Yote Notes – Sept. 25,
2007
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS:
COYOTE OPEN SET FOR FRIDAY: The 24th Annual Coyote Open Golf
Tournament is set for this Friday 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.
BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME SET FOR
SATURDAY: The
annual Albertson College of Idaho baseball alumni game has been scheduled this
Saturday, 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.
VOLLEYBALL (8-6, 6-0 CCC): ACI heads home with one-game lead in
CCC standings, set to host Evergreen
State and Northwest
LAST WEEK: at Eastern
Oregon (W 3-0), at Northwest Christian (W 3-0)
COMING UP: vs. Evergreen
State, Friday, 7 p.m.; vs. Northwest,
Saturday, 7 p.m.; exhibition vs. College
of Southern Idaho,
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
THE STREAKS ROLL ON: ACI extended a pair of long streaks
as they completed the second half of their four-game road trip. The Lady Yotes ran their Cascade Conference
win streak to 24 matches in a row and their win streak against teams not
receiving votes in the NAIA poll to 50 in a row. ACI has not lost a CCC match since the 2005
season, and has not lost a match to a non-receiving votes
team since August of 2005. The Lady
Yotes have also won 27 games in a row in the J.A. Albertson
Activities Center,
dating back to the 2005 season.
BACK AT HOME: The Lady Yotes have enjoyed much
success in the J.A.
Albertson Activities
Center over the last 12
years, compiling a 120-36 record in the building – winning 77-percent of their
matches. Over the last three seasons,
ACI has a staggering 39-2 record at home, including the current 27-match home
win streak. Under Liz Mendiola, the Lady Yotes have a 68-12
record in the JAAC.
YOTES MAKE IT AN EVEN 25 AGAINST
EASTERN: Tuesday
night, the Yotes continued their dominance of Eastern
Oregon, winning their 25th-straight match over the Mountaineers in
a 30-18, 30-23, 30-18 victory at Quinn Coliseum. The victory vaulted the No. 11 ranked Coyotes
above the .500 mark for the first time this season and extended their win
streak to five-straight. Game 1 saw the Yotes use a seven-point push
midway through the set to open a 16-5 edge. Kathryn Ely (La Grande, Ore.
/ La Grande HS) had five of her ten kills in the period, while ACI held the
Mountaineers to a .000 hitting percentage.
Eastern had the advantage throughout the first half of Game 2, building
leads of 5-1 and 16-12, but the Yotes took the lead for good after a five-point
push at 17-16, and closed the game on a 9-3 run for the win. Game 3 was all ACI, as the Lady Yotes jumped
out to a 15-3 lead and coasted to the win.
Katie Hogue led ACI with 11
kills and five blocks, with Katie Zillner (Emmett,
Idaho / Chicago State U.) recording eight kills and Kristin Henning (Boise, Idaho
/ Boise HS) chipping in with seven kills and six blocks. Madie Machurek (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) had 21 assists
and Catherine Everist
(Portland, Ore. / Chicago State U.) led
three players with double-figure digs with 13.
LAST TIME EOU BEAT ACI: The 25 wins in a row for the Lady
Yotes dates back 11 years to October 8, 1996, when Eastern topped ACI in five
games.
EARLY AFTERNOON WIN AT NORTHWEST
CHRISTIAN: Behind a
game-high 12 kills from Katie Zillner, the Yotes
extended their win streak to six with a 30-19, 30-19, 30-23 victory at
Northwest Christian in a rare afternoon match Saturday in Eugene, Ore. Tied 11-11 in the opening game, ACI used a
nine-point push - helped by four errors by the Beacons to take control of the
game. The Lady Yotes would not trail in either Game 2 or Game 3 -
coasting to the victory, despite 14 service errors. Katie Hogue and Kathryn Ely each had nine
kills in the win, with the Yotes three setters (Ashley Galeai (Nampa, Idaho
/ Skyview HS), Naomi Reimer (Killarney, Man.
/ Killarney SS), Madie Machurek)
each reaching double-digit assists. Catherine Everist
led ACI defensively with 16 digs.
SOLID WEEKEND FOR HOGUE: Recording her best weekend of the
season, NAIA All-American Katie Hogue was flying high offensively and
defensively in the wins over Eastern and Northwest Christian. The senior
averaged over three kills per game, hitting at a .472 percentage, while
dominating at the net with eight total blocks.
In league play, Hogue is hitting at a .389 clip, while averaging 1.2
blocks per game.
NAIA POLL: The Yotes remained at No. 11 in the
NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll for the third-straight week, released last
Wednesday. ACI, who has won six matches
in a row, has now been ranked in the Top-25 in each of the last 16
rankings. Eight teams ACI faced this season are
in the Top-25 - No. 1 Fresno Pacific, No. 4 National American, No. 5 Biola, No. 7 Point Loma Nazarene, No. 8 Westminster, No. 16
Savannah A&D, No. 17 Vanguard, and No. 25 Great
Falls. The NAIA poll is released each
Wednesday afternoon by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.
PREVIOUS NATIONAL POLLS: The Coyotes have been
ranked in the Top-25 on 21 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, the 2007
preseason poll., and the three regular-season polls this season.
REGIONAL POLL: The fourth NAIA Region I Top-10
ranking was released on Monday, with the Yotes moving back into a tie for
first-place in the rankings. Westminster lost some steam, thanks to a loss at Lewis-Clark State, as ACI pulled back into a tie for
the top spot since the preseason poll. Southern Oregon
moved into third, followed by LC-State and Montana Tech. The next five include Oregon Tech, Concordia,
Rocky Mountain,
Great Falls, and Eastern
Oregon. The regional poll
will be released each Monday afternoon during the regular-season.
RECORD BOOK: Five Coyotes continued their climb
up the career record book. Katie Hogue ranks second all-time in blocks (463),
fourth in kills (1,160), and sixth in aces (155) – needing just eight blocks to
set the school record. Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) is fifth all-time in
blocks (328) and is tenth in kills (784), with Kathryn Ely now eighth on the
all-time kills list (987), needing just 13 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 (163) and is eighth in digs (1,037), while teammate Catherine Everist is sixth
in digs (1,079).
CONFERENCE / NATIONAL STATISTICS: As a team, the Yotes lead the CCC in
aces per game (2.2) and blocks per game (2.6), are second in hitting percentage
(.201) and kills per game (13.67), and are third in assists per game
(12.37). Individually, Katie Hogue ranks
in the Top-10 in three categories – fifth in hitting percentage (.275) and
blocks (1.0), and is ninth in aces (0.4).
Other Yotes in the Top-10 are Catherine Everist,
who is No. 3 in digs (5.4), Sarah Buhler
(Middleton, Idaho / Middleton HS)
is No. 3 in blocks (1.1), Ashley Galeai is No. 5 in
assists (7.2), and Kathryn Ely is No. 7 in kills (3.3). This season, the NAIA is compiling a weekly
national statistical report, thanks to DakStats. On the national front, the Yotes are No. 40
in assists per game and No. 43 in kills per game. To read the national
report, head to the Coyotes DakStats webpage at http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WVB&sea=NAIWVB_2007&team=1900.
SHORTHANDED EVERGEEN, NORTHWEST U.
HEADED TO TOWN, EXHIBITION VS. CSI: ACI returns home for a trio of games in the coming week,
starting Friday night against Evergreen State. The Geoducks (0-6,
0-6 CCC) were dealt a blow in the spring, as longtime head coach Bill Lash
retired, leaving the Greeners without a coach. Evergreen was able to hire Clay Blackwood in
August, but after the recruiting process was over – leaving the squad with just
six players (one rotation). The team has
been gamers – led by Kandice Gleaves
(1.8 k/g, 1.5 d/g) and Sabrina Tan (1.6 k/g, 3.1 d/g), but have struggled
offensively, recording a sub-zero attack percentage (-.047). It is the 13th meeting between the teams,
with ACI holding a 10-2 all-time series edge, including a 6-0 mark in Caldwell. Saturday, Northwest heads to town, trying to build on a two-game win
streak. The Eagles (3-5, 2-4) are coming
off home-court wins over Warner Pacific and Cascade, and are led by Lauren
Holtz (3.0 k/g, 2.1 d/g) and Laura Peterson (2.1 k/g). ACI has won the last four meetings between
the teams and holds a 19-5 all-time series edge. Rounding out the homestand
is an exhibition match against the College
of Southern Idaho. The junior college from Twin Falls
has won eight NJCAA national titles and are led by former Coyote, Heidi Cartisser. The
Golden Eagles (21-4) are led by Alyssa Wistrick (3.3
k/g, 1.0 b/g) and Gabby Bulawczyk (2.9 k/g, 2.3 d/g)
and have won 14 matches in a row.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: ACI moved into sole possession of
first-place in the CCC, as both Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech went to the Willamette Valley and swept Corban
and Concordia. This week, SOU and OIT
will meet for the first time and also tangle with Northwest Christian, each of
the Valley schools will battle, with Evergreen
State and Northwest
headed to Eastern Oregon and ACI. This marks Week 4 of the round-robin schedule.
ABOUT THE COACH: Liz Mendiola
is in her seventh season as the ACI head volleyball coach. During her
first six seasons at the helm, the Coyotes have advanced to six consecutive
Cascade Conference tournaments, four NAIA regional tournaments, and
back-to-back trips to the NAIA National Championships, amassing a record of
144-62, the most wins in school history.
Last season, she led the Lady Yotes to their best season in program
history, compiling a 35-4 record - earning CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the
Year honors. ACI won their first Cascade Conference championship in 24
years, becoming just the second school to complete the league schedule without
a loss. The Coyotes also captured their second-straight CCC Tournament
title, along with their second-straight NAIA Region I Tournament title, before
placing ninth at the NAIA Championships. Her team set a school-record
with 22 straight wins and heads into the 2007 season with a 25-game home win
streak and a 45-game win streak against non-ranked opponents, dating back to
2005. Mendiola
was an assistant for the Coyotes on two separate occasions – from 1995-96 and
from 1999-2000, before elevating to head coach.
She has also coached club volleyball at Emmett High, for the Treasure
Valley Volleyball Club, the Boise River Volleyball Club, and various camps in
the Northwest. A native of Jerome, Mendiola graduated
from ACI in 1996 with a degree in elementary education, and taught kindergarten
in Nampa before
becoming head coach in 2001. A two-year member of the Coyotes, Mendiola set school records for kills per game (4.86) in
1994, and holds the school mark for kills per game in a career (4.46). She earned All-CCC honors following her
senior season with the Yotes. Mendiola is married to
former Coyote baseball standout and current ACI softball coach Al Mendiola. The Mendiola’s have two children, Aleah
and Micah, and live in Caldwell.
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 (6-2-1, 3-1-1 CCC): Yotes open road trip with two wins,
face big games at Concordia and Warner
LAST WEEK: at Evergreen State
(W 4-0), at Northwest (W 3-1)
COMING UP: at Concordia, Friday, 4 p.m. (PDT);
at Warner Pacific, Saturday, 1 p.m. (PDT)
ACI STARTS ROAD TRIP OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The
ACI men’s soccer team began its lone four-game Cascade Conference road trip
last week and found success in Washington, as
the Yotes won lopsided decisions at Evergreen
State and Northwest. It was the second-straight season that ACI
has completed a sweep in the Puget Sound area.
GOAL SCORING MACHINE: With
nine games in the books, the Coyotes have scored three-or-more goals in six
games this season, while scoring at least four goals five times. ACI currently leads the CCC in overall goals
scored with 25 – eleven goals shy of the mark the Yotes scored last season on
their way to the NAIA Region I semifinals.
DEFENSE SHINES: A key
to the success on opening leg of the road trip was the play of the Coyotes in
the back-third. Defenders Stephen Reinschmidt (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS), Brian Weiss (Mountain
Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS), Derek Erstad (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS), and
Cameron Johnson (Eagle, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) limited
the two opponents to just three shots on goal and just one goal scored. ACI has not allowed more than one goal in a
match since a 2-1 loss to Cascade on Sept. 8.
YOTES SHUTOUT GREENERS: Four goals by four different players
and a swarming defense that allowed just one shot on goal helped the Coyotes
got their four-game road trip off on the right foot, topping Evergreen State,
4-0, in Olympia, Wash. on Friday. ACI
got on the board in the first half on a Jesus
Lopez (Nampa, Idaho
/ Skyview HS) header off a corner kick. Mauricio Both (Cacheoira de Sul, Brazil
/ Nampa HS) played
the ball off the set piece to Cameron Johnson, who found Lopez alone on the far
post for the eventual game winner. In
the second half, ACI got an early insurance goal in the 50th minute, as Michael Delgado (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Vallivue HS) took a feed from Alex Penrod (Las Vegas, Nev. / Cimarron-Memorial HS) - off a Kazuki Murata (Tokyo, Japan / Ichiritu
HS) through ball, and found the net to make it 2-0. Antonio Bautista (Homedale, Idaho
/ Homedale HS) added an unassisted goal, and Scott Ward (Rexburg,
Idaho / Madison HS) headed home an Emir Kobic (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS) corner
to complete the scoring. "It's
great to get this road trip off on the right foot," said head coach Brian Smith. "We were able
to let everyone play, allowing most of the starters a chance for rest - as
we'll have a tough one tomorrow night."
CASERTA NETS TWO IN WIN AT NORTHWEST: Garga Caserta (Aracatuba,
Brazil / North Idaho CC) scored a pair of goals, leading the Yotes to their
third consecutive victory, topping Northwest University, 3-1, on Saturday. The victory for the Coyotes extended their
win streak over the host Eagles to 16 in a row - and extended ACI's overall unbeaten streak to five games. The Yotes got on the board in the 14th
minute, as Kazuki Murata tallied his team-high fifth
goal of the season, off a touch from Caserta.
The Brazilian would score his first goal in the 27th minute, blasting home a
shot off an Antonio Bautista assist. Early
in the second half, the Eagles got on the board on a Brandon Screen goal, but
off the restart Michael Delgado found Caserta
for the final goal of the match.
YOTES BACK TO NO. 4 IN REGIONAL POLL: With a pair of road wins, the Coyotes moved back up one spot
in this week’s NAIA Region I rankings, up to No. 4. Simon Fraser (No. 12 nationally) leads the
pack, followed by Westminster
(No. 23), Concordia, the Yotes, and Warner Pacific. The regional poll is released each Monday
afternoon, with the national poll released each Wednesday afternoon.
LOOKING WAY AHEAD TO THE PLAYOFFS: It is expected that this season will
be the final year of qualification for the NAIA Championships through the
region process. This year, the top two
teams in the Cascade Conference round-robin, along with the next two teams
(including Simon Fraser, Westminster, and Great Falls) with the
highest Longo rating, will qualify for the NAIA Region I Tournament in November
– playing for a national berth. Next
season, the CCC Tournament is expected to be reinstated for the first time
since 2003 – with the champion earning an automatic bid to nationals.
SECOND HALF OF TRIP SENDS YOTES TO ROSE CITY: The
road gets much tougher for the Coyotes this weekend, as the bus points towards Portland and a pair of
battles against regionally ranked foes.
It’ll be offense vs. defense on Friday at Concordia, as the CCC’s
top offensive team meets the top defensive team. The Cavaliers (7-2, 5-0 CCC) hold the top
spot in the league standings – thanks to a defensive unit that has pitched a
shutout in all five loop matches. Keeper
Garrett Staples (0.64 GAA) is statistically the best in the cage in the league,
while Alex Ponce (6 goals, 6 assists) and Tyler Camp (5 goals, 1 assist) have
been their top offensive threat. The
rivals on the pitch will meet for the 39th time, with ACI holding a 20-17-1
series edge. Saturday, it’s a short
jaunt down I-205 and a meeting with a streaking Warner Pacific bunch. The Knights (3-5, 3-2) have had a tale of two
seasons – opening the year with five shutout losses in a row. Once WP found the net in a 2-1 win over Evergreen State, Bernie Fagan’s team has not lost
– running off wins over Northwest Christian and Corban. Leading the squad offensively is Davor Lukic (4 goals, 2 assists)
and J.B. Cunha (3 goals), with Brian Kelly (1.45 GAA) logging the most minutes
in goal. The two teams split a pair of
games last season, with ACI holding a 13-9-2 series edge.
CONFERENCE AND NATIONAL STATISTICS: As a team, the Yotes lead the CCC in
points scored (66), goals scored (25), assists (16), and corner kicks
(59). They are second in shots per game
(19.1), goals per game (2.8), assists per game (1.8), shutouts (3), and fouls
(15.9), while ranking third in goals against average (1.37). Individually, Kazuki
Murata is second in goals scored (5), points scored (13), and assists (3),
ranking fourth in points per game (1.4).
Jesus Lopez leads the loop in game winning goals (3) and is fifth in
goals scored (4), with Alex Penrod ranking third in
shots (24) and fifth in goals scored (4).
Keeper Jay Gentle (Boise, Idaho / Walla Walla
CC) is second in both goals against average (1.37) and shutouts (3), while Garga Caserta leads the league in total shots (26), Antonio
Bautista is third in assists (3), and Mauricio Both is third in total
shots. This year the NAIA is requiring
schools to report their statistics on a national basis each week – creating a
national stats report. To access the
men’s soccer national page, log onto the DakStats
website at http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=MSO&sea=NAIMSO_2007&team=2518.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: This week, Cascade and ACI play the Portland schools, while
Northwest and Evergreen head south to meet Corban and
Northwest Christian. Also this week,
regional foe Westminster begins the road portion
of their schedule with a three-game trip to Colorado.
ABOUT THE COACH: Brian Smith is in his fourth season
as head coach of the ACI men's soccer team and has compiled a 36-22-3 overall
mark. 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, he graduated from ACI with a degree in
political science in 1994.
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.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (5-3-2, 2-0-2 CCC): Lady Yotes win at Southern & OIT
for first time, open three-game homestand
LAST WEEK: at Southern Oregon (W 1-0), at Oregon Tech (2-0)
COMING UP: vs. Corban,
Friday, 4 p.m.; vs. Warner Pacific, Saturday, 2 p.m.
ACI NOTCHES WINS IN THE SOUTHLAND: Last weekend, the ACI women’s soccer
team made their fifth trip in school history through Burns, Christmas Valley,
and past the Klamath Wildlife Refuge – but did something no other Lady Yote team did – win.
The Coyotes were 0-4 all-time at Southern Oregon
and 0-2-2 at Oregon Tech, but notched a pair of shutout victories over the
weekend.
RHOADES COMES UP CLUTCH: The defense was solid all weekend,
as ACI faced a total of 30 shots, 14 on the frame – but the Yotes did not allow
a shot to find the net. Amy Rhoades (Eagle, Idaho / Dixie State College) spent all 180 minutes in goal,
making key saves late to preserve the win at Southern, and turning away a
penalty kick along with five other shots in the win at Oregon Tech. The sophomore now has three shutouts on the
season and dropped her goals against to 0.45.
SHUTOUT RECORD: Through ten matches this season, ACI
has recorded five shutouts – one off the school record. Both the 1993 and 2006 teams each had six
shutouts on the season – with the ’93 team going 6-6-1 and the ’06 team going
6-10-2.
ONE GOAL ENOUGH AT SOUTHERN: A late first half goal stood up for
ACI, as the Lady Yotes won for the first time ever at Southern Oregon,
defeating the Raiders, 1-0, at University Field. ACI had dropped their four previous meetings
in Ashland -
being outscored by SOU, 17-7 in those losses.
Jamie Reichel
(Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) provided
the lone goal of the game, rifling a low shot into the net in the 40th minute,
as ACI won despite missing four starters with injuries. The Raiders dominated the game statistically
- holding a 16-8 edge in shots and 6-1 edge in corner kicks, but could not find
the Yotes goal. Amy Rhoades made eight saves, including a pair of crucial
saves in the final ten minutes to clinch the win.
COUNTER-ATTACKS NET TWO VS. TECH: The Yotes won for the first time
ever in Klamath Falls
on Saturday night, topping host Oregon Tech, 2-0, at Darrah
Field. The victory for the Lady Yotes
extended their unbeaten streak to five games, and erased four previous trips to
the Cascade Range without a win. Leah
Roach (Boise,
Idaho / Timberline HS) got ACI on the
board in the 33rd minute, taking a through-ball from Amanda Barrieau (Eagle, Idaho
/ Eagle HS) and beating Owls keeper Jaclyn Unruh inside the left post for
the goal. Midway through the second half, the Yotes got an insurance
goal, as Barrieau fed Courtney Mitchell (Boise, Idaho
/ Timberline HS) on a counter-attack - weaving around Unruh for the
score. Amy Rhoades was stellar in goal -
thwarting an OIT penalty kick in the first half, making six overall saves, for
her third shutout of the season. Tech had chances all night, holding a
14-10 edge in shots and had six corner kicks - but could not find the net.
ROACH MOVES UP ON ALL-TIME LIST: With her goal at Oregon Tech, Leah
Roach moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time goals scored list. The senior has now scored 15 goals in her ACI
career, drawing even with Amy Wells on the list. Kristine Jones (Halter) has the school record
with 30 goals from 1990-93.
YOTES REMAIN FOURTH IN REGIONAL
RANKING: For the fourth-straight
week (and the fourth-time ever), the Lady Yotes were ranked fourth in the NAIA
Region I Top-5 poll. Carroll College
remained in the top spot after wins over Great Falls
and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), with Concordia in
the No. 2 slot after wins over Evergreen
State and Northwest. Simon Fraser, who was idle, is third,
followed by the Yotes. For the first
time this year, no team was rated fifth.
The regional Top-5 is released each Monday, with the NAIA Top-25 poll
released each Wednesday afternoon.
ACI HEADS HOME FOR GAMES WITH CORBAN
AND WARNER: The Lady
Yotes will look for their first home win of the season, beginning a three-game homestand on Friday afternoon against Corban. The Warriors (4-6, 2-1 CCC) have been an
interesting team this season – going 4-2 in road games, but losing all four
matches played on their home field in Salem,
Ore. Longtime head coach, Marty Ziesemer’s team is led by Jessica Matthews (6 goals, 2
assists) and Sara Laughlin (3 goals, 4 assists), with keeper Karyn Allen (1.90 GAA) the Warriors top netminder. ACI ended Corban’s 16-match
win streak over the Yotes last season with a 1-0 win, but trails the all-time
series, 17-6. Saturday, a streaking Warner Pacific team makes the trip to Caldwell. The Knights (5-5, 1-2) have won three matches
in a row – notching wins against Westminster, Northwest Christian, and William
Jessup, outscoring the trio 12-1. WP is
led by the high-scoring tandem of Rachelle Kliewer (7
goals, 6 assists) and Kristin Ruff (6 goals, 2 assists), with keeper Ali Foster
(1.60 GAA, 4 ShO) logging every minute in goal. The Knights picked up their lone win of 2006
with a 2-1 overtime victory over ACI last season and lead the all-time series,
3-2-1.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE LEAGUE: Making waves last weekend was Cascade College,
which logged victories against Evergreen
State and Westminster, while playing Northwest
to a draw. Both Concordia and ACI remain
unbeaten in league play – CU with four wins and the Yotes with two wins and two
draws. This weekend, Corban
and Warner Pacific head to Eastern Oregon and ACI, Oregon Tech and Southern
Oregon head to Evergreen
State and Northwest, with
Concordia and Cascade meeting Northwest Christian. On the regional front, Carroll
College, who is a perfect 11-0, meets Rocky Mountain.
CONFERENCE / NATIONAL NUMBERS: As a team, the Lady Yotes rank
second in the CCC in total shutouts (5), and are No. 3 in goals allowed per
game (1.0), goals against average (0.94), and fouls (10.1). Individually, Leah Roach leads the league in
game winning goals (3) and Amy Rhoades leads the league in save percentage (.923)
and is second in goals against average (0.45).
To find the national statistics, head to the following
link: http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WSO&sea=NAIWSO_2007&team=2300.
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 11-13-4. 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.
CROSS COUNTRY: Lady Yotes place sixth, Coyotes
place eighth at Bob Firman Invitational
LAST WEEK: at Bob Firman
Invitational (Men 8th-place out of 11 teams, Women 6th-place out of 13 teams)
COMING UP: Idaho State
Duals, 10/6 – Pocatello.
WOMEN TOP
IDAHO STATE AT FIRMAN MEET: The ACI women’s cross country team had a solid performance at the Bob Firman Invitational, placing sixth overall out of 13
competing teams. Led by a 12th-place
finish from true freshman Stephanie Helm
(Challis, Idaho / Challis HS in
18:56, the Lady Yotes defeated both Cascade Conference teams in the meet
(Eastern Oregon and Concordia) and four NCAA Division II schools (Western
Washington, Northwest Nazarene, CSU-Stanislaus, Humboldt State). ACI also defeated their first-ever NCAA
Division I opponent, Idaho State – by 46 team points, and nearly topped No. 15
ranked Lewis-Clark State, losing to the fifth-place Warriors by 12 team points.
HIGHS AND LOWS: The Coyotes got great performances
from Lauren Plymire
(Beaverton,
Ore. / Eastern Oregon U.) and Chantel Varland (Meridian, Idaho / Mountain
View HS). Plymire ran the 5,000-meter course in 19:38 - less than
five seconds off her personal best, while Varland ran
a 20:04 – eight seconds off her PR. True
freshman Kristine Smith (New Meadows, Idaho
/ Meadows Valley HS) placed 50th overall in
20:13. On the flip side, typical No. 2
runner, Molli Lee-Painter (Moscow, Idaho
/ Moscow HS)
did not have her best performance, yet still finished 47th in 20:08.
MEN RUN WELL, TAKE EIGHTH: The ACI men got good performances from
their freshmen and their No. 1 runner, taking eighth out of 11 scoring
teams. Shaking off a tough performance
in the Yotes first meet of the year, Tyler
Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Caldwell HS) was outstanding, taking 13th overall in 25:54 – defeating 11
NCAA Division I scoring runners along the way.
Both ACI freshmen were in the mix as well – Paul Sartin (Meridian, Idaho
/ Bishop Kelly HS) in 49th (26:59) and Alex
Goold (Meridian, Idaho / Mountain View HS) in
88th (28:05).
INJURIES HURT YOTES SCORING: For the second-straight meet, the
Yotes were defeated by rival Eastern Oregon,
this time by 59 team points. However,
this number is a bit deceiving, as ACI did not have two of their top three
scorers in the mix. Sam Hardy (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), the Yotes typical No. 3, missed
the meet with a foot injury, while Jesse
Chlebeck (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan HS) was unable
to finish the race – despite being in the Top-20 at the six-kilometer mark.
COYOTES HOME MEET: Although many reports stated that
the Bob Firman was a Boise State home meet, the
college division race of the Firman was actually
co-hosted by ACI and Northwest Nazarene.
It was one of three “home” meets for ACI and one of “four” home meets
for NNU.
BOTH TEAMS RANKED IN THE NAIA
TOP-25: Both the ACI
men's and women's teams remained in the NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll for the second
straight week, as the national polls were released by the national office in
Kansas City, Mo. The men's team dropped
three spots in the poll to No. 19 - as the Yotes took the week off in
preparation for Saturday's Bob Firman Invitational in
Eagle. Joining ACI in the Top-25 were Lewis-Clark
State at No. 4, Eastern
Oregon at No. 11, and Simon Fraser at No. 13. The women's team also dropped three spot in
the poll to No. 21 - the second week in a row that the Lady Yotes were in the
Top-25. Three other Region I teams were in the ranking - No. 1 Simon
Fraser, No. 8 British Columbia, and No. 15 Lewis-Clark State. The next NAIA poll will be released on
Wednesday.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: Both the ACI men and women were in
the Top-5 of their respective NAIA Region I Top-10 polls, released Monday. The men’s team remained No. 4 with Lewis-Clark State
holding the top spot, followed by Eastern, Simon Fraser, ACI, and British Columbia. Carroll, Northwest, Concordia, Evergreen State,
and Southern Oregon round out to men’s ranking. On the
women’s side, the Lady Yotes are the top Cascade Conference team in the poll,
remaining at No. 4 this week. Powerhouse
Simon Fraser continues to hold the No. 1 spot, followed by British
Columbia, Lewis-Clark
State, ACI, and
Northwest. Rounding out the Top-10 are
Eastern Oregon, Carroll, Southern Oregon, Evergreen State,
and Concordia.
YOTES GET SECOND CHANCE AGAINST
BENGALS: After
taking this week off, the Coyotes will head to Pocatello
for the third-straight year, competing in the Idaho State Duals against host Idaho State
and Westminster College of Salt Lake City.
It will be a shortened race, women running 4,000-meters and the men,
6,000-meters.
HOSTING THE REGIONAL: For the first time, ACI will play
host to a major cross country meet, as the Coyotes are the host institution for
the Cascade Conference Championships. The event will be
Oct. 20 at Eagle Island State Park
– and is sponsored by Bandanna Running and Walking of Boise. For fans attending the race, an admission
charge of $5.00 per person ($3.00 for seniors/students) will be charged, while
the Idaho State Parks Department will charge a nominal fee for parking.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI
cross country program, head to the official homepage of the Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc.htm.
