Yote Notes – Aug. 28,
2007
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS:
CROSS COUNTRY OPENS FALL CAMP, HOSTS
BARBEQUE: The ACI
cross country teams reported for practice on Monday and are gearing up for
their first official meet on Sept. 8 at Northwest Nazarene. The squad will hold an intra-squad race on
Saturday to kick off the season, beginning at 9:30 a.m. A post-race barbeque will follow.
BANDANNA RUNNING NAMED TITLE SPONSOR
OF CCC XC CHAMPIONSHIPS: ACI cross country coach Pat
McCurry announced this morning that Bandanna Running of Boise has been
named the title sponsor of the upcoming 2007 Cascade Conference Cross Country
Championships. The event, now known as
the "Cascade Conference Cross Country Championships, presented by Bandanna
Running", in its 14th-year, bringing 132 male and 132 female
student-athletes to the Treasure Valley on October 20, with the races set for
Eagle Island State Park. "We are
pleased to come on board as the title sponsor for the CCC Championshps,"
said Bandanna co-owners Rich Harris and Gregg Mizuta. "We are
impressed with the cross country and track programs at ACI and know the
coaching staff and student-athletes are great representatives of ACI and the
CCC." Located at 5th and Main in
downtown Boise, Bandanna Running and Walking,
"Idaho's
Premier Running Store," has been honored as one of the Top-50
specialty running stores in the nation. "We are so appreciative to
Bandanna Running for their support of ACI cross country and track - helping the
program get off the ground," said McCurry. "With Bandanna on
board, it will make an already outstanding 2007 CCC meet that much
better."
COYOTE OPEN SET FOR SEPTEMBER 28: The 23rd Annual Coyote Open Golf
Tournament is set for Friday, September 28, at Falcon Crest Golf Club in
Kuna. Year in and year out one of the top events in the Treasure Valley,
the Coyote Open has 175 players and over 110 sponsors per year that help
support athletics at Albertson College of Idaho. To secure your spot in
the tournament for yourself or your team, or to support the tournament as a
sponsor, contact Dave Hahn at
459-5835 or go online at https://www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/_secure/coyoteopen.asp.
GOLF TEAM TO HOST FALL TOURNAMENT: The ACI golf team will begin play
in the newly formed Cascade Conference golf division this fall, hosting a
54-hole event on September 17 and 18 at River Bend Golf Course.
Concordia, Corban, and Northwest Christian join the Yotes as members of the CCC,
while it is expected that Treasure Valley CC and Northwest Nazarene will also
compete in the event. The four CCC teams will play two fall and two
spring events to determine the league champion.
BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME SET FOR
SEPTEMBER 29: The
annual Albertson College of Idaho baseball alumni game has been scheduled for
Saturday, Sept. 29, at Simplot Stadium in Caldwell.
A home run derby will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the game to begin around 1
p.m. For alumni and their families, food and drinks will be provided
throughout the day - with a $30.00 fee per player to help pay for t-shirts,
derby prizes, and the post-game barbeque. For more information, contact
head coach Shawn Humberger at
459-5861 or shumberger@collegeofidaho.edu.
SAFFORD TO CALL MINOR LEAGUE GAMES: ACI sports information director, Mike Safford, will return to minor
league baseball after nearly a two-year hiatus, as he is the fill-in
broadcaster for the Spokane Indians, the Class A affiliate of the Texas Rangers,
on 790-KJRB in Spokane. Safford, who was
the lead broadcaster for the Boise Hawks for three seasons, will call the
six-game series between Spokane and Boise, beginning Tuesday
night. To catch the games, log onto www.790thefan.com.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (2-1): Lady Yotes win 2-of-3 in Montana, head to Nampa
for Saturday tilt at Northwest Nazarene
LAST WEEK: at Carroll Classic, Helena,
Mont. – vs. No. 6 Carroll (L 1-0), vs. Rocky
Mountain (W 1-0 OT); at Great Falls
(W 1-0)
COMING UP: at Northwest Nazarene, Saturday,
Noon.
SEASON PASSES: ACI soccer fans can avoid paying an
admission charge at all home matches again this season by purchasing a season
pass, good for all men’s and women’s soccer games at Symms Field. A single person season pass is just $20.00 (a
savings of $45.00) for 13 games this season, with a family pass available for
$50.00 (a savings of $154.00 for a family of four). To purchase the season pass, contact ACI SID
Mike Safford at msafford@collegeofidaho.edu
or (208) 459-5681. Single-game ticket
prices are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors and students.
BIG SKY COUNTRY SHINES ON COYOTES: Winning on the road has never been
kind to the Albertson College of Idaho women’s soccer program, as coming into
the 2007 season, the Lady Yotes had never won two games on the same road
trip. That changed quickly, as ACI put a
narrow 1-0 loss at Carroll behind them and topped NAIA Region I No. 4 team Rocky Mountain
and Great Falls
to complete the winning road swing. The
Coyotes had previously won and tied a match on a trip twice – the last
occurring last season, but had never recorded two W’s on a single roadie. It was also the first time that ACI had won a
match in Montana.
DEFENSE OUTSTANDING: Experience is paying dividends for
the Yotes in the defensive third, as ACI allowed just one goal in the three
matches. Returning starters Martine Troy (Ogden, Utah
/ Judge Memorial HS), Laura Fink (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS), and Katie Ball (Boise,
Idaho / Boise
HS) have gotten help from a solid group of underclassmen – Melissa Garrison (Boise, Idaho
/ Borah HS), Colleen Smith (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), and
Jessica Brotherton (Payette,
Idaho / Payette HS) keep
teams away from goal. Even more
impressive was the defense of corner kicks, as the Coyotes did not allow a goal
on any of the 19 corners in the three matches.
ACI has also received stellar play in goal – where sophomores Sadie Hughes (Courtenay, B.C. / Vanier SS) and Amy Rhoades (Eagle, Idaho / Dixie State
Coll.) stopped 17-of-18 shots on goal during the trip. In fact, the Yotes did not allow a goal in
the final 265 minutes of the weekend.
GOALS WHEN THEY WERE NEEDED: The offensive attack was not
overwhelming, but it was enough to get two wins – as ACI held a 24-22 edge in
shots. The Yotes had chances to add to
their total in all three matches, but found the keepers hands, the post, and
the crossbar on numerous occasions.
CARROLL PROVES TO BE TOO MUCH: A goal midway through the first half
by Jenni Annicchiarico was all the stingy ACI defense would allow, but it was
all Carroll College
would need, as the No. 6 ranked Saints defeated the Coyotes, 1-0, Friday in Helena, Mont. The All-American striker took a feed from
Katie Smith in the box in the 22nd minute, giving Carroll all the cushion they would need, as the Saints
improved to 7-0 all-time against ACI. However,
the Lady Yotes would not go away, as keeper Sadie Hughes kept the Saints at bay
the rest of the way - recording nine saves, including three at point-blank
range. "I thought Sadie played an outstanding game," said head
coach Niki Taylor. "All
it would have taken was one goal to tie the game up." The Yotes were outshot 13-2, but nearly tied
the game in the 86th minute, as freshman Jamie
Reichel (Boise, Idaho
/ Capital HS) took a pass in the box - but her 1-on-1 shot was saved by
Saints keeper Katie Beall, dashing ACI's hopes.
GOLDEN GOAL KNOCKS OUT ROCKY: Junior Allie Dufault (Irvine, Calif.
/ University HS) scored the golden goal in the 106th minute, as the Coyotes
upset Rocky Mountain, 1-0, Saturday afternoon.
The win for the Lady Yotes was their first against the Bears since 2000
and came at the expense of the No. 4 rated team in the NAIA Region I poll and
the No. 26 ranked team in the NAIA. Dufault
got the winner in the second overtime period, as Jamie Reichel chipped a ball
into a group of players inside the box. Mandy Greif (Payette, Idaho
/ Payette HS) got a touch to the open Dufault, who slotted the ball into
the corner of the goal - setting off a celebration on the field. "This was a team effort," said Taylor. "We
played as good of a game as we have in my two years at ACI and did the things
we needed to do to win. Rocky Mountain is an outstanding club with regional tournament
experience - and are fortunate to come here to Montana and get a win." Amy Rhoades got the start in goal for ACI and
was up to the task, recording five saves to record her first victory of her
career. The Yotes held a 13-6 edge in shots - while the Bears had an 8-2
edge in corner kicks.
ONE GOAL ALL YOTES NEED IN ELECTRIC
CITY: Senior Leah Roach (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) scored the the lone goal of the game
in the seventh minute and the Coyote defense made it stand up, as the Lady
Yotes recorded their second-straight shutout, a 1-0 victory Monday over the
University of Great Falls at Seibel Park in Great Falls, Mont. The victory for the Yotes marked the first
time in the 19-year history of the program that ACI had won two-consecutive
games on the same road trip. Roach took a pass from freshman Jamie
Reichel at the near post and slotted the ball past UGF keeper Lindsay Saunders
for her 13th goal in her career. Stellar
play by both Sadie Hughes and Amy Rhoades in goal helped the lead stand.
NATIONAL STATISTICS: For the first time ever, the NAIA is
requiring schools to report their statistics on a national basis each week –
creating the first soccer national stats report. After the first week, Amy Rhoades is among a
group of goalkeepers who have not allowed a goal this season, while as a team,
the Yotes rank fourth in shutouts per game.
To access the women’s soccer national page, log onto the DakStats
website at http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WSO&sea=NAIWSO_2007&team=2300.
RIVALRY TIME WITH THE CRUSADERS: For years, the Lady Yotes would
travel on Labor Day weekend to Nampa
for the Les Schwab Invitational.
However, the tournament has been scratched, but the match-up with Canyon County
rival Northwest Nazarene is still
set for Saturday. The Crusaders (0-1)
opened their season last weekend, dropping a tough 3-2 overtime decision to
Corban. NNU returns ten letterwinners
from last season, including all-time leading scorer Katy McNutt (30 career
goals), and fellow All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selections Amanda Peters
(3 ShO in ’06) and Carlee Stinton (7 goals in ’06). The Crusaders won last season’s battle
between the teams, 3-1, and hold a 13-7 all-time series edge, dating back to
1989. The two teams have not met in Caldwell since 2003 –
when the Yotes defeated NNU, 4-3.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Last weekend, many CCC schools
opened up their season – with varying success.
Topping the list was No. 3 ranked Concordia, which traveled to California – stopping The
Masters, 7-0, but losing to powerhouse Azusa Pacific, 4-0. Evergreen
State went to Canada, and dropped two-goal matches to British Columbia and Simon Fraser, while Corban topped
Northwest Nazarene, 3-2, Cascade lost at Great
Falls, and Warner Pacific stopped Northwest Christian. Oregon Tech and Southern
Oregon both topped Holy Names – while battling to a 0-0 draw in a
friendly between the rival schools. This
weekend, all 11 schools will be in action – including Rocky Mountain
and Simon Fraser at Concordia.
ABOUT THE COACH: Niki Taylor is in her second season
has head coach of the ACI women's program and has an overall record of 8-11-2..
In her first season with the Coyotes, she helped to their fourth-ever
postseason berth, losing the Evergreen
State, 2-1, in the
Cascade Conference playoffs. A graduate of Truman
State University
in Kirksville, Mo.,
Taylor was an
honorable mention all-conference player for the Bulldogs in 1999 and 2000,
helping the squad to an NCAA Division II regional championships. She went
on to assist coach Mike Cannon during the 2001 season, helping TSU to the
regional finals, then moved West, where she was an assistant for Steve Lucas at
Boise State for three seasons. She has
also been involved with the Les Bois United Soccer Club for the past four
years, while serving as a head coach in the Idaho Olympic Development
Program. Taylor
has received her USSF "B" Coaching License.
.FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more
information on the ACI women’s soccer program, head to the official homepage of
the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmenssoccer.htm.
VOLLEYBALL (0-4): Lady Yotes head to California
searching for first win after hard-luck weekend in Salt Lake City
LAST WEEK: at NAIA Tournament of Champions –
vs. No. 25 Westminster (L 3-2), vs. No. 23 Great Falls (L 3-2), vs.
No. 1 National American (L 3-2), vs. No. 16 Point Loma Nazarene (L 3-1)
COMING UP: at Crowne Plaza Labor Day Festival,
Irvine, Calif. – Friday vs. Vanguard, 1p.m., vs. No. 11 Biola, 7 p.m.; Saturday
vs. No. 10 SCAD, 11 a.m., vs. No. 2 Fresno Pacific, 3 p.m.
SEASON TICKETS: ACI head coach Liz Mendiola has announced that season passes for the 2007
volleyball season are currently on sale at the J.A. Albertson
Activities Center. Season passes are available for $20.00 (a
savings of $40.00) for the 12-game home slate, with a family pass available for
$50.00 (a savings of $142.00 for a family of four). To purchase season passes, contact ACI sports
information director Mike Safford at msafford@collegeofidaho.edu
or (208) 459-5681.
TOUGH WEEKEND IN SALT LAKE:
Knowing they were
going to be down two starters heading into the weekend, the Albertson College
of Idaho volleyball team had to band together to start a stretch of
nine-consecutive matches against teams in the NAIA poll. On paper, it looks as if the Yotes dropped
four matches, but in retrospect, ACI took three top programs to the brink –
while not at full strength.
RECAP OF DAY 1: Playing without four-year starting
right side hitter Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) and CCC
Freshman of the Year Kristin Henning (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), the Yotes
held a two games to one lead on No. 25 Westminster in Friday's opener, but
could not hold on, losing 30-23, 27-30, 25-30, 30-23, 15-13. Four Coyotes recorded double-figure kills,
led by a career-high 14 spikes from sophomore Sarah Buhler (Middleton, Idaho
/ Middleton HS). ACI also got 21 digs from Catherine Everist (Portland,
Ore. / Chicago State U.) and a double-double - 31 assists and 12 digs from
freshman Madie Machurek (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS). However, ACI could not stop the Griffins
Alison Culp, who blasted 23 kills in Westminster's
first-ever win over the Coyotes. Game 2
was a rematch of last year's NAIA Region I title game, but it was the No. 23
ranked Great Falls coming out on top 23-30, 30-23, 30-28, 24-30, 16-14. Middle blocker Samantha Bull and outside
hitter Brittany Prater each had 18 kills to lead the way for the Argos. Kari
Schiller had 27 digs in the win. ACI had
three players in double figure kills, led by Kathryn Ely (La Grande, Ore.
/ La Grande HS) with 16. Katie
Zillner (Emmett,
Idaho / Chicago State U.) and Naomi Reimer (Killarney, Man. / Killarney SS) each had double-doubles
- Zillner with 15 kills and 12 digs, and Reimer with 17 assists and 11 digs.
RECAP OF DAY 2: The Coyotes took defending NAIA
champion and top-ranked National American to five games, before losing 25-30,
25-30, 30-15, 30-25, 17-15 on Saturday morning. They then could not overcome
the high-powered Point Loma Nazarene squad, as the No. 16 ranked Sea Lions
topped ACI 30-27, 30-15, 28-30, 30-26. In
today's opener, ACI took the first two games, only to watch the Mavericks, who
had a 42-match win streak snapped yesterday, rally. The Yotes held a
14-11 lead in Game 5, but NAU staved off three match points to earn the win. Four Coyote players had double figure kills,
led by the 15 of both Kathryn Ely and Katie
Hogue (Sparks, Nev.
/ Reed HS), with Catherine Everist recording 29 digs. NAU, which
featured a starting line-up of six players from Brazil, got 24 kills and 22
digs from All-American Daniela Oliveira.
Inconsistency continued to plague the Coyotes in the nightcap, as Point
Loma had four players with double figure kills in the win. Melissa Boer
had 16 kills, with Zoe Beltz recording 15 kills and 11 blocks in the victory. ACI got 17 kills from Katie Zillner, along
with a double-double from Naomi Reimer (35 assists, 16 digs) in the loss.
A LOSING STREAK?: Although the Yotes 25-match home win
streak and their 45-match win streak against non-ranked (or receiving votes)
opponents still intact – since all four losses were to Top-25 teams, ACI has
actually lost six-straight matches, dating back to last season. It is the longest losing skid for the Coyotes
since the end of 1999 and start of the 2000 season, when ACI dropped seven in a
row. The club has not lost more than
four matches in a row during a single season since 1994, when the squad set the
school record by losing 11 in a row.
RECORD BOOK: Four Coyotes moved up in the ACI
career record book over the weekend in Salt Lake. Katie Hogue ranks second all-time in blocks
(425), fourth in kills (1,064), and sixth in aces (137) – needing just 46
blocks to set the school record. Kathryn
Ely is now eighth on the all-time kills list (874), needing 126 spikes to
become the seventh member of the 1,000-kill club. Tiffany
Sower (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is
now fifth all-time in aces (148) and is tenth in digs (976), while Catherine
Everist is 11th in digs (895) – both looking to become the ninth and tenth
members of the 1,000-dig club.
IT DOESN’T GET ANY EASIER: With a weekend of games under their
belt, the Coyotes head to Southern California for the Crowne Plaza Labor Day
Festival – co-hosted by Vanguard
University and
Concordia-Irvine. ACI will play a pair
of matches on Friday and two more on Saturday – all against top-notch
competition. Right out of the chute, the
Yotes meet host Vanguard on their
home floor. The Lions (15-14 in 2006),
who received votes in the NAIA preseason poll, have not played a counting match
this season, but spent time this summer as a team on a trip to Nicaragua. VU returns five starters from last season’s
team that qualified for the Region II Tournament – including All-Golden State
Athletic Conference outside hitter Kelsey Wirt (3.6 k/g, 4.1 d/g) and fellow
outside hitter Kim Wynn (3.1 k/g, 3.5 d/g).
It is the first-ever meeting between the teams. Later in the day, the Yotes will tangle with Biola, with this match at
Concordia. The Eagles (3-0), ranked No.
11 in the NAIA poll, had an outstanding weekend at the Fresno Pacific
Tournament, dominating three Cascade Conference teams – Southern Oregon, Oregon
Tech, and Concordia, hitting .325 as a team.
Biola is led by a pair of outsides – Meghan Wirkentin (5.5 k/g, 2.1 d/g)
and Jessica Buffum (3.8 k/g, 2.1 d/g), and looks to improve on their regional
quarterfinal appearance from 2006. The
two teams have met once before, with the Eagles winning a five-game match in
2001. Saturday, ACI meets a pair of
Top-10 teams to close out the tourney.
The morning match pits the Yotes against Savannah College of Art & Design of Georgia. The Bees (3-1), ranked No. 10 in the NAIA,
are coming off a successful trip to a tournament in South Padre Island, Texas –
winning matches against Lubbock Christian, Texas-Brownsville, and Texas
Wesleyan, but dropping a five-game match to Hastings. SCAD is led by Frida Sigurdardottir (3.4 k/g,
1.2 b/g) and Cristina Payne (4.0 k/g, 3.2 d/g) – both All-Florida Sun
Conference selections. It is the first
meeting between the teams. Rounding out
the Coyote schedule is Fresno Pacific,
ranked No. 2 in the NAIA poll. The
Sunbirds (3-0) went 36-2 last season, losing in the national semifinals – and returns
three All-Americans: six-foot setter Shu Liu (12.5 a/g) and 6-3 blocker KeKe
Wang (2.9 k/g, 1.5 b/g) of China, and outside hitter Fabiana Leomil (4.1 k/g,
3.1 d/g) of Brazil. ACI has dropped
both previous meetings between the teams, including a match at the 2005 NAIA
Championships.
ACI AGAINST THE GSAC: With three Golden State Athletic
Conference teams on the docket, ACI looks to improve its 2-11 all-time mark
against the California
league. Vanguard will be the eighth team
from the league the Yotes have met (Azusa Pacific, Biola,
Cal Baptist, Concordia, Fresno Pacific, Point
Loma Nazarene, San Diego Christian) – while never facing Hope International,
The Masters, and Westmont.
COYOTES RANKED NO. 6 IN NAIA POLL: After back-to-back appearances at
the NAIA National Tournament, the Lady Yotes earned respect from national
raters, as ACI was ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Top-25 Preseason Poll, released Aug.
15. The No. 6 mark was the highest by an
ACI volleyball team in school history – higher than the No. 8 ranking in last
season’s final poll, and the No. 7 seed heading into the NAIA National
Tournament. Defending NAIA champion,
National American (S.D.) was No. 1, followed by Fresno Pacific (Calif.), Cal Baptist, Concordia (Calif.), and Dickinson State (N.D.). Besides National American and Fresno Pacific,
seven other Coyote opponents were in the Top-25 and others receiving votes –
No. 10 Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.), No. 11 Biola (Calif.), No.
16 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), No. 23 Great Falls (Mont.), and No. 25
Westminster (Utah), along with both Vanguard (Calif.) and Southern Oregon. The first regular-season national poll is set
for release on Sept. 5.
PREVIOUS NATIONAL POLLS: The Coyotes have been
ranked in the Top-25 on 18 occasions in program history – the second (No. 24)
and third (No. 19) polls of the 1997 season, the preseason (No. 15) and first
poll (No. 19) of the 2001 season, the final poll during the 2005 season (No.
24), the preseason poll and all 11 rankings during the 2006 season, and the
2007 preseason poll. In all, ACI has
been ranked in the last 13 tabulations released by the NAIA.
STILL TOPS IN THE REGION, FOR NOW: For the second-straight season, ACI
opened the season as the No. 1 team in the NAIA Region I Top-10 report – the
eleventh-straight week the Lady Yotes were in the top spot. Behind the two-time defending regional champs
are Great Falls, Westminster,
Southern Oregon, and Montana Tech. Rounding out the Top-10 are Concordia, Carroll, Oregon Tech, Rocky Mountain,
and Eastern Oregon. However, the losses to Westminster and UGF will likely move ACI down
in the regional poll when it is released on Sept. 3.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: It was a tough weekend for the
Cascade Conference, as the four schools in competition went a combined
2-14. Southern
Oregon had the big win, upsetting No. 8 ranked Azusa Pacific,
including an NAIA record-setting 46-44 victory in Game 4 of the match. This week, ten of the 11 schools in the loop
are in action – many at the same events.
Corban will be joining the Yotes at the Labor Day Festival, while Oregon
Tech and Northwest Christian will be at the William Jessup Tournament, and
Southern Oregon will be at Concordia’s tourney in Portland.
Both Warner Pacific Northwest, and Cascade open up their schedules this
week – with NU battling Division II teams Seattle and St.
Martin’s. Rounding out the
schedule is Eastern Oregon, who opens their
season at the Willamette Tournament – squaring off with four Division III
teams.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI volleyball
program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm.
MEN’S SOCCER: Coyotes hit road to Salt Lake City for Westminster Invitational
COMING UP: at Westminster Invitational, Salt
Lake City – Wednesday vs. Westminster, 4 p.m.; Friday vs. Biola, 2 p.m.;
Saturday vs. Olivet Nazarene, Noon.
SEASON PASSES: ACI soccer fans can avoid paying an
admission charge at all home matches again this season by purchasing a season
pass, good for all men’s and women’s soccer games at Symms Field. A single person season pass is just $20.00 (a
savings of $45.00) for 13 games this season, with a family pass available for
$50.00 (a savings of $154.00 for a family of four). To purchase the season pass, contact ACI SID
Mike Safford at msafford@collegeofidaho.edu
or (208) 459-5681. Single-game ticket
prices are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors and students.
OFF TO SALT LAKE CITY: It has become a common occurrence for the Albertson
College of Idaho men’s soccer team to make a preseason trek to the Wasatch
Front and compete in the Westminster Invitational. In fact, the Yotes will be making the trip
for the 12th-consecutive season – this year, playing three games in four days
in Salt Lake City. During the previous trips, ACI has compiled a
12-19 record in the tournament, winning the title only once – in the 2004
season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: ACI opens play with a key regional
battle against host Westminster. The Griffins (1-2) received votes in the NAIA
preseason national poll and are coming off a regional runner-up finish last
season. In fact, it was Westminster that
eliminated the Yotes from the postseason last year, handing ACI a
come-from-behind 3-2 defeat on Dumke Field’s artificial surface. This season, the Griffins have a roster of 51
players (they field a varsity and junior varsity program), including ten
returning starters – making them one of the more experienced teams around. All-American defender, Travis Dehne, and
All-American midfielder, Dave Rogers – a member of the U.S. National Amateur
Team, are the key players for Chris Dorich’s bunch that opened with a 2-1 win
over CSU-San Marcos, but dropped one-goal games to The Masters and Colorado
Mines. It is the 28th meeting between
teams since 1984, with Westminster
holding a 14-11-2 edge. Friday, the
Yotes tangle with Biola, out of the
Golden State Athletic Conference. The
Eagles (1-0) opened play last week with a 2-0 victory over St. Martin’s –
getting goals from Ryan Parker and Humberto Toscan. It is the first meeting between the school’s,
but ACI has played nine previous games against GSAC opponents – going 2-6-1 in
those matches. A first-ever meeting with
Olivet Nazarene closes out the trip,
as ACI plays just their third match ever against a team from east of the
Mississippi (lost to Mobile of Alabama in 2000, defeated Mount Vernon Nazarene
of Ohio in 2002). The Tigers (9-7-1 in
2006) of Illinois
return a pair of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference all-stars from last
season – defender Chad Houseman and midfielder Vincent Mkhwanzi.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Three of the eight teams in the
Cascade Conference opened play last week, as both Corban and Evergreen State
logged wins over Great Falls, while Concordia won at Trinity Western, but
dropped a 2-0 counter with Simon Fraser.
This week, SFU gets to play both Warner Pacific and Evergreen State,
while Northwest opens their season with Menlo.
Also, the first CCC counter takes place on Wednesday, as Northwest
Christian meets Corban in a rare night game in Salem.
ABOUT THE COACH: Brian Smith is in his fourth season as head coach of the ACI men's
soccer team. In his first season two seasons, the Coyotes narrowly missed
a spot in the NAIA Region I Tournament, despite a second and third-place finish
in the Cascade Conference standings. Last season, however, the Yotes
claimed their first CCC title since 2001 and advanced to the regional
semifinals. For his efforts, the Coyote skipper was named CCC Coach of
the Year. Smith, who helped the Coyotes
to a 35-21-1 record as a player for longtime coach, John Calpin, from 1990-93,
returned to his alma mater in 2004 after a successful high school coaching
career in the Treasure Valley. He
coached the Timberline High School boys’ team for three years, before taking
over the THS girls’ program in 2002 – earning Idaho State
Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2001 and Southern Idaho Conference
Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2003. After
earning All-District honors as a player and graduating from ACI with a degree
in political science in 1994, Smith has assisted the Coyote program along with
serving as a coach with the Boise National Soccer Club during the past decade.
SEASON OPENERS: Under Smith, the Coyotes are 1-1-1
in season openers – winning his first contest as the Yotes leader in 2004,
dropping the opener in California
in 2005, and playing to a scoreless draw last season at Whitman.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI
men’s soccer program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/menssoccer.htm.
