellowstone National Park home – all in the span of less than 72 hours. When it was all said and done, Albertson
traveled nearly 1,500 miles – only to score two goals in two matches and drop
both games.
TEN MINUTE STRETCH LIFTS CARROLL: It is hard
to comprehend for an average person what it is like to play soccer after a long
bus ride and some sleep in a strange hotel – and was tough for the Lady ‘Yotes. Playing the No. 21 team in the land,
Albertson allowed Carroll College to score four goals in the opening ten
minutes of the match, as the Saints rolled to a 6-2 victory at Nelson Stadium. After Carroll took a 2-0 lead just two
minutes into the match, Albertson answered, as Lindsay Russell (Idaho
Falls, Idaho / Idaho State U.) blasted a ball from 30-yards out that found
the net, cutting the lead to one – just six minutes into the match. However, the Saints would explode for two
more goals in the next five minutes, and were never threatened. Albertson would tack on a second goal on the
afternoon, as a Russell corner kick was headed home by Leah Roach (Boise,
Idaho / Timberline HS), her team-leading fifth goal of the season.
‘YOTES FALTER AT ROCKY: A pair of second half goals
lifted Rocky Mountain to a 2-0 victory over the Coyotes on Sunday morning. Albertson struggled adjusting to the
physical play of the Battlin’ Bears and could not muster much of an offensive
threat, as Rocky held a 20-4 edge in shots.
FROM THE COACH: “This was a very difficult trip
for the team,” said Aisha Reed. “We
came out as flat as a team can on Saturday.
I wish we could have had the intensity we had for the final 80 minutes
the whole game. At Rocky, it was as
physical of play as I have seen in my four years as coach. We were not ready for that – although I am
proud of the ladies for how we competed.”
GREAT START TO SEASON: With six wins already in
the books, Albertson has already surpassed the win totals in 12 of the 16
previous seasons of Lady ‘Yote soccer.
In fact, only two teams in school history have won more games – the 1989
team that went 8-3, and the 2002 team that went 10-11.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: Despite a 6-4-1 start to the 2005
season, the NAIA Region I rankings have not given the Lady ‘Yotes a
glance. The latest rankings have
Concordia leading the way, followed by Simon Fraser, Carroll, Evergreen State,
and Rocky Mountain. Albertson has never
been ranked in the Region I Top-5 in school history.
INJURIES MOUNT: The trip to Montana was not kind
to the Lady ‘Yotes, as a pair of starters missed time due to injuries. Both Nikki Anderson (Citrus
Heights, Calif. / Sierra CC) and Ali Jakubowski (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Caldwell HS) missed time over the weekend with nagging injuries. Starting defender Kat Becker (Salt
Lake City, Utah / Judge Memorial HS) was also hampered by a strained groin
muscle during the trip.
MUST WIN WEEKEND: If the Lady ‘Yotes want any chance
to advance to the Cascade Conference postseason tournament, the will have to
play well on Homecoming Weekend – as part of a five match salute to soccer. Up first is the first meeting with Corban,
since the school changed its name from Western Baptist in May. The Warriors (2-7-1, 1-5 CCC) have struggled
this season – considering they have averaged 15 wins a season since 2001. Sarah Officer (3 goals, 5 assists) leads the
Corban charge, as the Warriors are looking for their first road win of the
season and to break a four-game losing skid.
Current history is on their side, however, as Corban has won the past 16
meetings with the Coyotes and holds a 16-5 all-time series edge. Saturday, the Lady ‘Yotes tangle with Warner
Pacific, a team that has had as much luck as any other team in the CCC this
season. The Knights (2-6, 2-3) have been
outshot 56-16 in their two league victories (over Corban and Southern Oregon) –
thanks in part to the boot of Emily Chan (5 goals). It is the fifth meeting between the teams, with Warner holding a
2-1-1 all-time edge.
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 (8-3, 5-2 CCC): Lady ‘Yotes to host
LC-State, off for weekend matches at Warner Pacific and Cascade
LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon (W 3-0)
COMING UP: vs. Lewis-Clark State, Wednesday,
7 p.m.; at Warner Pacific, Friday, 7 p.m. (PDT); at Cascade, Saturday, 7 p.m.
(PDT)
REGIONAL RANKINGS: With the victory last Friday at
Eastern Oregon, the Albertson volleyball team remained No. 3 in the NAIA Region
I regional rankings. Unbeaten Northwest
remains on top followed by Southern Oregon and Albertson. Oregon Tech remained at No. 4, followed
Great Falls, Westminster, Montana-Western, Carroll, Concordia, and Montana
State-Northern.
LADY ‘YOTES RECEIVE VOTES: For the
second time this season, the Albertson volleyballers received votes in the NAIA
national poll, good enough to be the No. 29 ranked team in the nation. The Coyotes received five votes in last week’s
– the fourth team listed in the “others receiving votes” category. The last time Albertson was ranked in the
NAIA Top-25 was during the 2001 season – a year after making their lone
National Tournament appearance. The
‘Yotes began 2001 ranked No. 15 in the preseason poll, dropped to No. 19 in the
first regular-season poll, and have not been ranked since.
COULD THEY MOVE UP: Looking at the bottom five ranked
teams and those receiving votes, there is a possibility that Albertson could
earn more votes when the national poll is released on Wednesday. No. 21 Cornerstone (Mich.), No. 23 Biola
(Calif.), and No. 25 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) all lost, while St. Francis
(Ill.) and Concordia (Neb.), who were ranked ahead of the ‘Yotes in the ORV
list also lost.
AN EVEN 20 VS. THE MOUNTIES: Fran Hartman (Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview HS)had
14 kills as the Albertson College volleyball team improved to 3-0 on the road
in Cascade Conference play, knocking off Eastern Oregon 30-20, 30-21, 30-28 at
Quinn Coliseum on Friday night. The win for the Coyotes was their
20th in a row against their I-84 rivals.
Albertson
trailed for only one point in the match (opening point of Game 2) and held a
decisive 51-36 edge in kills. Erin Cherrington (Granby, Colo. / Middle Park HS)
had a monster night for the Lady 'Yotes, recording 44 assists, eight digs,
and four aces. Charity Gaston (Harrisonberg, Va. / James
Madison U.) also had 16 digs and two aces from the libero position, and Katie
Hogue Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) smashed nine kills and four blocks in
two games of action.
THE LAST
TIME: Eastern has
not defeated the Coyotes since a match on October 8, 1996 – a span of nearly
nine years.
RESERVES
SHINE AT EASTERN: In
the win, 14 of the 15 members of the team played in at least one game, allowing
some of the reserves to get into the action.
Topping the list is junior outside hitter Michelle Riordan (Nampa,
Idaho / Skyview HS), who had four kills and five digs, and senior
hitter Kimberly Horn (Notus, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC), who had
five spikes and two digs.
CASCADE CONFERENCE NUMBERS: As a team,
the Coyotes rank first in the ten-team Cascade Conference in aces per game
(2.63), rank second in blocks per game (2.38), third in attack percentage
(.213), and fourth in kills per game (14.39) and assists per game (12.90). Individually, Katie Hogue leads the league
in blocks per game (1.44), is second in hitting percentage (.356), and is sixth
in both kills per game (3.23) and aces per game (0.56). Fran Hartman is fourth in attack percentage (.343)
and ninth in kills per game (3.05), while Kathryn Ely (La Grande,
Ore. / La Grande HS) is fourth in kills per game (3.35). Erin Cherrington is third in assists per
game (11.93) and tenth in aces per game (0.54), Bailey Wood (Boise,
Idaho / Timberline HS) is seventh in aces per game (0.56) and ninth in digs
per game (3.94), Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) is
fourth in blocks per game (1.03), and Charity Gaston is sixth in digs per game
(4.54).
RECORD BOOK: Three players are climbing on the
career record list heading into this weekends action. Erin Cherrington reached the 2,400 career assist mark last week
(third-most in school history), while moving into fifth-place on the all-time
ace list with 111. Fran Hartman now has
753 kills, seventh-best in Coyote history, 32 behind sixth-place. She also moved into tenth-place all-time
with 201 blocks. In less than two
seasons, Katie Hogue now has 182 blocks, just 18 behind the 200 mark.
FINAL NON-CONFERENCE MATCH: Albertson
completes their small non-conference slate this Wednesday, hosting regional
foe, Lewis-Clark State. The
Warriors (1-11) have struggled throughout the 2005 season – winning their
opening match of the year, then dropping 11-straight. LC-State is led by blocker Marie Lauder (3.22 k/g) and hitter
Tyger Spencer (3.08 k/g, 2.25 d/g).
Albertson won a four-game contest in Lewiston earlier this year and has
won three in a row over the Warriors.
LC-State holds an 8-4 all-time series edge.
OFF TO PORTLAND: For the second time this month,
Albertson heads to the Willamette Valley for weekend matches at Warner
Pacific and Cascade. The
Knights (1-12, 0-7 CCC) won their first game of the season against perennial
power, Montana Tech – then lost 12 in a row.
Warner is led by hitter Michelle Allen (3.00 k/g, 3.5 d/g), but the team
hits at a woeful .049 percentage. The
Lady ‘Yotes have never lost to the Knights in 15 previous contests. Saturday, the Coyotes tangle with Cascade in
the always boisterous Thunderdome. The
T-Birds (2-8, 1-6) got a pair of victories two weeks ago against Warner Pacific
and Walla Walla College, but dropped matches to Multnomah Bible and Evergreen
State. Jennifer Braceros (2.83 k/g, 3.33
d/g) and Danielle Selvidge (2.77 k/g) are the top guns for Cascade, but defense
has been a mystery for the T-Birds, as opponents average 3.9 aces per
game. Albertson holds a 17-4 all-time
edge in the series, including winning 16 in a row.
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.
CROSS COUNTRY: Harriers set to compete at
Willamette Invitational after two weeks of training
LAST WEEK: Idle (last competed on Sept. 10 at
Hampton Inn and Suites Invitational)
COMING UP: at 31st Annual Charles Bowles
Willamette Invitational, Salem, Ore. –
men at 10:40 a.m. (PDT), women at 11:20 a.m. (PDT)
RUNNERS, RUNNERS, AND RUNNERS, OH MY: After
taking two weeks off to concentrate on training, the Albertson College cross
country teams head to the prestigious Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational at
Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem hoping to continue momentum from a solid first
meet. Unlike the men’s short-course
victory at NNU in early September, the 31st installment of the Willamette
Invite will be wall-to-wall runners – as nearly every NCAA Division II, III,
and NAIA club will participate in the 5,000 meter event for women and the 8,000
meter event for the men.
BIGGEST RACE WEST OF THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI: Tabbed as
the “Biggest Race West of the Mississippi” – the Willamette Invite will have
all ten Cascade Conference schools (Albertson, Cascade, Concordia, Corban,
Eastern Oregon, Evergreen State, Northwest, Oregon Tech, Southern Oregon,
Warner Pacific), all nine Northwest Conference schools (George Fox, Lewis &
Clark, Linfield, Pacific, Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound, Whitworth, Whitman,
Willamette), four Great Northwest Athletic Conference schools (Central
Washington, Humboldt State, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin’s) and four NAIA
Region I independents (British Columbia, Lewis-Clark State, Simon Fraser,
Westminster) all compete in one race.
Along with the small-college event, separate races for NCAA Division I
teams and for unattached and junior college teams will take place.
MEN RANKED NO. 14 IN NAIA: Despite
not running last week, the Albertson College men's cross country team jumped
two spots in the latest NAIA national poll, moving to No. 14 in the rankings
released last Thursday morning. The
Coyotes, competing for the just their second season since a nearly 30-year
layoff, began the year ranked No. 24 in the NAIA - the first time that an
Albertson running program has been ranked nationally. After a team
victory at the Hampton Inn and Suites Fall Invitational at West Park in Nampa,
the 'Yotes moved to No. 16, then climbed two spots this week - while spending
the time training.. Four other NAIA
Region I teams are in the Top-25 - led by No. 3 ranked British Columbia.
Simon Fraser is ranked No. 6, Southern Oregon is ranked No. 9, and Lewis-Clark
State, whom the 'Yotes defeated in Nampa, is ranked No. 20. On the
women's side Simon Fraser and British Columbia grabbed the No. 1 and No. 2
slots, while Eastern Oregon climbed to No. 8 after all three teams fared well
at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle.
HANDICAPPING THE MEN’S FIELD: A lot is
riding on the Coyote men, who are looking to improve on a 28th-place finish in
last year’s event. Albertson will be
competing against three teams ranked ahead of them in the national poll – Simon
Fraser, British Columbia, and Southern Oregon; against two teams they have
defeated this year in Lewis-Clark State and Eastern Oregon; along with solid
young programs in Concordia and Corban.
Also look for Willamette and Puget Sound to be very strong, along with
the NCAA Division II contingency.
THE WOMEN’S FIELD: Last season, the Albertson women
placed 28th out of 31 teams – the Lady ‘Yotes would like to improve on that
mark. They will compete for the first
time against a full Cascade Conference list of competitors – which will give an
inkling of what the CCC championships might look like.
COYOTES TO HOST A MEET: Put October 22nd
on your calendar, as the Albertson College cross country team will host their
first-ever meet in Caldwell. The
5,000-meter women’s race and the 8,000-meter men’s race will be run on the
Albertson campus, with a two kilometer loop winding through the institutions
acreage. The start-finish line will be
near the Village Apartments, next to the Coyote softball field, off Ash Street.
MORE
INFORMATION:
Updated information on the 2005 cross country team, including meet-by-meet
results and top times, can be found on the Albertson cross country official
website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc.htm.
- ALBERTSON -