Yotes excel in the classroom, too

A week ago on my blog, I had the chance to mention the achievements of several College of Idaho athletes who were recognized not for their play, but for their studies in conjunction with their athletic prowess.

Thirty-four Coyotes earned All-Cascade Conference academic honors for the fall, a list of C of I student-athletes who out-distanced the rest of the league...read more

CALDWELL — There was more than just a final score going on in the Canyon County rivalry game Tuesday night on the College of Idaho campus.

The first part of the United Heritage Classic, this rivalry continues next month in Nampa at the Crusaders' Johnson Sports Complex, where Northwest Nazarene will try and even the season score after the C of I took home the opening win 79-72.

That night...read more

The Coyote versus Crusader rivalry came alive Friday night.

No matter what you call it, you can't take the rivalry out of these games.

While the history is on the men's side with their series dating back to the 1933, the battle between the College of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene women's basketball team also lives up to that rivalry tag, as evidenced Friday night.

Even though the game...read more

I spent a few hours Tuesday visiting with both Kelli Lindley and Reagan Rossi, working on season previews for both their teams, which appeared in the IPT earlier this week.

One thing I didn't write about for either team is the big opener tonight, as the College of Idaho ladies take on Northwest Nazarene in the Crusaders gym at 5:30.

Yes, it's an exhibition for both teams, so at the end of...read more

Today's the first big day for the College of Idaho ladies.

Yep, the Cascade Conference women's soccer playoff begin at noon at Simplot Stadium — at least one of the two first-round games — and the Coyotes are looking for a win.

Win, and the C of I would host the biggest day in Coyote women's soccer history next weekend — the Cascade Conference title game at Simplot...read more

At the start of the week in our paper, I wrote about potential records to watch for.

Two of those marks were potential milestones for the College of Idaho women's soccer — goals scored in a season and wins in a season.

I also mentioned one other thing about the Yotes — they set their sights on advancing beyond just the league title game this year. To do that, they needed to beat...read more

CALDWELL — The battle of attrition hit the volleyball court — at least for one night.

Yep, Tuesday in the Canyon County clash — volleyball style — both teams felt the loss of a few key players.

For the Yotes, the loss might be the biggest as senior Kathryn "Killer Kat" Ely missed the College of Idaho's battle with Northwest Nazarene, along with wins over Northwest...read more

Just when you thought you were rid of me!

Sorry to miss last week, had to run out of town for some vacation, and a trip north to watch my alma mater — the Idaho Vandals — beat Colorado State.

So, after being recharged, I'm back and ready to rant. But what could I possibly have to rant about, your wonder?

Well, I did hit a NNU volleyball match on Thursday and watched another one...read more

Hi to all that might be reading out there.

Well, I have to apologize for not being here for a while, but busy days at the paper have made it tough to find the extra time to write a few thoughts.

• OK, forgive me one more thing as I interject a quick plug. My wife is working on a young photo business and has been out to a few C of I and NNU events. If you are interested in some action photos, please go to www.backprint.com and simply do a search for "College of Idaho" or Northwest Nazarene. Oh, and there are also some shots from the Bob Firman Invitational. Just search for "Bob Firman". Thanks, and now back to my ramblings!

Plus...read more

Welcome back to my weekly rants.

I mentioned there would be more on all the Coyote and Crusader teams as they get the season started, and I guess I need to beg just a few more days indulgence. I've been working hard on getting stories in the paper, for both NNU and C of I, along with balancing everything else, so the extra tidbits and insight — even though some might think mine less than...read more

I'm back!

Yep, after a long summer's hibernation, I'm ready to write more about the College of Idaho Coyotes and Northwest Nazarene Crusaders.

OK, so hibernation is a bunch of hooey, and if you read the paper you know I've been busy this summer. And hooey is a perfect pun, as I've been covering plenty of rodeo (two wraps and a hooey pun intended) along with a few Boise Burn games...read more

You'd think it'd be easy to pick a starting point this week, but maybe not so much.

Which is bigger, swine flu canceling the GNAC championship track meet or the Coyote softball team punching its second-straight ticket to the NAIA Softball World Series?

I guess I just have to start with the developments on — or now it seems off — the track.

The decision to close Western Oregon's...read more

After considering a brief rant on the weather — it always seems to get stormy about the time I have to go outside and cover games — instead I'll just jump right into all the fun on the diamonds.

Let's start in Caldwell, with the team on pace for a World Series berth: The C of I softball team.

Two weeks back the Yotes turned up their intensity with a sweep of Southern Oregon in...read more

What's happened to the Coyotes?

The College of Idaho baseball team looked poised to host the NAIA West tournament after taking three of four from British Columbia and holding a 3-game edge in the loss column on the T-birds to start April.

Then things changed quick.

A pair of road losses at Concordia, then a 1-of-4 weekend north of the border, and the C of I suddenly needed help to host the...read more

OK, I'll admit it, I was cheering for Amy Rhoades.

Friday, the Coyote shortstop came up with a huge effort, driving in three of the College of Idaho's four runs, including lifting the C of I to a 2-1 win over Oregon Tech with her walk-off home run in the eighth inning of Game 1.

Aren't I suppose to be non-biased?

Heck no, I work for the Canyon County newspaper and I like to see our...read more

Well, after a night at the PBR - yep, went to cover bull-riding - I'm back to rant a bit about college sports.

And it makes sense to start with College of Idaho softball - the only games I actually saw in person this week as the Coyotes took out Eastern Oregon.

Last week I said the games were a perfect tune-up for the Yotes, both to give the C of I a quick lead in the Cascade Conference and...read more

Well, I can honestly say I'm glad this week is winding down. It's been busy with softball and baseball games at both schools, and it seems like almost ever day!

Let's start with the big one — at least in terms of getting Northwest Nazarene back on track as the Crusader baseball team finally snapped out of a 13-game skid, pounding St. Martin's 13-3 late Friday night.

It proved...read more

Tired of seeing your bracket's busted? Me too!

So join me Saturday at the ballpark as the Coyotes look to take control of the NAIA West's North Division against co-leader British Columbia.

The first of two big days at the ballpark begins at 1 p.m. today, Saturday, with a doubleheader. Action continues Sunday with another twinbill starting at 11 a.m.

The series is sure to be a great one...read more

Well, it turned out to be a disappointing week on the hardwood — both the College of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene women lost in the first round at nationals.

OK, disappointing, but still reason to celebrate as both teams had phenomenal seasons.

Start with the Coyotes, who shook that monkey of coach Reagan Rossi's back. Yep, twice losing in the Cascade Conference tournament game, one of...read more

NAMPA — Now the waiting begins.

The Northwest Nazarene missed a chance to lock up a second-straight berth to the NCAA Division II National Tournament on Saturday, but the wait to see whether the Crusaders are in won't take too long.

The selection show for the tournament will be tonight, Sunday.

And the waiting should be a little less anxious. NNU entered Saturday's game against the...read more

What a wild week — and it's not over yet.

After a day of softball and baseball, with more baseball and basketball on tap for me Saturday, I'm not sure where to start.

Maybe the best place is with the biggest stage — nationals, and the chase for nationals.

The College of Idaho has three teams at nationals and things are going well for the Coyotes as Stephanie Helm and the women's...read more

The Coyote women are headed to Nationals!

Might think I'd start there, right? Well, I promised Rowdy Hope I'd give a shout-out to his golfing teammates at Northwest Nazarene this week as they get ready for the spring season.

So, why not start there as the Crusaders and Coyotes both will be in action on Wednesday, March 11, in the first half of what actually sounds like a very intriguing...read more

What a week — baseball, softball, track, oh, yeah, and even some hoops.

And there definitely were some huge games to talk about, but let's dive in with the upstart Crusader softball team.

Friday afternoon, the Northwest Nazarene ladies sent a blow that'll turn some heads in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, opening the season with a win.

OK, historic enough as NNU had never...read more

Is it too early to start thinking about nationals?

Never! Especially when it comes to playing out scenarios.

Let's start with the easy one, the College of Idaho women. Ranked No. 12 in the country, the variety of national tournament options is mind-boggling.

• Let's start with the easiest one — win the Cascade Conference. This one might seem a bit of a challenge with the Coyotes (15-2) a game back in the league race of No. 9-ranked Concordia (16-1), but there's still three games left for both. Neither faces an easy road, but the Yotes seem to have the better path to win out, hosting Northwest tonight then playing at Eastern Oregon on Tuesday and Northwest Christian on Friday.

The...read more

In one of the final tuneups for the Northwest Nazarene track team before hosting the Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor championships Feb. 20-21, the Crusaders improved their times or marks in 10 different events.

Of course, Ashley Puga led the way with a win in the United Heritage Invitational held at Jacksons Track on Friday and Saturday.

Puga clocked just the second sub-5 minute mile...read more

One home game, and lots of high school basketball.

Hardly seems like I'd have anything to talk about, but I'm sure I can come up with a few thoughts.

Let's start with injuries, and how huge they are this time of year. No fact proved that more than losses by Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, while the Coyotes managed to pick up road wins Friday.

So what was the difference?

Well, the NNU...read more

Tonight's the big one — again.

All season long it seems like the Cascade Conference lead has been up for grabs between one team or another — usually with defending national champion Oregon Tech a part of the equation.

That is true once again tonight when the College of Idaho men host the No. 5-ranked Owls in a battle for a share of the league's top spot.

A share, as both teams...read more

Another week, and another weekend with the hoop teams on the road.

No problem, there's track action at the Idaho Center's Jacksons Track today, so head over and cheer for the local teams as they begin the indoor season in earnest.

Yep, I've been trying to support the track athletes as much as possible, for a couple of reasons.

First, they often get overlooked during the basketball...read more

Shoot, where's all the hoops!

Well, another week gone by, and plenty to talk about, even if the Coyotes and Crusaders aren't in town. But let's put the hardwood on hold for a moment and talk about what is on tap locally — swimming.

Yep, the Coyotes swim team hosts Pacific Lutheran, a pretty strong team, Saturday and Sunday. Both days the action in the pool begins at 1 p.m., and...read more

Sorry I'm a day late, but I'm back with a few ramblings on the week in NNU and C of I sports.

Rivalry game

Let's start with the ladies rivalry game. Both teams showed just how tough they are, with Crusaders showing up strong in the first half and the Coyotes after the break.

A good game for both teams, as the Crusaders got a nice win over a very good team, a chance to build some confidence...read more

Sorry to have missed you, anyone who might be checking in and actually reading this blog. Had to take a little time off for Christmas, but now that I'm back, so how about a little mid-week ramblings.

Great tune-up

Let's start with the Tuesday night tune-up in Nampa for the Northwest Nazarene men's hoop team.

Eastern Oregon truly posed a good test for the Crusaders before opening Great...read more

First, let me start by saying Merry Christmas to any readers I might have out there. I hope the holiday is a joyful one.

Well, not down to business - let's start with the snow. I'm not going to bag on the Cascade Thunderbirds for postponing their road trip to Eastern Oregon and the College of Idaho this weekend because, obviously, the decision was made for both the safety of the team's players and...read more

Friday night saw both the Coyotes and Crusaders in thrillers in Nampa, and a side thrill for many hoop fans might have been seeing the College of Idaho playing on NNU’s hardwood for the first time in nine years — remember back when these two where league rivals?
Both put on a great shows Friday night, and fans can only hope that in the future the Wendy’s Classic will change formats...read more

I’m not too crazy about this time of year on the hardwood. It’s the fun of the on-again, off-again start to the league season.
Yep, the College of Idaho began Cascade Conference play Friday night — always seems they start on the road at Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon, too — and plays more league games tonight.
Then, a weekend off before league play in earnest.
OK, I realize...read more

By Mike Stetson
mstetson@idahopress.com

I enjoy these days, working two games at two school.
Yep, Friday I made the Tour de Canyon County, watching the Northwest Nazarene ladies lopsided win over Regis, then the College of Idaho women whip Willamette. A fun day, despite the outcomes of each game, a combined 51-point slaughter.

And both teams did some good things on the floor, and both coaches did...read more

As I stood in the kitchen Friday, I'll admit my mind wondered a bit as my wife read out phone numbers for people selling hay. Yes, we need to get hay for our horses for the winter, and I did pay attention to the prices per ton, but I also thought about this column.

With this blog, I've tried to provide fans of Coyote and Crusader sports with more than just my personal opinion on games and players....read more

By Mike Stetson
mstetson@idahopress.com

NAMPA — Each year, the coaches at Northwest Nazarene and the College of Idaho repeat something along these lines: “It’s an exhibition and it’s just a chance for our team to get better.”
Well, the outcome might not make a difference, but Tuesday’s edition of the Canyon County rivalry between the Coyotes and Crusaders only proved...read more

Bowen’s first-half goal sparks Crusaders to 2-0 victory over rival Yotes

By Mike Stetson
mstetson@idahopress.com
NAMPA — Hard work this season finally paid off for the Crusaders.
Winless Northwest Nazarene got a lift from a late first-half goal by Kim Bowen that sparked a 2-0 win over cross-county rivals the College of Idaho on Wednesday.
“It feels good, we’ve been working...read more

Running: C of I men, women second

By Mike Stetson
mstetson@idahopress.com
NAMPA — College of Idaho coach Pat McCurry couldn’t ask for much more.
The Coyotes started the cross country season strong Saturday, grabbing second in both team races and watching Stephanie Helm conquer a deep women’s field at the Roger Curran Invitational hosted by Northwest Nazarene at West Park.
“Really...read more

NAMPA — For soccer fans, and players, the outcome of Thursday’s game between rivals Northwest Nazarene and the College of Idaho didn’t mean nearly as much as the fact these teams played.

OK, the Crusaders winning 4-3 in overtime in their first collegiate game in almost six years — after suspending the program after the 2002 season — proved a dramatic “Welcome Back...read more

Rivals: NNU rallies for 4-3 OT win over rival Coyotes in first game since 2002  

NAMPA — What a welcome back.

Playing their first game since the fall of 2002, the Crusader men’s soccer team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to grab a 4-3 overtime win against Canyon County rival The College of Idaho on Thursday.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything more,” NNU coach Coe...read more

By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Two months ago, The College of Idaho softball team was picked to win the Cascade Conference. Ranked No. 14, with a dominant pitcher in Katie Zillner and an almost as equally crafty pitcher in Brooke Judy, it seemed to be a reasonable pick. But the offense for the Coyotes went missing, and the team let a few games slip away. No problem...read more

Northwest Nazarene pitcher Dana Shipley delivers a pitch during the second game of a doubleheader against Montana State University-Billings at NNU in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) MSU-Billings battles back with big innings to sweep Crusaders 10-2, 12-3 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Six-run rally after six-run rally — it all was just too much for the Crusaders. Montana State-Billings used a trio of six-run rallies Saturday to power a 10-2, 12-3 doubleheader sweep of Northwest Nazarene in Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball.

“We beat them (Friday), we’re obviously capable and I think in the second game an inning too many we gave them extra — too many outs in an inning and that just came back to bite us,” NNU coach Julie Coert said.

NNU (8-32 overall, 2-14 GNAC) rallied to beat the Yellowjackets 7-6 on Friday, and looked good early in both games against MSU-Billings on Saturday. Rachel Bare had an RBI double and scored on a passed ball in the first for a quick 2-1 edge in the opener, but it all changed in the fourth. Tied 2-2, the Yellowjackets put up their first of their three scoring outbursts, a rally highlighted by a three-run triple by Jessica Frank. The Crusaders tried to rally, getting a pair of runners on in each the fifth and sixth, but couldn’t plate anything more, while the ’Jackets added two in the seventh for good measure.

“That’s something we’re working on,” NNU freshman first baseman Catherine Lowery said of limiting the opponents’ big rallies. “It’s finally starting to click and it’s like we’re all coming together.”

Unfortunately, it never clicked Saturday, as two more Yellowjacket rallies spoiled a great start for NNU in the nightcap. A start that saw Haley Hevern turn on an inside fastball and crush a solo shot down the left-field line for a 1-0 edge after one frame.

“Pulling the ball and working on that inside pitch, it was important for her to know she can do that,” Coert said.

Lowery then made it 2-0 in the third, hitting her first collegiate home run to center.

“I figured it’s my one hit for the month,” Lowery joked, though she had just one hit in her previous seven games in April.

“It was fun,” she added, “it kinda made the whole experience come together. It’s been a great year too, even though the season hasn’t gone as good as we had expected it to, it’s been an awesome year.”

“She has that potential,” Coert added of Lowery, “she’s been in kind of a little lull, and that’s a great, great way for her to get out of that.”

Sarah Varady then tacked on an RBI double in the fourth, and it looked like the Crusaders had things well under control. Then came an errant throw in the mindset of a small Yellowjacket rally, an error that broke NNU’s focus and sparked a six-run fifth for MSU-Billings.

“You have to rally from it, someone has to step up,” Coert said, “whether it’s the pitcher, it starts there, or whoever ... .

“Just finding that rhythm again and shutting the door, getting that next girl.”

Down just 6-3, NNU still had hope as the Crusaders loaded the sacks in their half of the fifth, only to strand all three baserunners. The Yellowjackets made the Crusaders pay, plating six more in the seventh to ice the win, a rally highlighted by a three-run homer for Jessica Frank and RBI double by Alyssa Frank. (Published April 13, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Crusader reliever stops St. Martin’s early attack, NNU rallies for 10-7, 8-7 twinbill wins By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Tyler Liebelt saved the Crusaders’ weekend. After Saint Martin’s chased Northwest Nazarene starter Andy Pottenger after seven batters, NNU coach Tim Onofrei called on Liebelt. The senior righty gave up a 2-run homer, but down...read more

Northwest Nazarene catcher Zach Aakhus has emerged as a power-hitter for the Crusaders. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Crusaders catcher changes himself to become power hitter By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Don’t be surprised if one day you turn on the TV and see Northwest Nazarene’s Zach Aakhus playing Major League Baseball. The Crusader catcher just seems to have a knack for adapting and being successful. The 6-foot-1 senior from Bakersfield, Calif., has done a lot of that to become one of the best hitters in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, though he might not be getting the respect he deserves.

“Thought about it,” Aakhus said of playing baseball at the next level, adding, “it’s definitely a possibility, I’ve been talking to a few scouts. But for the most part they said I’m too old.”

At 23?

“Who would have thought, I’m in my prime and they’re telling me I’m too old.”

That won’t stop NNU’s catcher, though, as he has some hope of signing as a free agent just before June’s draft. And if not, he says he’ll play pro ball for an independent league team, “and see what happens from there.”

Might not be the straight path to success, but then for Aakhus, it only seems natural. The business administration major got his introduction to baseball watching the game with his dad and playing t-ball, and while he also played football and basketball growing up, he knew he was a baseball player and headed to Twin Falls to play for the College of Southern Idaho, as an infielder.

“I didn’t start catching until I came here (NNU). I came here recruited as an infielder, played third, second in junior college, and they just converted me over to catcher,” Aakhus recalls.

And in junior college, the California product also hit like you’d expect an infielder to: “I was just ‘Punch and Judy,’ singles hitter.”

So just like changing positions, Aakhus also changed himself — 175 pounds out of high school he added weight, and strength, checking in at 205 this season. And it’s made a huge difference.

“I only hit one homer in junior college I think, both years,” said Aakhus, who with the added weight and muscle hit seven home runs last year and this season leads the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with nine long balls.

Of course, he’s held on to that infielder efficiency at the plate, too, as he’s fourth in the league hitting .389, second in doubles with 12, and leads the GNAC with 38 RBI. Making a huge impact player for the Crusaders.

“It is nice, ‘Chicks dig the long ball’ that’s always a good thing, right?” he joked of hitting home runs, adding, “it’s nice, it helps out the team. But I’m not gonna lie, it’s also satisfying for myself too. It’s pretty sweat.

“I just feel it’s my roll on the team,” he added of providing the big hits, “it’s my job to drive in runs, so any time I can help out the team and drive in a run, it’s always a big boost.

“Hitting’s contagious, so it just seems to follow suit after me that we actually string together a couple more runs.”

A nice change from the single-hitting infielder. But then, Aakhus also has learned to catch, and while he admits last season — his first behind the dish — took its toll on his body playing four games in two days, he spent the offseason working out to help overcome that fatigue issue.

“This year I feel a lot stronger behind the plate,” he said.

And he’s become just as big a threat defensively for NNU, as with a bat in hand, as he’s thrown out 15-of-42 base stealers, and now calls the game for his pitchers, instead of getting signs from the Crusader dugout.

“I just feel like I’m kind of in control of what happens,” he said, adding, “it’s always nice when the pitchers having a good day, it feels like I’m helping him out.”

He’s helped out the Crusaders plenty, leading the way to the team’s current 21-15 mark, as NNU looks to battle its way back into the GNAC race as the Crusaders host St. Martin’s for four games Friday and Saturday. Of course, if his passion — playing baseball — doesn’t provide a career, he knows he can fall back on his degree, though he adds that he wants to coach in college as a second profession. But with his ability to adapt and succeed, don’t be surprised if NNU’s catcher proves those pro scouts wrong down the road. (Published April 10, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Shawna Juarez, right, prepares to throw to first after getting Eastern Oregon’s Michelle St. John out at second base Tuesday afternoon in Nampa. (Mike Vogt /IPT) Crusaders top Mountaineers twice By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — You can nitpick when you win. The Northwest Nazarene softball team picked up a nonconference sweep of Eastern Oregon on Tuesday, giving the Crusaders a right to be a little disappointed. Disappointed as the Mountaineers rallied in the nightcap to tie the game in the seventh, spoiling the potential first collegiate win for Dana Shipley, before NNU rallied for a 5-4 victory.

“She just did great and I wanted it for her so bad,” NNU coach Julie Coert said of Shipley, who pitched strong into the seventh in the second game after the Crusaders grabbed the opener 5-2.

Down 4-1 headed into the final frame, Eastern Oregon (9-15 overall) got a Kimmy Peterson single and an RBI double from Megan Monaghan to chase Shipley. Rachel Bare tried to save it, but a two-out, RBI single by Melodee Mildenberger tied it 4-4 instead.

“It felt good the whole game,” Shipley said of her pitching, adding, “I’m just glad that we won.”

As NNU (7-29) refused to let the game get away. Jael Henthorn singled with one out, Haley Hevern drew a two-out walk to push Henthorn into scoring position, then Vanessa Shaw fouled off five pitches to stay alive before ripping a double into the left-center gap for the win.

“It’s our field, we’re home, we didn’t want to lose,” Shaw said. “Everybody on the field played as hard as they could so we would win, so that was a major team effort.”

Capping what turned out to be a great day, despite Shipley’s near miss.

“It’s always great to get a sweep, no matter who you’re playing,” Coert said.

Things started a bit rough in the opener, though, as Eastern Oregon took a 2-0 edge before NNU grabbed a bat. Kate Free had an RBI single and NNU scored a run on an error to tie it, then slowly pulled away as Hevern tripled two home in the fourth and Cortnee Crane added an RBI single in the fifth. It was plenty for Bare (7-15), who earn the complete-game win in the circle, striking out five and scattering eight hits. Bare also picked up the win in the finale. In that game, EOU again took the early edge, up 1-0 in the third, but a Shawna Juarez two-run single followed by an Amanda Phillips RBI base knock put NNU ahead through four. Hevern squeezed home a run in the fifth before the dramatic finish in the seventh, giving the Crusaders a split of their past 14 games.

“It feels pretty good, I think we’re finally starting to come together as a team,” Shipley said.

(Published April 9, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Haley Hevern looks to throw to first after forcing out The College of Idaho’s Daniyelle Villyard at second base Tuesday afternoon in Caldwell. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU's Shawna Juarez, facing, watches as teammate Haley Hevern, right, scores on a wild pitch Tuesday afternoon at College of Idaho. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Fast start leads NNU to 9-4 win, C of I regroups to take nightcap 5-2 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It was the kind of effort the Crusaders could be proud of. The Northwest Nazarene softball team came out on fire, putting up three runs before cross-county rival The College of Idaho even picked up a bat, leading to a 9-4 win in the opener of a nonconference twinbill. The Coyotes won the nightcap 5-2.

“Just up and down, the lineup is clicking on offense,” NNU coach Julie Coert said, as the Crusaders have won five of their last 10 after starting the season 0-22.

And early offense helped against the Yotes, who beat NNU 2-0 and 9-4 back in February. A walk and a bunt single by Rachel Bare started the early rally, then Haley Hevern singled home Jael Henthorn, Katie Free had an RBI sacrifice fly, and Hevern scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.

“It’s been really our goal this last half of the season,” Coert said of the early lead. “The last two or three games we’ve really been able to do that and it makes a huge difference.”

As NNU (5-27 overall) protected its lead, giving up an RBI double to Kalie Kurdy in the second before tacking on four runs in the fourth as Hevern added an RBI and Free a two-run double.

“Katie did a great job, she got two or three huge base hits there in that first game,” Coert said, adding, “and we just really hit the ball.”

Free added a final RBI double in the sixth and scored on a Shawna Juarez single, an important rally as a Caylin LePire RBI double in the fourth and a Haley Butcher two-run homer in the fifth briefly closed the gap to 7-4.

“That’s what we needed right there,” C of I coach Al Mendiola said of Butcher’s homer.

Just not enough for the Yotes.

“We’re getting so much inconsistency at the plate, I’m still trying to find a chemistry that everybody is going to feed off of and get that emotion going in the right direction,” Mendiola said.

“Realistically, we put some good swings on the ball, and we had opportunities, but once again, they put so much added pressure on themselves to perform ... they end up making it worse on themselves in certain situations.”

The Yotes also dug themselves a hole by playing lack-luster for starting pitcher Chelsey Nokleby (1-3), who took the loss, much to Mendiola’s frustration.

“In between games I spoke to the team and I told them, I’m pretty frustrated with the fact that whenever Katie (Zillner) or Brooke (Judy) pitches, we seem to play well, so what it tells me is we have no confidence in Chelsey Nokleby, who is a good pitcher, ... she has good stuff.

“We need to stop playing like that, we need to play the way we’re suppose to play every day, no matter who’s in the circle,” he added. “We’re suppose to play hard, we’re suppose to play with consistency.”

Which they did in the nightcap behind Zillner (8-4), who struck out 11. Meanwhile, the Yotes chipped away at NNU’s Dana Shipley (0-14), as Villyard and Butcher each had RBI singles in the first, Kalie Kurdy singled and scored on an error in the second, Stacy Smith walked and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth, and LePire did the same in the fifth. Hevern had an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch for the Crusaders runs in the sixth. (Published April 2, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Kalie Kurdy, left, beats the throw to first as Northwest Christian College's Amber Kraaz gets the late throw Friday afternoon at College of Idaho. (Mike Vogt/IPT) The College of Idaho’s Kelsi Murdock connects with the ball against Northwest Christian College on Friday afternoon in Caldwell. (Mike Vogt/IPT) The College of Idaho’s Katie Zillner slides to score on a wild pitch against Northwest Christian College Friday afternoon at College of Idaho. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Pitcher blows Northwest away with 12 Ks in 8-0 win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Beacons spoiled what started as a perfect day for The College of Idaho softball team. Katie Zillner dominated in the circle, striking out 12 of the 15 batters she faced to record her first collegiate perfect game in an 8-0 win for the 20th-ranked Coyotes over Northwest Christian before the Beacons regrouped to steal the nightcap 1-0 in eight innings in a Cascade Conference twinbill.

“It was really nice, it felt good,” the senior from Emmett High said after the school’s second-ever perfect game.

Nicole Glenn threw the last perfect game, a 6-0 win over Walla Walla on March 21, 2003.

“That was the best by far I’ve ever seen Katie pitch, she’s been here three years,” C of I coach Al Mendiola said. “I’m not saying that because she threw a perfect game, she looked so smooth, she looked comfortable, she just looked like everything was in synch, and obviously it showed with the outcome.”

Zillner (7-3) fanned the first nine in order, and got a pair of foul outs, with the lone ball actually put in play by Northwest Christian (7-14 overall, 1-5 conference) a groundout to short by Brittney Robles to start the fifth. And Zillner helped herself, singling home Donnae Carrell, who led off the bottom of the first with a hit. Up 1-0, the Yotes blew the game open in the third with a seven-run surge that saw Brooke Judy, Nicole Antonoplos and Kelsi Murdock each drive in a run.

“It always feels good to have offense behind you, pitchers can go out there and really do anything when you have offense behind you,” Zillner said.

Then the offense dried up, costing the Coyotes (13-6, 5-3), who collected just three hits and only once had more than a runner aboard against Beacons pitcher Darci Bryne in game two.

“We caught her on a good day, unfortunately her pitches were better than our swings,” Mendiola said, “and I don’t think we had good approaches to that game. But we had our opportunities.”

Starting in the first as Carrell singled and took second on a wild pitch, but two pop-ups and a strikeout ended the inning. Sammy Dodge then was hit by a pitch in the fifth and took second on a Kalie Kurdy sacrifice bunt, but two Ks later and Bryne was out of trouble. Then came back-to-back walks with one out, and a wild pitch, in the bottom of the seventh, but a pop-up and a fly out to center again left the Yotes scoreless. Judy held the Beacons similarly scoreless through seven, then Northwest Christian pushed across the winner in the first extra frame off Zillner, helped by a Yote error. Corrie Gustafsen and Lissa Hatefi singled, then a single over the head of Carrell in left moved both up a base. Unfortunately, the throw from the outfield bounced away from the Yotes cut-off woman, a minor error, but one that let Gustafsen, who had stopped at third, score. Zillner then got a strikeout, a bloop out to shallow right and a fly out to center to end the inning, a stretch that would have stopped Gustafsen at third base.

“We can’t hit our cut-off man so what then happens, we get a run scored,” Mendiola said. “... “A small thing like that can cost you games and it’s pretty frustrating.”

(Published March 29, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Northwest Nazarene outfielder Cole Smith dives for the ball against Simpson University on Tuesday evening at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt / IPT) NNU routs Simpson; C of I 
also tops Redhawks 13-2 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Zach Aakhus went deep twice. Cory Warburton smacked four base hits. It was just a small part of the offensive onslaught Tuesday night for Northwest Nazarene as the Crusaders routed Simpson 14-4 in a seven-inning, mercy-rule shortened win. The win completes a three-game sweep of the Redhawks for NNU, which has won seven of its last nine as Montana State-Billings heads to town for a four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series.

“Hopefully we can stay on this high and ride it a little bit as Billings comes into town,” NNU coach Tim Onofrei said.

A high brought on by the offense, led by Aakhus and Warburton. Aakhus got the Crusaders rolling with a two-run homer in the first, quickly erasing a nice start by Simpson, which jumped ahead 1-0 on a Kenny Button RBI single.

“It was not very good posture at the plate on the swing and he’s just strong enough and has got good enough wrists that on poor mechanics he can jump the ball out of here,” Onofrei said.

“He actually said before the game to the pitching coach, ‘over-under two home runs,’ so he called his shot,” the Crusader coach added.

The NNU catcher’s second shot — and sixth of the season — came in the sixth, another two-run round-tripper that made it 11-3. While Aakhus plated runs with one swing, Warburton set things up, cracking a pair of doubles and two singles from the nine hole in the order, scoring all four times.

“The highlight for me today was Warburton, who’s been playing real hard, working real hard but struggling,” Onofrei said, “lining out to people left and right, and (Monday) and today he picked up a total of six hits. ... We need him to be a potent part of our offense, and I think he’s starting to come around.”

Plenty of support for Chris Mahelona (3-2), who struck out three in five innings work to earn the win, despite getting a bit of a rocky start that included a walk, two wild pitches and two base hits in the first. Mahelona settled in from there for the win, though.

“(Tuesday) I felt comfortable enough to let him work through that struggle and see how far he could take us,” Onofrei said. “... He battled through a rough outing for him, but when the offense swings the bat, you can keep guys out longer on bad days.”

(Published March 26, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The College of Idaho's Matt Mejia prepares to throw to first in an attempt for a double play after forcing Simpson's Danny Collins out at second Tuesday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt / IPT) By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Talk about a confidence builder. Coming off a rough stretch that saw The College of Idaho lose eight of 10, the Coyote baseball team got back on a roll by completing a sweep of Simpson (Calif.) in dominating fashion Tuesday. Ten Coyotes teamed up for 15 total base knocks as The C of I topped the Redhawks 13-2 in a game shortened to seven innings by the mercy rule at NNU’s Vail Field.

“I think it’s huge just to get some confidence,” C of I coach Shawn Humberger said of the rout, which paired with a doubleheader sweep at Corban over the weekend gives the Yotes a 4-game win streak as they head to British Columbia for three huge games in the NAIA Region I race. “Definitely got some confidence going rolling into the second half of the league series and hopefully we’ll start playing like we’re capable of.”

The Yotes (14-13 overall) got rolling early against Simpson as Bryan Champ doubled and scored on a Brad Carlsen RBI single to center in the first. Carlsen then scored on a Cody Brubaker RBI infield single. But The C of I didn’t stop there, tacking on two more in the second as Perry Hamilton singled and scored on a double steal, Champ then added an RBI groundout. Four more came in the third as reserve Matt Mejia had an RBI single, Hamilton added a sacrifice fly, then Champ singled in two more, and the rout was on, ending the day for some starters and giving the Yote bench some opportunity to play. Such as Mejia, who started and went 2-for-3, and threw in a great play at second, while Nick Harris started, and turned a great double play at third while going 2-for-4. Luke Howarth, Garrett Schultz and Brett Ward each added a hit off the bench.

“We’ve got quite a bit of depth this year, so it’s been tough getting guys at-bats like we want,” Humberger said. “... It’s nice for ’em to step in and swing the bat well because that’s kinda been what’s kept them out of the lineup or getting at bats, their B.P. at-bats haven’t been as good as the guy in front of them.”

While the bats did plenty, so did the guys on the hill as Justin Marsh-Quinlan (3-1) earned the win with four solid innings, striking out three, before turning it over to Tim Bourner, Dan Bodewig and Jake Bottari for an inning each.

“Guys that we were counting on early that haven’t been locating the ball, really started throwing well,” Humberger said.

(Published March 26, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The College of Idaho’s Kalie Kurdy, left, slides safely into home plate as Corban catcher Jennifer Childers, right, knocks down the late throw in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at The College of Idaho in Caldwell. (Greg Kreller/IPT) The College of Idaho’s Kelsi Murdock throws a ball back to the infield from 
shallow center field Saturday afternoon in the Coyotes’ home game against Corban College. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I gets strong pitching, timely hitting in 10-0, 6-3 wins By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — They hit, they pitched, they played defense and they swept. The 18th-ranked Coyotes routed Corban 10-0 in the opener of a Cascade Conference doubleheader as every starter had a base hit, then got a great relief effort from Brooke Judy and a game-winning home run from Stacy Smith to complete the sweep 6-3 on Saturday.

“It was good to see Brooke back,” Coyote coach Al Mendiola said, “She struggled the last three games she pitched. I don’t know if she lost confidence or what, but to come back in there and do that, it’s good to see her back.”

Judy (4-2) came on in relief of Chelsey Nokelby after two innings, as Nokelby threw well, but had some bad luck as the Warriors dinked together four hits for three runs and a 3-2 edge.

“(Nokelby) got an injury so we had to pull her early,” Mendiola said.

No problem for Judy, who worked the final five without giving up a run, scattering six hits and striking out five. And the Yote offense made her a winner as an RBI double from Donnae Carrell tied it after two, then Smith came up with one out in the sixth and sent the first pitch deep over the left-field fence for a 4-3 lead College of Idaho lead.

“Our offense was going to come and it did in the sixth inning,” Mendiola said. “Couldn’t ask for a better time to get a big hit by Stacy.”

“I just sang a song in my head,” Smith said of her second homer of the season. “I stopped thinking about it. I’ve had my good days and I’ve had my bad days, and I’m just trying to get back on track again.”

Smith’s blast got the Yotes (12-5 overall, 4-2 conference) on track as they tacked on two more runs without even putting the ball in play to finish off the win — the first league sweep of the year for The C of I.

“It’s reassuring, it’s a confidence builder most of all,” Smith said.

“I think losing some games kinda opened our eyes,” she added of a second-game loss at Eastern Oregon last weekend and a nightcap setback to Concordia on Friday. “We can’t just come in — it’s not going to be easy, we have to work for it.”

It did come pretty easy in the opener, though, as Katie Zillner (6-2) dominated in the circle, striking out 11 in the five-inning game. While The C of I defense had little work, Zillner’s teammates didn’t rest as every starter had a base hit, and almost every starter drove in a run, as the offense rolled merrily along.

“It was good because we’ve struggled with pitching like this, ... we’ve always struggled with mediocre pitching,” Mendiola said. “To be able to come out and hit the way we did in games one and two, I felt pretty good about it.”

Most pleasing was the Yotes execution as a Kesli Murdock sacrifice bunt led to a Daniyelle Villyard RBI single in the first. Carrell added a sacrifice fly in the second and Murdock an RBI single. The Yotes broke it open with six in the third. Carrell and Smith led the offense in the opener, each with two hits, while Judy added a pinch-hit RBI double. (Published March 23, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho second baseman Kelsi Murdock catches the ball as she collides with shortstop Donnae Carrell during Friday’s game against Concordia in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) The College of Idaho first baseman Daniyelle Villyard takes a swing at a pitch during Friday afternoon's game against Concordia at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Zillner wins pitcher’s duel 2-1; C of I fights back in 9-5 loss By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It could have been better, but the Coyotes got a win and put up a fight. The College of Idaho won a duel between two of the Cascade Conference’s top pitchers 2-1, then never gave up, rallying to make the finish thrilling in a 9-5 setback against Concordia in a twinbill Friday.

“It’s a decent day,” C of I head coach Al Mendiola said. “No body ever wants the loss and says it’s a decent day, but we did do some things that we haven’t done for a couple weeks now, and so that was good.”

Like getting the offense going to make a late charge after the Cavaliers (6-7 overall, 1-1 conference) rolled out to a 7-1 edge headed to the bottom of the sixth in the finale. That, after Concordia pitcher Janelle Cristofaro had flirted with perfect game, retiring the first 13 Coyote hitters. Haley Butcher broke the string, fighting for a walk, then scored on a Sammy Dodge single in the fifth. The Cavs answered as former Coyote Nicole Illias singled home two in the top of the sixth, but the Yotes (10-5, 2-2) regrouped, sparked by a 2-run home run from Daniyelle Villyard, to plate four in the sixth.

“It’s good to see this team’s still going to compete ... they came back and they battled,” Mendiola said.

Down 7-5, the Yotes just couldn’t hold off the Cavaliers as errors kept piling up, and Concordia got RBI singles from Danielle Pulfrey and Kari Mabe to ice the win in the top of the seventh.

“This is what people don’t see in the crowd is mental mistakes,” Mendiola said. “We made probably four or five mental mistakes between base running, pitch calling; it’s not one single person that lost this game, it’s the mental mistakes we can control.

“We just made too many mental mistakes along with physical mistakes (6 errors).”

That came after an impressive opener, as reigning Pitcher of the Year Katie Zillner outdueled Pulfrey, who led the league in Ks with 75 coming into the game. Pulfrey struck out 10, but Zillner (5-2) won the duel fanning 11 and getting help from some timely at bats.

“It was nice,” Zillner said, “reassuring actually, that we can get runs on anybody. Just kinda proved that it didn’t matter speed, didn’t matter style, we can generate runs.”

Zillner singled to start things, then Haley Butcher doubled her home before scoring herself on a Villyard doubled. Zillner took a 1-hitter into the seventh before a two-out RBI single spoiled the shutout.

“I was hitting my spots for the most part,” Zillner said.

“It felt good, it felt good in warmups, felt good out on the mound,” she added. “I was ready for a win, I had a bad taste in my mouth from the (4-1) Eastern loss (last Saturday) so we needed to get that win.”

Zillner went 3-for-3 in the opener and Butcher added a pair of hits. Stacy Smith had two base knocks in the nightcap for The C of I, which hosts Corban in a twinbill today at 11 a.m. (Published March 22, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

NNU’s Jimmy VanBeek tosses the ball to pitcher Andy Pottenger, not pictured, for an out at first base against Cal State Stanislaus on Thursday at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt / IPT) NNU's Mitch Kochis, right, safely slides back to first as Adam Fonville of Cal State Stanislaus lays down a late tag Thursday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt / IPT) NNU's Severo Rodriguez, left, races to tag out Dennis Wolfe of Cal State Stanislaus during a rundown Thursday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt / IPT) Pottenger flirts with no-no in win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusaders just stepped up their game Thursday and grabbed a nice win. Andy Pottenger led the way on the hill, taking a no-hitter into the sixth, and Jimmy VanBeek added a couple of clutch RBI hits to lead Northwest Nazarene to a 4-1 win over No. 11 Cal State Stanislaus.

“When their backs are against the wall they come out swinging, and I wish I could get them to be there all the time,” NNU coach Tim Onofrei said.

Pottenger (3-1) led NNU (13-9 overall), stymieing the Warriors (21-6) until a one-out double by Dante Palacios in the sixth. The Crusader pitcher got plenty of help, too, like seeing catcher Zach Aakhus pick off Palacios at second.

“To be honest, it wasn’t as good as it could have been,” Pottenger said of his outing, “but I had a great catcher behind the plate and then you’ve got a solid infield in there, they’re just making every play, so it makes it pretty easy to go out and throw strikes.”

Some early offense also helped.

“I was going to try to push across one any way I could and hopefully let them chase us today,” Onofrei said, as NNU faced the Warriors ace in Marquis Fleming (6-2).

Fleming entered the game with a 1.69 ERA in 53 1-3 innings, having fanned 60, and he started retiring the first two NNU hitters. But Aakhus walked and scored on a double to the right-center gap for a quick 1-0 lead after one inning.

“It was timely hitting by Jimmy, something he’s done all year long, he’s just a tremendous competitor,” Onofrei said.

NNU got to Fleming again in the fifth as Severo Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, Aakhus doubled and an error and a wild pitch scored both for a 3-0 lead. The lone bump in the road came in the seventh when Kyle Loretelli doubled and scored, but NNU answered with an RBI single from VanBeek. The Crusaders then held on in the ninth as Loretelli was hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter Jacob Thelen singled. On came Nick Slonaker for closer Cory Warburton, and the lefty reliever promptly picked off Thelen to help slow the rally.

“Big momentum shift when that happened, you could see the heads go down a little bit in the other dugout,” Onofrei said.

A pair of walks loaded the sacks, but it was too late, as Slonaker got a grounder to VanBeek at first to end the upset. (Published March 21, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

College of Idaho softball player Amy Rhoades is redshirting this season as she goes through chemotherapy in her battle against breast cancer. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I standout in two sports rebounds from toughest foe: cancer By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — As a two-sport star athlete at The College of Idaho, Amy Rhoades had no reason to worry about her health. After all, the junior was enjoying a great season on the soccer field after helping the Yote softball team to a record-setting season. All that changed in October after Rhoades found a lump in her chest.

“It probably had just moved but in a certain spot where I could just feel it,” Rhoades recalls, adding that her mom, Rhonda, worked in a doctor’s office, so they went in to check out the lump.

“They said ‘let’s just go get you a mammogram and make sure,’ and I had the mammogram,” Amy said. “Two days later I had a biopsy, and two days after that the biopsy came back positive saying it was cancer.

“My mom’s boss actually had to call me,” Rhoades recalls. “(My mom) answered the phone and the radiologist said they had my results and she said that’s ‘my daughter.’ They go, ‘Oh.’ So she started crying.

“The doctor called me and I was in with the surgeon within four hours of that call.”

They found a tumor just larger than a quarter (2.4 centimeters) and removed it, but found no other traces of cancer. Still, the ordeal wasn’t near finished.

They removed her lymph nodes, leaving her with stitches under her arms, a scar on her chest from the surgery to remove the lump, and a small plastic port in her chest where she says: "I receive the chemotherapy. I had six sessions of chemotherapy, all 3 weeks apart and it’s four different IV drips, so it’s about a 4 1/2 hour thing every time.”

During it all, Rhoades kept taking classes, scaling back to part time, though, and never got too sick. She did, however, battle an ear infection, sinus infection and bronchitis all at one time during her recovery. It is a recovery that is still on-going, in part due the patience of the Coyote goal keeper in women’s soccer and second baseman in softball. She could have played on the diamond this spring, but after discussing returning to the field with coach Al Mendiola and her teachers, she opted to take a little longer to rest and recover.

“(We) thought it would be better for my health just to postpone this year and take two more eligibility years, because I didn’t want to come back and get an injury,” she said.

A pretty big loss for the Yotes on the field, as Rhoades was having a stellar season in soccer when sidelined by cancer. She posted a 3-1-2 record with three shutouts and a .074 goals against average. She also was an All-Cascade Conference pick in softball the year before, hitting .303 with six home runs and 28 RBI to help the Yotes win their first-ever league crown.

“Looking back at what she accomplished last year and looking back at what we as a team accomplished last year, it’s tough,” Mendiola said. “... I definitely miss her both offensively and defensively.”

Of course, what the junior has brought to her team through this ordeal has proven just as valuable.

“It’s been difficult for me but I’ve learned to deal with it,” Mendiola said, adding that the entire team has done the same and sports pink wristbands to support their teammate and breast cancer awareness.

“She still helps our middle infielders, she helps our infielders in general. And she keeps our team at even keel, she’s got the best attitude,” Mendiola said, adding that when players have a bad day, “all you’ve got to do is say ‘look at Amy, because on your worst day you’ll never have to go through what she has had to go through.’ That gives our players a different perspective about what’s important and what isn’t important.”

Of course, Rhoades is more than a role model, occasionally practicing with her teammates, plus adding plenty as a student coach helping chart other teams’ tendencies, which Mendiola adds “it’s just helped us so much.” It’s been as much a benefit for Rhoades, too.

“It’s awesome,” she said of staying involved with her team Wednesday, “because if you have a bad day, like I just had my doctor’s appointment, you can come out here and these girls laugh and joke, ’cause they treat me like nothing’s ever happened. That’s the best way for me right now to get away from it and really be me again, back on that softball field.”

That bad day is just the reality of breast cancer, though, as Rhoades and her doctor discussed the next step, a mastectomy (removal of all or part of a breast) or radiation treatments. Needless to say, the Coyote junior knows that even if the cancer never returns, it will always be part of her life.

“I’m happy that it’s gone now, but I am so young I have a greater chance of it coming back,” she said. “It’s always going to be a worry in the back of your mind now that you have it. No girl at 20 thought that (she) would have cancer.”

Rhoades adds that 20 percent of women with breast cancer are under 30, so it’s not necessarily uncommon. But her recent health battles won’t define her future, as she has spent the past few months working out with her family’s personal trainer, has started a running regime to get back in shape, and plans to work out all summer to get ready for next season, in soccer and softball.

“(I have) a lot more motivation to get strong and get healthy, and do everything in my offseason to make sure I don’t have injuries,” she said, “and I’ll be stronger mentally, that’s for sure.”

And she’ll do her best to help both teams chase her dream.

“Hopefully a national championship at some point,” she said, adding of the softball team. “I know we have a great team coming in and we have a great team now and they’re pushing to accomplish it at any point. But I’m just hoping I can make the team stronger now as a coach, per se, and be better when I’m back next year.”

(Published March 20, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

NNU’s Astin Salisbury makes catch on a pop up as a Central Washingtn runner tries to keep from interfering Tuesday afternoon in Nampa. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU's Vanessa Shaw stretches to try and stop a line drive down the third-base line against Central Washington on Tuesday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) One good at-bat in each game lifts Wildcats over Crusaders By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Two big rallies allowed two games to get away from the Crusaders. Central Washington got eight runs in one frame to win the opener of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader 11-3, then got a five-spot in another inning to take the nightcap 8-4.

“When you drive seven hours you kinda want to get those wins, it’s nice for us,” Wildcat senior Mallory Holtman said. “These teams always scare you. NNU has the thing of being the comeback kids so it’s nice to secure two wins.”

Holtman had a big part in the opening win as her two-run home run in the eight-run third helped break the game open. It also gave the CWU senior 33 career home runs, tying her as the GNAC long-ball leader.

“It was really nice,” she said. “My dad surprised me, he drove seven hours just in case I might have done it. The fact that I did it was extra special and I did it when he was here.

“There’s other records, but that’s a cool one to have.”

Holtman tied the career mark of Humboldt State’s Brandi Harrison set from 2002-06. Not such a great thing for NNU, though, as the rest of the game turned out to be pretty good for the Crusaders (1-25 overall, 1-9 GNAC).

“We competed (Tuesday),” NNU coach Julie Coert said. “We gave them some early runs that first game ... . It’s tough to do that and not make your adjustments offensively until late in the game.”

That’s when the Crusaders came on against CWU pitcher Linse Vlahovich (5-7), who struck out 11 in the win. The Crusaders’ best threat came in the fourth as Haley Hevern doubled and scored on a Katie Free triple, then Shawna Juarez singled her home. NNU then loaded the sacks with one out, but couldn’t add any more big hits, which might have changed the game. Instead, down 8-2, the Crusaders gave up three in the top of the seventh before a Hevern RBI single finished the opener.

“We couldn’t get the hits strung together that first game,” Coert said.

Rachel Bare (1-13) took the loss, suffering just one bad frame. Something that struck Dana Shipley (0-12) in the nightcap, who gave the Crusaders 4 1-3 tough innings before the Wildcats rallied.

“Against pitchers like this, if we can time them and find what our key is against them ... we get on a roll, and once we get rolling we don’t stop,” Holtman said.

Leading just 2-1, the Wildcats rolled in the fifth helped by a trio of walks, as Holly Rossman walked in a run, Logan Mohr plated two with a single and Liz Wallace and Tarn Potter added RBI base knocks. Down 7-1, NNU battled, getting three in the sixth as Vanessa Shaw singled home a run and Cortnee Crane added a two-run double, but it just wasn’t enough. Hevern led NNU’s offense, going 5-for-8 in the twinbill, while Jael Henthorn was 3-for-8 and Shaw and Free had a hit apiece in each game. (Published March 19, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s M.J. Usabel clears the bar during the pole vault at the NNU Open on Saturday afternoon in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) NNU long jumper Lynsie Powers flies through the air during an attempt at the NNU Open, Saturday afternoon on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Northwest Nazarene's Karina Elzinga clears the bar during the pole vault at the NNU Open, Saturday afternoon on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) The C of I’s Hopper starts off right; Hanson wins pair for NNU By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — A week ago, Tyler Hopper raced his way to a win at nationals and All-American honors in indoor track, so The College of Idaho senior knew he needed to do something good this weekend. Hopper, who won his prelim heat in the 1,000 meters at nationals and was fifth in the 1,000 finals, started the outdoor season perfectly, winning the 800 and 1,500 at the NNU Open on Saturday.

“It’s definitely important,” the Caldwell High grad said of winning. “Just after nationals I’m hungrier than ever.”

Hopper got things started by dominating the field in the “metric mile,” clocking a time of 4 minutes, 11.78 seconds, winning the race by 9 seconds over teammate Paul Sartin (4:20.83). About an hour later, Hopper bested the field in the 800 by 2 seconds, running a 1:56.34. Unimpressive times in Hopper’s eyes, but ... “I either expect to run fast or to win, so I accomplished at least one of those today,” he said.

“I just stuck to the race plan,” Hopper added. “Coaches usually give us a pretty specific strategy, when you stick to those, things tend to work out pretty well.”

The meet worked out well for a few other Coyotes as Stephanie Sparks added a pair of victories, winning the women’s 800 in 2:21.54, then joined Ashley Miller, Jayne Saunders and Katie Ball to claim victory in the 4x400 relay (4:10.60), and Sam Finch won the long jump (21:11). And Emily McCutchan won the heptathlon — which wrapped up Friday — for The C of I ladies with 3,359 points, while Andy Swanson was second in the decathlon (4,386). Northwest Nazarene’s Josh Grewe won the decathlon with 5,796 points, while Stuart Montgomery was third (4,382) as the Crusaders enjoyed a good meet, also. That included a pair of wins for Mark Hanson, who cleared the field in the 400 hurdles, winning in 58.05, then joined Dan Hill, Mitch Ward and Greg Hamm to win the 4x400 relay (3:27.41).

“It felt really good,” Hanson said, “first meet, it’s nice to come out with a win. The whole team did really good all-around.”

Hanson added that the relay ran strong and did a good job with its hand-offs, and that he also was very pleased with his time in the hurdles to start the season.

“The hurdles is probably the best I could ask for, it’s about the same time I had at the end of last season,” he said.

Also pleased was NNU’s Kristi Rice, who won the pole vault for the Crusader ladies, clearing 10 feet, 6 inches. Lynsie Powers added a win in the long jump for NNU (16-0.5), Latoya Tidwell won the 200 (26.02), Rylee Walker won the high jump (4-11.75), and Ben Shea won the men’s pole vault (13-11.25).

“It was a good start for outdoor,” Rice said.

Including her own performance, as she used a smaller pole and got into a rhythm jumping.

“It went better than I expected, especially for the first outdoor meet,” Rice added.

Also opening the outdoor season at the meet were the Broncos, as Boise State grabbed six wins, including a victory for former Vallivue High sprinter Nataucha Lowry in the 400 (58.18).

“This was kinda a low key meet without a lot of pressure so I just kinda was relaxed,” she said. “... It does make it easier, like a big meet it’s kinda hard with all the competition, all your nerves are going.”

Megan Olivetti won the 400 hurdles (1:04.24), Leah Hover won the 1,500 (4:58.24) and Katie Chivers won the 100 (12.94) for the Broncos, who also got wins from Marlon Douglas in the men’s 400 (49.85) and Jarrod Stevens in the men’s hammer (212-10). Puga earns All-American honor MANKATO, Minn. — Northwest Nazarene junior Ashley Puga added to her total of All-American honors on Saturday, finishing eighth in the mile at the NCAA Division II indoor track championships. Ashley clocked a time of 4 minutes, 48.09 seconds to earn her third All-American honor, and first in indoor track.

“(Ashley) has really had an up-and-down indoor season,” NNU assistant track coach Ben Gall said. “As recent as a month ago, we were not sure she would qualify for the national meet. So her performance (Friday) and then today has been a great reward.”

Puga also earned All-American honors in the mile outdoors last spring and in cross country this fall. Ashley’s sister, Jaclyn, also competed, finishing ninth in the 800 meter finals, just missing All-American status. The Crusader freshman clocked a time of 2:14.26, just fractions of a second back of the eighth-place finisher. (Published March 16, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Pitcher fans eight in complete-game win as NNU, WOU split By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Chris Mahelona threw a gem and a Little League play failed to work for the Wolves as the Crusaders took one of two from Western Oregon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball Saturday. Mahelona (1-2) struck out eight and scattered six hits in a complete-game win, beating...read more

Chico State simply refused to let the Crusaders fulfill its plans. Focused on the upset, the seventh-seeded Northwest Nazarene basketball team came up short of their goal in a 65-56 loss to the second-seeded Wildcats in the opening round of NCAA Division II National Tournament on Friday.

“The difference tonight was definitely taking care of the ball," said NNU coach Kelli Lindley, as the Wildcats forced 27 turnovers.“To Chico's credit, they were just a little bit faster and a little bit stronger and they pushed us around on defense and made us uncomfortable.

...read more

NNU’s Vanessa Shaw chases an infield chopper against Seattle University Friday afternoon in Nampa. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU's Katie Free, left, arrives at the bag late for an out at first Friday afternoon against Seattle University at Northwesat Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU's Haley Hevern, right, lays down a late tag on Seattle University's Lauren Berin while trying to scramble back to second Friday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Crusaders play uninspired in 12-0 nonconference loss By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Talk about a miserable day. Rain, wind, hail — and that turned out to be the good part of the day for the Crusaders as Seattle’s Erin Martin threw a five-inning perfect game at the Northwest Nazarene softball team.

“I just don’t think they showed up,” NNU coach Julie Coert said of her team, which dropped the nonconference contest 12-0. “I mean, obviously they didn’t show up. Pitcher wasn’t ready to go ... .

“(Seattle is) a good team, no question, they’re tops in our conference, ... but we just weren’t ready.”

NNU starter Dana Shipley struggled in the circle, walking five batters in two-plus innings work with three of those free passes coming around to score. Two of those run-scoring walks led off innings, too, as patience at the plate paid off for Seattle.

“We tell them to win every at-bat and today they went out and did it,” Redhawks coach Dan Powers said. “There was a lot of good focus, they didn’t chase a lot of balls and we put pressure on the pitchers.”

Starting in the top of the first as a one-out walk to Katie Petersen proved to be the winner as Sandra Hernandez singled her home, then Hernandez scored on a Lauren Berin RBI double. Spotted a 2-0 lead, Martin went right to work, mowing down 15 straight Crusader batters in the mercy-rule shortened game.

“It’s her second perfect game and third no-hitter,” Powers said. “She’s a senior, it’s good for her; she didn’t even know.”

But she didn’t need to worry either, as her offense made sure she had plenty of help, plating three in the third helped by balls just off the gloves of Vanessa Shaw and Haley Hevern. Near misses, combined with a few hard-hit NNU balls that turned into outs in the first two frames, which only added to the Crusaders woes.

“I think that’s where the resolve needs to be a little more evident, and it just wasn’t there today,” Coert said, as her team couldn’t get any breaks.

So the Redhawks (16-1 overall, 2-0 GNAC) broke it open, plating seven in the third to ice the win. The Crusaders (0-22, 0-6) now try and bounce back against the same foe today, as the teams play a Great Northwest Athletic Conference twinbill starting at 11 a.m.

“Hopefully they can get some rest and come ready to play,” Coert said. “That’s all I ask of them any time we come to the field ... just a better effort from the start, better focus from the start.”

(Published March 15, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Northwest Nazarene's Jennifer Williams looks to get by a Seattle Pacific defender in their game on Feb. 1. The Crusaders begin play at the NCAA National Tournament today. (Charlie Litchfield / IPT ) NNU at nationals Today, March 14, at 3:30 p.m. (MDT): No. 7 seed Northwest Nazarene (19-8) vs. No. 2 seed Chico State (27-5) at Seattle Pacific Listen online at www.nnusports.com Crusaders try for upset tonight against Chico State By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com SEATTLE — It’s finally time, and yes, the Crusaders are ready. The Northwest Nazarene women’s basketball team opens the NCAA Division II National Tournament today as an underdog, taking on California Collegiate Athletic Association champ Chico State at 3:30 p.m. (MT) at Seattle Pacific.

“After a good week of practice and tons of preparation and team meetings, I think we’re more than ready to just play the game,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said. “We’re all focused in on it and we’re looking forward to it.”

“I think our team as a whole is very confident,” NNU senior Paige Knudson added. “We’ve prepared, the coaches have prepared us very well ... we’re not really intimidated by anyone.”

Good, as the second-seeded Wildcats (27-5 overall) certainly will be a tough test, having gone 4-1 against the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this year, but not beating a GNAC postseason team. Leading the way for the Wildcats is 5-foot-9 senior wing Audriana Spencer (14.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 52-of-125 3-pointers) along with 5-6 sophomore point guard Jade Smith-Williams (9.8 ppg, 119 assists), both all-CCAA first teamers.

“(Spencer) is just a deadly scorer,” Lindley said, “... we’re going to need to at least limit her.

“(Smith-Williams) is lightning quick and also has the ability to get to the bucket, so we just have to make sure we limit her looks at the bucket,” she added.

Lindsay Brady will be called upon to slow down Spencer, Lindley said, while NNU’s own point guard Mallory Whipple will look to contain Smith-Williams.

The other big threat is off the bench for Chico State in 6-1 junior post Renee Goldoff (10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg), as Lindley added, “If we’re not sharp on her, she could be a big spark for them.”

But the big challenge will be the size and speed of the Wildcats.

“They start a smaller, more guard-oriented lineup than we do, that could cause some matchup problems,” Lindley said, adding, “either way.”

A fact NNU will try to exploit, as the Crusaders are a post-powered squad led by 6-2 sophomore Jennifer Williams (12.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg), 6-0 senior Nichole Schutte (11.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore Kristin Hein (9.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg).

“I think it’s a great team for us to play because we have an obvious size advantage I think in all positions,” Schutte said.

Lindley adds: “One of our goals is to make sure we take advantage of every opportunity on the inside when there is a size mismatch or a size advantage.

“... If Jenn Williams and Nicki Schutte and Kristin Hein really execute at the block and make strong post moves I think that will be one of our strengths and absolutely the key to our gameplan.”

A key to the Crusaders reaching their final preseason goal, as making it this far was just part of what NNU planned on doing.

“It’s been a goal from day one of the season to get at least to second round of the national tournament,” Knudson said.

“Being here is amazing,” she added, as the Crusaders have enjoyed the trip that’s included a team dinner at the Space Needle on Wednesday and a banquet Thursday night, “but it’s not — we’re not satisfied with being here, we want to get to the second round if not further.”

Will NNU achieve that goal for the second time in the teams third trip to nationals? Lindley won’t go so far as make a prediction, but ... .

“It will be a battle, it will be a close game and it will be two teams leaving everything out on the floor,” she said.

“It’s the national tournament,” added Schutte, “you can’t leave anything left undone.”

(Published March 14, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

NNU’s Haley Hevern, left, makes a play on the ball as Western Washington’s Lisa Pendergrast advances to third Thursday afternoon in Nampa. (Mike Vogt / IPT) Shaw’s homer sparks last at-bat rally to tie game, but NNU falls 5-2, 18-9 in twinbill Idaho Press-Tribune staff sports@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusaders put up a fight, but still find themselves looking for that first win. The Northwest Nazarene softball team used a dramatic rally in their final at-bat to draw even with Western Washington, only to fall 5-2 in nine innings in the start of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon. The Vikings then took the nightcap 18-9 in five innings.

“Wild day,” NNU coach Julie Coert said. “We finally got the sticks rolling here in the last two innings of the second game.”

In the nightcap, the Vikings (14-5 overall, 4-0 GNAC) jumped up 14-0 after 2 1/2 innings, but NNU came to life late, including a seven-run rally in the bottom of the fifth. Cortnee Crane and Haley Hevern each doubled home two runs and Catherine Lowery, Sarah Varady and Rachel Bare each singled in a run. But the real drama came in the first game, as the Vikes threatened in every frame but got just an RBI single from Samantha Rutherford in the third and scored on an error in the fifth. The Crusaders hung around behind the pitching of Bare and some timely defense though they didn’t reach base until the fourth, and had just two hits headed to the bottom of the seventh when Vanessa Shaw woke up her team. The 5-foot-3 junior slugger crushed a lead-off home run to left, which Katie Free followed with a single. Free moved to second on an error and third on a sacrifice bunt by Lowery, then tied the game on a two-out Shawna Juarez single up the middle.

“We did a great job of coming back,” Coert said. “It’s the first time we’ve done that to get to extra innings in conference this year, and give ourselves a shot at least.”

NNU (0-21, 0-6) fell short, though, as Meghan Flem singled in the game-winner in a three-run rally in the ninth for Western Washington. (Published March 14, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The College of Idaho’s Jake Miller, right, is tagged out by Lewis-Clark State’s Brent Wyatt, left, after getting caught in a run down between first and second Wednesday afternoon in a home game for the Coyotes. (Greg Kreller / IPT) Sweep by Warriors a wake-up call as The College of Idaho looks to return to World Series By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — If you follow Coyote baseball, you know that any game between The College of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State ends up being meaningless in the standings during the regular season this spring. So much so, even Yote coach Shawn Humberger held back his pitching staff in a three-game series at Simplot Stadium in Caldwell on March 11-12. Nope, Hummer wanted his pitchers ready for Concordia’s visit on March 15-16, with those games counting in the NAIA Region I standings. Of course, staffing a game, “pitching by committee,” or going with four or five pitchers throwing one or two innings each doesn’t mean you can’t win. It worked the last time the Yotes tried it against LCSC, way back in 1999, a 3-2 staffed win at Simplot Stadium as then coach Tim Mooney saved arms for a crucial three-game series at Western Oregon three days later. But the sweep this week by the Warriors — 10-0, 8-3 and 13-1 — did mean something. While it won’t keep the Yotes from postseason, first it sets a tone for this rivalry. While the No. 1-ranked Warriors might have a berth to the World Series already wrapped up as the tournament host, they still play one final year in the NAIA Region I Tournament, so any team in the region — including the Coyotes — must beat LCSC if they’re to have aspirations of playing in the World Series. Why? Well, not even being ranked No. 1 in the land would help The College of Idaho if they can’t beat the Warriors in the regional as only regional winners are eligible for at-large berths to the World Series. But the Yotes know they can play with, and beat LCSC. Back on February 17, the Yotes played error-free ball, pitched tough and bested the Warriors 3-2 in 10 innings, in Lewiston. Nearly a month later, though, The C of I proved no match for LCSC, which might not bold well down the road.

“I think it better be an eye-opener from when we played them earlier how much they’ve advanced versus how much we’ve advanced,” Humberger said of the three-game rout.

It’s the same old story, every coach wants his team to improve as the season rolls along, so the sweep by LCSC means a lot, it means The College of Idaho hasn’t improved enough.

“We’re in a situation where we don’t get as much practice time as we want,” Humberger said, “... we have minimal time we practice at an academic school as a team, that’s what we just talked about (after Wednesday’s 13-1 loss in a team meeting). If it’s that important to you (the players), they’ve advanced more than we’ve advanced. Before they weren’t swinging the bat like that.”

LCSC scored 31 runs on 44 hits in the three-game set to the Yotes’ 4 runs on 24 hits.

“They’re putting more time in than we’re putting in and since we can’t do it as a team in this situation, we can’t go out and practice four or five hours a day as a team, how important — look in the mirror — how important is it,” Humberger said he told his Coyotes. “You gonna watch TV or you gonna take some extra swings on your own.

“You gonna get in front of the mirror and start repeating some mechanics so we can catch back up.”

That’s what this sweep means. No, it doesn’t hurt the Yotes in the standings, but as competitors, it will hurt the C of I players pride and serve as a wake-up call as to what needs to be done. Which means the Warrior wins can only help refocus the Coyotes as they look to keep pace with their rivals to the north, and look to get back to the World Series. (This story only available on-line) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Jacob Garsez tries to bring in a one hop pick-off attempt at second base in Wednesday’s home game against Lewis-Clark State at Simplot Stadium in Caldwell. The Warriors beat the Yotes 13-1. (Greg Kreller / IPT) Early lead for No. 1 LCSC leads to another lopsided win over The C of I By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Playing catch-up against the No. 1 team in the national isn’t an easy task — and for the Coyotes it proved impossible for the third straight game. After dropping a lopsided twinbill to NAIA Region I rival and top-ranked Lewis-Clark State on Tuesday — falling into big holes early and never recovering — The College of Idaho did the same thing Wednesday in a 13-1 loss.

“We didn’t pitch very well, we didn’t have anybody go out there and command the strike zone,” C of I coach Shawn Humberger said.

The contests don’t count in the region standings, so the Yote skipper opted to save his staff for this weekend’s counters when The C of I hosts Concordia on Saturday and Sunday. Still, he still expected better from an array of pitchers on “Show Me Day.”

“... We’ve got quite a few arms, if you want to earn some innings go out and show you can command the strike zone and nobody did,” Humberger said.

Dan Bodewig, in his first appearance of the year for the Yotes (8-9 overall, 3-0 Region I), gave up a walk and back-to-back singles to Paul Martin and Josh Ashenbrenner to load the sacks right out of the gate. Two sacrifice flies and a double steal later, the Yotes were down 3-0 without grabbing a bat. Bodewig worked a solid second, then gave up a two-run home to Kyle Greene to deep center in the third, and the rout was on. The Warriors (18-2) added a run in the fifth, four in the sixth, two in the seventh and a final score in the eighth, which was plenty as the Coyote offense never got on track.

“We had quiet a few hits, we couldn’t string any hits together,” Humberger said, as The C of I finished with 11 base knocks, but only had two multi-hit innings. “We’d have a good at-bat and get a guy in position and just have a bad at-bat.”

Part of the problem, that big deficit, took away The C of I’s ability to steal bases and manufacture runs.

“You get behind you’ve got to play for a big inning,” Humberger said. “... If you keep it within three, four runs, you can play for some one-run innings. Once you’re down 6-, 8-0, yeah, that’s part of your problem.”

The lone “big inning” came in the seventh when Jake Miller and Jordan Lanman singled, then Miller scored on an Alex O’Brien RBI nubber halfway down the third-base line. Back-to-back strikeouts then quieted the rally. O’Brien led the Yotes, going 3-for-3, while Cody Brubaker and Miller each added two hits. (Published March 13, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Jaclyn, far left, and Ashley Puga, center, work out with teammates at the Jacksons Track earlier in the year. The sisters will compete at NCAA Division II national indoor meet Friday at Minnesota State. (Mike Vogt / IPT) NNU sisters run at championships, while Crusaders host meet By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Track is the name of the game this weekend for the Crusaders and the Coyotes, with two big meets on tap. The gun fires on the outdoors season today through Saturday as Northwest Nazarene hosts the NNU Open featuring The College of Idaho, Treasure Valley, Eastern Oregon and Boise State, while the indoor season also wraps up with NNU’s sister act — Ashley and Jaclyn Puga — heading to the NCAA Division II national meet hosted at Minnesota State University.

“It is a big surprise,” Crusader freshman, Jaclyn, said of making nationals as she prepares to run in the 800 meters. “Everyone works for it, it’s the goal everyone hopes to get and so it was a big blessing to be able to hit the times to be able to qualify.”

The first trip for Jaclyn, older sister Ashley has plenty of nationals experience, including earning All-American honors in the 1,500 at outdoor nationals last spring and at the national cross country meet last fall. But the NNU junior, who will compete in the mile, doesn’t take any trip to nationals lightly.

“I’m really excited ’cause it’s not something you can expect, ever,” she said. “You still have to work hard for it, and sometimes being able to have that prior experience gives me a little more confidence that it can be achievable.”

Plus, traveling with a teammate, especially her sister, makes this trip to nationals extra special for Ashley, who has been able to give Jaclyn a little helpful advice.

“I just told her don’t be afraid of anyone,” Ashley adds, “don’t get intimidated. Sometimes it’s easy, especially coming in as a freshman. And sometimes it’s better that way, people don’t put a lot of expectations on you, just go out and do the best that you can, you can’t ask for any more, and have fun.”

That will be one goal for both, as both are focused on their preliminary races on Friday afternoon. For Jaclyn, the top two in each of three heats advance to Saturdays finals, along with the fastest three at-large times, while the top three in two mile heats and the fastest three at-large times advance in the mile. The finals feature nine runners, with the top eight finishers earning All-American honors.

“I’m just going to look at it as another race and go and do my best,” Jaclyn said. “I mean, everyone hopes to make it to finals but I’m just going to go and run it like another race and see what happens.”

The only drawback of the weekend is the fact the duo will miss the outdoor opener at home, and a chance to compete alongside more of their teammates. The NNU Open begins with the decathlon starting at noon today and the heptathlon, which begins at 12:45 p.m. The multi-events wrap up Friday starting at 11, then the regular meet begins at 4 p.m. with field events and track events at 5 p.m. The weekend on the track wraps up Saturday with field events starting at 11 a.m. and running events at 12:30 p.m. And both the Crusaders and Coyotes are plenty excited to get going.

“Really excited,” NNU coach John Spatz said, as he adds about 200 athletes independent and college athletes will compete. “We had a chance to kind of rest up after the indoor season, obviously it went well at the end, it gives us time to switch gears, to kind of start thinking about outdoor track.

“It’s kind of nice because we’ll be able to add a couple more events to the outdoor schedule and get a few more people involved.”

But many of NNU’s top athletes also will be in action, including sprinter Mitch Ward, jumper Greg Hamm, and throws Zach Barclay and Grant Miller. Spatz also expects some good things from his ladies in the jumps and pole vault, and is excited to get his javelin throws into some action. For the Coyotes, they bring 30 athletes to the meet, including recent NAIA indoor track All-Americans Stephanie Helm and Tyler Hopper to run the distances, along with middle distance runners Katie Ball, Jayne Saunders and Stephanie Sparks. Plus, the Yotes will also send Emily McCutchan and Andy Swanson out to compete in the heptathlon and decathlon.

“It looks to be a good level for the season opener,” C of I coach Pat McCurry said. “A chance to get some work in and good talent for a level of competition, nothing too intense.”

(Published March 13, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Nick Harris makes a play on the ball as a Lewis-Clark State runner passes by advancing to third in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Simplot Stadium. (Mike Vogt / IPT) No. 1 LCSC outpitches, outhits College of Idaho for 10-0, 8-3 wins By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — By the time the Coyotes got going, they’d already lost two games. The College of Idaho baseball team never threatened No. 1 Lewis-Clark State in the opener of their NAIA Region I twinbill, falling 10-0 to the Warriors, then spotted LCSC a 6-0 edge before finally coming to life in an 8-3 loss in the nightcap at Simplot Stadium on Tuesday.

“This is our league opener, so it feels good to come on down to their place and get two wins,” LCSC starting pitcher Michael Guerrero said, as he threw a complete-game shutout in the opener.

A vastly different results than what C of I coach Shawn Humberger got from his pitching staff, as the Yotes opted to pitch by committee to save their pitchers for a three-game series against Concordia this weekend. Unfortunately, Humberger couldn’t find the right combination of pitchers until it was too late.

“Zubby (Joey Zubizarreta) and (Andrew) Brock are the two guys that really we’ve been riding to this point, that pitched well every time out, but they didn’t throw well, they didn’t locate the ball,” Humberger said of his first two pitchers in the opener.

“Today they left too many balls out over the plate, too many elevated balls, so we were out of that thing before we knew what happened.”

A two-out RBI single from Brian Ward in the first, then an RBI single from Brent Wyatt and an RBI groundout from Paul Martin in the second made it a 3-0 deficit early. A hole that grew deeper in the third as the Warriors (17-2 overall) plated five to ice the win. That’s because Guerrero (4-0) proved untouchable, scattering five hits and striking out six.

“I found a rhythm right off the bat, everything was in synch,” the Warrior lefty said, “... I knew coming out of the pen that I was gonna go good.”

It was an outing that impressed Humberger.

“Their guy did locate the ball, threw his fastball to both sides of the plate, kept the ball down,” the Yote coach said, adding, “and we didn’t compete very well.

“He did a good job, give him some credit, but I was disappointed in how we competed at the plate.”

The lone bright spots came from Jake Miller in right, who threw out a Warrior base runner at home, and Jason Barry, who worked a scoreless ninth. The nightcap didn’t start any better either, as the Yotes, looking for a starter to fill Barry’s spot as Humberger switched the junior transfer from Northern Iowa to the closer role, called on Justin Marsh-Quinlan. Marsh-Quinlan, who pitched three scoreless innings at LCSC in a 3-2 win on Feb. 17, Tuesday gave up six runs in 1 1-3 innings.

“By the time we get a guy hot it’s 6-0 and you’re playing catchup all the time,” Humberger said.

The Yotes got two back in the third, on a Cody Brubaker RBI single and scored on an error, and added a run on a Richie Snider RBI double in the fifth, but continually squandered chances.

“I didn’t think their guy threw great and we had some good at-bats, but certainly he didn’t locate the ball very well and we didn’t make him pay for it,” Humberger said.

(Published March 12, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Kristin Hein tries to make room in the paint against a pair of Western Oregon defenders during the first half of Saturday evening’s game at Skyview High School in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT ) Crusaders’ focus waivers, but team still tops Western Oregon 63-58 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Fortunately there’s no pretty column in the standings. Still reeling a bit from the emotions of Thursday night and clinching a berth to the NCAA Division II national tournament, the Northwest Nazarene women played a scattered game yet still managed to net a 63-58 win over Western Oregon on Senior Night.

“It’s too bad that we finished with a very ugly game,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said, “however it was a win and it shows what this team has done all year is find a way to win when they’re not playing at their very best.”

“I think the great thing about this team is we can always find a way to win,” NNU sophomore Kristin Hein added after scoring 14 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and dishing out five assists. “... And we really wanted to win for our seniors, that was kinda the motivation for tonight.”

NNU (19-8 overall, 12-6 GNAC) sent its seniors — Nichole Schutte and Paige Knudson — off in style with the win, the finale to the regular season but not the year as the Crusaders secured their third trip to nationals in six seasons. NNU finds out who and when they play tonight when the tournament field is officially announced.

“I was excited when we started the game,” Schutte said, adding, “I was pretty pumped. I don’t think it had hit me yet because we do have games after this.”

Before nationals, the Crusaders had to deal with the Wolves (8-19, 4-14), and certainly wanted to finish on a good note. NNU tried to put the game away early, forcing two turnovers, making four steals and holding WOU to 0-of-5 shooting to stretch a 10-9 lead to 20-10. But the Crusaders focus came and went all night, and so did the Wolves, who tied it at 32s on a Leada Berkey 6-footer with 17:33 to play.

“I think there probably was a little mental letdown from Thursday,” Lindley said, “... and as much as you try to tell them, ‘OK, this game’s important,’ I think they still know we get to go to the tournament and that’s exciting.

“But to their credit, we played hard, we just weren’t very mentally sharp.”

Yet focused at crucial times, as a Hein free throw, then a Williams bucket sparked a 10-0 NNU run capped by a Hein steal and Mallory Whipple hoop for a 42-32 edge. WOU cut the lead to 47-46 but a Hein free throw, then a Hein putback bucket, helped reignite NNU’s focus again, and when the Wolves closed to 52-51 down, Hein lobbed a pass to Williams for a layup, sparking a 6-1 run that helped ice the win.

“Kristen Hein is a very deadly player at times, and I thought tonight she was crucial,” Lindley said.

Williams added 16 points in the win for NNU. (Published March 9, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Chelsey Nokleby, right, prepares to fire a throw to first for the out against Holy Names on Friday night at The College of Idaho. (Mike Vogt/IPT) The College of Idaho’s Kelsi Murdock tries to reach first on a ground ball as Holy Name’s first baseman Ebony Thorpe awaits the throw from pitcher Nicole Guttormsen in Friday night’s game. (Mike Vogt/IPT) By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Coyotes got even with Holy Names and started their home season in style Friday night. Chelsey Nokleby led the way in the circle and Haley Butcher provided the big blow in the sixth as No. 14 College of Idaho grabbed a 5-3 win in The CofI Classic.

“It was awesome,” Nokleby said. “In California (a 4-3 loss to Holy Names on Feb. 15) we had a couple errors against them and we wanted to win this big time so it was great, it feels good.”

Nokleby (1-0) worked 4-plus scoreless innings, scattering three hits and getting some help from her defense. Brooke Judy came on in the fifth to earn her first save, despite a late rally by the Hawks (7-16 overall).

“We knew that with the lights and Chelsey’s riseball and her changeup she’d be very effective,” CofI coach Al Mendiola said.

“I’ve been working really hard on the changeup,” Nokleby added. “Last year I struggled with it and I worked and worked in the offseason and that’s what kept ’em off I think today. And the riseball was good.”

Nokleby set the tone helped by defense as Stephanie Neal walked and moved to third with one out in the first, but was gunned down by Kalie Kurdy at home on a grounder to short. Part of a punchless effort by Holy Names, which put a runner at second with less than two outs in five of the first six innings, but could not score. Neither could the Yotes (7-3), almost, as The CofI got a Butcher single and Kurdy RBI groundout in the second, then a two-out RBI single from Sammy Dodge in the fifth, collecting four hits through five frames.

“We didn’t put the ball in play, we didn’t even force them to make plays,” Mendiola said, “so I said, just put the ball in play. If you put the ball in play good things are going to happen.”

Which they did in the sixth in a three-run rally for the Yotes highlighted by a two-run Butcher single and capped by a Caylin LePire infield RBI base hit. Judy then closed it out in the seventh, despite a few defensive miscues that led to a 3-run rally by the Hawks.

“She made the big pitches when we needed,” Mendiola said, “and that’s how you win a ballgame or close a ballgame out.”

(Published March 8, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

NNU’s Nichole Schutte, left and Lindsay Brady, right, battle Saint Martin’s Kassie Ludeman for the ball on a scramble Thursday night at Skyview High School. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU's Janee Olds, left, shoots an off-balance shot as Saint Martin's Kassie Ludeman looks on Thursday night at Skyview High School. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Northwest Nazarene University student Grant Miller cheers on the NNU Crusader ladies as he holds a sign referring to Sunday's fire at the Johnson Sports Complex. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Crusaders start strong, use second-half surge in 81-61 rout of Saint Martin’s By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusader ladies put distractions behind them and torched Saint Martin’s on Thursday night. Four nights after the Johnson Sports Center caught fire, leaving the Northwest Nazarene athletic department temporarily displaced, the Crusaders came out on fire themselves to beat the Saints 81-61 at Skyview High School.

“We knew all week that this game was huge and we really tried to not be distracted by all the distractions, just playing our last two home games on a different floor,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said.

“I give the credit to the ladies, they didn’t complain, they didn’t let it get them down,” Lindley added. “They still had the same great spirit and up-beat attitude, and as a result we had a great week of practice and it showed.”

Add to the distractions the Saints’ 73-51 win over NNU at Saint Martin’s in January, and the fact the two teams were No. 7 and 8 in the final West Region poll — with the top eight in the poll earning a trip to nationals — and yes, it was a big night.

“Frankly it was a little nerve-racking knowing how important these games were and we wouldn’t be on our home court,” Lindley said, as her team hosts Western Oregon on Saturday at Skyview in the season finale.

A strong start can certainly ease those worries, though. NNU took a 16-3 lead, holding the Saints to 1-of-6 shooting and forcing nine turnovers the opening 8 minutes, 28 seconds.

“It was fantastic and reassuring to come out so sharp because they executed the defense game plan and we really knew we could make them uncomfortable with our defensive pressure and it did,” Lindley said. “It essentially set the tone for the rest of the game.”

“I think our on-ball pressure and our defensive intensity was really key,” NNU sophomore guard Lindsay Brady said, “we worked on that all week long.”

The Saints showed life though late in the half, briefly extinguishing the Crusaders’ fire as NNU went 0-for-5 with four turnovers during a 10-0 Saint Martin’s run that cut the lead to 20-17 after a Jamey Gelhar 3.

“There’s always going to be ebbs and flows to the game,” Lindley said. “We turned the ball over a few times, we missed a few easy shots ... and they kinda got back into the game, but that’s not atypical at this level.”

No problem, as NNU never let the Saints get closer, leading 35-29 at the break before the Crusaders offense burst into a blaze once again. Up 46-37 after a Dara Zack bucket for Saint Martin’s, NNU scorched the Saints on four possession as Janee Olds and Mallory Whipple hit back-to-back triples, followed by two more by Brady. Nichole Schutte capped a 14-0 charge with a 15-footer, and with 12:42 left it was over with NNU up 60-37.

“It was awesome, it was very cool,” Brady said of the decisive surge.

“We have good 3-pointer shooters and I think it’s a matter of getting our confidence and knowing we can do it,” she added.

The win virtually assures NNU an at-large berth to nationals, the teams third since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, as Humboldt State and San Francisco State — ninth and 10th in the region — saw their seasons end Tuesday in the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.

“It feels awesome,” Brady, who led NNU with 19 points, said, “... everybody contributed tonight and that’s why we’re successful and that’s why we’re going to nationals.”

(Published March 7, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Tyler Hooper, left, works out at the Caldwell High School track Tuesday as he prepares for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Johnson City, Tenn. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Jayne Saunders, left and Katie Ball work on their handoff Tuesday as they prepare for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championship meet. Saunders and Ball will be part of the Coyotes distance medley relay team. (Mike Vogt/IPT) C of I doesn’t focus on indoor season, but runners get shot at nationals By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — This time of year, it’s the only championship these Coyotes make a run at. The College of Idaho track team begins competition today at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships with six athletes set for action in three events, part of a bonus season for the Yotes.

“We don’t gear our training to be sharp during the indoor season at all,” C of I track coach Pat McCurry said, as the Cascade Conference doesn’t recognized indoor track, just the outdoor season. “All these kids are basically running off their conditioning work, but they’ve shown the ability to go out and race well, race focused and this is kind of the payoff for that.”

With no conference title up for grabs, and no real league competition, the Yotes use the indoor season to train and prepare for outdoor competition, but there still are rewards for those like senior Tyler Hopper, who will be making his eighth trip to a national meet — his second to indoor nationals.

“I’m glad I have the opportunity,” the Caldwell High grad said as he prepares to run the 1,000 meters.

“It’s good competition, good field, I size up with most of those guys pretty well so I’m just gonna get in the mix of things and see what happens,” Hopper added.

And go for broke, which means at least All-American honors, awarded to the top six in each event. To do that, he’ll have to advance from a preliminary race Friday to Saturday’s finals. But the former Cougar isn’t going to hold back.

“I’ve been shooting for All-American these last few trips back there, at least that. But pretty much any race I’m in I go for the win, so, might as well aim high, right?”

Hopper and freshman Stephanie Helm both will aim high, as Helm is a possible favorite to win or grab All-American honors in the women’s 3,000 as she enters the meet with the third fastest time in that race all season. But it’s one step at a time, as Helm, too, will need to advance from a Friday prelim.

“It always makes you nervous when you have prelims,” McCurry said. “There’s no guarantee that anybody will get out of a prelim, anything can happen, especially in indoor track. People get in contact on the tighter tracks.

“Once we get those two to the final I feel pretty good about their chances to finish very highly.”

They’ll be joined by the women’s distance medley relay (DMR) team of Katie Ball, Jayne Saunders, Maggie Miller and Molli Lee-Painter. Saunders will run the 400 leg, Miller the 800, Ball the 1,200 and Lee-Painter the mile.

“Our women’s DMR, our goal is to finish in the finals. If we do that it would be a great trip for us,” McCurry said, as the relay heads to nationals ranked No. 13.

Making it to the relay finals begins today with the prelim. The start of what should be a very good week, despite the fact the Yotes don’t exactly train for this meet.

“I expect good races,” McCurry said. “All these kids are healthy, all these kids are well prepared, and on the guys side, our lone guy is very experienced at the national meet.

“A lot of the girls are getting that (first) experience in but sometimes that’s the best meets,” the Yotes coach added.

(Published March 6, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

C of I senior, Aaron Flynn cuts it close to a gate during practice at the USCSA college nationals at Sunday River, Maine. (Photo by John W. Post / Exclusive for the Idaho Press-Tribune) Coyote snowboard team member Alli Straubhar goes for big air during practice for the USCSA National Championships at Sunday River Resort, Maine. (Photo by John W. Post / Exclusive for the Idaho Press-Tribune) Yotes’ alpine, snowboard teams to contend for titles in Maine By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com SUNDAY RIVER, Maine — This is all very familiar territory for the Coyotes. The College of Idaho ski team is back at the USCSA National Championships this week, once again ready to contend for team and individual titles at Sunday River Resort. A team that has won 21 national titles and 16 individual crowns, the Yotes know how to challenge their foes.

“Right now I think it’s a matter of keeping everyone focused and just letting the cards come down as they may,” C of I ski coach Ron Bonneau said, adding of his team’s chances, “if somebody’s going to take anything ahead of us they’re going to have to get us on our best day. That’s what we’re looking forward too is putting our best foot forward and making it work.”

The women and men alpine teams come into nationals off second- and fourth-place finishes respectively, against USCSA schools at regionals Feb. 21-23, and Bonneau and the Yotes hope they can continue that trend with top five finishes this week. The women kick things off with their giant slalom today, with the men skiing that event Thursday, then both women and men ski the slalom Friday and Saturday, respectively. Also in action will be the C of I snowboard team with the slopestyle event today, the boarder-x competition Friday and the snowboard giant slalom Saturday. Just one place the Yotes have a chance of adding to their national title collection with senior snowboarder Evan Williams looking to win at nationals for the fourth straight year. The 6-time All-American won the 2005 snowboard cross title, the 2006 halfpipe title, and the 2007 slopestyle title.

“He definitely has potential,” Bonneau said of Williams winning another title. “... He’s got pretty good competition showing up this year, ... it’s not going to be a giveaway but it certainly should be an opportunity for him to put his best foot forward and make it happen.”

Also competing in the snowboard events will be 2006 All-American Kaylie Aaker, Camrin Braun and Allie Straubhar. But the Yotes also have a few top contenders in the alpine events, led by Dewey Moss who shook off a bad day in the giant slalom at regionals to finish eighth in the slalom. He, along with women’s team leaders Lara Mann (15th GS at regionals, 6th slalom) and Nicki Maxwell (19th GS, 22nd slalom), are top contenders for honors this week.

“I think we stand a very good chance,” Bonneau said of any or all three earning All-American honors (a top 15 finish), “... we’ll see how that all comes out.”

Joining Moss on the men’s side are Aaron Flynn, Matt Weaver, Travis Morris and Eric Ostrand, while Jessica Wise, LaRue Seitz, Monica Taylor and Katie Kernan round out the ladies team.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for all the athletes here,” Bonneau said. “... I think we should be able to play right off where we left off (at regionals).”

(Published March 5, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho pitcher Joey Zubizarreta delivers a pitch Saturday afternoon against Oregon Tech. (Greg Kreller / IPT) The College of Idaho second baseman Brad Carlsen makes a diving stop Saturday afternoon against Oregon Tech. (Greg Kreller / IPT) Zubizarreta, Brock stop Oregon Tech in C of I’s 8-1, 8-0 wins By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL – Joey Zubizarreta and Andrew Brock made it easy on the Coyotes on Saturday. The duo combined for 14 shutdown innings of work on the hill, facing three and two hitters over the minimum on the day, respectively, to lead The College of Idaho to an 8-1, 8-0 sweep of Oregon Tech in NAIA Region I baseball.

“We pitched and played defense in both games, those always make for good ballgames,” C of I coach Shawn Humberger said, “so that’s pretty much the story right there.”

Zubizarreta (2-0) gave up three hits and walked one in the complete-game opener, then Brock (2-0) scattered three hits through seven innings in the nightcap, following his teammates lead.

“My defense played great first and foremost,” Zubizarreta, who struck out three, said.

“I mean they made some great plays, Brad (Carlsen) at second base made a couple diving plays for me.

“Especially in a couple innings I was struggling, behind in the count, they made a couple big plays, just a big confidence boost.”

Brock, who fanned four before turning it over to Pat Lyons and Jason Barry to complete the shutout, also praised his teammates.

“When you throw strikes good things happen,” he said, adding, “I had solid defense, that’s who I always give credit to. … Command and throwing strikes, letting hitters get themselves out.”

The only dent in the perfect day against the Yotes came in the top of the second in the opener as Frank Drake singled and scored on a two-out roller through the left side by Kenny Simmons. Zubizarreta then retired the final 16 in the win. Brock, in the nightcap, then allowed one runner past second as Trenton Smith singled in the fourth, took second on a Yote error, and third with two outs on a fly0out to center before being stranded there.

“They’ve been doing that all year,” HUmberger said of his pitchers. “We’ve got guys with better stuff on the staff and every time those two go out they just pitch … It doesn’t take a great fastball, you’ve just got to locate and change speeds and they do that great.”

The Yote offense made complete a near-perfect day by rallying late to blow open both games. Down 1-0 in the first, Ray Morrison and Jake Miller each singled, then pinch-hitter Bryan Champ tied it with an RBI grounder, a ball Owls shortstop Ryson Mauricio threw away. Jordan Lanham added an RBI comebacker, then the Yotes pounded away as Cody Brubaker added an RBI single, Richie Snider a two-run triple and Alex O’Brien an RBI double in a 6-run charge.

“It took us two times through the order but they did make adjustments and then (OIT) made a costly error and we made ‘em pay for it in the one inning,” Humberger said.

In the late game, back-to-back doubles from Morrison and O’Brien put the Yotes up 1-0 in the second, then O’Brien scored on a Jacob Garsez fielder’s choice. The C of I (6-6 overall, 2-0 Region) added a run in the sixth then broke the game open with four in the seventh en route to the sweep. Morrison led the offense going 3-for-7 on the day, while Miller, Lanman and Burbaker had two hits each in the opener, and O’Brien and Champ had two hits in the nightcap. (Published March 2, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Crusaders pull away in second half, top Alaska Fairbanks 77-60 in home finale By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It’s been a remarkable season for the Northwest Nazarene men, and Saturday the Crusaders wanted to close out their home campaign in memorable fashion. After a school-record 8-0 start to the year, a first-ever top-25 ranking — landing at No. 23...read more

The College of Idaho’s Christon Vander Esch goes up for a shot over Oregon Tech’s Jenna Ball during the first half of Friday afternoon during the Yotes’ playoff game in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho women roll past OIT 63-44, move within win of national By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Sandwiched between state tournament games on their own court, the Coyote women looked like a champions Friday. Forced into a matinee by the 4A boys state tournament, the early start didn’t bother The College of Idaho a bit as it decimated Oregon Tech 63-44 in the Cascade Conference semifinals and moved within a win of nationals.

“It’s awesome,” C of I forward Christon Vander Esch said. “We’re all playing good together and we’re playing the best we have all season. It feels great.”

As the Coyotes travel to Southern Oregon on Monday night at 8:30 for the tournament title and an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II women’s national tournament March 12-18 in Sioux City, Iowa. It’s the third trip to the conference title tilt for the Yotes under coach Reagan Rossi, who is still looking for that elusive first trip to nationals. The Yotes (19-10 overall) gave themselves a shot with great defense, holding the Owls (23-9) to 13-of-45 shooting (28.9 percent), and added an incredible effort on the glass as they outrebounded Oregon Tech 45-27, including 15-3 on the offensive boards.

“It was the difference,” C of I guard Whitney Owen said, as the Yotes outrebounded OIT 45-27 and 15-3 on the offensive end. “That’s what we talked about is rebounding is going to win the game and we need to box out everybody.”

It definitely paid off, as the Owls didn’t score a single second-chance point.

“With our size and our style, we don’t put ourselves in position, but that doesn’t mean we can’t crash, that doesn’t mean we can’t work hard and that’s what we did,” Rossi said. “I was really proud of that the last couple games.”

Things got rolling for the Yotes early, led by Vander Esch, who’s lay-in 5 minutes, 28 seconds in made it 11-7. An offensive board by 5-foot-3 guard Katee Brewer led to a Whitney Clark bucket, then Katee Brewer added a 3-ball for a 16-7 lead. The Yotes pushed the lead to 22-10 on a Vander Esch bucket, and after just the fifth hoop of the afternoon for the Owls — a triple from Jenna Ball — The C of I took complete control with a 6-0 push capped by a ShaNae Horner baseline drive. Up 28-13, the Yotes never let the Owls get the game back to single digits.

“We came in at halftime (up 30-18) and said we can’t get stagnant, we need to go out and push our defense and close out on shooters and not really worry about other people that aren’t shooters,” Owen, who had 14 points and 11 boards, said.

Which the Yotes did, hardly giving the Owls just six shot attempts the first six minutes, going up 41-25 after a Horner bucket.

“I liked our defense pressure right from the start,” Rossi said, “We did a couple things different, some things that worked down there (at Oregon Tech) that were successful for us (Friday).”

And the Yotes just inched away, taking a 49-30 lead on a Clark layup off a Vander Esch bounce pass, with 8:37 left, cruising to the win. Vander Esch finished with 12 points and Clark 14 for the Yotes, intent on getting past one last hurdle.

“We’re going to get one more win and make it to Iowa,” Owen said.

(Published March 1, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene's Kendall Gielow lays the ball in for two against Alaska Anchorage on Thursday night at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt / IPT) By Mike Stetson NAMPA — Not to be too indelicate but — this sucks. It’s been a great season for the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team, but with three games left in the year, a first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II national tournament seems to be slipping away. Huh? Despite the fact NNU is on the verge of its best-ever season at the D-II level, needing one win in its final three games to match the 17 wins put up by the 2004-05 squad that just missed nationals, this year’s Crusaders looks to have little chance of a playoff spot. Huh? It’s all about winning at the right time as NNU won 9-of-10 to end the 2004-05 season, but this time around is slumping, having lost 5 of its last 7. All after an incredible start to the year — a school-record 8-0 start — and a first-ever spot in the NCAA Division II top 25, landing at No. 23 in the Feb. 1 rankings. And it all could be for naught. Huh? Of course, Thursday night could have put the Crusaders back in the postseason race, and a loss to the West Region’s No. 1 seed — Alaska Anchorage — likely won’t be seen as a drawback in NNU’s ranking, but a win sure would have given the Crusaders a boost. A much needed boost, as the Crusaders slipped out of the West Region rankings this week and need to be in the top eight to earn a nationals berth at season’s end — three games away.

“I have no idea what it does to us,” NNU coach Tim Hills said after Thursday’s setback, “I don’t know, I haven’t gotten wrapped up in all that stuff because the polls change week to week depending on what other teams have done anyway.”

Actually, Hills hasn’t paid much attention to any of the polls all season, just content to look at that final one in two weeks in hopes NNU will be there, in the top eight. That probably won’t happen now, though, as the Crusaders must catch Seattle — which swept NNU — Cal State Dominguez and UC San Diego. Looking for some hope — UC San Diego lost Thursday, too. But for now, all the Crusaders can do is win out and then hope for help. Regardless of a berth to nationals or not, this team deserves a lot of respect for what it has done. Coach Hills has developed a program that is truly a contender in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, one fans should be thrilled to watch as they’ve proven they can light up a scoreboard this season, as well as put in some hard-nosed efforts when needed.

“I’m still proud of how our kids are playing,” Hills said after Thursday’s setback, still ignoring talk of polls.

“I’m just concerned about the next game,” he added.

And if the next game in a few weeks isn’t in the postseason, there’s something NNU fans can definitely look forward to — the Crusaders lose one senior, so the future could be even brighter than what this outstanding squad has already accomplished. Nationals or not. (This story only available on-line) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Tyler Roberts, right, drives the lane on Alaska Anchorage’s Luke Cooper on Thursday night at NNU in Nampa. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Point guard scores career-high against Crusaders in Alaska Anchorage’s 77-59 victory By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Crusader coach Tim Hills challenged one of the best point guards in all of college basketball to beat his team shooting. Luke Cooper did just that. The senior from Australia had a career-high by halftime, hitting his first six shots — including four from outside the 3-point arc — to lead No. 9 Alaska Anchorage to a 77-59 win over Northwest Nazarene in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Thursday.

“We played the percentages and got beat,” Hills said. “He’s a 32 percent 3-point shooter on the season and hit what, his first four or five.

“... He just had the game of his life, you’ve just got to hand it to the kid.”

Cooper, one of 16 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award that honors the top point guard in all levels of college basketball, entered the night averaging 6.7 points and just over two 3-point attempts a game. But he also leads the NCAA Division II with 8.85 assists per outing, helping make the Seawolves a national title contender. So Hills opted to leave Cooper open to shoot instead of pass.

“They did it back at our place too and I had a feeling they were going to do it again tonight so I watched a lot of film on the ways I could beat them if they were going to do that and fortunately enough I had a few shots drop and we went from there,” Cooper said, as he scored 22 by halftime and finished with 31, while still adding in 10 assists.

“In the second half it loosened a lot of things up,” Cooper said of his first-half shooting, “they had to play me a little bit more and it loosened our posts up.”

NNU (16-8 overall, 8-7 GNAC) had to do something to cool off Cooper, who hit back-to-back 3-balls for a 27-9 Seawolves edge 9 minutes, 24 seconds into the game. Meanwhile, the rest of the UAA squad went 10-of-16 from the field as the Seawolves led by as much as 40-21 after a Chris Bryant fast-break jam, and took a 44-28 edge at the break.

“(Cooper)’s the reason they’re really good because when he’s running the show they’re really good,” Hills said.

The Seawolves defense helped, too, forcing seven NNU turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and outrebounding the Crusaders 13-8.

“They’re so good defensively, they make if difficult for you to score,” NNU’s coach said, as his team still managed to hit 11-of-20 shots.

“We shoot 55 percent and we’re down 16?,” Hills added. “I thought in the first half they were the aggressor, I thought they kind of took it to us.”

A disadvantage that proved too much to overcome, as NNU rallied in the second half, forcing two turnovers, adding a steal and holding the Seawolves (23-4, 14-1) to 0-of-2 shooting during an 11-0 Crusader run that cut a 53-32 margin to 53-43 after a Jason Simmons tip-in. But it wasn’t NNU’s night, as Kevin White hit a 3-pointer out of the left corner with a Crusader defender on top of him as the shot clock expired stopped the charge. NNU got as close as 61-50 down on a Kendall Gielow hook shot, and 64-53 back on a Joel Ryman triple, only to see the Seawolves inch away each time to ice the win. Gielow and Justin Parnell scored 12 each to lead NNU, which hosts Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday in its home finale. (Published Feb. 29, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Haley Hevern, left, tries to grab the throw to second as The College of Idaho’s Haley Butcher (5) steals a base in their game Tuesday afternoon at NNU. (Greg Kreller / IPT) By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — After an spending an afternoon in the cool, but sunny Treasure Valley spring, one thing became obvious. The College of Idaho softball team is very different this season. OK, coach Al Mendiola is making up a new lineup almost every game, and it’s filled with lots of new faces, but that’s not the biggest change. The Yotes last season won a record 37 games and their first-ever Cascade Conference crown thanks to doing so many things right. Now, that’s really not changed too much this year — the pitching is incredible as Katie Zillner and Brooke Judy proved in a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Geez, the Yotes as a staff have a 1.07 ERA — most teams would kill to have one pitcher with that ERA — and have struck out 54 batters in 46 innings of action, including Zillner’s school-record 16 K game. Just a reminder fans, in softball they play seven innings, so that’s 16 of 21 outs in the game via the whiff. And defense has been very solid, too, as the Yotes have just eight errors in seven games compared to nine for their foes. No, the difference is on the offensive side, and it’s something coach Mendiola already is trying to solve.

“We’re a different type offensive team,” he said after Tuesday’s sweep of NNU.

Why? Well, one person certainly makes a difference — Heather Kirtley. The Coyote speedster played her final year last spring and had a huge impact on how opponents played the Yotes. Not only did she steal 25 bases in 29 attempts — a constant threat for pitchers, catchers and middle infielders to worry about — but she also had a staggering .453 on base percentage and scored 42 runs. Valuable numbers for a lead-off hitter, as along with providing a distraction to foes, potential helping her C of I teammates at the plate, the Yotes could also count on her crossing that plate almost once a game, and on she’d get on base once or twice a ballgame.

“We’re not going to be able to run as well,” Mendiola said of this year’s Coyote attack. “With Heather Kirtley gone we’re not going to be able to put as much pressure on a defense and so we’re going to rely on more base hits and Sammy Dodge’s long ball.”

Dodge had one of the team’s four home runs this season, a three-run shot for the Yotes in their 9-4 win over the Crusaders. Something the Yotes likely will rely more on, as their leadoff hitters didn’t exactly perform the same type of role Kirtley did against NNU. A pair of Yote leadoff hitters went 2-for-7 with two caught stealings in the twinbill in Nampa on Tuesday. Meaning the Yotes need to continue to hit the ball hard. The positive side, they have been as The C of I is hitting .305 on the year with 34 runs scored — 4.8 per game — and they’ve still run well with 12 steals in 14 attempts. Respectable numbers, though just off the pace of last year’s .313 average and 6 runs a game. So with the Yotes rolling along already, when the offense starts to click the way Mendiola hopes, this team could be even better than last year’s squad, which accomplished so much. (This story only available on-line)...read more

The College of Idaho’s Annie Younggren participates in the 100 yard freestyle at the Saturday afternoon The College of Idaho Double Dual at the College of Idaho. (Greg Kreller / IPT) Ten athletes head to year’s biggest meet; finals possible for some By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com SAN ANTONIO — Since October, The College of Idaho swimmers have prepared for this week, the pinnacle of their season. Ten Coyotes are in Texas for the NAIA National Championship swim meet, which began Wednesday with diving competition, and gets under way in full with preliminary swim events today.

“I think that we are really prepared this year,” C of I swim coach Mary Parsons said. “We are tapering now and the kids feel pretty strong and our rankings are pretty good.”

The men’s 200-yard medley relay (Casey Walker, Scott Mikelonis, Blake Bower and John Green), 200 freestyle relay (Bower, Jeremy Younggren, Green and Walker) and 400 free relay (Walker, Bower, Younggren and Green) all posted the ninth fastest times headed to nationals, and will contend for a spot in the finals, which takes the top eight teams. Along with them, Walker is ninth-fastest in the 100 backstroke heading to nationals and has a shot at the finals, and potential All-American honors, which go to the top six individuals in each event.

“All these times that are ranked are unshaved, untapered,” Parsons said. “They’re tired times, so I’m excited. They’re regular season times.”

Walker has plenty of other chances, too, as he qualified in eight individual events, while Green will have a good chance in the 50 free, even though he is ranked 19th.

“There’s so much that can happen between a start and 50 yards,” Parsons said. “He’s really psyched, he’s been lifting a lot more this year than he has in the past and he’s feeling really high in the water.”

All the men will stay busy, competing individually in plenty of other relays, too, as the Yote men also qualified for the 400 medley relay and the 800 free relay, while the women qualified for the 200 free relay, the 200 medley relay, the 400 free relay, the 400 medley relay and the 800 free relay. Alphonsina Savell, like Green, is one of the team’s veteran competing, as both are competing in their third national meet, with Savell helping lead the women’s relays and also qualifying in seven individual events. She’ll be joined by Ellen Judd, Ashlee Byrnes, Annie Kerrick and Annie Younggren in the women’s relays and individual events. It is the biggest team the Yotes have taken to nationals, and has made it an exciting time at The C of I pool.

“They are excited, it’s been really helpful for their training the last month,” Parsons said, adding that the team hasn’t competed since the start of the month, meaning only national qualifiers have been working out regularly.

“To have 10 there working out together, pushing each other, it was really good.”

And it should mean good things for the Yotes this week, as Parsons says the men’s 200 medley and 400 medley, along with Walker, Green and Savell all have great chances to make the finals in events. And there’s also the chance for the rest of the Coyote swimmers to make a splash, too.

“I think we’ll do the best we’ve ever done this year,” Parsons said. “… We’re going to do better this year than we did last year, we have the depth.”

(Published Feb. 28, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The C of I’s ShaNae Horner, left knocks the ball out of Evergreen State’s Joy White’s hand on the inbounds pass Tuesday night at College of Idaho in the in the first round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament. (Mike Vogt / IPT) The C of I’s Whitney Clark, middle, manage’s to slip past a pair of Evergreen State’s defenders Tuesday night at College of Idaho in the first round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament. (Mike Vogt / IPT) Geoducks dominate early inside but crumble against pressure in Yotes’ 78-75 win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — For 20 minutes, the Geoducks had their way with The College of Idaho. But after halftime, the Coyote ladies put their signature on the game and slipped past Evergreen State 78-75 in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Conference tournament Tuesday night.

“We got back on defense a lot better and we just picked up our defensive intensity,” C of I senior guard Whitney Clark said. “We started talking more, and I think we finally realized this is do or die.”

With the win, and a 67-66 upset by Cascade of No. 1-seed Eastern Oregon, the Yotes now host Oregon Tech in a semifinal game Friday at approximately 4 p.m., between the morning and evening sessions of the 4A boys state tournament at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. To get to the semis, the Yotes (18-10 overall) needed to find a way to shut down the inside attack of Evergreen State (9-21), which shot 61.3 percent in the opening half, including a 10-of-14 effort over the final 10 minutes. Leading just 19-17 after a Josie Pugsley bucket for the Yotes, the Geoducks pushed way ahead as The C of I managed just a half dozen defensive stops over the next 5 minutes, resulting in a 17-5 run capped by two Kristi Auckland free throws. The Yotes, meanwhile, compounded their own problems on defense by going 0-for-7 with a pair of turnovers to fall behind 30-18 after a Joy White triple.

“... We were just a step late getting in front of that bottom post,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said, as her team trailed 44-37 at the break.

It forced a few changes.

“... We kinda sagged in a little bit, dared them to shoot the 3,” Rossi added of her team’s second-half defense.

“Packed in a little bit, put a little more ball-pressure on,” she added. “We did a better job of getting in front of the post and getting tips and being more aggressive in the quarter-court.”

And the Yotes chipped away, forcing a White turnover and getting a Clark 18-footer to tie it 52-52 with 14:34 to play, starting a see-saw fight to the finish. It was a dramatic finish that saw Auckland put the Geoducks up 75-74 with less than a minute to go before a pair of Clark free throws put the Yotes up for good. But only after a series of three jump balls, which swung momentum back and forth, and back again, with Kayla Brewer forcing the final tie-up that gave the Yotes the ball with 10.7 seconds left. Whitney Owen then iced the win with two free throws.

“We did a good job on the out of bounds play and switched off the screen,” Rossi said, ... we got a tip and jumped on top of it.”

Clark led the way for the Yotes with a career-high 33 in the win, while Christon Vander Esch added 15 and Owen 12.

“I don’t want our season to be done because I just love being with these girls and had to step up and make some shots tonight and got it done,” Clark said.

(Published Feb. 27, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The College of Idaho’s Kelsi Murdock, left, and Northwest Nazarene’s Amanda Phillips, right, watch as Murdock’s throw to first is too late to turn the double play in their game Tuesday afternoon at NNU. (Greg Kreller / IPT) The C of I tops Crusaders as teams battle in pitcher’s duels By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Coyote coach Al Mendiola knew his team could pitch, and Tuesday they proved just how well. Katie Zillner and Brooke Judy led the way, keeping an improving Northwest Nazarene squad off balance to earn a 2-0, 9-4 sweep of a twinbill between the Canyon County rivals.

“We’ve actually been doing that for the last five games,” Mendiola said.

The Yotes pitching made up for an offense that didn’t click until the final two frames of the day, but provided just enough to slip past NNU.

“We struggled a little bit but we have faith in everyone, and everyone’s a good hitter on this team,” C of I third baseman Haley Butcher said. “... We did good, figured it out and pulled through.”

Butcher had a hit in each game, one of just three Yotes to do so, along with Kalie Kurdy (4-for-6) and Nicole Antonoplos (3-for-9). Butcher’s first knock proved very important, a rip down the third-base line in the top of the fourth of the scoreless opener. Moving up to second on a sacrifice bunt, Butcher stole third on a wild pitch and scored on an error, the game winner for the Yotes, while Kurdy added an RBI double for insurance in the same inning.

“We’re still getting a feel of who can put the ball in play, who can bunt the best, so we’re going to have our struggles,” Mendiola said.

So the Yotes (5-2 overall) rode good pitching from Zillner, who struck out 11 Crusaders (0-6) for the win. She controlled NNU’s top two in the order, who went 0-for-12 with a walk on the day.

“Our first two hitters at the top of the lineup struggled to get on,” NNU coach Julie Coert said, “... we’ve got to give our three and four, stronger hitters, an opportunity to score runs.”Three-hole hitter Vanessa Shaw had a two-out double in the opener, that went for naught, while No. 4 hitters Katie Free and Catherine Lowery each had a hit, but no RBIs in the twinbill.

A doubleheader that continued to be dominated by pitching in the nightcap, as NNU starter Dana Shipley singled home a run in the third to put NNU up early before the Yotes rallied. Helped by a wild pitch and a throwing error, Stacy Smith and Butcher, who doubled in the frame, scored for a 2-1 edge in the fourth. The game remained quiet until the sixth when The C of I finally found some offensive life as Smith hit a solo home run to spark a three-run sixth, and Sammy Dodge hit a three-run shot in a four-run seventh.

“I know what they’re capable of doing, ... you can’t wait five innings before you score because sometime there’s going to be a time when a team is hot too,” Mendiola said, “you may be down eight runs.”

Instead, NNU found itself down eight, but rallied in the seventh as Haley Hevern tripled in a run and scored on an error and Free added an RBI sac fly for the final 9-4 difference. It was still a bit disappointing for Coert, who wanted wins against the Coyotes.

“It’s tough games always with C of I,” she said, “I’m just proud that we battled there at the end of the second game.”

(Published Feb. 27, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

Junior ShaNae Horner brings the ball down the court for The College of Idaho in a recent game. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Rebounding a key as The C of I hosts Evergreen State tonight By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It’s win-or-go-home time, and The College of Idaho Coyotes are ready to play on as they find themselves three wins away from a trip to the NAIA Division II tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. The first step toward nationals is tonight at 7:30, when the Yotes (17-10 overall) host Evergreen State in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Conference tournament.

“They’re a quality team; it’s going to be a great game with quality match-ups between us and them,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said. “I think with having split on the year, (that) leaves the door open for either team to perform well and advance to the next game.”

The C of I rolled over the Geoducks (9-21) 82-60 back in January in Caldwell, but Evergreen State started a three-game slide for the Yotes with a 79-71 win a week ago Friday. Jennifer Solberg (5-foot-10 forward) leads Evergreen State with 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and had a double-double in the Geoducks’ win, while 5-11 forwards Kristi Auckland (11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Rosalind Lee (9.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg) also are threats, with Lee also adding a double-double in that game.

“I don’t feel like we’ve played up to our potential the last four games,” Rossi said of losses to the Geoducks, Northwest and Eastern Oregon before ending the season with a 67-63 win over Northwest Christian four nights ago to get back on track.

Rebounds will help keep the Yotes on track, as they won that battle 44-38 in January’s game, but in Olympia, Wash., The C of I was outrebounded 39-27.

“I think rebounding has kind of been a problem for us all year long,” Rossi said, as her team has been out-boarded 36.9 to 42.9.

“Just based on our size and the position we put ourselves in, yeah, I think it’ll be a stat we kind of focus on and try and crash the boards a little bit harder.”

Five-foot-11 junior guard Christon Vander Esch and 5-7 guard Magen Dufurrena will help the Yotes control the boards as the duo have stepped up with 7.3 and 5.3 boards a night, respectively, in the absence of 6-0 senior post Denise Hill, lost in December to a torn ACL. As has 5-11 guard Whitney Owen (4.9 rpg), giving the Yotes some weapons to grab rebounds. Of course, the Yotes also will need to put points on the board, something 5-6 senior guard Whitney Clark (16.0) has been good at, along with Vander Esch (12.0), as they lead the team in scoring. But the Yotes also do a great job frustrating foes with an aggressive defensive attack that pressures all over the floor. That requires depth, and Rossi adds that bench players like 5-8 junior guards ShaNae Horner and Josie Pugsley will need to contribute.

“This is a team that they both had good success against in the past and I think if we can get good production from them off the bench it’ll be a good balance at the guard position for us,” the Yote coach said, as Pugsley scored 15 and Horner seven in the two teams last meeting.

A win by The C of I means it likely travels to Southern Oregon for the semifinals, unless Northwest Christian upsets the Raiders tonight. If that happens, or top-seeded Eastern Oregon falls to Cascade, the Yotes host a semifinal game against an opponent to be determined Friday night. No matter who the Coyotes play, Rossi knows her team is ready.

“I think they’re focused, I think they’re excited,” she said. “They made the comment (Monday), ‘Coach, we think we can win three and make the run through,’ and that’s good to hear.

“… I think everybody in the league is used to (our defensive style) but if we can play a little smarter game and switch some things up on people and make a run through league, this is a team that can surprise some people at the national tournament and that’s what we plan to do. It should be a lot of fun.”

(Published Feb. 26, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Members of The College of Idaho ski team prepare for a Northwest Conference race Wednesday morning at Brundage Mountain. The Coyotes host the Western Regional Championships. (Submitted photo) The C of I hosts event at Brundage with berths to nationals on the line By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com MCCALL — It’s tournament time for The College of Idaho skiers, who hit the slopes looking to race their way to Maine. The Yote men’s and women’s alpine ski teams host the USCSA Western Regionals today through Saturday at Brundage Mountain, and these C of I athletes are definitely ready to race. The men’s and women’s teams each take a day to ski their giant slalom races, then Saturday both will race the slalom at regionals.

“We’re way excited,” women’s team captain Nicki Maxwell said before the final Northwest Conference race Wednesday morning at Brundage Mountain. “(Tuesday) was kinda a learning experience, it’s the first we’ve skied GS (giant slalom) in quite a while but I think we all grew. Today we’re going to push our limits, see how fast we can go.”

That’s right, the Yotes started competition Tuesday as the Northwest Conference had to make up a few races postponed due to bad weather during the regular season. So for two days prior to regionals, instead of just practicing on the Brundage slopes, the Yotes have been really getting ready by racing against some of the competition they’ll face the next three days.

“I saw some really big eyes yesterday and we had a talk about it (Tuesday) night at our team meeting,” C of I ski coach Ron Bonneau said.

“… I think it’s a huge advantage for all the competitors who are competing, not just us, just to kind of take a look around to see what’s up,” he added of the make-up races, which saw the Yotes win both team titles in giant slalom on Tuesday with Dewey Moss adding a men’s individual win.

“We’ve got to get comfortable with the hill so we have our game face on when it really counts. I think it’s a huge advantage.”

Northwest Conference women’s overall leader and Coyote freshman Lara Mann adds: “I think that’s a huge advantage, we get to ski the hill and stuff and just get use it. … It’ more like a home court advantage now.”

One that can only help the Yotes, one of the contenders for the Western Regional crown, along with fellow conference foes Washington on the men’s side and Puget Sound in the women’s race, and defending regional champ in both men’s and women’s races, Rocky Mountain. Of course, the Battlin’ Bears haven’t had the same opportunity to race at Brundage, as they’re not a Northwest Conference team.

“I think our chances are really good,” said Bonneau, as his team looks first for a top-five finish that would earned them a berth to nationals March 3-8 in Sunday River, Maine. “Both the men and women really need to step up and be on their game because we have 17 teams here that are really hungry and want that spot.

“… It’s not a giveaway, it’s not a gimme by any stretch, but if they ski the way they’re capable we should hopefully do alright.”

Maxwell, who is racing in her third Regional Championship, agrees.

“I see great things coming out of both the girls and the guys teams this weekend,” she said. “I feel like we can definitely — we’re gonna see how we do today, we’ve got probably our top two or three competitors here today in conference races going to ski with us, so it should be great just to see how we can do against them.

“I wouldn’t doubt we can get top 5 (at regionals).”

And there’s a good chance the Yotes, the Northwest Conference men’s and women’s champs, will do more, contending for the regional titles with several top individuals who could be in the running for regional crowns as well. That includes Maxwell, second in conference, along with Mann on the ladies side, while Moss leads the men’s conference standings, having won four of six races prior to Wednesday, and teammate Mats Boehnke, who is third on the men’s side in conference.

“There’s always that potential,” Bonneau said of individual champions.

“I would love to win a race,” Maxwell added, “but I think everyone is going out there to win. I would love to make top 15 both days or higher, I think in GS I can definitely can do that.”

Of course, individual wins would just add to what could be a very exciting weekend for the Coyotes.

“I think it’s possible for us to go out there and do great and maybe win,” Maxwell said.

(Published Feb. 21, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

NNU’s Amy Carroll makes her final attempt in the shot put to win the event Monday morning at the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships at Jacksons Track at the Idaho Center Sports Complex. (Mike Vogt / IPT) NNU’s Dallas Beaty, right, takes a lead over Western Oregon’s Tommy Woolf in the finals of the men’s 60-meter hurdles Monday afternoon at Jacksons Track at the Idaho Center Sports Complex. (Mike Vogt / IPT) Titles, All-GNAC honors prove team is deeper and more talented than ever before By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusaders have certainly come a long way. OK, the trophy NNU grabbed last February for second as a team on the women’s side of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships sure looked nice, but it’s hard to argue with the team’s success this season. Five titles, 15 All-GNAC individual performances — that’s top three in an event — and seven school records: That’s bringing your “A” game to the big meet.

“It’s very exciting to see everybody show up today,” NNU senior Kevin Lambert said after his just-miss effort in the 5,000. “It seems like every year at conference there’s people that are high and people that are low, and this year is no exception, but it seems like there’s a lot more people that have been high and it’s really encouraging to watch.”

Lambert enjoyed a great race, leading from the halfway point of the 25-lap event until the final three laps — 600 meters — when Western Washington’s Jordan Welling just outkicked the NNU senior, who finished in 15:21.85 to Welling’s 15:15.60.

“I was getting out of gas,” Lambert said. “I was trying to keep the pressure on and I think he was probably a little more of a middle distance guy and able to keep the pressure on and able to kick with that much to go.”

Still, Lambert’s assessment of the day proved true, as the excitement of fellow Crusaders’ success seemed to inspire more NNU accomplishments.

“It’s awesome,” senior Amy Carroll said of the team’s affect on each other, as she provided a big spark winning the shot put with a school-record throw of 42 feet, 9 inches early in the meet. “I got to cheer for Greg (Hamm) while he was jumping and he jumped something like 47-5 (in the triple jump), and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to throw that now (in the weight throw),’ and my next throw was 47-6 and then 47-8 after that.”Good for All-GNAC honors and a school record in the weight, as Carroll finished second. Hamm, meanwhile, who the triple jump with an NCAA Division II provisional mark of 47-5.25, his third straight GNAC indoor title in the event.

“It was just exciting to kinda feed off of each other and to be able to go back and forth between competing and cheer and encouraging everybody,” Carroll said. “It’s just been a great day.”

For plenty of other NNU athletes, as well, as freshman Latoya Tidwell set a school record in the 200 in 26.18, finishing second to earn All-GNAC honors, right in front of teammate Nichole Schutte, a senior post for the NNU women’s basketball team, and now also an All-GNAC sprinter. Then Hamm teamed up with Mitch Ward, Josh Grewe and Dallas Beaty to win the 4x400 relay, the second such title for the NNU men who won it in 2006. A huge victory for the Crusaders, who got All-GNAC performances from Ward with a school record time of 49.96 in the 400 for third, and an All-GNAC third-place finish from Beaty in the 60 hurdles in 8.78.

“It feels good,” Ward said of the day, adding, “4x4 is a special race, that one above any other race, it feels good to win.”

Ward and the Crusaders got a tough challenge from Central Washington, though, the top seed headed into the championships. And it looked like late in the race, the Wildcats’ Matt Rogstad might steal the win away from NNU as he began to creep up on Ward’s tenuous lead.

“I knew he was a really strong runner and I could feel him on this last lap,” Ward said. “I could see him coming up beside me and then it was all guts for glory and I wanted it more.”

Ashley Puga added a pair of All-GNAC honors for NNU with thirds in the 800 and mile in 2:16.04 and 5:03.71, respectively, while Jaclyn Puga finished second in the 800 in 2:15.04, giving NNU another two-of-three All-GNAC honors in an event, and freshman Elisa Decker shone in the 400, winning her first title in a school-record 58.21 seconds. An incredible victory as Decker ran in a marginally competitive fourth heat, edging the time of Seattle Pacific’s Teona Golding by .01 seconds, as the Falcon runner raced virtually alone in the opening heat, five-plus seconds ahead of her nearest competition.

“It was hard because we both had to run races by ourselves a little bit,” Decker said, who later in the day suffered a knee injury running the 800 and had to skip the 4x400 relay.

Of course, it made the championships a little less than perfect, as she sported a brace on her right knee the rest of the afternoon.

“I’m still kinda frustrated with my 800 and my knee,” she admitted, “hopefully it’ll be fine.”

Just a small setback on a big day for NNU, as the Crusader teams each finished third with the Seattle Pacific women and Western Oregon men taking the team titles, and both Western Washington teams in second. Jessica Pixler earned women’s top athlete of the meet honors, winning the 800 and mile for the Falcons, while Zeb Udell of Western Oregon was the top male athlete with a long jump win and third in the 60 to help the Wolves. Of course, it’s hard to overlook the performance of the Crusaders, who certainly have come a long way as a team and individuals. In past seasons, heptathletes like Amanda Peters (Merrell) and Emily Peterson racked up a ton of points and honors for the Crusaders, helping lead the way. Peterson graduated, and Peters missed the meet with a foot injury, but NNU still excelled, thanks to great performances across the board. Nothing proved that point more than NNU’s effort in the throwing events, where a season ago Hannah Bowman took second in the weight and Zach Barclay third in the shot, giving NNU a respectable, but unimpressive two All-GNAC honors. This time around, the Crusaders came a few feet from sweeping the throwing titles, and grabbed four All-GNAC honors.

“In shot put it was a great day,” Barclay said after winning the men’s shot put with a school-record 48-9.5 throw. “We’ve been working really hard, and it’s a reflection of what we’ve put together, ... what we have as a team.

“We’re getting stronger, we’re getting people who want to come here to throw, it makes a difference, it pushes everyone.”

Of course, it’s success NNU isn’t settling for either, as Barclay — without having had a chance to grab his plaque honoring his championship yet — already had plans for the future.

“It was a good day, could have been better,” he said, “maybe going to nationals. Maybe next year, you’ve always got to set a goal, right?”

(This story only available on-line) ...read more

NNU’s Amy Carroll expresses her jubulation after winning the women’s shot put in the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Monday morning at Jacksons Track at the Idaho Center’s Sports Complex. (Mike Vogt / IPT)

Five wins, 15 all-GNAC efforts part of great day for NNU athletes at indoor championships

By Mike Stetson
mstetson@idahopress.com
NAMPA — Four year’s ago, the list of Crusader champs had one name on it, and Northwest Nazarene felt proud.
Imagine the pride NNU felt Monday afternoon after winning five titles and running, jumping and throwing their way to 15 individual All-Conference honors at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor track & field championships.

“I think we stepped up huge,” NNU sophomore sprinter Mitch Ward said, as he earn All-GNAC honors in the 400 meters then anchored the Crusaders 4x400 men’s relay (3:23.22) to one title. “Just people across the board — just throwers, all the field events, all the runners — I don’t think anybody had a bad day: Everybody’s performing to their level.”

Part of a record-setting day for NNU, which finished a strong third in both the women’s and men’s team title chases, with the Seattle Pacific women and the Western Oregon men taking the team crowns.
That made little difference to the Crusaders, who all over Jacksons Track at the Idaho Center were enjoying great performances.

“I’m very, very pleased,” senior Kevin Lambert said after earning All-GNAC honors finishing second in the 5,000 in 15:21.85, edged out in the final 600 meters by Western Washington’s Jordan Welling pulled away. “The win was, I felt like it was within my grasp, I was going to give it everything I had and I did give it everything I had. There’s just a few things race-wise that could have gone a little bit better to give me the win, but overall I’m not disappointed.”

Excited, actually, like many of his teammates, including senior Greg Hamm who won the triple jump for the third straight year with a mark of 47 feet, 5.25 inches, then helped the 4x400 relay win.

“It feels great, I can’t be more blessed,” he said, “... No. 3’s great. I came out, I just wanted to compete today.”In part due to a back injury that had his indoor season somewhat in doubt, but the senior became just the fourth person to win three consecutive GNAC indoor titles, and met the NCAA Division II national provisional standard.

Then he added one more win in the relay.

“That was a little bit more exciting I think ’cause that was my very last race here on this track and the guys that I ran it with, we all knew we could do it. ... The look in our eyes before we raced, we were just so ready and so excited to see what we can do.”

Others who proved just what they can do included throwers Amy Carroll and Zach Barclay, who gave NNU a shot put sweep as Carroll set a school record with her throw of 42-9, as did Barclay, ranked third headed to the championships before his upset win with a toss of 48-9.5.

“It’s just hard to express,” Barclay, a junior, said of his championship. “It’s just one of those things, it’s been a long year in the making and it just feels great to peak at the right time.”

“It feels amazing,” Carroll added. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out for my last indoor season.”

The duo also added runner-up finishes and All-GNAC honors in the weight throws, Barclay with a mark of 54-1.25, and Carroll at a school-best 47-8.
And freshman Elisa Decker added to the days celebrations, winning the women’s 400 by .01 of a second.

“I wasn’t expecting it, I didn’t think I was going to get first,” Decker, who clocked a school-record 58.21 time, said. “I was hoping to get first, but I didn’t think I was going too, especially after the first lap because they took off really fast.”

The win made up for Decker hurting her knee in the 800, one of the few disappointments for NNU on the day, as Ward’s 400 and Lambert’s 5,000 times set school records, as did freshman Latoya Tidwell in the 200, finishing second in 26.18.
Tidwell earned All-GNAC honors, as did Nichole Schutte who was third in the 200 (26.50). Jaclyn and Ashley Puga were All-GNAC in the 800, taking second (2:15.04) and third (2:16.04), respectively, and Ashley was third in the mile (5:03.71) earning All-GNAC honors, while Matt Stark was All-GNAC in third in the men’s 800 (1:59.34), and Dallas Beaty was All-GNAC in third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.78).

(Published Feb. 18, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)

...read more

Northwest Nazarene's Nichole Schutte (34) drives past Central Washington's Kristina Klapperich (40) in the first half of Saturday evening's home game for the Crusaders. (Greg Kreller/IPT) NNU shuts down Central Washington at crucial times for win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com

NAMPA — “Once again, our defense saved the day when we weren’t hitting as well as we’d like too.”

Northwest Nazarene coach Kelli Lindley can smile when she says that, though, as defense is the No. 1 key for her Crusaders and came through Saturday night, leading the way to a 74-68 over Central Washington in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

“We were really solid on defense,” NNU post Jennifer Williams added. “... As a team we were really there for each other, giving high fives and pats on the butt and that really loosened us up to play great defense.”

The NNU defense forced 24 turnovers, held Central Washington to 23-of-53 shooting and forced crucial scoring droughts by the Wildcats, as NNU struggled to score but made up for that by taking 20 extra shots. In part, due to turnovers, and also aided by winning the battle of the offensive boards 19-8.

“It’s really a testament to our wings more than anybody because they have really made a conscious effort to come from the perimeter and crash in and steal away some of those rebounds,” Lindley said.

An offensive board by point guard Mallory Whipple led to her own 3-pointer and a 26-20 lead in the opening half, as the Crusaders (16-6 overall, 9-4 GNAC) nursed a narrow margin to the break, up 33-31 at halftime. Post Nichole Schutte got NNU going in the final 20 minutes with a putback, 3-point play, but the Wildcats (12-9, 4-9) hung around and trailed just 47-44 with 12:43 to go after a Kristina Klapperich hoop. Then the Crusaders defense made its move, holding the Wildcats to a single free throw over a 5:33 stretch, forcing three turnovers, making two steals and adding a Schutte block.

“If our shots aren’t falling we need to pick it up on defense and tonight that’s what we did,” Williams said.

Plus, Williams added a pair of free throws and a pull-up 6-footer before a Katy Sullivan 3-point play with 8:38 to go made it 54-44. A Williams 2-footer followed by a Kristin Hein bucket capped the run, giving NNU a 58-45 edge. Central Washington tried to rally, getting as close as 60-55 down, but the NNU defense denied the comeback.

“At this point in the season we have a lot of confidence in our ability to get stops when we need them,” Lindley said, as her team held the Wildcats to three free throws over the next 4-plus minutes, taking a 66-58 lead into the final minute.

NNU then iced it grabbing an offensive board as Williams tipped a missed free throw attempt to Schutte for an extra possession. That extra chance turned into two Whipple free throws that iced the win, putting NNU up 72-63 with 17.2 ticks remaining. Williams led NNU with 20 points, Schutte added 10 points and 11 boards, and Whipple and Brittney Roggenkamp each scored 10. (Published Feb. 17, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Katie Zillner delivers a pitch in a game against Corban last season. Zillner leads a Coyote team looking to repeat as Cascade Conference champions this season. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Strong pitching and offense make C of I pick to win league By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The College of Idaho softball team finds itself in a unique position as a new season dawns. Coming off an all-time best campaign that saw the Coyotes rack up a school-record 37 wins and a first-ever Cascade Conference championship, The C of I starts the year in a tournament in California on Friday against Holy Names and league rival Corban, ranked No. 14 in the country and the favorite to repeat as the Cascade’s top team.

“On paper I think it’s realistic,” Mendiola said of a repeat crown, “but I just know my team; I don’t know what everybody else has got.

“But just knowing my team I think we have a legitimate chance.”

Still, question marks remain for the seventh-year program, which spent January doing a lighter practice schedule in the gym due to weather and getting extra time off to concentrate on studies and to avoid burn-out.

“A ground ball in the gym on Monday is the same thing as a ground ball in the gym on a Wednesday or Thursday,” Mendiola said, “… I think they’re starting to get that antsyness back to get outside.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to step outside and make the necessary adjustments.”

Adjustments that include replacing senior All-Region center fielder and offensive spark Heather Kirtley (.333, 25 SB, 42 runs), but also shortstops A.J. Cavanaugh and Becky Camperud, catcher Nicole Illias and outfielder Stefanie Gonsalves. Returning second baseman Amy Rhoades will redshirt.

“With as much returning (15 players) with our team, we actually have different faces at each position,” Mendiola said.

Leaving the Yotes with freshmen Kalie Kurdy and Chelsea Craig sharing time with redshirt Donnae Carrell at short, and senior Kelsi Murdock (.200, 2 RBI) and sophomore Amaia Enrico (.179, 1 RBI), who played at first last year, splitting time at second. Returner Nicole Becvar, injured last season, freshman Irais Quintero and sophomore pitcher Brooke Judy (.317, 15 RBI) share time at first, while All-Region selection Haley Butcher (.347, 3 HR, 32 RBI) handles the chores at third. The outfield features Region I Player and Pitcher of the Year Katie Zillner (.342, 3 HR, 43 RBI) sharing time in left, Idaho State transfer Nicole Antonoplos (.176) patrolling center, and returners Stacy Smith (.383, 11 HR, 44 RBI) and Stephanie Stover (.138, 2 RBI) also seeing time.

Smith and Zillner both provide plenty of offensive power, while “what (Antonoplos)’s going to add on the offense is a little more power,” Mendiola said. “She’s not a slap hitter type, but I think she’s going to be our leadoff or second hitter.”

All part of a very good offense, as Mendiola says he can fill the lineup with 14 to 15 players, and feels that freshmen Sammy Dodge from Mountain Home, Caylin LePire from Mountain View and transfer Katy Luetke from Mendocino CC will also contribute. But what makes the Yotes the league favorite is pitching, where Zillner (18-6, 2.38 ERA, 204 Ks) and Judy (15-3, 2.78 ERA) lead a strong staff. Zillner blew opponents away last year and Judy frustrated them by painting the corners, but Mendiola also expects good things from sophomore Chelsey Nokleby (3-3, 3.62 ERA), a year more experienced, and Carrell.

“None of the conference teams ever having seen her, it’s going to be a surprise when they see her best pitch,” Mendiola said, “which I think is her curveball. It moves really well, I’m guessing we’re talking three to five feet; just unbelievable break. We’re working where she starts it at the hitter and they kinda bail out.”

The best part, Mendiola can keep foes off balance.

“Depending how the starter goes, maybe splitting it up so by the second or third at-bat they have to go through as if they were starters again,” he said, planning on changing pitchers mid-game.

Making the Yotes a dangerous team. But Mendiola knows that the league will be a challenge, as Concordia finished third in regionals last season and will be tough again, Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon being constant powers, and Corban returning all their players from a team the Yote coach says frustrated his squad last season. The prize? The league champ hosts regionals and Mendiola knows that home field would give his team an advantage in the playoffs of earning a first-ever berth to the NAIA World Series.

“I’m just looking to win another conference championship so we can host,” he said.

(Published Feb. 14, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

College of Idaho guard Josh Owen drives on Concordia University defender Ryan Murray during Saturday’s game in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho guard Bryan Champ drives the lane against Concordia University defender Steven Vaughan during the first half of Saturday evening's game at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) C of I goes cold for final 10 minutes, still holds on for win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — This time, defense was enough to win. A night after The College of Idaho men played good defense but lost 72-65 to Corban due to shooting woes, the Coyotes responded with a better defensive effort that held up for a 59-57 win over Concordia on Saturday night.

“The defense obviously keeps us in games,” C of I coach Mark Owen said, adding, “and tonight we had some other guys step up and make some baskets.”

Such as Tucker Long (10 points) and Steffen Spinks (14 points), who added double-digit nights along with Josh Owen (12 points) and Bryan Champ (12 points), who led the way Friday. Spinks proved big in the opening half, scoring 11 in the opening 20 minutes, with his 3-pointer with 4 minutes, 56 seconds to halftime putting the Yotes (12-14 overall, 9-7 conference) up for good, 28-26. Caleb Blessinger then dropped a triple on the Cavaliers (12-13, 8-8), Anton Coleman hit a pair of free throws, then found Champ for a trio with 2:15 to halftime, as the Yotes went on an 11-0 run the final 6:56 of the opening session. That lead grew to as much as 53-43 with 10:17 left, thanks to great execution on offense that found Coleman for a pair of lay-ins, and then a series of quick perimeter passes set up an Owen 3-ball.

“We are such a methodical offensive team,” coach Owen said, adding, “if it doesn’t go just right, and he (Concordia coach Brad Barbarick) was switching ’em up man to zone.”

Which suddenly stalled the Yotes attack, with the C of I getting a Kurt Nielson free throw, a Champ 3-pointer and a Long putback the rest of the night. And yet, the Yotes held on.

“We just keep staying up on ’em and they got tired and it worked to our advantage,” Nielson said.

A Cody Aker 3-ball got the Cavs as close as 59-57 with 2 minutes left. Concordia got a defensive stop when Nielson missed a tough attempt from under the basket with 10 seconds left. Barbarick called a timeout with 7.4 ticks left, drew up a play for Aker, but the 6-foot-5 senior forward’s driving lay-in attempt, over Champ, rolled off and Nielson grabbed the board to seal the win. (Published Feb. 10, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

C of I lets 20-point lead slip, but holds off Concordia for 82-72 conference victory By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Fatigue, and the Cavaliers, almost caught up with The College of Idaho ladies Saturday night. After playing her starters for 30-plus minutes in Friday’s 70-61 win over Corban, coach Reagan Rossi knew her team might run lot on energy, but the...read more

College of Idaho guard Whitney Clark drives the lane against Corban College defender Denise Benedict during the second half of Friday evening’s game at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho guard Christon Vander Esch goes up for a contested shot during the second half of Friday evening's game against Concordia University at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Yotes survive own style to beat Corban 70-61 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Coyotes women are in pretty good shape, and they needed to be Friday night. Playing their aggressive, up-tempo style, The College of Idaho got next to no help from the bench and, riding its weary starters, still managed to pull out a 70-61 win over Corban in Cascade Conference play.

“We talked for the last two years about this being a risk and you’re really relying on your bench and some nights, you know …,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said.

“We should have some fresh kids for (to)night who can step up.”

The Yotes (15-7 overall, 12-3 conference) only got double-digit minutes from seven players and just seven points from the bench on the night, yet still found a way to survive.

“It was pretty tough,” said C of I post Christon Vander Esch, who played 39 of 40 minutes. “With media timeouts and stuff it’s a little easier because you get those extra timeouts.

“As long as you mentally just stay in it and keep pushing it helps a lot.”

The C of I pushed through a hot start for Corban (8-17, 4-11) as the Warriors hit 10-of-17 early on to overcome a bevy of turnovers — 14 in the first half and 27 on the night — and led 19-14 before the Yotes chipped away. A Kayla Brewer 3-pointer put the Yotes up 24-21, and a late surge before halftime gave The C of I a 33-29 lead after a Vander Esch bank shot. A margin that grew to 42-33 before the Yote bench took the floor. And the Warriors took over with a 15-0 run over a 7:08 stretch that saw Corban grab eight offensive boards and hold The C of I to 0-for-11 shooting.

“We didn’t transition well, we didn’t execute well and it was a bad seven minutes,” said Rossi, whose team also was slowed by using an atypical four-guard set and a new defense. “I’m thankful we rebounded from it and we’re able to get the win.”

Two Vander Esch free throws put the Yotes back on the board, then Whitney Owen bounced a 3-ball home for a 51-50 lead with 7:36 left. A ShaNae Horner triple put the Yotes ahead for good — up 54-52 with 7:13 to go — and somehow the Yote starters managed to press, attack and finish off the Warriors.

“Just keep pushing,” Vander Esch, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds, said. “We really focus on the first five minutes and the last five minutes of every half and really run hard then. … The other team’s going get tired towards the end of the half.”

Owen added 19 points and 10 boards, and Clark had 14 points for the Yotes in the win. (Published Feb. 9, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Albertson’s Andrew Brock delivers a pitch against NNU on Feb. 10, 2007. Brock and the Coyotes look to return to the NAIA World Series but first must get past British Columbia and Lewis-Clark State in Region I play this season. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I still solid on defense, but adds more recruits to offense By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Not even Coyote baseball coach Shawn Humberger can believe it’s time to play ball, but his College of Idaho squad throws out the first pitches on the 2008 season today and Sunday with games against Whitworth and No. 1-ranked Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston.

“It doesn’t seem realistic that it’s about to start since we haven’t stepped foot on the field except to shovel snow,” Humberger said.

The weather has forced the Yotes to practice indoors, and when possible, to take batting practice in their cage beneath the Simplot Stadium grandstand, but even that’s proven to be difficult.

“It snowed and blew so bad that we couldn’t do that, so the pitchers haven’t thrown to hitters or we haven’t hit off the pitchers even in the cage,” Humberger said.

So it might take a little bit for the Coyotes to shake off the winter rust, but when they do, expect this year’s squad to be a serious challenger for a berth to the NAIA World Series.

“I think we’re going to be pretty good,” junior third baseman Bryan Champ said. “I think we’re going to be really, really competitive in our region and hopefully I think this is going to be a really good year for us.

“We have 40, 50 guys, so there’s a lot of competition,” the Region I Golden Glove third baseman added. “The best guy’s going to get the job, so that’s really good because we’re going to be a really good team. One through nine we’re going to be able to swing it and we’re going to be able to field.”

So good, that Humberger says that Champ (.308, 16 RBI), along with fellow returnees Luke Howarth (.318, 23 RBI, 13 SB), Richie Snider (.319, 26 RBI) and Dane McGrady (.288, 11 RBI) might not even win back their starting spots.

A 43-player roster thanks to more scholarships this season allowed Humberger to go after “more physical kids. So we went after some position players, guys we didn’t anticipate we could get.”

Newcomers include junior college transfers Cody Brubaker (.394, 4 HR, 38 RBI) from Spokane Falls, and Jake Miller (.305, 7 HR, 37 RBI) and Devin Weaver (.303, 4 HR, 30 RBI) from Treasure Valley, who join Howarth in the outfield.

“They all had really good falls, Jake and Cody, they’ve got pro tools,” Humberger said.

Also joining the Yotes will be Brad Carlsen (Gold Glove, .246, 37 RBI), an outfield for Western Nevada - a junior college World Series team - who will take over at second having played shortstop in high school.

“His bat was going to be in the lineup no matter where you played him,” Humberger said.

Champ returns at third, when he’s done playing hoops for The C of I men, and Snider likely handling first base. Humberger looks for McGrady to continue his role behind the plate while schooling freshman Jordan Lanman, who the Yote coach says could be a star in the near future.

Lanman is still working on blocking balls and learning to calls games, which McGrady “is just great at and the pitchers love throwing to him because they’re so comfortable with him and he thinks the game,” Humberger said.

If the freshman comes along quick enough, the Yotes could switch McGrady to shortstop, where he originally played, the one big hole for The C of I.

“We have not played well, we didn’t play well all fall at shortstop,” Humberger said. “We have some guys that physically can do it, they just haven’t done it yet.

“… I think we’re just as good defensively except for at shortstop, that’s the one thing that worries me because its so important.”

Even better offensively, though.

“Without a doubt more bat speed up and down the lineup and just more physical probably,” Humberger said.

“We haven’t got a hit or home run yet, but just based on our workouts in the fall we’re way better there.”

Plus, the Yotes will be tough on the hill as starters Joey Zubizarreta (4-0, 2.62 ERA) and Andrew Brock (4-5, 3.66 ERA) return, while transfers Jason Barry (2-2, 3.25 ERA) from NCAA Division I Northern Iowa, and Jacob Bottari (3-2 2.84 ERA) from Western Nevada, both join a deep staff with 18 arms.

“I don’t know we’re better top end pitching but … I think we’re as good, and the depth is better, which give us more options,” Humberger said.

Giving the Yotes a great chance to win the Region I regular season, host the postseason and possible return to the NAIA World Series. Standing in the way will be Lewis-Clark State — in its final year of playing in the Region I tournament — along with improved British Columbia and Concordia squads. But the Yotes aren’t worried.

“LC had a great team last year,” Humberger said, adding, “… I’ve been here almost 20 years, (LCSC had) one of the best teams I’ve ever seen, if not the best.

“… I think we’re better, but I just don’t see them — they’re always going to be good but that was a special team.”

Champ adds: “I think this year, anything less than getting past where we got last year it’ll be a disappointment. We have bigger expectations.”

(Published Feb. 9, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The College of Idaho's J.R. Maggard puts up a shot over Corban's Hannes Gehring on Friday night in the Coyotes 72-65 loss to the Warriors in Caldwell. C of I hits 33 percent in setback, late technicals ice 72-65 loss By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — OK, the Coyotes can shoot, but it takes more than just firing up shots to win games.

“We can shoot, we just can’t make,” College of Idaho coach Mark Owen said after his team dropped a 72-65 Cascade Conference game to Corban on Friday night.

In part because the Yotes couldn’t make buckets, hitting just 20-of-60 (33.3 percent) from the field and 8-of-31 3-balls (25.8 percent).

“We didn’t make baskets tonight and our defense can only hold on so long.”

The Coyote defense did its part, forcing 18 turnovers and holding the Warriors (9-16 overall, 4-11 conference) to a respectable 25-of-61 (41.0 percent), but just couldn’t come up with the crucial stops. Trailing 60-58, Champ splashed a triple for the Yotes with 2:41 to play, a bucket that could have swung momentum to The C of I bench down the stretch, but instead, Kyle Masten matched Champs trey with one of his own 20 ticks later for the Warriors.

“Down the stretch they kinda made a run and we answered it with a basket,” Corban coach Justin Sherwood said.

The case all night, as the Yotes (11-14, 8-7) grabbed leads of 19-12, 35-32 and 41-40, only to see the Warriors responded. Setting up a late defensive stop by the Warriors, which turned into mayhem. Down 65-61, Champ drove to the bucket only to be called for a charge when he crashed into Corban’s Hannes Gehring.

“It was a huge play,” Sherwood said, “and he leads our team in picking up charges so he did tonight what he’s done all year and stood in there and took one for the team.”

A physical battle that got away from the referees, Gehring let some frustration show as he kicked at Champ with both on the floor. The referees decided to retake control, giving both a technical, which enraged coach Owen who earned a “T” himself.

“I was disappointed the guy could kick us in the face and we got the double technical,” the Yote coach said. “Then me being a dumb idiot getting another technical, losing my poise; but I’m trying to protect my kids. I thought that was the wrong call.”

It iced the win as Jason Braun hit the technical freebies, then the Warriors added two more charity tosses, stretching a 4-point lead to 69-61, and icing the win. Champ finished with 18, Owen added 17 and J.R. Maggard had 14 and 11 boards for the Yotes. Corban was led by Wade Douglas’ 19 points. (Published Feb. 9, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene forward Kendall Gielow goes up for a shot against Seattle University defender Mike Boxley during the first half of Thursday evening's game on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Crusaders must win on road with just 3 of final 9 games in Nampa By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Costly loss? Yes, the Crusaders needed to hang on Thursday night. Not just for their Top 25 ranking, though that’d be nice to brag about. Nope, the Northwest Nazarene men took a tough loss against a very good team that, down the road, might just hurt.

“Any loss that you take hurts,” NNU coach Tim Hills said, adding, “and we’re fighting to get to the national tournament for the first time since the schools gone to Division II. Any loss right now is going to hurt you but when you lose at home it really hurts you.”

The second time NNU has lost at home, which doesn’t help the Crusaders, who headed into Thursday night’s 83-72 setback against Seattle U. were at No. 5 in the West Region. The top eight teams make it to nationals. A tough loss as NNU plays just three of it’s final nine dates on its own hardwood at the Johnson Sports Complex in Nampa. And one of those dates is against No. 5-ranked Alaska Anchorage, no gimme there. That means the Crusaders will have to be road warriors to get to the D-II “Big Dance” in March, needing to hold serve on its home court and then probably win at least four of those final six roads games to be in good shape as they look to fend off Central Washington, Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona (Nos. 6-8 in the West Region poll). Bad news, the Wildcats rolled over St. Martin’s, which won’t help NNU. The good news, it’s no unheard of for a team to rattle of late wins in the GNAC. The Crusaders themselves did it in 2004-05 — just missing nationals — as they won nine of their final 10. And Thursday night’s foe, Seattle, won its final seven to share the league crown and make it to nationals after a 4-5 start to league play. A feat the Redhawks could very well do this year, too.

“They’re a really good team,” Hills said of Seattle, “they were in this position last year at 4-5 after the first round then they ran off seven in a row. They’re very athletic, I don’t know how they’re just 5-5 now to be honest.”

Maybe a good sign for NNU that they’re battling the nationals best — Seattle could be a tournament team by seasons end — tough. Giving NNU fans a reason to expect good things still to come — even if a trip to the postseason looks like a long, tough road right now. Great names in this game NAMPA — Couldn’t help but smile when looking at the Seattle roster Thursday night and reading some of those names. Missed it? Well, how about Rick Berry — basketball fans it should ring a bell, right? How about NBA Hall-of-Famer Rick Barry who play pro in the 1960s and ’70s. No relation of course — no typo in the name, they are spelled different — but with a name like that, I guess you just have to play hoops. That wasn’t it, though, as the Redhawks also had a splash of Hollywood — kind of. OK, how about Michael Knight — where’s the car, the Knight Industries 2000 (KIT) — and Austen Powers — Yea Baby! Sorry, couldn’t resist, but great names. (This story only available on-line) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene guard Justin Parnell drives the lane against Seattle University defender Ricky Berry during the first half on Thursday. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) NNU blows 13-point edge in second half against Seattle University’s full-court defense By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It turned out to be a simple change, but one that proved devastating for the Crusaders. Trailing by 13 in the second half, Seattle University coach Joe Callero told his team to go with a man-to-man, full-court defense which wreaked havoc on the Northwest Nazarene as the Redhawks grabbed an 83-72 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win Thursday night.

“We felt like the only way we were going to stop them from shooting was make them play a full-court game and maybe we’d take their legs out and take their lungs out,” Callero said.

Instead, the Redhawks (12-7 overall, 5-5 GNAC) took the ball away, making four steals on consecutive NNU possessions to help tie the ballgame.

“It was a simple thing, it was just man-to-man then the close guy goes to trap,” NNU coach Tim Hills said of the Redhawks’ defensive attack. “Our guys kept running off and leaving, and we called I think three timeouts trying to get our guys to come back to the ball.”

Instead, a Mike Boxley steal led to a Michael Wright fast-break layup, then Wright came up with three straight thefts, finding Boxley after the final steal for a finger roll and a 59-59 score with 10:07 left.

“We didn’t handle it very well and we never really adjusted to it well, and once they get the open court, they’re so athletic we can’t guard them,” Hills said.

And once the Redhawks had evened the ballgame, they broke the Crusaders’ spirit and inched away late as a Leigh Swanson driving bucket made it 71-68 with 5:26 left, Ryan Coldren hit a 4-foot hook shot for a 75-70 lead and a Wright layup off a Michael Knight driving dish iced the win at 79-72 with 1:28 to play.

“We lost our poise really bad, and we lost our confidence a little bit,” Hills said. “And the more they turned up the pressure the softer we got.”

It was a strong finish for Seattle, which took an early lead, then hit just 13-of-31 as NNU forged a comfortable edge. After allowing the Redhawks to go 7-of-8 and build a 16-8 advantage, NNU (14-5, 6-4) charged ahead, knocking down 17-of-26 (65.4 percent) of their shots and 4-of-8 3-pointers in the first half. The Crusaders used their confidence — and some good defense holding the Redhawks to 6-of-15 shooting and forcing four turnovers during a 30-14 swing —to take a 38-30 lead on a Justin Parnell 4-footer with 2:56 to the break.

“We kept the ball from penetrating,” Hills said of his team’s defense, “then we also made their posts get it further out. Sometimes it’s a matter of three feet, it’s not a big thing in this game.”

The Crusaders continued to click and stretched a 43-36 halftime lead to 55-42 on a Kendall Gielow 2-footer before everything changed and the Redhawks charged to the win. Gielow finished with a game-high 22 points and Parnell added 17 and seven rebounds for NNU in the loss. (Published Feb. 8, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene pitcher Jared Joffer works on his pitches Tuesday. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Balanced offfense, depth on the hill will help Crusaders in GNAC By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — No surprise that snow has slowed down the Northwest Nazarene baseball team this winter, nor that the Crusaders are excited to hit the road for nine games in six days starting Monday at Bethany University in California.

“They’re anxious, that’s the positive side,” NNU coach Tim Onofrei said. “You can (practice indoors) this time of year and guys are excited to go.”

Coming off a 21-26 campaign that saw NNU finish second in the GNAC, the Crusaders are excited about more than just hitting the field.

“Team’s looking strong, we’ve got a lot a hitting surround by some good pitching and we’re looking to start off the season right in California,” NNU first baseman Jimmy VanBeek said.

“I think we’re going to be strong, a team to be reckoned with.”

A bit underrated team, too, as NNU is picked to finish fourth in the five-team GNAC by the league’s coaches. But NNU will be a threat, a club with plenty of offensive pop with all-GNAC catcher Zach Aaukhas (.344, 7 HR, 36 RBI) being a big long-ball and RBI threat, and VanBeek and transfer Joel Oliver from The Master’s, also a catcher, providing pop too. The Crusaders are more than just a few big bats, though, as all-conference pick Cole Smith (.269, 11 SB) along with transfer Ryan Bailey (.326, 19 RBI), a catcher from Pacific, add speed to a strong lineup.

“Offensively this team can swing a little bit,” Onofrei said. “It’s been five years since we had a .300 hitting team, since we moved to the GNAC. I think this team can push for that.”

A plus for NNU, as Onofrei adds that the bottom of the lineup is just as much a strength as the rest of the order, with Smith, who moves from second to center field, and a group of outfielders adding speed and tough outs there. While offense will be one strength, the Crusaders won’t rely solely on that to win ballgames as Onofrei believes this might be one of the strongest infields the team has fielded, with all-conference pick Severo Rodriguez (.303, 15 RBI, 14 errors in 201 chances) leading the way. He’s joined by Mitch Kochis who moves from third to second, transfer Cory Warburton (.280, 21 RBI) from Treasure Valley CC, who takes over at the hot corner, and a platoon of first basemen including VanBeek and Aaukhas.

“The infield may pitch all the way around as the all-conference infield,” Onofrei said. “I think it’s got that potential to do that.”

“We’re pretty good on offense, but we’re going to look to sharpen our skills on defense as well,” VanBeek added. “We’ve got a pretty good infield and outfield so we’re just looking to get better in any way we possibly can.”

The big question mark might be the outfield with former infielders like Smith and Tim Puckett getting the call in center and right, with Ryne Phillips, Blue Mountain transfer Brian Fields and freshman Kalen Hruza all sharing time in left.

“We’ve got good athletes out there but they haven’t necessarily got the instinct from year’s of outfield,” Onofrei said.

They’ll back up a strong pitching staff that won’t overpower teams, Onofrei said, but that will be deeper and more consistent, led by returner Alex VanOeveren (3.5 5.67 ERA) He’s joined by Chris Mahelona, who saw limited action last season before being slowed by an arm injury, and transfers Andy Pottenger (1-1, 4.78 ERA) from Walla Walla CC and Kyle Holloway (2-9, 5.03) from Blue Mountain. Warburton will serve as the team’s closer, while Phillips (4-4, 6.31 ERA) and Fields will also helped out a staff that will feature 14 reliable arms, the NNU coach said.

“For the last four or five years, we’ve had a No. 1 and No. 2 that runs it up there quite a bit,” Onofrei said. “More velocity, the more mistakes you can get away with, these guys have to pound the zone ‘cause they’re not carrying the same amount of velocity we’ve carried in the past, but they are doing that, they are pounding the zone.”

Especially Mahelona, who Onofrei says has All-American potential.

“He’s tough, he’s been giving our guys fits for weeks,” Onofrei said.

If it all comes together — Onofrei feels that next week’s schedule will help NNU get started fast — the team has high hopes of competing for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown.

“I’d like to see us shoot for 35 (wins), 35 and 21; I think that’s where the talent level is,” Onofrei said. “We get hot and roll through some opponents, maybe we do better than that.”

(Published Feb. 8, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

College of Idaho skier Nicki Maxwell is a team captain for the Yotes as a junior. Maxwell and her teammates race this weekend at Bogus Basin in the Northwest Conference No. 4 slalom ski meet. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Nicki Maxwell skis in the slalom at the 2006 USCSA National Championships at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine. (Photo submitted by John Post) Coyotes hit the slopes Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m.: The College of Idaho host the Northwest Conference No. 4 slalom ski meet at Bogus Basin Coyote junior an asset for team, enjoys chance to race at C of I By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — For many winter enthusiasts, a trip to the ski hill is a chance to have some fun. Nicki Maxwell is no different in that respect, though she makes the trip to the slopes almost every day.

“It’s a lot of fun,” the junior from Belfry, Mont., said of skiing the giant slalom — her best event — and the slalom for The College of Idaho alpine ski team.

“It’s just a huge adrenaline rush,” she adds, “... you get to go fast.”

But like any student athlete competing in college, playing a sport is more than just fun, it can be plenty of work, too. For Maxwell, it is well worth it as she began skiing at a young age, thanks to her dad, Joe, a ski coach in Montana. While also playing volleyball at Red Lodge High, the future Coyote admits racing took plenty of dedication but paid off as she traveled to race in junior events around the West, eventually attracting the attention of C of I ski coach Ron Bonneau.

“Ron sent out his (recruiting) letter,” Maxwell recalls, “and so I was like ‘OK, I guess I’ll apply,’ and then I met Ron and I just fell in love with the school and the whole situation.”

It was a great fit for the Coyotes, too, as Maxwell has been a big part of The C of I’s teams the last two seasons, helping the Yotes to the 2006 regional title, a runner-up regional title last winter, and nationals the last two seasons where she finished 31st in the slalom and 35th in the giant slalom as a freshman, and 34th in the GS and 54th in the slalom as a sophomore.

“Nicki has some really sound fundamentals,” Bonneau said, “... she’s been skiing for a long time and has a real good sense for what it takes and what she needs to do to get it done.

“She’s not the fastest skier on the team but she’s somebody you can count on,” the Coyote coach adds. “As far as college skiing, where you look for consistency, I know she’s gonna be there, and that’s really a great asset for our program.”

So much so, the junior was elected captain by her teammates, acting as a go-between for the athletes and Bonneau, as well as helping pick who will compete each week for the Yotes. That can be a tough job, as Maxwell, and men’s team captain Aaron Flynn, confer with Bonneau to decide the fifth spot each week for the Coyote skiers. It’s a big responsibility, but just part of the hard work Maxwell goes through, just like her teammates, as college skiing is almost a full-time job.

“And they go to school too,” Bonneau adds.

Fitting class and homework in around a tough schedule that typically begins around 12:30 p.m. each day with a trip to Bogus Basin for practice four days a week. After about an hour and a half of travel time, the team sets up the course for the day, makes several runs — Maxwell says that Tuesday she made six or seven runs then got some free time to enjoy the snow and have some fun with her teammates at Bogus Basin — before the long return trip back to the Caldwell campus and calling it a day about 6:30 p.m.

“It’s a lot harder than everyone thinks,” said Maxwell, an Academic All-American who is studying health science and hopes to become a doctor. “(People) think, ‘Oh, I can ski,’ but racing’s a lot different ’cause there’s like parameters on what your turn shape is and everything.”

Plus, it still is competition.

“I think it’s very unique especially at this level (the United States Collegiate Ski Association) because it’s not like it’s super competitive,” she said, “we have a lot of fun, and that’s why I chose to come here and not race NCAA because that’s a lot more competitive.”

Still, it’s a chance to compete, which the Yotes do at Bogus Basin this weekend beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Not necessarily a glamorous competition, as Bonneau admits that most races take place at hills off the beaten path.

“A lot of the personal satisfaction needs to come within,” he said.

Of course, skiing at home this weekend means a chance to finally have some fans cheer on the Coyotes.

“I hope a lot of people from school, and just the whole Valley, come out and cheer us on because it should be a really good meet,” Maxwell said.

(Published Feb. 7, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene forward Brittney Roggenkamp drives the ball against Seattle Pacific defender Daesha Henderson during the first half Saturday in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Northwest Nazarene post Jennifer Williams goes up and over Seattle Pacific University defender Kelsey Hill during Saturday’s game in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Crusaders miss free throws late as No. 2 SPU prevails By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Heartbreak is becoming too familiar a part of the Crusaders’ season. For the second time, the Northwest Nazarene women outplayed a top-10 team but still went home unhappy as No. 2 Seattle Pacific escaped with a 68-67 win over the Crusaders in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Saturday.

“I’m very proud of the ladies, they battled the No. 2 team in the country, had an opportunity to win, unfortunately tonight we missed too many free throws, and in big games against great teams you’ve got to hit free throws,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said.

Back on Jan. 10, the Crusaders nearly upset then No. 7 Alaska Anchorage but failed to score in the final 3 minutes of a 52-50 heartbreaker. This time, the difference came at the charity stripe as NNU went 16-of-24 for the game and 5-of-11 in the final 5 minutes. That included two missed freebies by point guard Mallory Whipple, who moments before grabbed a defensive rebound away from the Falcons’ Megan Hoisington. Leading 67-66 with 25.6 ticks left, Whipple missed both tosses and the Falcons (18-0 overall, 9-0 GNAC) grabbed the board. Coach Julie van Beek called timeout with 7.5 seconds left and drew up a play, looking for either outside threat Jackie Hollands or Libby Magnuson on the baseline. Instead, NNU denied both and Beth Christensen forced a running layup attempt that missed the mark, but the far official called a foul with 0.4 second on the board.

“I thought the ladies played excellent defense on that last position and you can’t leave it in the officials’ hands,” Lindley said. “You try and give yourself enough cushion where a last-second call won’t determine the game.”

Christensen promptly won it for the Falcons with her two charity tosses, a similar finish to NNU’s 65-63 win over SPU on March 1, 2007.

“We came back to tie it, then we fouled at the buzzer and Danielle Dwello made two free throws,” van Beek recalled, “so it was ironic to see the way the game ended.”

A disheartening finish after a great effort by NNU (13-5, 6-3), which traded leads with the Falcons all night. The biggest Crusader edge came with 4:44 to halftime, a 27-22 lead after a Beth Johnson free throw. The Falcons responded after halftime with a 40-35 advantage on a Hollands’ bucket before the teams traded the lead the rest of the way. It looked like the Crusaders might sink the upset when Nichole Schutte made it 67-64 with two free throws with 1:34 left, but the Falcons got two charity tosses from Christensen, then forced one of 25 NNU turnovers with 48.4 seconds left. The Crusaders got a defensive stop, only to see Whipple miss her chances to ice the win.

“NNU has a good team, it’s my alma mater,” van Beek, who played for the Crusaders in the late 1980s along with SPU assistant Michelle Skyles, said. “I’m proud of them, I thought they played a very good game tonight and they fought very hard.”

Forcing 18 SPU turnovers, holding the Falcons to just 38.6 percent shooting (22-of-57) and outrebounding the GNAC leaders 41-29. It just wasn’t quite enough — again.

“I think this team, they’re a bunch of fighters,” Lindley said. “ ... Most likely it’s going to burn and sting all night and most likely most of them (Sunday) will come and shoot some free throws.”

(Published Feb. 3, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Mark Hanson, right, competes in the 60 meter hurdles Saturday morning in the United Heritage Invitational in Nampa. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Footwork comes together for thrower as she beats school’s best mark by 3 feet By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — If you keep working hard at something, eventually it pays off. That proved true for Northwest Nazarene senior Amy Carroll, who has spent the past few seasons working on her footwork in the shot put. Saturday, it all came together as Carroll finished third in the United Heritage Invitational at the Idaho Center’s Jacksons Track with a mark of 42 feet, 8 inches. A school record mark, breaking the old standard of 39-11 set in 2001 by Mary-Anne McDonald, and a personal record by three feet for Carroll, who entered the day already with the best throw in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

“It feels really, really great, that record has been there for a while now,” Carroll said.

Something the senior had been aiming for, changing her footwork from throwing with her feet parallel to a more open stance on her release, allowing her to use more of her legs and hips to propel the shot.

“Things really locked in and I finally broke over that barrier,” Carroll said, “… it makes a big difference to have an open stance rather than a closed one, a difference of three feet.

“… I’m just blessed to finally be able to set my feet with the work I’ve put in.”

Carroll’s record performance was just one of three for NNU, as Zach Barclay continued his assault on the Crusaders record books in the weight throw, breaking his own best for the second straight week with a throw of 52-7, good for eighth in the meet. And freshman Elisa Decker surprised herself with two great performances, racing to a school-best time in the 400-meter prelims on Friday in 58.52 seconds, then turning in the best time in the GNAC in the 800 on Saturday, finishing fourth in her heat and overall in 2:16.19.

“It’s fun, it’s nice,” the sprinter from Vancouver, Wash., said. “That’s a good PR (in the 800) for me too, so that’s nice.“

As for her effort in the 400 the night before, Decker says she typically doesn’t run the event well and does better in the 4x400 relay, “so I just kinda pretended I had a baton in my hand and that made me go faster.”

So fast, the freshman is happily surprised by her success.

“I was not expecting to do this well in college. I figure my freshman year was going to be make a couple PRs, maybe do well. … It’s nice, it’s a good feeling.”

Also feeling pretty good about her weekend was Boise State’s Eleni Kafourou, who won the triple and long jump, meeting NCAA Division I meet provisional marks in both. Kafourou won the long jump with a leap of 20-3.75 on Friday night, then set a school record with her winning mark of 43-0.25 in the triple Saturday.

“It was nice, but we want to get a little better ‘cause I want to make it to nationals and these marks are close, but it’s like, we’re not sure we’re gonna make it,” the junior from Greece said.

“I’m excited for now, it’s a school record,” she added, beating her own triple-jump mark of 42-8.75, “… but I want to get better.”

Still, Kafourou knows winning can only help in the long run.

“It’s really important to keep in mind winning will always help you improve and make you better as an athlete because that’s the state of mind you want.”

Adding a win in the heptathlon was former Eagle High star Donovan Kilmartin, now competing for Texas with 6,008 points, while BSU’s Savvas Diakonikolas won the men’s long jump with a mark of 25-8, which set a building record. Also competing were the Coyotes from The College of Idaho with Tyler Hopper and Stephanie Helm both earning NAIA provisional marks in the 3,000s in 8:53.29 and 10:28, respectively. (Published Feb. 3, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

NNU pitcher Dana Shipley works on her pitches in the NNU gym Wednesday afternoon. The Crusaders start their season Friday in St. George, Utah. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Crusaders look to win respect after rocky season a year ago By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — What a difference a year makes. Last season, off-field turmoil proved too big a distraction for the Crusaders softball team, which went 6-33. That’s all in the past, though, and this year’s Northwest Nazarene squad is set to surprise some people.

“We’ve been working really hard,” senior pitcher Rachel Bare said, “we have everybody returning from last year, that’s huge, we had a strong core. Then the freshmen, they came in ready to go, great shape, great work ethic.

“I’m really excited to see what we can do and build off of the momentum we ended with last year.”

NNU ended last season playing well, which included a doubleheader sweep of Saint Martin’s, and now looks to build off that as the Crusaders get started the earliest the program has ever started, playing Dixie State and California Baptist this Friday and Saturday in St. George, Utah.

“We’ve been working hard all fall,” NNU coach Julie Coert said, “I think the girls are ready to put themselves out there and see all this work get tested.”

Hard work by a team that will look very similar to last year’s squad, with NNU just losing shortstop Lori Setbacken. That means the Crusaders do return a solid core, like All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selections Vanessa Shaw (.321, 8 HR, 23 RBI) and Katie Free (.279, 2 HR, 17 RBI) along with third baseman Shawna Juarez (.286, 17 RBI), center fielder Jael Henthorn (.292, 9 RBI, 7 SB), outfielder Amanda Phillips (.214, 4 HR, 18 RBI), and both their pitchers from a year ago in Bare (6-19, 5.25 ERA) and Dana Shipley (0-14, 12.07 ERA). Shaw, Free, Juarez and Phillips will be key offensive threats in the middle of the lineup, while Henthorn looks to spark the attack in the lead-off spot.

“(Jael)’s really starting to grasp, not only her swing, but how to be a threat with all that she’s capable of,” Coert said.

And with the chance to train in the fall, all the Crusaders are grasping the offense better, Coert adds.

“They’ve had the fall to break down their skills and get reps and gain confidence,” she said.

Plus, NNU adds some depth with Catherine Lowery (first base and catcher), Cortnee Crane (infield and outfield) and volleyball player Haley Hevern (infield) adding to the Crusaders attack. And defense, as Coert says Lowery and Hevern will look to fill the shortstop role on a team that played tough defense a year ago, led by Free behind the plate, Juarez at third, Shaw and second and Henthorn in center.

“We were fortunately strong even though we were limited,” Coert said, “but now that we have those extra bodies it really has stepped up the consistency of our defense.

“Up the middle is where it helped us last year and where we’re going to be strong this year.”

That includes in the circle, too, even though NNU has just two pitchers in returners Bare and Shipley. Coert says that last season’s turmoil — the resignation of one coach forcing Coert to return to NNU to salvage the program — did little for either NNU hurler.

“Pitching is still thin but rejuvenated with a new purpose, and I think because we’re deeper not only on defense but in the lineup they’re going to have more confidence,” Coert said.

“We really looked back on a lot of games that we were right there, they kept us in,” she added. “They gave us an opportunity to win. I think now that we have more depth we’ll be able to push through in some of those games.”

So does Bare.

“We’re going to do great,” the senior said of her and Shipley, “it just shows (coach Coert) has confidence in us.”

And the Crusaders have confidence, despite a poor outing last season.

“We haven’t had any issues like that (last year’s coaching changes), we’ve been able to get in and get after it,” Bare said. “That’s huge, it’s going to make a big difference in our season. I think we’re going to be able to come out of the gates a lot faster than we did last year.

“Our main goal for this year, regardless of win-loss record is to know we’re respected,” she added.

Respect they’ve already earned in their coach’s eyes.

“I’m excited for them to see their potential and to live it out this season,” Coert said.

(Published Jan. 31, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Nicole Bruce goes up for a shot during the first half of Saturday evening’s game against Warner Pacific at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) C of I jumps out to 18-0 lead, cruises past Warner Pacific 78-53 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It almost seemed too easy. The College of Idaho women started out hot, hitting 7 of their first 10 shots, burying Warner Pacific early and never let the Knights catch up in a 78-53 Cascade Conference win.

“We made an adjustment in the press for how they broke it last time and kinda forced the issue there early on,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said of her team’s 18-0 lead to start the night.

Said senior guard Whitney Clark: “We’ve kinda been starting slow. … We just wanted to come out early and jump on them and send a message like, ‘No, you’re not going to stay in this game with us,’ and we did a great job of that tonight.”

The Knights (5-16 overall, 3-9 conference) went 0-for-7 during the Yotes opening charge, finally getting on the board when Lindsey Wells tossed in a fast-break bucket 5 minutes, 58 seconds in. It made little difference as a Megan Dufurrena fastbreak lay-in after a Katee Brewer steal put the Yotes (13-6, 10-2) up 35-13, with the only real Warner Pacific threat coming during a 6-0 run that saw Sally Brown convert a 3-point play and Rachel Newby add a trey. Leading 35-19, a Clark triple re-established the Yotes, who took a 40-21 edge at the break.

“I was just getting open, people were setting good screens for me and they were finding me,” said Clark, who scored 17 of her game-high 23 in the first half. “I was knocking my shots down tonight.”

In total control, the Coyotes put the game out of reach with a 7-1 charge to open the second half. The run was sparked by defense as the Knights coughed the ball up four times and missed their only field-goal attempt in the opening 2:56 of the session. Meanwhile, a pair of Christon Vander Esch free throws, a Clark triple and a Vander Esch bucket made it 47-22, and Warner Pacific never got closer than 20 the rest of the night.

“It never felt like we were up by 20 so we just kept on pushing and pushing,” Clark said, as the Yotes built the lead to 72-43 on a Whitney Owen 3 before settling for the 25-point win.

(Published Jan. 27, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

The College of Idaho’s Josh Owen drives the baseline during the first half of Saturday evening’s game against Warner Pacific at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) The College of Idaho's J.R. Maggard goes drives the lane against Warner Pacific College's Keegan Cook, 22, during the first half of Saturday evening's game at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) C of I tries repeat of rally from year ago against Warner Pacific By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Warner Pacific woke up just in time to prevent a reoccurring Knight-mare. A year ago, the then No. 4-ranked Knights blew a 16-point edge with 10 1/2 minutes to play at The College of Idaho, and Saturday night history nearly repeated. Down 21 in the first half, the Coyotes roared back to within five before the Knights fended off The C of I for a 77-68 Cascade Conference win.

“Eighteen, 19, something like that and we let it get away and they got hot and came back and got it,” Warner Pacific coach Bart Valentine recalled.

“I really didn’t (think of it),” Valentine added, “I thought we did OK.”

Not the Coyotes (10-12 overall, 7-5 conference), who bumbled on offense in the first half, committing 13 turnovers — including 10 unforced miscues. Six of those gifts helped the Knights in an 18-3 run that stretched a 16-10 edge to 34-13 after a Scott O’Gallagher steal and fast-break layup with 6 minutes, 4 seconds to the break.

“We did not compete in the first half,” C of I coach Mark Owen said, “it was like we were big-eyed. ... For the first time I give ’em a lot of information tonight, maybe I over-coached them instead of letting them play.”

The Yotes trailed 41-24 hole at halftime.

“We were outstanding in the first half,” Valentine said. “We defended very, very well. We didn’t give them any easy looks, we knocked down shots ... .”

All that changed in the second half as The C of I attacked the basket, which in turn opened up outside shots. Like a 3-ball for Kurt Nielson with 16:59 to go that made it 45-34, then another triple, by Bryan Champ, for a 50-41 difference. Steffen Spinks finished off the C of I push with a rebound and fast-break that led to a foul and two free throws, and down 53-48, it felt like déjà vu. But the Knights hung on and got a break with 2:27 to play up 67-60 when J.R. Maggard was called for an offensive foul at midcourt, setting a screen on Josh Jackson. It turned out to be a four-point swing as the Yotes missed a chance to score and Jalonta Martin found Shane Stewart for a lay-in. Martin later hit a 3 with 1:27 left for a 72-61 edge that iced the win.

“We showed a little composure down the stretch, that’s what we needed,” Valentine said.

(Published Jan. 27, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene University's Mark Hanson, right, leaps over a hurdle alongside Whitworth University's Curtis Powell during the second heat of the 60-meter hurdles Saturday afternoon at the Blue & Orange Classic indoor track meet at Jacksons Track at the Idaho Center in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) BSU junior wins men’s triple jump By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Jaclyn Puga didn’t have any expectations about her first collegiate race indoors in the 800 meters. So you can easily say the Northwest Nazarene freshman well exceeded her own expectations Saturday as the Nampa Christian High product finished third in the 800 against a field stacked with NCAA Division I talent in the Blue and Orange Classic indoor track meet at the Idaho Center’s Jacksons Track.

“It was exciting, I’ve never run an indoor track before,” said Puga, who clocked a time of 2 minutes, 17.55 seconds. “It was a great experience, great competition. Coach said just go out there, compete, work your hardest. It was a fun race.”

An incredible first effort, too, as Puga met the provisional standard for the NCAA Division II indoor national meet, clocking the fastest time to date in the GNAC, as she chased event winner Christina Rodgers of Arizona (2:15.84) and Boise State’s Kayleen McDowell (2:16.58). Running with athletes from bigger schools definitely helped the Crusader freshman.

“It was exciting, it was a surprise, it was exciting to be able to run those times to make the transition from high school,” Puga said, adding of her provisional mark, “I didn’t realize that, that’s awesome. I know me and my teammates are working really hard.”

Teammates such as big sister, Ashley, who finished second in the mile in 5:03.56, also a national provisional mark, as the sisters led the way for NNU. Kevin Lambert added a fifth-place effort in the men’s 3,000, clocking a time of 8:57.22. It was just two second back of his previous best for the season, which the NNU senior ran nearly two months ago.

“Overall, it was a great race I felt,” Lambert said, “right around what I thought I’d run.”

Lambert finished behind Boise State’s Brian Pierre, who won the event in 8:39.93. Paige Olivetti added a win in the 400 in 57.03 for BSU, while Eleni Kafourou won the women’s triple jump with a 12.89 meter mark. Ryan Grinnell won the men’s triple jump with a leap of 16.27 meters. That mark stole the show Saturday, as the junior from Idaho Falls not only hit an automatic D-I nationals qualifying mark, his leap of 53 feet, 4.5 inches turned out to be the best in the country this year.

“It just felt great,” the Bronco jumper said, “I was excited. The competition was amazing so I mean that only makes you do that much better when you’re competition is right around where you’re at, and it just made me pumped up and excited to compete.”

But the best mark in the country?

“I never would have thought,” Grinnell added, “it’s early in the season so it’s back to the drawing board on Monday. We’ll just be working hard.”

Like 2000 Olympic champion and former world record holder Stacy Dragila is doing, as the former Idaho State star and assistant track coach drove from Pocatello to compete.

“I just need to keep practicing and it was just another glamorized practice for me,” she said after winning the pole vault by 2 inches, clearing 13-5.75. “I’m glad I made the trip up here because it was worth my drive.”

After two surgeries and basically two years off, Dragila is back on track hoping for a return to the Olympics, and is taking steps each week to meet that goal. Having competed on the ISU campus last weekend, the gold medalist set new goals for Nampa.

“We accomplished pretty much what I wanted to do, I moved my step back another two strides, getting a little more momentum on the runway ,” she said, adding, “… got on some bigger sticks today and almost accomplished the height I wanted to. I ended up taking shots at it but the pole was a little too small, but it’s always good to know you’re going out and maximizing everything.”

(Published Jan. 27, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Defense, Parnell lead NNU to win By I.C. Murrell imurrell@idahopress.com NAMPA — Once the second half got started, there wasn’t much slowing down Northwest Nazarene. The Crusaders opened up a five-point halftime lead with 18 unanswered points in the first 5 minutes, 22 seconds out of the break, en route to a convincing 84-58 victory over Western Oregon on Saturday. It’s...read more

I’ve got one simple question for Cascade men’s basketball coach Jon Shaw: “Have you ever seen a hockey game?” Strange question? Well, not so much. As a former hockey players for 20 years, a coach for two seasons and a ref for a year, I certainly know my share about the game. But you don’t need my experience to understand one thing about hockey — pulling the...read more

By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Some athletes have talent, land big scholarships and hold dreams of playing professionally in sports. But there’s nothing more impressive than hard work. The College of Idaho’s Magen Dufurrena is a prime example of hard work at it’s best, the kind of player that, no matter the level, every coach dreams of. Unfortunately...read more

C of I men step up and stop Cascade 3-point barrage in 81-69 win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Coach Mark Owen made his point without too many words at halftime.

“I went in there and wrote zero-slash-10 and I said, ‘if you keep playing the way you’re playing they’re gonna be 1-10,’” The College of Idaho coach said.

That...read more

Shots don’t fall but Yotes still fight off T-Birds By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Somehow the Coyotes found a way to win Friday night. Struggling to make baskets and getting outrebounded by Cascade, The College of Idaho women hung on with some timely defensive stops and a few clutch buckets for a 71-56 Cascade Conference win.

“I’m proud of the effort we did end up giving,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said, “… sometimes you just have to remind them, against a team like Cascade, and in this league right now, any team can win any night.”

The...read more

NNU’s Scott Helpenstell tries for the dunk as a Saint Martin’s defenders tries to knock the ball away Thursday night in Nampa. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Crusaders offense builds big lead, defense fends off St. Martin’s for victory By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — When the Crusaders’ offense gets rolling, watch out. Throw in some defense, and the Northwest Nazarene men look down right unstoppable. That proved to be the case Thursday night as NNU caught fire for 25 minutes, then the defense took over and finished off St. Martin’s in the Crusaders’ 74-57 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win.

“For three halves in a row now, we’ve played really well,” NNU coach Tim Hills said, a stretch dating back to Saturday when the Crusaders dominated the second half of an 87-72 rout of then No. 24-ranked Seattle Pacific.

“We really buckled down on defense and I think that was the next big step we needed to take,” NNU sophomore guard Justin Parnell said.

Parnell (13 points) led the defense by shutting down the Saints’ Jake Linton (17.9 ppg), who started the night second in the league in scoring, but managed just a lone 3-pointer.

“One of our game plans was you’ve got to defend him ... shut that guy down with 3-pointers and not put him at the free-throw line,” Hills said.

Linton’s lone bucket came with 3:56 before halftime and knotted the score at 29 after the Saints started with a small push, only to see NNU rally. All tied up, the Crusaders took control with a run to the locker room sparked by a technical on Kyle Smith. Parnell hit both free throws, then a Kendall Gielow (23 points) bucket and a Joel Ryman (12 points) triple made it 36-29 at the break. That was just the start of things as the Crusaders (12-3 overall, 4-2 GNAC) put the game away early in the second with a 22-8 push that saw NNU knock down 8-of-13 shots while the Saints (9-7, 4-3) went an icy 3-of-17.

“A team that shoots the ball real well, we come out and get some momentum, it’s almost like it’s contagious,” Parnell said.

A Gielow 3 made it 48-35, then he added a bucket for a 52-35 edge, and Parnell capped the run with two free throws with 12:13 left for an insurmountable 58-37 lead. That turned out literally, as the Saints scored just 20 points against the Crusader defense, though NNU struggled a bit down the stretch.

“I thought we got a little complacent,” Hills said, as St. Martin’s got as close as within 67-57, “lost our aggressiveness when he went to his trapping stuff and instead of attacking real hard we kinda got soft and made a couple poor decisions there.”

(Published Jan. 25, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Coach Kelli Lindley called out senior guard Paige Knudson in a very positive way Thursday night, calling the Pocatello native "the heart of this team," and adding that when Knudson hits the court, "she's gonna be a spark and something great is going to happen." Fitting praise, but what was left out from Friday's newspaper article were the...read more

NNU’s Nichole Schutte, middle, advances to the basket between Seattle defenders Jackie Thomas, left, and Laina Sobczak on Thursday night. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU’s Jennifer Williams, right, looks to the basket for a shot as Seattle’s Emily Mothershed defends Thursday night at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Crusaders’ D dominates Seattle in final 20 minutes By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — They didn’t hit many shots, but then, they didn’t need to either. Coach Kelli Lindley lit a fire in the Crusaders defense at halftime as the Northwest Nazarene women ran away from Seattle in the second half for a 73-62 win in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

“We were definitely sluggish and we looked a little bit out of shape the first half, not a very good effort I thought as a team,” said Lindley.

“I thought the second half they really came out and showed what they’re all about and how hard we’ve been working.”

After an inspiring halftime speech, senior Paige Knudson said.

“Coach’s halftime speech. … After halftime we knew we had to turn it on and turn up the heat or else.”

Or else the Redhawks (12-3 overall, 3-3 GNAC) would steal the win, as they jumped up 15-10, let NNU tie, then slowly forged a 40-29 edge after a Jackie Thomas steal and fast-break layup with 1:44 to the half. NNU, which struggled to make baskets all night — going 25-of-69 (36.2 percent) — managed a late push as a Krista Oliver triple, a Nichole Schutte bucket and two free throws got the Crusaders (12-4, 5-2) within 40-36.

“I think it’s always important to go into the halftime with a little momentum,” Lindley said. “I think the ladies knew they had not played very well, and we were only down four and that gave them a little bit of confidence.”

NNU used the confidence to dominate the second half, forcing 16 turnovers and outrebounding the Redhawks 22-17, including 10-2 on the offensive glass to pull away. Three steals and three Seattle turnovers highlighted a 14-2 NNU run, a charge also powered by Knudson off the bench. After a Janee Olds trey put the Crusaders up for the first time, 45-44, Knudson added a pair of steals and buckets, then splashed a triple for a 54-46 NNU edge, and the Crusaders never looked back.

“Second half, I knew we needed a spark and I’m happy I provided that for the team, that’s exciting,” Knudson said.

Lindley added: “She is the heart of this team. She doesn’t get a lot of minutes, but when she comes in you know that she’s gonna be a spark and something great is going to happen.”

The Redhawks only got as close as 56-51 the rest of the way, as Olds led NNU with 16 points and Schutte added 10 and six boards in the win. NNU plays MSU-Billings at 4 p.m. Saturday. (Published Jan. 26, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

NNU pole vaulter Mark Hanson gets his timing down Wednesday night. The Crusaders will compete Saturday at Jacksons Indoor Track in Nampa. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU hurdler MJ Usabel practices her timing and form Wednesday night. (Mike Vogt/IPT) After two-month layoff, NNU competes in meet hosted by Boise State on Saturday By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Talk about a tease. Back on Dec. 1, the Northwest Nazarene track team started its season with success at the Jackson’s Open indoor track meet, setting four school records. Since then, it’s been a waiting game — until now, as the Crusaders finally get back on the track Saturday at the Blue and Orange Classic, the first of three meets before NNU hosts the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships on Feb. 18. Field events begin at 9 a.m. with the running events starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. NNU will be joined by host Boise State, Utah Valley State, Cal State Stanislaus, Eastern Oregon, Whitworth, Nevada, Arizona, California, Stanford and Texas-San Antonio.

“It’s great to be back,” NNU senior sprinter Kim Berberick said, “seeing the hard work for three months finally paying off is going to be awesome.”

Last year, the hard work paid off with a second-place finish for the NNU women, so you can expect continued success to be a big goal.

“That was pretty good,” NNU coach John Spatz said, “and we’ve got a great group of girls again.”

“There are high expectations but we have a lot of new athletes,” said Berberick, who will run the 60- and 200-meter dashes along with relays. “New freshmen coming in that are really going to help out our team. I think we have a lot of strong leadership and I think it’s going to be a good season.”

Berberick will be one of the team leaders, along with former GNAC champ and senior Amanda Peters (Merrell) in the jumps and senior thrower and all-conference performer Amy Carroll. And there’s also the Puga sisters, All-American junior distance runner Ashley and her freshman sister, Jaclyn.

“We’ve got a 1-2 Puga punch, you can’t beat that,” Spatz said, “... they just race like champs every time they step on the track.”

Plus there’s freshman LaToya Tidwell who broke the 60-meter school record with a time of 8.07 seconds back on Dec. 1. All of the athletes should help NNU finish high in the GNAC race, as Spatz says the Crusaders’ recent success should only breed more success.

“We’re hoping to be in that top three more often now instead of fighting for those fourths and fifths,” he said.

“We have much more balance and depth than we’ve had,” Spatz added. “We’ll take those seventh- and eighth-place points and see if they’ll add up enough to get us into the top three again.”

Depth will also help a young NNU men’s team, which saw Zach Barclay and Josh Grewe set school records back in December. Barclay topped the Crusader marks in the weight throw (15.47 meters) and shot put (14.51), while Grewe set a new heptathlon record with 4,139 points.

“The whole level of our program has come up the last year or two just because we’ve had some great leadership,” Spatz said.

Leaders like the team’s lone senior, Greg Hamm, who won the GNAC title in the triple jump last year.

“It’s going to be a new challenge with a new team,” Hamm said, adding, “and I just found out about a (back) injury I have to deal with for the whole year.

“Hopefully that’s not going to be an issue ... I’m just going to work, keep moving forward and see how far I can go.”

Hamm hopes that includes another GNAC title indoors, and then one outdoors.

As for the team, he adds: “The freshmen have high expectations of themselves, ... they see the expectations we bring and try to use that for themselves.”

Among those freshmen are throwers Diego Estrada and Jordan Fenters, who Spatz says will add to NNU’s depth, while sophomore Mitch Ward will be one of NNU’s top sprinters. All of whom will help the NNU men’s team continue to grow.

“This program is definitely still a work in progress and it’s been a blessing to be a part of for the last four years, seeing how much this program has grown since day one,” Hamm said.

(Published Jan. 24, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Tyler Roberts looks for an open lane against Seattle Pacific University defender Chris Banchero during the first half of Saturday evening’s game on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Crusaders toss off patience, attack and upset No. 24 Seattle Pacific 87-72 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Patience might be the moral of the tortoise and the hare, but changing the hare’s character doesn’t guarantee a win either. Just ask Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball coach Tim Hills. The Crusaders tried patience on offense Saturday night against No. 24-ranked Seattle Pacific, only to find themselves in a 14-point hole before the attacking nature of NNU came through for an 87-72 upset in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

“Yeah, that was a really good coaching move wasn’t it,” Hills said with a laugh. “We were a little tentative in it, even though we worked on it for a couple days.”

Patience on offense, which Montana State-Billings used to frustrate the Falcons last weekend.

“But after doing that the first half it became kinda evident that’s not our personality to play that way so once I got a little smarter in the second half we played better,” Hills said.

It worked early on as NNU (11-3 overall, 3-2 GNAC) trailed just 17-15, but the Crusader offense couldn’t get going. Despite defensive spots like a block by Scott Helpenstell on the Falcons’ 6-foot-10, 275-pound post Rob Will, or Kendall Gielow taking a charge, NNU could not score, going 1-for-6 with three turnovers, and 0-for-2 at the free-throw line during an 11-2 Falcon push. And after a Rob Diederichs 3 with 2:28 to halftime, NNU looked to be in trouble down 35-21. Then all heck broke loose.

“We got running a little more and they got spread out a little more, off balance,” said Gielow, who scored 13 of his 17 in the second half.

Justin Parnell hit a triple to ignite NNU, and just before halftime Tyler Roberts buried a 25-foot trey for a 41-31 difference at the break.

“That was huge for us ’cause it kinda gave us a little momentum going into the second half,” Hills said.

NNU took off from there, relentlessly attacking on offense. A Louie Beech 3-point play tied it 48-48 4:46 into the final session, and after trading the lead for the next four minutes, a pair of Gielow free throws capped an 8-0 NNU run that made it 62-55 with 10:08 to go. The Crusaders never let up as the Falcons hit just 38.7 percent (12-of-31) of their shots in the second half, coughed the ball up seven times and were outrebounded 23-13 by NNU.

“Second half it was just all about finding guys and knowing where guys were at,” Roberts, who finished with 19 points and three steals, said. “It was just a good, collective team effort.”

Seattle Pacific (11-3, 3-2) got as close as 64-62, but a Parnell triple off a cross-court pass from Roberts — who saved an errant pass that Casey Reed nearly stole — made it 73-63 with 5:25 left and iced the biggest win of the year for NNU.

“(SPU’s) really good, and year out and year in, they’re one of the premier teams in the country,” Hills said. “To beat a team like that the way we did, I’m just so happy all the hard work and all the toughness drills we worked on this week ... those things paid off.”

(Published Jan. 20, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune)...read more

The College of Idaho’s Kurt Nielson, right, tries to shoot over Evergreen State’s Nick Moore, left, in the first half of Saturday evening's home game for the Yotes. (Greg Kreller/IPT) The College of Idaho's J.R. Maggard works the ball in the paint against Evergreen State's Julio Feliciano in the first half of Saturday evening's home game for the Yotes. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I hits 14-of-15 free throws down stretch to fend off Geoducks By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Josh Owen summed it up pretty well.

“We weren’t ready to die yet.”

Playing with that attitude, The College of Idaho men’s basketball fended off their own shooting woes then made a late push to net an 89-86 overtime win over Evergreen State in Cascade Conference play.

“It’s a great win for our group this year,” C of I coach Mark Owen said. “Momentum-wise, we’re playing pretty well right now and any time you can beat a team getting ranked ahead of you in your conference, that’s always a positive.”

With the win — the fourth straight for the Yotes — The C of I men find themselves in third in league with a chance to climb higher Tuesday when they play at second-place Eastern Oregon. But first came the Geoducks (10-5 overall, 5-4 conference), who at times looked unstoppable.

“They had some really unbelievable athletes and some talent,” coach Owen said, adding, “sometimes the effort can keep you close and I thought we had a great effort and our kids played hard.”

Key for the Coyotes (8-9, 5-2), who trailed 37-32 after a 4-point play by Nate Menafee, but with a little extra effort, surged with an Owen triple and a J.R. Maggard tip-in, sneaking in front 40-39 at the break. A short-lived edge as a 11-2 push put the Geoducks in control. The Yotes battled, tying it 54-54 on an Owen bank-shot, then put together a crucial surge. Hitting just 37.7 percent offensively until the final 5-plus minutes and down 59-58, Bryan Champ, Owen and Steffen Spinks each took a turn splashing consecutive 3s, putting The C of I up 67-62.

“That got us back into the game and everything clicked that last six minutes and in overtime,” Owen said.

Including free-throw shooting, as the Yotes — 7-of-16 at the stripe prior to that trio of triples — hit 7-of-7 free throws in the clutch.

“(Coach Owen) made an emphasis of it in the locker room that we needed to knock down free throws,” Josh Owen said, “... that was really key for us.”

But still not enough, as Evergreen State’s Marcus Whittaker buried a 3 with Owen in his face with 8.4 ticks left, forcing overtime tied 78-78. In the extra session, the Yotes executed flawless offense to foul out inside threat Julio Feliciano (10 points) and outside threat Whittaker (24 points), then hit 7-of-8 free throws, including two with 30.4 seconds left from Spinks for the 89-86 lead.

“You gotta step up and make ’em, that’s part of the game,” coach Owen said, “... it was big, we needed all of them just to get out of here.”

The Yotes then got a decisive stand on defense, defending the 3-point line tough, and weather two errant treys to ice the Yote win.

“That was huge, defensive spots down at the end got it done for us,” Josh Owen said. “... They’re an athletic team, they’re not easy to guard.”

Owen finished with 26 in the win, while Maggard added a career-high 21 points an 12 rebounds, and Champ tossed in 18 points and 10 boards. (Published Jan. 13, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

College of Idaho’s Magen Dufurrena, right, is fouled by Evergreen State’s Bonita Wilcox, left, in the second half of the Coyotes' Saturday evening 82-60 victory over Evergreen State. (Greg Kreller/IPT) The College of Idaho's Christon Vander Esch, right, breaks up a pass to Evergreen State's Joy White, left, in the second half of the Coyotes' Saturday evening 82-60 victory over Evergreen State. (Greg Kreller/IPT) College of Idaho turns up defensive pressure on Evergreen State By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Friday night they were the long-range lady Coyotes, but Saturday The College of Idaho women simply were thieves. Struggling to shut down Evergreen State’s press break, the Yotes settled down and broke down the Geoducks in the second half of a Cascade Conference contest, pulling away for an 82-60 win led by 21 steals.

“That shows that we’re very versatile. You don’t always get 3-point balls but you can always get steals and layups and that’s good,” Coyote guard Whitney Owen said, as the Yotes dropped 12 3-balls on Northwest the night before for a 75-46 win. “That’s what we need to feed off of instead of just 3s.”

Early on, the Geoducks cracked the Yote defense easily, passing over The College of Idaho press to midcourt, then attacking to erase a 26-13 deficit after a pair of Owen free throws. Evergreen State chipped away, getting as close as 30-28 back at the break after a Kristi Auckland triple, then tied the game with a Joy White steal and Rosalind Lee bucket just 26 seconds into the final half. With just six first-half steals, the Yotes knew something had to change in the final 20 minutes.

“Looking at the press break they were running, it was nothing we haven’t seen before,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said. “… We work so hard at this press, sometimes when somebody is flashing long, you have to trust those back people.

“… Stick with what we know and trust the people on the back side to do their job,” Rossi said she reminded her team.

That paid off as an Owen bucket, then a Yote steal and a Magen Dufurrena putback got the offense going. Another steal by Owen and triple by the sophomore from Vallivue made it 40-32, part of a 20-6 charge to start the half that saw The C of I grabbed seven steals. Christon Vander Esch capped the run with a two-foot jumper after a steal by Whitney Clark and Brianna Hansen, making it 50-34 with 13:31 to play.

“The confidence shot up a lot for us because what we do (defensively) was starting to become successful,” Rossi said, as steals turned into easy Coyote points. “When we struggle on the defense, we’re all of a sudden a step slower on the offense and worried about what were doing on the other end of the floor.”

Well in command on defense, the Coyotes cruised to the win as Clark scored 27, Vander Esch 19 and Owen had 12 points, seven rebounds, six steals and five assists for The C of I, which next plays at Eastern Oregon in a battle for the conference lead.

“It’s nice,” Owen said of Tuesday’s upcoming game against the Mountaineers, “we’re all bonding right now together and that’s perfect for us.”

(Published Jan. 13, 2008, in the Idaho Press-Tribune) ...read more

By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com It’s been a while since I jumped on here with a simply blog, but Friday night, the Coyotes gave me a little extra time to reflect on a few things. So instead of writing up a extra story for fans of this site, I’ll just jump into a little rant directed at the Northwest Eagles. OK, maybe they deserve a break after hitting just 5 field goals...read more

College of Idaho defenders Brianna Hansen, left, and Katee Brewer guard Northwest’s Laura Peterson during the second half Friday night at J.A. Albertson Activities Center. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho guard Whitney Clark drives the lane on Northwest University defender Jennah Mitchell during the second half of Friday evening’s game at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho hits from long-range with win over Northwest By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Few teams look at the College of Idaho women and worry about them raining down 3s. Maybe foes should start worrying. The Coyote women’s basketball team knocked down a dozen 3-pointers, including a 5-of-5 stretch to start the second half as they buried Northwest 75-46 on Friday night in Cascade Conference play.

“We talked about executing and being sharp in execution, good shooters come from good passers,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said. “We weren’t passing the ball particularly well, we weren’t using very many ball fakes to get our shooters open, we weren’t cutting very hard, everything needed to be sharper and that was the challenge for the second half.”

Starting the night 0-for-12 from the floor and 0-for-7 from beyond the arc, something definitely needed to change, as the Yotes (8-5 overall, 5-1 conference) slowly inched away after a Brittany Bowsher putback tied it at 13-13 with 7 minutes, 35 seconds left in the opening half. ShaNae Horner started the Yotes’ charge, burying a 3 off a Josie Pugsley kick-out pass, and leading just 18-17, The C of I used a 12-2 push to gain some breathing room before halftime. Still, Rossi wasn’t totally pleased with her team’s 30-22 edge.

“Don’t be satisfied with getting the steal and tipping it around and losing it, get the steal and go back up and finish it or kick it out and execute and execute sharply,” Rossi said she told her team at halftime.

“I think we got lucky on a lot of things,” she added of the first half.

Not in the second half, as The C of I hit 5-of-6 shots to start the session, stretching the lead to 43-26 after a Kayla Brewer 3-pointer off a Whitney Clark kick-out with 16:10 left. And the lead kept growing as a Clark 3-ball with 12:31 to play made it 49-30, and capped a 5-for-5 stretch from downtown for the Yotes, who average just more than seven 3-pointers a game.

“That’s what we’re good at, passing the ball and hitting it from outside,” said Horner, whose triple with 7:55 to play made it 59-35. “We like to do that.

“We need to look inside out for the catch-and-shoot shots,” she added, “we need to do that more effectively so I think that was a big step.”

It was another big night for Horner, who went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc for the third time in the Yotes’ last four outings, netting a team-high 16 points. Kayla Brewer (12 points) added four triples, and Clark pitched in 11 points.

“I’m happy for them because they’ve worked so hard on it,” Rossi said.

“ShaNae we brought in as a shooter (from Snow Junior College), it always takes a good semester to find out where your niche is, where you fit in the scheme of things on a new team,” Rossi added, “… so I’m excited for her to figure out where she belongs for us.”

...read more

Eagles hit just five field goals in first 25 minutes in 67-48 Yote win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Give The College of Idaho Coyotes credit, a team doesn’t play this bad without some help. The C of I men turned up the defensive pressure, holding Northwest to just 5-of-33 shooting (15.2 percent) the first 25 minutes of the game as the Yotes routed the Eagles...read more

NNU outplays No. 7 UAA, but can’t hit baskets in two-point home setback By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It’s the key facet of basketball — making baskets. The Northwest Nazarene women won every facet of their game Thursday night against No. 7-ranked Alaska Anchorage, except that key facet, as UAA escaped with a 52-50 win in Great Northwest Athletic...read more

Katee and Kayla Brewer (Photo by Mike Vogt /IPT) Kayla and Katee Brewer might look the same, but are different on and off court By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — For many, if the Brewer twins aren’t wearing their jerseys it’s easy to mistake one for the other. For Kayla and Katee, it’s something you get used to, and also have a little fun with.

“It’s really funny when people walk up to me and they don’t know we’re twins yet and they start talking to me and so I just eventually assume they think I’m my sister,” Kayla said. “I just play the part of her because I know her so well.

“Every once in a while people will be like, ‘Oh, you guys are twins, I wonder who I’ve been talking to the whole time.’ It’s pretty funny.”

And it happens on the court as well and can be a little frustrating to foes, as the Brewer twins are definitely making an impact for The College of Idaho women’s basketball team. The sophomores from Arco helped the Coyotes come within a game of nationals last season. This season, Brewers are helping make the Yotes national tournament contenders again thanks in part to the fact it seems they never leave the court.

“We have our own roles now, like in high school we always did play together,” Katee said. “It’s like now we just carry on what the other one is doing, so it’s kind of nice because the other team never gets a break.”

It is something Northwest and Evergreen State will have to contend with this weekend as the Yotes host the Eagles on Friday and Geoducks on Saturday in Cascade Conference. The games tip off at 5:30 each night. Looks can be deceiving, of course, as these twins admit they definitely are different people. Kayla, more the perfectionist, starts for the Yotes and is more offensive-minded, while Katee (3.3 ppg) is more laid back, has come off the bench her entire career — usually as Kayla’s sub.

“That’s kind of the roles we’ve established,” said Kayla, who is averaging 6.8 points and leads the team in 3-pointers with 16. “She’s quicker and faster and her hands are amazing but I’ve always been kind of — I think it’s the control part of me maybe coming out — but I’ve always been the point guard and told people what to do.”

After playing side-by-side at Butte County High and being the typical twins growing up, Katee planned on going to Northwestern College in Iowa before opting to follow her dad’s footsteps and attend The C of I. It was a pleasant decision for the Brewer’s parents, Ken and Lani, who attend all their games.

“My parents were so relieved when we decided to go to the same college,” Kayla said.

The duo played volleyball and softball through high school, and admit that before college, they often did a lot of the same activities. But that trend is quickly changing.

“We live across campus from each other and we do our own things,” said Katee, who is studying exercise science, “but we still hang out quite a bit.”

Kayla added the separation has helped the two grow.

“I think the hardest part has been trying to be independent because even in high school we were always together, all through our school we always have been,” said Kayla, who is studying to become a nurse. “We’re kind of separated this year and we’re living in different dorms and that kind of thing, so we’re kind of developing our identity away from each other, but we’re still together on the court and in practice.”

...read more

Northwest Nazrene’s Louie Beech attempts to shake Central Washington defender Colton Monti during the first half of Saturday’s game at NNU. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT Down 19, NNU throws new zone at Central Washington to spark 11-point victory By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Coach Tim Hills snapped, the defense clicked and the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders rallied from way back for their first conference win of the season Saturday night. Hills, who rarely gets a technical, drew one arguing a foul call during a frustrating first half that saw Northwest Nazarene fall behind by 19 points before a defensive switch finally worked and NNU rallied to beat Central Washington 93-82.

“I can’t tell you how good that win feels in conference,” Hills said.

Especially good as NNU (9-2 overall, 1-1 GNAC) struggled on defense against the Wildcats (7-4, 1-1), who surged to a 37-23 lead behind 6-foot senior guard Nate Jackson. Central Washington traveled with just eight healthy players. Jackson stalled at midcourt each possession before he’d drive past the Crusader defense for an easy lay-in or assist. The breaking point came when Jackson, on defense guarding Kendall Gielow, flopped to draw a charge on the NNU forward with 5:26 to halftime.

“Obviously there was a lot of frustration built up in there,” said Hills, who drew a technical arguing the call. “I’ve got nothing to lose, I want my kids to know I’m fighting for them.”

Three free throws later, NNU trailed 40-23, and after a Bryce Daub tip-in, was down 42-23 when the Crusaders’ competitive fire started to burn. A Justin Parnell dish to Gielow for a reverse layup got the rally started as NNU trimmed the difference to 43-32 at halftime. Then came a big change on defense.

“It was pretty obvious we had no answer for Jackson, the guy had 18 at halftime and there was nothing we could do with his penetration,” Hills said, “so we decided at halftime we’d talk to the kids about playing a 1-3-1 zone. We haven’t worked on it, we came out, ran it as good as we could run it.”

It worked, as Jackson scored six second-half points and the Wildcats shot just 14-of-35 (40 percent) from the field in the final 20 minutes.

“I don’t know what happened, but we just ran it perfectly,” Parnell said. “They couldn’t get a shot off and Nate Jackson couldn’t get anywhere near the hole.”

NNU, meanwhile, got to 48-43 down after a Tyler Roberts triple 4:13 into the final session, then later put together a game-winning 19-2 run. Back-to-back 3s from Roberts and Parnell put NNU up 65-63 during the surge, and Joel Ryman capped the run with a free-throw line jumper for a 72-65 edge with 4:28 left. It was a lead the Crusaders never let slip. They iced the win at the free-throw line, hitting 14-of-18 freebies in the final 2 1/2 minutes, which saw so many Central Washington fouls that four players fouled out, leaving the short-handed Wildcats with just four on the court in the final 44.2 seconds. ...read more

Northwest Nazarene guard Tyler Roberts drives the lane during the first half of Thursday evening’s game against Western Washington University. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Northwest Nazarene forward Kendall Gielow drives the lane against Western Washington defender Zach Bruce on Thursday. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) NNU men hold edge at halftime, fall apart in second half By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Talk about the wrong time for an off night. Flying high after a school-record start to the season, the Northwest Nazarene men looked primed for Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, only to implode offensively in the second half of an 82-63 loss to Western Washington on Thursday night.

“I think we just had a bad night,” NNU coach Tim Hills said. “We’ve played 10 games now and that’s the worst half of basketball we’ve played by far.

“I didn’t think we had played great the first half and we were up by two.”

After starting the year 8-0 and earning national recognition with votes in the latest NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, the Crusaders lived up to their strong start against the Vikings — a perennial GNAC powerhouse. A Scott Helpenstell two-hand jam off a Tyler Roberts dish gave NNU (8-2 overall, 0-1 GNAC) an 18-13 edge 9 minutes, 46 seconds in, and a Joel Ryman triple capped an NNU surge that made it 28-23 with 3:27 to halftime. The Vikings (8-2, 1-0) managed to chip away and took leads of 21-20 and 29-28, but a Kendall Gielow 3-ball just before the halftime buzzer sent NNU to the locker room up 31-29.

“I thought we were fairly tentative in the first part of the game and it took us a while to get going,” Vikings coach Brad Jackson said, “but I thought the second half was good.”

Part of the problem for the Vikes, two fouls on Ira Graham (20.0 ppg), who scored two points in six minutes before sitting down.

“Part of what we wanted to do was attack him because we didn’t want him to have his legs offensively,” Hills said.

“The first half, to be honest, we followed the gameplan pretty well, it’s just there were so many turnovers.”

Ten NNU turnovers kept the Crusaders from widening their edge. Then Graham got things rolling in the second half, igniting the Vikings with a 3 for a 40-34 lead with 16:30 left. NNU hung tough, getting as close as 42-39 after a Helpenstell 3-point play, but then the offense fell apart. Western Washington hit 10-of-18 shots, scored four times on putbacks of those eight misses and forced nine turnovers. The Crusaders only managed a Louie Beech triple and four free throws over the next 11 minutes, as the Vikes forged a 66-46 lead.

“We just really started playing individualistic,” Hills said. “I didn’t think we shared the ball very well, the turnovers are discouraging.

“They came out and did what they did best and we never picked it up one time in the second half defensively or the turnovers, so I’m hoping that’s an aberration,” Hills added, as NNU hosts Central Washington on Saturday.

“I think I know our kids well enough, they will bounce back,” he said. “This ought to hurt them, it should hurt them and they should come out with more intensity for 40 minutes hopefully Saturday.”

Roberts led the way with 13 points, while Beech and Justin Parnell added 11. Gielow scored 10 for NNU. Steve Alford led the Vikes with game-highs of 25 points and nine rebounds. NNU women 84, Western Oregon 71 MONMOUTH, Ore. — A late push in the first half helped the Northwest Nazarene women start the Great Northwest Athletic Conference season with a road win as the Crusaders topped Western Oregon 84-71 on Thursday night. Up just 33-32, Lindsay Brady hit a free throw and Kristin Hein added a bucket, sparking a 10-0 run that Brittney Roggenkamp capped with a bucket and a 3-ball for a 43-32 edge with a minute to halftime. The Wolves (4-6 overall, 0-1 GNAC) cut the margin to six three times in the second half, getting as close as 59-53 down on a Shayla Corder lay-in with 11 minutes to go, but never got closer. Hein led the way for NNU (8-2, 1-0) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, her third straight double-double, while Brady scored a game-high 22 and Roggenkamp added 16. ...read more

Scott Helpenstell averages 11.3 points per game for Northwest Nazarene, which opens GNAC play tonight. (Charlie Litchfield / IPT) NNU opens GNAC play Tonight, Jan. 3, at 7: Western Washington (7-2) at NNU men (8-1) Saturday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m.: Central Washington at NNU men Northwest Nazarene’s test lies ahead with league foes on tap By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It’s all led up to this point for the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team. A record 8-0 start to the season, earning votes for the first-time ever in the NCAA Division II national Top 25 poll — all nice, but now the Crusaders take on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference as they host Western Washington tonight at 7 and Central Washington on Saturday.

“I think everybody’s excited about that, it’s what we play for,” NNU coach Tim Hills said. “I’m excited and I think the kids are excited too. And I think we’re confident going into the season, so I think everybody should look forward to it.”

Going a best-ever 8-0 and having only suffered one setback — a 71-66 loss at Idaho State last weekend — means little as far as the GNAC is concerned, though. But you can’t overlook what playing well has done for NNU.

“I think it’s built up the confidence of the overall team,” sophomore forward Kendall Gielow said.

And it no doubt has put the rest of the GNAC on notice.

“All you have to do is watch film and you see we’re much better than last year and everybody’s got film on us at this point,” Hills said.

What the Vikings (7-2) and Wildcats (6-3) will see is a team shooting 50.4 percent and doing a good job of taking care of the ball with a plus-7 ratio in assists to turnovers. Gielow leads the way averaging 16.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg, while NNU also is getting great contributions for several other players, like guard Joel Ryman off the bench (12.1 ppg, 23 3-point baskets), point guard Tyler Roberts (11.9 ppg, 53 assists) and post Scott Helpenstell (11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg). But the Crusaders know that just because they’ve played well, it doesn’t get any easier.

“I think it’s going to be the biggest game we’ve played so far,” Gielow said of the Vikings. “It’s conference starting up, they’re a really good team, they shoot the ball real well … I think it’s a good test for us to see how we’ll overcome the conference and how well we’ll do.”

Western Washington is much like NNU, shooting at a 50.3 percent clip, but they also outrebound foes by 6.5 boards a night and are plus-55 in assists to turnovers.

“We really better defend and rebound because they really can score,” Hills said. “… And we’re really going to have to rebound because they’re averaging 15 offensive rebounds a game, so if we don’t keep them off the offensive boards, we’re really going to have a long night.”

And it won’t be much easier Saturday, either, as the Wildcats shoot 48 percent, outrebound opponents by 5 a night and are almost even in assists to turnovers.

“To be honest, we haven’t been tested like we’re going to be tested this weekend,” Hills said, “… This weekend is going to be a pretty good indicator of where are we because both these teams were picked in the top five in the conference, they’re both really good teams, and they’ve both lost a couple close games at this point.”

Of course, NNU still has that confidence factor, plus the Crusaders will be at home, and they’re hoping for some good crowds to help power them to victories.

“I think it’s good we can get some fans here,” Gielow said, “… get some of the town behind us.”

And grab two big wins to start the GNAC season, as NNU looks to continue building on it’s strong start at home.

“I think playing at home is good for us to start off conference,” Hills said, “but it’s only going to be good if we can find a way to win both of them. If we don’t win either one of them, we’re in trouble.”

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NNU’s Lindsay Brady, right, drives to the basket against The College of Idaho’s Tyra Rickman on Monday night at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) The College of Idaho’s Katee Brewer, front, tries to drive around NNU’s Nichole Schutte on Monday night at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU takes control early, continues to dominate rivalry with C of I By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The score provided more than just another win for the Crusaders in this rivalry. The Northwest Nazarene women returned from the Christmas break sharp and prepped for their conference campaign with a dominating 79-64 win over Canyon County rival The College of Idaho.

“It was nice to come out sharp and break their press with relative consistency,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said. “Last year we really struggled with that and I was very proud of the ladies to be given some changes specifically for this game and they executed it.

“They showed that they could make some adjustments and do what was asked of them based on who we were playing, and I think that was an important step for us.”

Last year, the Coyotes full-court, aggressive style led to 27 NNU turnovers, a dismal 32.8 percent shooting and a 70-54 C of I victory. This time around, the Crusaders handled the pressure in part thanks to rebounding and transition. Helped by the Yotes shooting woes — 5-of-28 in the first half and just 17-of-59 (28.8 percent) on the night — the Crusaders were able to clean the glass and run before the C of I set its press.

“Basically, we executed our gameplan,” NNU post Jennifer Williams said. “We practiced all week long what we needed to do, how we need to break the press, the offense we needed to run: We basically came out on point and did everything we needed to do.”

It broke the game open after a Christin Vander Esch tied it 9-9 for the Yotes, who made three buckets the final 15 minutes of the half.

“We didn’t play well, we didn’t shoot well, we didn’t rebound: That’s the game,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said.

And NNU did, as a Brittney Roggenkamp putback made it 18-9, a Williams baseline drive pushed the lead to 28-13, then a Williams putback made it 39-19 at halftime.

“We talk a lot about our defense creating our offense and I thought the ladies were really sharp in the half-court D tonight,” Lindley said, “...and I know we outrebounded them significantly (58-26 in the game) and that was huge for us to be able to transition.”

Meanwhile, Rossi and the Yotes talked about “making corrections” at halftime. It paid off as the Yotes charged to 49-37 down after two Brianna Hansen free throws and looked to draw closer after an NNU turnover, but Williams made a steal that helped stemmed the tide. She then tossed in two free throws, reigniting the Crusaders, who got a Kristin Hein bucket, a Williams freebie and putback, then a Nichole Schutte deuce and two free throws to push the lead back to 60-39, effectively icing the win with 10:23 to play.

“We knew it was going to be a game of runs particularly with both teams pressing, and I think everybody was prepared for that,” Lindley said, “so it wasn’t ever a worry and I think everybody did a good job of staying calm.

“But obviously we need our players to step up and players like Jen (Williams) and Kristin (Hein) have done that.”

As they did Monday with Williams scoring 17, Hein 14 and grabbing 10 boards, and Schutte tossing in 13 points. For the Coyotes, Whitney Clark led the way with 19, while Whitney Owen and Vander Esch each added 11. ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Lindsay Brady looks to get past the defense of The College of Idaho’s Katee Brewer during their game last season. The Crusaders host the Coyotes tonight as the schools renew their Canyon County rivalry. (Greg Kreller/ IPT) NNU has dominated series, but C of I women drawing even By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Last season, the Coyotes’ up-tempo defensive pressure set the tone and led to a big win for The College of Idaho in a series historically dominated by Northwest Nazarene. Tonight, the Coyotes look for a second straight win and fifth all-time in 37th tries as the Canyon County ladies basketball battle heats up once again at 7 at the Johnson Sports Complex on the NNU campus.

“It’s a great cross-town rivalry,” Coyote coach Reagan Rossi said, “I really have a lot of respect for (NNU coach) Kelli (Lindley) and her kids over there, they really work hard and she’s developed a solid program. Hopefully we’ve done the same.

“In the Valley, it just represents good basketball.”

The series started out a laugher with the Crusaders winning all 15 times the schools played in the 70s and early 80s before the C of I women’s program was suspended until the 1995-96 season. Two years later, the Coyotes got in the win column, but there hasn’t been a lot of victories for The C of I, which has never beaten NNU in Nampa. But the up-tempo defensive pressure the Yotes (6-4 overall) employ — forcing 27 turnovers and holding NNU to 32.8 percent shooting last year — might change that.

“I think the No. 1 thing for us is taking care of the ball,” Lindley said, “they’re really aggressive defensively and will look to run and jump at any time, so I think we just need to be calm and execute our gameplan offensively and take care of the ball.”

NNU junior point guard Mallory Whipple echoed those sentiments.

“I think we just have to stay composed because they play a lot of pressure defense, so just staying composed and playing our game (are keys),” she said.

Of course, Whipple might be a key herself.

“Whipple’s a good point guard,” Rossi said. “I’m sure she’ll come prepared, but we’ve played a lot of good point guards throughout the year and we’ve got a couple things in our bag for situations like that.”

“Hopefully we can cause her a little bit of trouble, force some turnovers, force a quick game in our favor.”

As for the Crusaders (6-2), a big key for them is inside play, especially with C of I senior post Denise Hill (16.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg) out with a knee injury. Add to that, three of NNU’s top four scorers are post players — 6-foot-2 Jennifer Williams (13.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg), 6-0 Nichole Schutte (12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and 5-11 Kristin Hein (10.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg) — and the Coyotes will also face challenges.

“I think it’s important that all our posts play well and stay composed,” Schutte said, “our team seems to go as our post go.”

“They’re a lot more physical than we are,” Rossi said. “I think (Lindley’s) team is a lot more physical in the quarter-court and half-court set than we are, but if we spread it out and run a little bit hopefully that doesn’t affect us as much.”

Leading the Yotes up-tempo attack will be senior guard Whitney Clark (14.0 ppg), who has played in this game in both uniforms, spending her freshman season on the NNU bench, senior forward Christon Vander Esch (8.8 rpg, 7.0 rpg, 31 steals), and sophomore guards Whitney Owen (7.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Kayla Brewer (7.1 ppg, 23 assists). While Clark looks forward to the rivalry, which includes playing against former teammate and NNU senior Schutte, she adds, “it just gives us a break from conference and gives us some little goals to focus on and just get better from there.” And though the outcome won’t affect either team’s postseason hopes, it’s still a rivalry game that both want to win.

“It’s fun because we’re just right across town, so it’s always a good experience,” C of I senior Magen Dufurrena said.

Schutte adds of the rivalry: “It’s a lot of fun, it always adds a heightened awareness to everything you do, and when you win it means more, ... it’s bragging rights.”

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The College of Idaho’s Christon Vander Esch looks to pass as Northwest Nazarene’s Krista Oliver defends in their game last season. The Coyotes and Crusaders renew their rivalry Monday at NNU. (Greg Kreller/ IPT) NNU set to host The C of I in game that means plenty to both schools By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Canyon County’s basketball rivalry rages on — but this time it’s the ladies’ turn. The Northwest Nazarene Crusaders host local rival The College of Idaho Coyotes on New Year’s Eve at 7 p.m., and just because the ladies will be battling for bragging rights, this match-up still means plenty.

“It’s a big rivalry; Canyon County; always pretty high intensity; should be fun,” C of I senior Magen Dufurrena said.

NNU junior guard Mallory Whipple adds: “I think it’s a big rivalry because the past years we’ve lost to them in games I know we should have won looking back, so it’s huge to win this year. We want it really bad.”

The Coyotes won last year’s match-up 70-54, and also took the 2004-05 edition 72-63, rare wins as this series has been decidedly one-sided — until recently. NNU won the first 15 meetings from the 1974-75 season to the 1980-81 campaign, then picked up where it left off when The C of I reinstated women’s basketball after a 14-year hiatus for the 1995-96 season. The Yotes’ first win came on Jan. 3, 1998.

“It seems like we’re getting a little more competitive,” Coyote senior guard Whitney Clark said.

Clark has a very unique perspective on this rivalry, too, having played as a freshman at NNU in that 72-63 loss to the Coyotes, then has suited up for The C of I the last two times. That also gives Clark a fun personal rivalry with former NNU teammate Nichole Schutte, a senior post for the Crusaders.

“Between Whit Clark and I ... it’s also a good, fun game,” Schutte said.

“I think it’s a fun game and it’s a pretty big rivalry,” she added. “I know it’s one of the biggest games we want to win this year.”

No longer Cascade Conference foes, though, the outcome won’t affect either squads’ national tournament fate. Still, neither coach is downplaying what this contest means.

“I think it’s fun for the kids because they all have friends that play over there and we recruit a lot of the same players,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said, “so it’s bragging rights for the valley for the year.”

And don’t underestimate the power of pride.

“It’s more of a pride thing,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said of the contest. “We want to be the team in Idaho that wins, and it’s a great rivalry.

“Reagan does a very nice job over there and I have nothing but respect for her and her team,” Lindley added, as both coaches echoed those sentiments. “I’m looking forward to playing her, it’s going to be a battle.”

A battle that should provide plenty of entertainment for basketball fans, even though the game isn’t played at the Idaho Center, won’t be broadcast on TV, and probably won’t draw the 4,000-plus crowd the men’s battle usually does. Still, this rivalry is plenty big to pump up the NNU and The C of I ladies.

“I love the crowd,” Lindley said. “In the past we’ve had huge turnouts ... that’s really neat for the girls because they don’t get that as much as the guys do.”

“The crowd’s crazier,” Whipple said, “everyone’s a lot more pumped up, I think it’s just good when everyone’s louder and when you win it’s better because it was such a huge … something you wanted really bad.”

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Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball coach Tim Hills talks to Joel Ryman during a game against Westmont on Dec. 7. The Crusaders are off to their best start in program history as they head to Pocatello to play Idaho State tonight. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Bengals to test NNU’s perfect mark Tonight, Dec. 29, at 7:05 p.m.: Northwest Nazarene men (8-0) at Idaho State (2-9) Listen live on KKJY 950 AM Crusaders strong start keyed by unselfish play, outstanding offense By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — A school-record start and national recognition — you’d expect as much with an 8-0 start to the season. But for the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team, it’s something the Crusaders kind of expected.

“I think we’ve accomplished the goal we wanted to at this point, beat the teams we should beat then win those Division II games,” NNU coach Tim Hills said, whose team is 4-0 against NCAA Division II foes with three wins over NAIA schools and one over an NCAA D-III squad.

Those D-II wins help in making the postseason as at-large bids to nationals are awarded this season based on your record against similar opponents, though the Great Northwest Athletic Conference champ also earns an automatic berth to nationals. Of course, the Crusaders put their success on the line tonight in possibly their toughest test of the pre-conference campaign, playing at D-I Idaho State (2-9), which has beaten just Idaho and NAIA foe MSU-Northern.

“I think it is a really good game for us to play,” Hills said. “... (The GNAC has) a lot of really good athletes, and because of that I think this game will really help us because we’ll see some athletes before we get (to conference).”

Six-foot-6 junior guard Matt Stucki (12.4 ppg) leads the Bengals. He is the lone double-digit scorer on a team that features area athletes Tom Taylor (Skyview HS) and Steve Anderson (Vallivue HS). But the Bengals have struggled on offense this season, hitting just 40.1 percent of their shots. Conversely, Hills attributes his teams strong start to an offense which is hitting 51.3 percent of it’s shots and 41.4 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

“I’ll tell ya what, right now we’re really hard to stop offensively,” Hills said.“... We share the ball. Kids don’t care who gets the glory for high point of the night and that kind of stuff.”

Which has led to four double-digit scorers in forwards Kendall Gielow (16.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Scott Helpenstell (10.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and guards Tyler Roberts (12.6 ppg, 5.9 apg) and Joel Ryman (12.0 ppg). But there’s still room to improve as NNU allows foes to shoot 52 percent, and has been outrebounded by a board a game. Of course, winning makes learning from mistakes so much easier. And it has other benefits, too.

“It’s really important just because I think the kids have developed confidence,” Hills said. “We know we can win close games; we haven’t tasted defeat yet so they’re use to winning, and when you’re use to winning you play like that.”

As for success having a negative impact, Hills isn’t too worried about that, either.

“I really don’t think these kids are gonna get a swelled head,” he said, “they just show up and work hard every day.

“And we’ve got some guys that just won’t let us let up, and to me, that’s worth it’s weight in gold as a coach.”

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Northwest Nazarene’s Scott Helpenstell posts up on an Eastern Oregon University defender during the first half of Saturday evening’s game on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. (Charlie Litchfield / IPT) Crusaders attack inside, hold on to late lead for 85-78 victory By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It might have been their toughest test to date, and the Crusaders got another ‘A.’ The Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team improved on its all-time best start, moving to a perfect 8-0 on the year by dispatching a tall and talented Eastern Oregon squad 85-78 on Saturday night.

“It’s a tribute to our kids,” NNU coach Tim Hills said, “just because they’ve worked really hard in practice every day, they haven’t let up. I don’t think they’re all wrapped up in our record and they realized (Saturday’s) game was the next game.”

A challenging game, though, against the No. 6-ranked team in the NAIA Division II ranks, and a club with seven players 6-foot-5 or better to squarely look NNU eye-to-eye.

“They’re a physical team, I think we matched them pretty well,” 6-6 NNU post Scott Helpenstell said. “We didn’t back down to them; it was a good game for us as far as a learning experience. They were real tough inside, probably the toughest team inside we’ve faced so far.”

Yet NNU went right at the Mountaineers inside as Helpenstell (13 points, six rebounds) tossed in six early points, giving the Crusaders a quick 8-4 edge, a lead they pushed to 15-8 on a Joel Ryman triple. Eastern Oregon (9-1) whittled the lead down to 15-13, then Kendall Gielow took over. The 6-7 forward scored 11 points in a 19-7 Crusader push, as a Gielow (23 points) baseline jumper gave NNU it’s biggest edge at 34-20 with 3:44 to the break.

“Kendall does that on a regular basis,” Hills said. “... We started to run that little pick-and-roll and cleared out that one side and they wanted to go double the ball. Well, Kendall’s wide open and Kendall’s one of our best shooters so — as long as he’s hot we’re gonna ride that pony.”

NNU rode the lead into the second half, up 50-38 with 14:53 left after a Justin Parnell bucket, but the Mountaineers kept fighting, getting as close as 59-54 back after two Dan Blanchard free throws before the Crusaders tried to pull away for good. A Tyler Roberts (16 points, eight assists) lob to Helpenstell for a lay-in started a small push that finished with a Ryman 3-pointer with 3:45 to go, and up 76-64 it looked to be over. The Mounties thought different, however. Forcing two turnovers and helped by a missed Ryman (18 points) layup and NNU going 7-of-10 from the free-throw line, Eastern got as close as 82-78 back before finally succumbing.

“We just for some reason find a way to let teams back in it but still manage to make the plays we need to to keep from giving it up completely,” said Roberts, who hit 6-of-8 of those freebies.

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Northwest Nazarene point guard Tyler Roberts overlooks the court Wednesday before practice on the NNU campus. After battling depression, drugs and alcohol use as a teen, Roberts is having an impact for the unbeaten Crusaders. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Northwest Nazarene point guard Tyler Roberts runs a defensive drill during Wednesday’s practice. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Point guard traveled rocky road, but now having impact By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Growing up, Tyler Roberts faced plenty of pressure to succeed. His dad, Dean, played baseball and basketball at the University of Oregon then went on to a successful coaching career at West Albany High in Albany, Ore. His brother, Ryan, played hoops at Portland State, Western Baptist and Cal Baptist. One of his uncles, Dave Roberts, was the No. 1 overall MLB draft pick in 1972, playing 10 years in the pros with San Diego, Texas, Houston, and Philadelphia, and his other uncles toured with country music star Garth Brooks.

“All my life I just self-imposed these pressures that I needed to be just as good if not better than those guys because all my life I heard, ‘Wait ’til Tyler grows up, he’s going to be a player,’ and that sort of thing,” Tyler recalls, as he was diagnosed with depression as a sophomore in high school.

He took his own steps to treat his symptoms — drugs and alcohol.

“That was my escape, I just felt pressures of needing to be like family. ... I just started to do everything I could to lower the expectations so people wouldn’t be disappointed if I didn’t make it.”

No doubt, his entire family would be very impressed with Tyler now, leaving that checkered past behind him and working hard in the classroom and the hardwood in his first season with the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team.

“He’s obviously an unusual point guard in that he’s 6-foot-5,” NNU coach Tim Hills, “he brings a different dimension to us and he’s really made us a lot better.”

Scoring 12.1 points per game, second best on the 7-0 Crusader squad, he’s dished out 37 assists, and both Roberts and coach Hills admit he’s not even playing his best.

“Being the one that needs to take care of the ball, I’ve been kinda off to a slow start,” Roberts said. “I’ve been throwing passes I can but probably shouldn’t all the time. I need to kinda pick and choose my spots, and I’ve been trying to do a little too much instead of moving the ball and trusting teammates.”

Hills adds: “He’s probably adjusted a little quicker than I thought he would, but he’s got miles of improvement left in him. We think he’s going to be an impact player in our conference.”

That improvement is coming after another windy road for Roberts, recruited by Hills, who was then coach at Western Oregon. A close friend with Tyler’s dad, Hills decided the troubled youth’s best path wasn’t a state school, and backed off when he heard of Western Baptist’s interest. Roberts went to the private Christian college in Salem, Ore., averaged 8.1 points and 4.0 rebounds as a forward/guard, and played in the NAIA Division II National Tournament in the 2004-05 season with the Warriors alongside 6-10 All-American post Eric Fiegi.

“When I got up there and I started to feel like I didn’t want to play ball any more and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in school,” Roberts recalls. “So I took a year off and just worked and found out really quick I didn’t want to do that kind of work for the rest of my life and decided I needed to go to school.”

Roberts worked as a Culligan Water delivery man and did maintenance for Linn County before returning to the classroom at Linn-Benton Community College. Then that longtime friendship between Hills, now at NNU, and Roberts’ dad paid off.

“They were always talking and coach (Hills) said, man, ‘my team is just struggling so much to pass and find guys,’ and my dad always joked around, ‘well I’ve got a guy in my basement that can pass it.’”

It proved to be a great option for the Crusaders.

“I don’t think it’s any risk at all because I watched Tyler play a lot,” Hill said of relying on a point guard who hadn’t played competitively in two seasons. “... For me it was just how long is it going to take Tyler to get back into the groove.”

For Roberts, the chance to play and go to school at NNU has been very rewarding.

“I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better blessing after taking a couple years off and even being in school last year, to be able to do this and be in a good situation and I get to have fun; it’s been everything I could have ever wanted it to be.”

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7-0 start may be team's best ever, but it’s all been one game at a time By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Crusaders know they’re in the midst of something special, but they also know they’ve earned it. As the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team grabbed the title in the inaugural Wendy’s Classic hosted on the campus of The...read more

The College of Idaho guard Bryan Champ drives to the basket against a Westmont College defender during the first half of Saturday evening’s game at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield / IPT) Big second half run keys 79-67 win By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Defense sometimes does more than stop an opponent. That turned out to be true Saturday night as a little full-court pressure after the halftime break by The College of Idaho men’s basketball team got the Coyotes offense rolling on a 20-6 run and led to a 79-67 win over Westmont in the finale of the Wendy’s Classic.

“I think the adjustment that we made, picking up full court, … we got some easy baskets,” C of I coach Mark Owen said.

Down 42-37 at the break, the Yotes (4-8 overall, 1-1 conference) charged out of the locker room led by their press, getting a pair of Steffen Spinks free throws than a Bryan Champ layup to close to 42-41 down, took a 45-44 lead on a Kurt Neilson bucket and a 48-44 edge on a Josh Owen triple, his first basket of the night. But the Yotes didn’t quit there as a Champ fast-break layup with 13 minutes, 36 seconds left capped the 20-6 charge and put The C of I in front 57-48. On top, the Yotes held on by doing the one thing that cost them Friday in a 90-89 overtime loss to Montana-Western, knocking down free throws hitting, 17-of-18 charity tosses in the second half and 10-of-10 in the final 2:32, ensuring there would be no comeback by the Warriors (3-4).

“I didn’t mention anything on the free throws and we made them tonight,” Owen said, as his team missed two crucial freebies at the end of regulation and went 3-of-9 in overtime Friday.

The Warriors hit just 5-of-19 with six turnovers over an 11-minute span, trailing 75-64 with 40.7 ticks left. Champ led the way for the Yotes with 18, while Owen added 17 with 15 coming in the second half. ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Tyler Roberts drives the lane during the first half of Saturday evening’s game against the University of Montana-Western on the campus of The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Northwest Nazarene’s Adam Shildmyer drives in the lane during the first half of Saturday evening’s game against the University of Montana-Western on the campus of The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Ryman sparks NNU past Montana-Western By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Crusaders needed someone to hit a few outside shots Saturday night and Joel Ryman was only happy to oblige. The 6-foot junior guard came off the bench to bury back-to-back triples in the second half, shaking Montana-Western out of a stingy zone defense and sparking Northwest Nazarene’s 80-70 win in the Wendy’s Classic on the College of Idaho campus.

“Their zone was — they were kinda sucking down on us,” said Ryman, who had a game-high 21 points.

“We have good shooters, if I’m open I’m gonna shoot it,” he added, “and I had some pretty good stares (Saturday) and so I was knocking ‘em down.”

A performance NNU coach Tim Hills is coming to expect from the unselfish guard, who would be starting if not for the Crusaders depth, Hills admits.

“He has just done that every time we’ve called on him,” Hill said.

Leading just 43-41 with 15 minutes, 27 seconds to play, NNU (7-0 overall) got a pair of free throws from Scott Helpenstell, then a turnover by the Bulldogs (5-7), and Ryman cashed in with a 3-pointer out of the right corner. A quick Montana-Western misfire at the other end then led to another 3-ball from Ryman for a 51-41 NNU edge. But more importantly, after a Bulldog timeout, coach Steve Keller switched his team out of a 2-3 zone defense that slowed NNU.

“You can’t stay in a zone for that long without one of our guys starting to feel it, and Ryman gets it revved up and here we go,” Hills said.

The Bulldogs got as close as 51-47 back on a Ryan Hansen 3-point play, but Ryman answered with one of his own, then with the shot-clock at 1, Louie Beech buried a 3-pointer from NBA range, with Chad Myers in his face, and NNU was on its way, going up 61-47 after a Matt Mgebroff deuce with 9:35 to go. Montana-Western made a few futile charges, getting as close as five points back twice in the final five minutes, but never managed to rattle NNU. In the opening half, though, things were a bit different as the Crusaders built a 26-18 edge on a Kendall Gielow free throw then saw a 12-1 run by Montana-Western change the lead as a Layne Glaus triple made it 28-27 with 4:37 to the break. Using a zone defense, the Bulldogs stymied the NNU attack, with the Crusaders managing just a 36-33 lead at halftime.

“(Keller) changed what was going on, we were really hurting them in their man and he made a good change,” Hills said. “Normally that would be a bad change against us but we rushed our offense a little bit.”

Missing five straight shots — including three quick misfires from 3-point range — and turning the ball over three times to keep Montana-Western in the ballgame.

“They’re a good team and they’re gonna make the most of the opportunities we gave them,” Ryman said.

It didn’t hurt NNU in the end, though, as they remained unbeaten on the year as Gielow added 18 points and nine boards, Helpenstell had 12 and nine rebounds, and Tyler Roberts scored 13 in the victory. ...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Tyler Roberts drives the ball around a Westmont College defender during the first half of Friday evening’s game on the College of Idaho campus. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) NNU nearly blows 19-point lead, still top Westmont 88-77 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com

CALDWELL — To borrow the words straight from coach Tim Hills’ mouth, “Winning breeds confidence.”

That helped the Crusaders Friday night in the Wendy’s Classic as the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team saw a 19-point edge trimmed to just a deuce by Westmont (Calif.) before the Crusaders rallied to put away win No. 6 on the season 88-77.

“When they pulled within two, if we hadn’t been in that situation before … maybe it might we might have blown it,” Hills said.

Instead, NNU (6-0 overall) got a huge defensive stop with the Warriors (3-3) looking to tie the game as Kendall Gielow stepped in to take a charge from Dan Rasp, and the Crusaders never looked back, using an 8-0 run to reestablish themselves up 69-59 with 6 minutes, 33 seconds remaining following a pair of Louie Beech free throws. The Warriors got as close as 71-65 back after two Drew Benac freebies, but a Justin Parnell triple kept NNU rolling, then Joel Ryman (15 points) iced the win with back-to-back treys for an 85-71 edge with 3:12 to play.

“Joel did what Joel does, he just has no conscience,” Hill said. “He shoots it really well and he shoots with such great confidence and he’s done that two or three games for us now, so he’s valuable for us.”

Comfortably on top, all the Crusaders needed to do was run out the clock, which they did effectively by grabbing three offensive rebounds in the final two minutes, stretching on possession for nearly two minutes and leaving Westmont just 29 seconds to try and eliminate an 86-73 deficit.

“It’s something that we’ve been making an emphasis on, especially this week because we haven’t been good on that,” Hills said.

Everything seemed to be going good early on, though, as Gielow scored seven straight to erase the Warriors lone lead of the night — up 2-0 early. A Tyler Roberts triple made it 20-6 for NNU with 8:49 gone, and a Parnell fast-break lay-in off a long Matt Mgebroff pass put the Crusaders up 24-8 before the Warriors whittled away a bit, getting as close as 26-19 back on a Tyler Dutton 3. NNU responded with a 16-4 run, and looked to be set to run Westmont out of the gym after a Roberts free throw made it 42-23 with 1:23 to the break. Instead, the Warriors surged into the locker room, with an 8-1 run capped by a steal and triple by Centennial High grad and Westmont senior Josh Ware just before halftime.

“We had a couple of mental errors I think and a couple dumb turnovers and they just converted on them and made their shots,” Gielow, who led all scorers with 18 points, said.

Giving the Warriors just enough spark as they closed with 61-59 back with 10:09 to play after a Dutton 3 before NNU final put the game away.

“They don’t give up, they were feisty and they turned the momentum a little right there at the half,” Hill said. “… They came out loaded four bear the second half and we didn’t answer the phone very well there for awhile.”

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The College of Idaho forward Tucker Long drives the ball in the lane during the first half of Friday evening’s game against the University of Montana-Western at the activities center on The College of Idaho campus. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho guard Josh Owen goes in for a layup during the first half of Friday evening’s game against the University of Montana-Western at the activities center on the College of Idaho campus. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) UMW rallies from eight down, nets winner in last second By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Resiliency paid off for Montana-Western on Friday night. Playing that hectic final minute of catchup that rarely, if ever, seems to work in basketball, the Bulldogs erased an eight-point deficit to force overtime, where they escaped with a 90-89 win over The College of Idaho in the Wendy’s Classic.

“We didn’t play real smart at times, but we did what we had to do to win,” Montana-Western coach Steve Keller said.

And the Coyotes (3-8 overall, 1-1 conference) allowed the Bulldogs (5-7) to steal the win as they missed a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds left in regulation, then went 3-of-9 from the stripe in overtime.

“When you can’t make free throws and you can’t rebound and you’re still in the basketball game, those are chances you’re getting and we didn’t capitalize,” The C of I coach Mark Owen said.

Down 75-67 with 1:26 left, a Layne Glaus freebie got the Bulldogs going, then an Aaron Sims baseline jumper followed by a putback made it 75-72. Josh Owen knocked down two freebies, putting The C of I up 77-72 with 31.6 seconds left, but Chad Myers answer with a 3.Two more Owen charity tosses made it 79-75, but a Glaus driving bucket, then two missed freebies by Steffen Spinks gave the Bulldogs life. Life they stretched to overtime when Glaus hit two charity tosses with 3.2 seconds in regulation, knotting it at 79.

“He’s been shooting great free throws, he’s a winner.

“He’s the guy we want at the line,” Keller said of Glaus, who had 21 points.

Still, The C of I had chances to win in OT, as a Spinks free throw with 29.4 second left made it an 88-86 edge, and tied at 88, Owen knocked down 1-of-2 freebies for a one-point edge. An edge that looked like it might hold when Gus McDonald rushed an errant 3 for the Bulldogs, but Dovydas Retkus kept the ball alive for Sims, who tipped home the winner with 0.1 second on the clock.

“Aaron Sims played his best game,” Keller said of the 6-foot-6 senior forward who had 23 points and 15 boards.

Early on, the Bulldogs took a 40-28 edge after a Ryan Hansen 3, but Tucker Long sparked the Yotes, scoring eight straight before the break to get the C of I within 40-36.

“It was a great substitution,” coach Owen said.

The spark Long provided lasted into the second half as a 14-2 run, highlighted by a pair of Spinks 3s and one from Bryan Champ, put the Yotes in control, and they stormed out to a 67-57 lead with 6:37 to go on a J.R. Maggard layup before the Bulldogs’ final push. Spinks finished with 24 for the Yotes, while Maggard added 15 points and 12 boards....read more

Crusader ladies time in gym helps them hit shots in rout of Cascade By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — When it ain’t going right, do something to fix it. That’s exactly what the Northwest Nazarene women’s basketball team the past week to fix their shooting woes that nearly cost them a contest against NCAA Division III Whitman. Obviously outmatched...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Mallory Whipple leads the fast break past Cascade College’s Christina Brito, left, in the first half Thursday evening at NNU in Nampa. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Northwest Nazarene’s Kristin Hein, middle, leaps for an offensive rebound under the basket in the Crusader’s game Thursday evening at home against the Cascade College Thunderbirds. (Greg Kreller/IPT)  Women play tough first half, ride big lead to 91-62 victory By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It almost looked too easy. The Northwest Nazarene women’s basketball team came out on fire offensively and defensively Thursday night, crushing Cascade College by halftime and cruising to a 91-62 win.

“The ladies came out really focused the first half and executed the gameplan exactly the way we talked about,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said, “(they) were sharp and were able to get some easy buckets and it got everybody going.”

“Everything was going right,” said NNU post Jennifer Williams, who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. “I think we just came out really focused.”

Leading throughout, the NCAA Division II Crusaders gave themselves breathing room early with a 13-0 run sparked by a Brittney Roggenkamp trey, while Williams and Kristin Hein each tossed in a pair of buckets and Becky Johnson helped out with a putback for a 21-6 lead. The NAIA Thunderbirds (6-4 overall, 0-1 conference) trimmed the lead to 23-13 on a Raquel Morin bucket with 11 minutes left to halftime, and got as close as 29-18 down on a 4-foot, turnaround jumper by Te Awhina Aranui (25 points) before NNU (5-1) iced the win early. Williams tossed in a pair of buckets, Hein scored on a fast break, Mallory Whipple hit a pull-up 10-footer on the break, then Hein added a putback for a 39-18 edge.

“We really crushed ’em the first half rebounding,” Lindley said, as her team outrebounded the T-birds 33-18 in the half and 55-31 for the game. “I think when you get a lot of defensive boards you’re able to transition on offense, and I think that was the biggest key in our run in the first half is the girls really worked hard to get those boards and then ran the floor really hard.”

And kept rolling with a Paige Knudson triple making it 47-22, a Katy Sullivan 3 pushing the margin to 52-25, and a buzzer-beater bucket from Lindsay Brady making it 58-27 at the break. There was little exciting the rest of the night, as NNU pushed the difference to 36 points three times before settling for the 29-point victory.

“Overall I think it’s tough when you have a substantial lead to keep that mental focus, even though that is our goal,” Lindley said.

Evidently for more than just the Crusaders, as the most exciting moment of the final 20 minutes came when referee Kody Ketterling tossed a student out of the game for questioning a no-call. With 6:17 left, NNU’s Nichole Schutte drove to the basket but missed her shot on what might have been a foul, but none was called. A fan shouted to the affect of “come on ref, make a call. Where’s the foul?” and was immediately ejected from the gym by Ketterling. It didn’t affect the final outcome, though, as Hein added 16 points and 11 boards in the rout and Brady scored 13 for NNU, which next plays Dixie State and Cal State San Bernardino on Tuesday and Wednesday in Utah....read more

The College of Idaho’s Josh Owen drives against Northwest Nazarene’s Justin Parnell in their game Nov. 13. The Coyotes and Crusaders share the court once again, this time playing Westmont and Montana-Western in the Wendy’s Classic on The C of I campus Friday and Saturday. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Coyotes, Crusaders play in Wendy’s Classic this weekend By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It’s the season of giving, and the Coyotes and Crusaders, along with Treasure Valley Wendy’s restaurants, are doing their part. Northwest Nazarene and The College of Idaho men’s basketball teams hit the court this weekend for the inaugural Wendy’s Classic, with all proceeds from ticket sales Friday night going to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to help children in Idaho.

“That’s probably the most special thing about it, is doing something for kids,” NNU coach Tim Hills said.

Tickets cost $10 for reserved seats and $6 for general admission and are available at the door or by calling The C of I at 456-5835, or NNU at 467-8876. While it’ll be a big weekend in terms of generosity, the games also are big for both schools as NNU (5-0) takes on Westmont (Calif.) at 6 on Friday night followed by the Coyotes (3-7) battling Montana-Western (4-7) at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs and Coyotes played earlier this season, a 66-57 Yote victory.

“Each game’s important to us, we’ve got something to prove with the injuries and the bad luck that we’ve had,” C of I coach Mark Owen said, as his team plays Westmont (3-2) on Saturday at 8 p.m. “The kids that we put on the court have something to prove, and we try to get better every night.

“This weekend is important for us to keep our momentum going, but we’re still gearing towards Warner Pacific and Cascade in two weeks,” Owen added.

Two league contests for the Coyotes, who are coming off two solid performances in a just-miss loss to then No. 11 Oregon Tech to start Cascade Conference play, and an 83-72 league victory over Southern Oregon.

“We really needed some confidence and a little momentum builder and I think we got a lot of confidence playing against Tech ... and obviously being able to beat Southern helped us a lot,” Coyote senior guard Josh Owen said, “it showed us the things we need to do to get a win.”

Like make baskets, which coach Owen said will be a key again this weekend, along with defense.

“If we can get some guys to — Josh and J.R. (Maggard) had big nights (against Southern Oregon), if we can get every body clicking on the same page ... we’ll be a potent team.”

Something NNU is proving to be. The Crusaders are unbeaten this season thanks in part to the fact four different players have led the way the first five nights.

“We’re going to have to have the same thing,” said Hills, whose team plays Montana-Western at 6 p.m. on Saturday. “It’s nice, most of my college coaching career it’s been with two or three guys packing the load, and to have different kids stepping up every night, it’s just hard to guard us.

“But the staple of what we do, we still have to defend and rebound,” he added. “If we don’t do that it’s going to be hard to compete.”

Especially against two solid foes as Westmont is led by 6-foot-6 forward Dan Rasp (13.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg), 6-3 guard Tyler Dutton (12.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg), and Centennial High grad and 6-0 guard Josh Ware (5.8 ppg, 4.2 apg). The Bulldogs are led by 6-0 guard Layne Glaus (12.5 ppg, 3.3 apg), 6-2 guard Gus McDonald (11.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and 6-6 post Aaron Sims (11.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg).

“Both have kids that can shoot it and a very strong inside games as well, so we’re going to have our hands full every night,” Hills said.

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By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — There's no place like being away from home. Okay, doesn't sound quite right, but for The College of Idaho this season, those words couldn't ring more true. Yep, the Yotes are starting to gag a bit on home cooking. Just take a look, as the men's and women's basketball teams have combined to win two games in seven home contests. Not exactly...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Jennifer Williams, center, is fouled as she drives to the basket between Whitman’s Kristina Francis, left, and Kelsey Krumdieck, in the first half of the Saturday afternoon home game for the Crusaders. Greg Kreller/IPT Hard work, rebounds on defense required for victory after tough shooting performance By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusaders did just about everything right Saturday afternoon, yet still struggled to dispatch Whitman College. Dominating the glass and on defense, the Northwest Nazarene women took an extra 20 more shots, and needed most of them, as buckets didn’t start falling consistently until midway through the second half of the Crusaders 68-56 win.

“You can only can control what you can control and that’s your effort on rebounding and how hard you work on defense,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said, “but the bottom line is you’re going to have some off shooting nights and hopefully we’re doing enough other things right that it won’t affect the outcome.”

It didn’t, as NNU (4-1 overall) jumped ahead 17-6 after a 12-footer jumper by Jennifer Williams 9 minutes, 36 seconds into the game. NNU then stalled, hitting just 1-of-16 field-goal attempts the rest of the first half. Toss in six turnovers, and Whitman slowly chipped away, getting as close as 24-22 down at the break after a Hilary White freebie.

“The first half to shoot 24 percent (23.7); I told the ladies at halftime, you’re playing great D, you held them to 22 points but you’ve got to step on the floor and just play with confidence,” Lindley said. “I thought we were really tentative offensively.”

The Missionaries (3-2) actually cut the lead to 30-29 before the Crusaders started rolling as Krista Oliver banked home a 6-footer, Mallory Whipple rattled home a 3, then two Nichole Schutte free throws made it 37-31. An Oliver triple helped keep NNU’s fire fueled, then Katy Sullivan turned it into a blaze, busting a trio of triples, as the Crusaders hit 9-of-11 shots to build a 54-41 edge with 8:17 to go.

“It started out with Krista and that just got me pumped up and it just kept feeding off the team,” Sullivan said, adding, “good team effort, it wasn’t just me.”

“It was good and it made me feel a lot better and go a lot harder,” the freshman from Baker City, Ore., added.

Whitman had no answer to the sudden Crusader surge, and only managed to trim the difference to single digits twice the rest of the way.

“You got the win,” Lindley told her team afterwards. “You found a way to win and you should feel happy about that.”

Oliver led NNU with 11 points, while Brittney Roggenkamp, Williams and Schutte each added 10, and Kristin Hein scored four points and nabbed 10 rebounds. Northwest Nazarene 77, Colorado School of Mines 71 NAMPA — The Northwest Nazarene men just keep winning. Saturday night the Crusaders completed a sweep of Rocky Mountain Conference schools, fending off the Colorado School of Mines 77-71 in the Shilo Inn Classic hosted by NNU. Leading 34-31 at the break, NNU (5-0 overall) pushed the lead to 53-43 after a Joel Ryman triple with 12 minutes to play, then held on as the Orediggers got as close as 68-66 down after a Niko Marinucci trey with just under four minutes left. Kendall Gielow answered for NNU with a bucket, then Tyler Roberts and Adam Shildmyer each tossed in a pair of free throws, helping ice the win. Gielow finished with 19 points for the Crusaders while Roberts added 15 and six assists and Scott Helpenstell tossed in 14 points and grabbed six boards for NNU....read more

The College of Idaho’s ShaNae Horner, left, is defended by Southern Oregon’s Carly Wood, right, in the first half of Saturday evening's home game for the Yotes. (Greg Kreller/IPT) College of Idaho's Brianna Hansen (54) reaches for a pass in the paint as she is defended by Southern Oregon's Krystal Smith in the first half Saturday evening in the Coyotes game at home. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Home team can’t get shots to fall By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It turned out to be a pretty simple answer for Coyote coach Reagan Rossi. What went wrong Saturday night in a 78-73 loss to Southern Oregon in Cascade Conference play?

“We didn’t make shots,” the Yote coach said.

The College of Idaho women hit just 36.1 percent of their chances compared to 51.9 percent for the Raiders, who nipped the Yotes (4-2 overall, 1-1 conference) in a battle of up-tempo, attacking teams.

“They’re a very good team,” SOU coach Lynn Kennedy said. “You could tell they missed some opportunities here and there, but what a great game, back and forth.”

Both teams took turns leading, as the Yotes battled back from a 20-14 deficit with a 10-0 charge in the first half, a run sparked by triples from Whitney Owen and ShaNae Horner. The Raiders (4-2, 1-1) rallied too, grabbing a 35-26 edge after two Lindsey Scheffler freebies, eventually taking a 37-32 lead to the locker room. The second half saw more lead-swapping, as The C of I used an 8-2 surge to go up 40-39 after a Christon Vander Esch 3-point play, then erased a 47-42 hole and knotted it at 51-51 on an Owen free throw. But with 10:12 to play, the Raiders, unfazed by the Yotes’ full-court press and trapping defense, put together a small run that proved decisive.

“That’s kinda our style too,” Kennedy said. “… We were excited about playing this game just because it is kinda the same style we play.”

Which helped the Raiders attack the Yotes as six fast-break points — a deuce each from Kellyn Cooper, Chelsey Muri and Jackie Speer — followed by a Speer free throw then a Whitney Scott triple gave SOU the edge it needed.

“I felt like we got past that second tier of traps they had,” Kennedy said of his team’s transition points. “That’s part of playing that way.”

The Yotes tried to rally, but not making shot could only get as close as 70-69 after two Whitney Clark free throws with 1:25 to play before missed chances sealed The C of I’s fate.

“We were content to really not attack the basket and try and draw fouls or pull up for the jump shot,” Rossi said, adding that her team also failed to employ the gameplan of inside out passing.

“We were content to pull it back out and execute our offense, and we didn’t execute it very well.”

Muir led the way for Southern Oregon with 32 points, while Denise Hill had 19 for the Yotes, who also got 12 from Owen and 10 each from Clark, Kayla Brewer and Vander Esch. College of Idaho men 83, Southern Oregon 72 CALDWELL — The Coyotes finally got one. Winless in their first three home contests, and in the midst of a five-game skid, The College of Idaho men didn’t let either fact bother them as they caught fire late in the first half then held off Southern Oregon for an 83-72 Cascade Conference win.

“It’s been a while but we’ve been in so many good ones,” C of I coach Mark Owen said, “we’ve had some chances to win.

“We’re going to be in some games, we’re not going to be in some games, but I thought tonight we played pretty aggressive and we stepped up and made shots when we needed to.”

Down 24-21 with 8 minutes, 14 seconds left in the first half, the Yotes (3-7 overall, 1-1 conference) not only knocked down shots, though, they stymied the Raiders (4-7, 0-2). The C of I defense forced five turnovers and held Southern Oregon to 1-of-5 shooting, while Kurt Nielson and Josh Owen buried buckets, Bryan Champ splashed a 3, then Steffen Spinks hit a deuce and tossed in six free throws, the final pair making it a 36-26 ballgame.

“If we can get both sides of the ball going, the defense and the offense, I like our chances,” coach Owen said. “We’re playing good enough defense right now, keeping teams off balance, and if we can come down and make some shots, we’re in most of the game’s we’re playing.”

On top, the Yotes never let the Raiders retake the lead, though Southern Oregon got close. A Trenton Fraser bucket made it 51-48 with 13:44 left, and Scott Tiefenthaler hit 1-of-2 free throws for a 62-58 margin with 8:27 to play, but the Yotes responded every time, pulling away late and icing the win with an Owen triple for a 67-58 lead with 7:31 to go. The C of I then nursed the lead to the wire for the win....read more

The College of Idaho's Calen Blessinger goes up for a layup during Friday evening's game against Oregon Tech at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) The College of Idaho guard Josh Owen passes the ball during the first half of Friday evening's game against Oregon Tech at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Late foul costly for C of I men By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — An unlucky call cost the Coyotes their upset. The College of Idaho men’s basketball team executed the gameplan of coach Mark Owen perfectly, making the extra pass, getting open shots and knocking them down on offense. On defense, the Yotes challenged the rest of the Oregon Tech Owls to beat them, letting 6-foot-7 senior Ryan Fiegi do his damage. It all worked to perfection until Bryan Champ was called for an offensive foul after grabbing a defensive rebound, allowing No. 11 Oregon Tech to escape with a 73-68 win.

“I’m extremely proud of the kids, I thought we played pretty dang good against arguably one of the better teams in the country right now,” Owen said. “We’re close, they just gotta keep their heads up.”

Very close, as the Yotes (2-7 overall, 0-1 conference) came out on fire, hitting 10-of-14 shots and building a 22-13 edge in the opening half when a driving dish from Calen Blessinger to J.R. Maggard led to a lay-up. The C of I maintained a lead into the break, up 37-34 at halftime, and despite a few challenges by the Owls (9-1, 1-0), led 42-40 after a Champ (18 points) putback with 15 minutes, 43 seconds to play. But a second-half defensive switch by the Owls’ NAIA Hall-of-Fame coach Danny Miles to zone stymied The C of I.

“They were getting to the hoop on us,” Miles said of his team’s man defense, which switched on the Coyote screens. “I thought the zone took ’em out of that, they had to hit some shots and they haven’t been shooting quite as well as they have in the past, and we took a gamble on it.”

The change worked as the Owls forged a 51-42 lead after a Jguwon Hogges 3-pointer with 13:20 to play.

“I thought we rushed a couple of shots,” Owen said, adding, “... as I say that, zones make you do crazy things. When we kinda settled down and started attacking it, we were good against it.”

The Owls battled back to take a 64-63 lead after a Josh Owen (12 points) triple with 3:28 to play. A Myles Daley three put the Owls back up 66-64, but a huge defensive stop by The C of I led to Champ grabbing the rebound after a Daley miss with 59.5 ticks left. What looked like a chance to win instead blew away with the official’s whistle when Champ was called for elbowing Fiegi (28 points, 12 rebounds).

“We finally get a rebound and the guy slaps at it,” coach Owen said, “and when you get slapped you retaliate and you know, official missed the first one, got the second one.”

Daley promptly buried a trey with 43.2 seconds left, giving Oregon Tech a 5-point edge it nursed to the finish. College of Idaho women 74, Oregon Tech 66 CALDWELL — The Yote women made the shots they needed. Jumping up 36-23, The College of Idaho women went through a dismal 6-of-29 stretch, gave up the lead, then buckled down to beat Oregon Tech 74-66 in Cascade Conference play.

“We started off hot,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said. “… I thought we started off shooting it pretty well in the first five minutes and really kinda got them on their heels. He (OIT coach Matt Greenleaf) called some quality timeouts to try and slow us down.”

It worked, as the Yotes, who led 36-23 after an Ashley Wolfe triple with 6:33 to the break, stalled.

“Execution,” Yote post Denise Hill said, “we didn’t execute as well as we could have.”

Which helped the Owls (4-1 overall, 0-1 conference) chip away and get as close as 36-32 down at the break, eventually taking a 49-48 lead on a Cora McVey 3 with 11:26 left. OIT pushed its lead to 57-54 on another McVey triple before the Yotes closed in fine fashion, hitting 6-of-7 down the stretch with the win at stake.

“Just teamwork and playing well together in practice and knowing how to read each other really helped us down the line,” said Hill, who sparked the run with back-to-back buckets. “Especially with our backs against the wall and it’s a tie ballgame and we have to score, we have to know how to play together to play a good ballgame.”

While Hill, the 6-foot post, did her part, scoring 22 points and adding seven rebounds, so did the perimeter attack, as back-to-back treys by Wolfe and Katee Brewer put The C of I up 69-63 with 1:44 left to ice the win.

“We were gonna have to hit some of those perimeter shots, (OIT) did a great job of sagging in,” Rossi said. “… We talked about having the posts roll to the middle, keep everybody out, working inside-out and we started doing that in that last five minutes, got our feet underneath us and got the shot.”

Whitney Clark and Wolfe each added 13 points in the win for the Coyotes (4-1, 1-0). ...read more

NNU's Scott Helpenstell shoots for two points Friday night at NNU. (Mat Grady / IPT) NNU forward Kendall Gielow passes away the ball after he made a rebound Friday night agenst the Colorado Christian University Cougars. (Mat Grady / IPT) NNU sinks 12 3-pointers in 82-74 victory over Colorado Christian Dave Southorn dsouthorn @idahopress.com NAMPA — It sounds like basic math, and the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders understand it very well. Three points is more than two. In their opening game of the Shilo Inn & Suites Classic, the Crusaders nailed 12 3-pointers on 19 attempts — a fantastic 63.2 percent — in an 82-74 win over the Colorado Christian Cougars.

“When you can do that, it really extends the defense and opens it up for the guys inside, too,” NNU coach Tim Hills said. “When you spread them out, those passes inside are a lot easier to make.”

The Crusaders (4-0) rushed out to a 24-12 lead in the game’s first 10 minutes, during which the team had five 3-pointers. NNU led by as much as 15 in the first half en route to a 38-30 halftime advantage, at which point the Crusaders were 7-of-10 from 3-point range.

“We’ve been a team that has started strong this season,” NNU guard Joel Ryman said. “We’ve got four or five guys who can hit it from anywhere, and that’s really nice to have.”

Ryman was 4-of-4 on his 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a game-high 18 points. While Colorado Christian (1-3) couldn’t find a way to stop the Crusaders from hitting their shots, the Cougars did plenty to keep themselves within striking distance. A 10-point NNU lead with 17 minutes to play dwindled into a 2-point lead with 5 minutes to go. After a timeout, the Crusaders regrouped and went on a 9-0 run capped off with a Louie Beech 3-pointer to make it 78-67 with 2:25 left.

“When they made that run, it was pretty important for us to execute,” Hills said. “When we got a chance to make a big shot and Louie hit that wide-open 3, it sealed it for us.”

Being able to hold onto a lead and not let the other team step in and take it away was a goal the Crusaders had in mind. NNU led Albertson by 16 in an exhibition earlier this season before losing by six.

“All week we’d been talking about focusing, and I think it hung with us,” Ryman said. “We had to dig deep when it got close, so it was a big step for us to be able to do that.”

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The College of Idaho’s Kurt Nielson shoots over Willamette’s Cameron Mitchell on Nov. 16. Banged up and having lost four straight, Coyotes open Cascade Conference play Friday, hosting No. 11 Oregon Tech. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I men excited about playing No. 11 Oregon Tech on Friday night By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Banged up, boasting an harmless 2-6 record, you might think the last thing the Coyotes want to do is open up Cascade Conference play. Wrong.

“Very excited,” The College of Idaho men’s basketball coach Mark Owen said as his team hosts No. 11-ranked Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon on Friday and Saturday to start league action. “We played an extremely tough preseason and everybody’s down on us, but we’ve got some guys that are coming together and are ready to start conference and get this thing rolling.”

It has been a tough pre-conference run, though, as the Coyotes lost their top recruit from Arizona when he opted not to attend The C of I. They then lost top freshman Terriel Thomas with a knee injury the first day of practice, 6-foot junior guard Phil Matcham left the team two weeks ago, and in their home opener the Yotes lost 6-8 junior post Craig McGee to a broken wrist. Add to that the fact the typical hot-handed Yotes have shot 42.1 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and the record kind of speaks for itself. Yet... .

“We’ve got some guys that want to go out there and battle,” Owen said, as three of his teams’ last four games weren’t decided until the final minute.

It’s been vastly different for the Owls (8-1 overall) though, as they average 92.1 points per game and are playing much bigger than in recent years.

“They’re a little bit different this year they’re a little bit bigger this year, but still producing the points and producing the wins,” Owen said.

Leading the way are three trees, all of whom stand taller than all but one C of I player. Christian Cavanaugh, a 6-10 junior post, averages 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds, 6-7 senior forward Ryan Fiegi adds in 17.2 points and 5.3 rebounds, and 6-8 junior post Josh Wetzler averages 11.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per night. Add in 5-8 junior guard Jguwon Hogges (10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg), and the Owls have some weapons, as Cavanaugh, Fiegi and Hogges each are 3-point threats on a team shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc and 51.4 percent overall. Just how do the Coyotes compete?

“I think for us defensively, first we’ve got to stop their transition,” Owen said, adding, “they’ve got arguably the best player in the conference in Fiegi. ... You give him his point and try to eliminate the other four, five or six players.

“We have to do other things to keep them from getting their points and rebounds.”

On the other end of the floor, it’s much simpler.

“Our team that has to make baskets,” Owen said, “and we’re not making baskets. We’re scoring in the 60s so we’ve got to find a way to make our shots.

“I’d say get ’em closer but we missed nine lay-ins in our second game against Westminster (a 64-46 loss last Saturday).”

The solution?

“Keep working at it and keep the kids’ heads up,” Owen said. “Coaches can diagram all the plays and get the shots but the kids still have to make them.”

If the Coyotes make their shots, watch out, as this game has become a hotly contested rivalry over the years.

“I think it’s a great motivator,” Owen said of playing the Owls. “And I think if we were fortunate enough to play well and come out on top, it would show these kids we can play against the elite teams.”

As for the rest of the weekend, the Coyote men will take on Southern Oregon (4-5) on Saturday, while the Coyote women look to continue their winning ways also at home. The C of I women host Oregon Tech (4-0) in a battle of potential conference title contenders to start the weekend at 5:30 Friday night, then take on Southern Oregon (3-1) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday....read more

Northwest Nazarene guard Lindsay Brady tries to drive on a Humboldt State defender during Saturday night’s game on the campus of NNU in Nampa. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Northwest Nazarene guard Mallory Whipple brings the ball up the court during the first half of Saturday evening's game against Humboldt State at NNU. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) NNU trails late, fights back to down Humboldt State 95-87 By Mike Sharp sports@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Northwest Nazarene Crusaders had to find something deep within themselves in order to beat Humboldt State 95-87 on Saturday. After falling down 39-27 with 4 minutes, 26 seconds left in the first half, the Crusaders were able to battle back. In order to do it, it took a special mix of spirit and momentum.

“It’s always tough to trail the whole game and be expected to take charge of the game,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said. “But they didn’t give in. They were able to go out there and fight and showed their competitiveness. They never gave up, even when (Humboldt State) was nailing 3s in our face.”

NNU trailed 45-38 at the half, and struggled to get into a position to take a lead. They came close, tying the game 53-53 with 14:28 to go, but the Lumberjacks’ Trisha Alaba hit a three to stave the Crusaders off. NNU tied it again 76-76 with 5:35 to go, but Biava Arganda hit a jumper for Humboldt State to shut the rally down again. The final break came after Jennifer Williams hit a jumper to tie the game 82-82 with 3:07 left. Williams added a free-throw for an and-one, and the Crusaders took an 83-82 lead. The Crusaders held that lead for the rest of the game.

“My focus was on the defense,” said Williams, who led the Crusaders with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. “I was calm. We had a couple of rough times, obviously, when we went down by 10, but we had committed to protecting this home court. We had committed to win every home game, and we wanted to protect the home court. We were able to get the win.”

Lindley said the early struggle was thanks to one specific piece of the Crusaders’ gameplan.

“It took us 38 minutes to figure out how to run our transition defense against them,” Lindley said. “They got so many buckets before we were finally able to figure it out. We’d be able to come close, and then they’d hit a wide-open layin or a three and we’d be back down by five.

“The thing I love about these ladies is they realized they could come from behind, and they finished and they won. It shows a lot of character to get over the hill and I was glad we were able to get this one.”

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Northwest Nazarene guard Joel Ryman brings the ball up the court during the first half of Saturday’s game against Pacific University at NNU. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Northwest Nazarene forward Kendall Gielow shoots over a defender from Pacific University during Saturday night's game on the campus of NNU. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Division II Crusaders come back, beat Division III Pacific 75-69 By Mike Sharp sports@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Northwest Nazarene Crusaders and Pacific University Boxers may not be in the same division of NCAA men’s basketball, but the Boxers gave the Crusaders a real run for their money. The NCAA Division II Crusaders did win the game 75-69 against their Division-III foes, but Pacific led the bulk of the game.

“(The Boxers) had been shooting the ball extremely poorly up until this game,” Northwest Nazarene coach Tim Hills said. “But we knew they were much better than they had been. We played against some of these guys last year.”

NNU jumped out to an early lead, but lost it with 5 minutes, 57 seconds left in the first half, trailing 27-25. The Boxers would build on their lead and enter the second half leading 43-37.

“The things we focused on mostly were getting rebounds,” NNU’s Kendall Gielow said. “I mean, we gave them (43) points in that first half and our goal was 65 for the whole game.”

The Crusaders battled back in the second half, finally tying the game 60-60 with 6:24 left. But they didn’t regain the lead until Tyler Roberts hit a three with only 1:53 to go. Then, when Pacific’s Maruice Ross missed his second of two free throws with the Crusaders up 70-69, Gielow got the big rebound and assist to Scott Helpenstell to get NNU up 72-69 with only 1:09 left. The Boxers would get no closer. Gielow finished the game with 21 points to lead the Crusaders.

“He’s been so good since day one this season that we have called him ‘The Machine,’ ” Hills said. “He hits jumpers, outside shots, threes, layins — he’s really the whole package. He was on so we were trying to get the ball to him. Two or three times, guys would shoot before the ball got to him and they’d miss it. I mean, he was on fire, we knew we had to get it to him.”

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Olds' four 3s help Crusaders past Warriors in 72-61 win By I.C. Murrell imurrell@idahopress.com NAMPA — Northwest Nazarene was looking for a little rhythm in its home opener. That’s what it got with the help of guard Janee Olds, whose 4-of-7 3-point shooting guided the Crusaders as they pulled away for a 72-61 victory over Cal State-Stanislaus Friday night in the second game...read more

NNU post Jennifer Williams calls for the basketball during a practice earlier this week. The sophomore leads the team in scoring and rebounding despite suffering a broken back after her freshman season. (Mat Grady/IPT) Unfazed by her injury, NNU post leads team after breaking back By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It wasn’t the sudden impact you might expect, and for Jennifer Williams, it took a few moments to grasp what had happening. Just finished doing squats, the 6-foot-2 sophomore post at Northwest Nazarene went to re-rack the weight, but somehow the machine did not lock and Williams was caught under a few hundred pounds.

“It came down on the back of my shoulders bending me in half, basically snapping my spine,” she said.

“I’ve never broken anything so at the time I wasn’t thinking that it was broke,” Williams said, adding she reached around to feel what had happened and found a large lump. “That’s when I knew something was wrong.”

The former Gatorade Player of the Year and Centennial High product fractured her T12 vertebrae, one of the vertebrae in the Thoracic region in the middle of the back, at the bottom of the rib cage.

“It was pretty scary,” Williams said, though she didn’t think about paralysis at the time. “... I didn’t move. I guess if I tried to get up or something I could have been, but I was sure to stay still until somebody found me just to be safe.”

Safe, but not so sound, as Williams went in for surgery the next day, getting a bone graph from her hip to help repair the broken vertebrae, along with steal rods and screws inserted in her back.

“It was incredibly sad,” recalls NNU women’s basketball coach Kelli Lindley. “I remember going to the hospital and just seeing her there all drugged up and knowing that she had all this metal in her back. It just brought tears to my eyes because she’s such a special kid in so many ways.

“It was really heartbreaking.”

For Williams, too, as she was coming off a solid freshman season for the Crusaders, averaging 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds a game for a team that advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament. Not resting on her accomplishments, Williams spent the offseason working out with a friend and former member of the Evergreen State men’s basketball team.

“I had been training all summer and changed little things in my game to improve it, and I felt like I was really ready for my sophomore year and I wanted to come out and make a big impact and then that happened,” Williams recalls.

Pleased she wasn’t paralyzed, the long journey back began with a back-brace for about five months, followed by light activity for Williams, who recalls she could shoot the basketball, but wasn’t allowed to jump or run.

“The doctor said I could possibly be playing again and that gave me a goal to reach instead of being down in my situation,” Williams said.

She proved her doctor right, as Williams finally is getting to play her sophomore season and is making the impact she hoped to before the injury.

“I think it is an incredibly inspirational story,” Lindley said. “... I think she’s defied the odds. I think the rest of the team rallies behind her and when they see her pushing through pain, it sort of motivates them. She’s a good leader for us.”

Statistically, too, as Williams leads NNU in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounds (6.5 rpg). She is making 73 percent (11-of-15) of her shots through the team’s first two games as they prepare to host Cal State-Stanislaus and Humboldt State on Friday and Saturday. They are big games for Williams, who will make her debut at home after a long recovery.

“I’m nervous ’cause most of my family hasn’t seen me play,” she said, “... I’m really excited to get back on our home floor and play a real game.”

“It’s going to be thrilling,” Lindley adds, “... I’m sure she’s going to get a warm round of applause just to see her out there and to see what she can do.

“She’s not 100 percent in terms of her fitness and strength and just having her feel for the game back,” Lindley adds. “Once she gets that, she’s going to be a force to reckon with.”

Already is looking at her stats, and the way she’s playing.

“When she plays she’s not thinking about it, she plays with reckless abandon,” Lindley said, recalling one play last weekend during the team’s trip to California.

“She took a charge,” NNU’s coach said. “... I’m thinking, ‘Don’t take a charge,’ and I’ve never said that before.

“When she gets hit or fouled hard it just, it makes me cringe, and I absolutely want to protect her from that.”

No need.

“When I’m playing I don’t think about it at all,” Williams said, “after games I’m usually really sore, it hurts all the time, but I think I’ve gotten use to the pain.”

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Idaho Press-Tribune staff sports@idahopress.com SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The Yotes season might have come to an abrupt end Friday. The No. 8-ranked College of Idaho cruised through pool play at regionals, and looked poise to defend it’s back-to-back regional crowns when No. 20 Lewis-Clark State rallied to knocked off the Coyotes 22-30, 30-12, 23-30, 30-24, 15-5 in the semifinals of...read more

The College of Idaho’s Kurt Nielson, right, blocks a shot by Willamette’s Tain Cantrell (54) in the first half Friday night in Caldwell. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I tough on defense, but can’t get baskets, lose to Willamette By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Defense might win championships, but the offense needs to help out too. The College of Idaho men’s basketball team forced 23 turnovers and held Willamette to just 39.1 percent first-half shooting, but the offense fell apart for the Coyotes in a 72-63 loss in the 21st annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shootout.

“I don’t know what’s the lowest grade you can get but we’re that offensively — we’re so bad offensively,” Coyote coach Mark Owen said.

“We’ve got 6-foot-7 guys switching out on 6-foot guards and we can’t go around ’em and then when we do throw it inside — we’re bad, we’re just bad right now.”

The Yotes (2-3 overall) hit just 19-of-64 shots on the night, 5-of-34 from beyond the 3-point arc, and did little better from the charity stripe, tossing in just 20-of-30. Still, they hung around leading 13-9 on a Donnel Garner putback, and drawing even at 27-27 at the break on two Josh Owen free throws. And it looked like The C of I might take off from there as five straight from Steffen Spinks put the Yotes up 32-27 just 1:16 into the second half before offensive woes buried Owen’s squad. A 1-for-11 shooting stretch helped fuel a 21-3 charge by Willamette, which took a 48-35 lead after two Mike Smith free throws with 10:35 to go.

“We got a couple players out there that think they’ve got to take it on their shoulders and that’s not what we’re about, we’re about team basketball,” coach Owen said.

The Yotes defense did its part, keeping it from being a blowout and giving the offense a chance to chip away as Spinks force a 5-second call on Smith and Owen cashed in with a free throw, making it 52-46. And after The C of I forced a back-court violation on the Bearcats, an Owen 3-pointer got the Yotes as close as 54-51 back. But the offense stalled down the stretch, with the Bearcats getting a crucial putback from Cameron Mitchell with 3:16 left to make it 59-52, then Ian Mansfield drew a charge on Spinks for a turnover, and two Robbie Kunke free throws helped ice the win with 3:09 to go.

“We tried to change defenses a little bit, they’re just to good to keep giving them the same look, the same look, the same look, so we kinda switched it up a little bit,” Bearcats coach Gordie James said.

Owen finished with 21 while Spinks added 11, the lone double-digit scorers for the Yotes, who play Westminster tonight at 8 p.m. “It’s my job to get ’em back to the drawing board and see what we can figure out and get ’em going,” coach Owen said. In the night’s opening game, Danny Stosich scored 23 points to lead Westminster to an 88-71 win over Eastern Oregon....read more

College of Idaho’s Anton Coleman (32) defends Willamette’s Mike Smith in the first half Friday night during the home game for the Yotes. (Greg Kreller/IPT) The College of Idaho’s Kurt Nielson, right, blocks a shot by Willamette’s Tain Cantrell (54) in the first half Friday night in Caldwell. (Greg Kreller/IPT) C of I tough on defense, but can’t get baskets, lose to Willamette By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Defense might win championships, but the offense needs to help out too. The College of Idaho men’s basketball team forced 23 turnovers and held Willamette to just 39.1 percent first-half shooting, but the offense fell apart for the Coyotes in a 72-63 loss in the 21st annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shootout.

“I don’t know what’s the lowest grade you can get but we’re that offensively — we’re so bad offensively,” Coyote coach Mark Owen said.

“We’ve got 6-foot-7 guys switching out on 6-foot guards and we can’t go around ’em and then when we do throw it inside — we’re bad, we’re just bad right now.”

The Yotes (2-3 overall) hit just 19-of-64 shots on the night, 5-of-34 from beyond the 3-point arc, and did little better from the charity stripe, tossing in just 20-of-30. Still, they hung around leading 13-9 on a Donnel Garner putback, and drawing even at 27-27 at the break on two Josh Owen free throws. And it looked like The C of I might take off from there as five straight from Steffen Spinks put the Yotes up 32-27 just 1:16 into the second half before offensive woes buried Owen’s squad. A 1-for-11 shooting stretch helped fuel a 21-3 charge by Willamette, which took a 48-35 lead after two Mike Smith free throws with 10:35 to go.

“We got a couple players out there that think they’ve got to take it on their shoulders and that’s not what we’re about, we’re about team basketball,” coach Owen said.

The Yotes defense did its part, keeping it from being a blowout and giving the offense a chance to chip away as Spinks force a 5-second call on Smith and Owen cashed in with a free throw, making it 52-46. And after The C of I forced a back-court violation on the Bearcats, an Owen 3-pointer got the Yotes as close as 54-51 back. But the offense stalled down the stretch, with the Bearcats getting a crucial putback from Cameron Mitchell with 3:16 left to make it 59-52, then Ian Mansfield drew a charge on Spinks for a turnover, and two Robbie Kunke free throws helped ice the win with 3:09 to go.

“We tried to change defenses a little bit, they’re just to good to keep giving them the same look, the same look, the same look, so we kinda switched it up a little bit,” Bearcats coach Gordie James said.

Owen finished with 21 while Spinks added 11, the lone double-digit scorers for the Yotes, who play Westminster tonight at 8 p.m. “It’s my job to get ’em back to the drawing board and see what we can figure out and get ’em going,” coach Owen said. In the night’s opening game, Danny Stosich scored 23 points to lead Westminster to an 88-71 win over Eastern Oregon. ...read more

Idaho Press-Tribune staff sports@idahopress.com SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The two-time defending NAIA Region I champs kept right on rolling Thursday as The College of Idaho volleyball team opened defense of its title by beating Rocky Mountain 30-28, 30-28, 30-17 and No. 22 ranked Westminster 30-27, 30-25, 30-28 in pool play.

“It’s definitely a great feeling, it’s nice to take care of business early on and it puts us in a good position,” C of I coach Liz Mendiola said.

The...read more

Idaho Press-Tribune staff sports@idahopress.com SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Rebecca Bailey proved to be just a bit too much for Northwest Nazarene to handle, as the Triton junior outside hitter had 30 kills, including three in a row late to lead UC San Diego to a 23-30, 30-25, 30-24, 26-30, 15-13 win over the Crusaders in the opening round of the NCAA Division II national volleyball tournament...read more

Northwest Nazarene’s Justin Parnell (20) throws up a shot as he is double teamed by The College of Idaho’s Craig McGee (30) and Kurt Nielson (44) in the first half Tuesday night at the United Heritage Tip Off at the Idaho Center. (Greg Kreller/IPT) College of Idaho's Steffen Spinks brings the ball up court in the first half of the Tuesday evening United Heritage Tip Off at the Idaho Center. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Defensive switch helps C of I erase 17-point deficit, top NNU 60-54 on Tuesday night By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It turned out to be the battle everyone expected from these long-time rivals, with one twist. With his team trailing 20-3, 10 minutes into the ballgame, Coyote coach Mark Owen switched up his team’s defense from zone to an aggressive man-to-man, a decisive moves as The College of Idaho rallied to top Northwest Nazarene 60-54 on Tuesday night at the Idaho Center.

“We’ve been really good in zone,” Owen said, “... (but) he picked us apart, coach (Tim) Hillsy did. He watched us down at Eastern (Oregon last weekend) and picked us apart making shots.

“At least we can get some accountability when we went man, and I think when we did go man it switched the tempo in our favor.”

Early on in this battle — which has raged since 1933 and has been won the last three years by the Yotes — the Crusaders took charge, scoring at will as Justin Parnell and Adam Shildmyer splashed 3s, and Joel Ryman added a pair in the opening 9:16 as NNU built that 20-3 lead.

“We were just doing what we were told, we were getting back picks on the zone, we were being smart with (the ball), not taking it into danger spots like into the corners and just getting open shots,” Parnell said.

The Yotes (2-2 overall) meanwhile, got a pair of Bryan Champ free throws and one from Tucker Long, as The C of I went an icy 4-of-24 from the field in the opening half.

“They kinda got us out of what we wanted to do,” Yote post Craig McGee said. “They were physical, I think some of us weren’t ready for how physical they were gonna be.”

Needing a spark, the Yotes switched to their aggressive man defense, trapping NNU ball-handlers and often extending their pressure full-court.

“Regardless if we’re getting turnovers or not, the tempo changes in the game, it makes the other team uneasy,” Owen said. “They’re going fast, they’re not able to do their offense, I think that was a big turning point.”

“We actually came together,” Yote guard Donnel Garner, who led The C of I with five steals, said. “The intensity rose to another level and I think that’s when we started playing good.”

And NNU stalled.

“Their pressure really, really hurt us, they started getting turnovers, they got some easy transition baskets, and the more they pressured the more we lost our poise,” NNU coach Tim Hills said.

“He was smart extending their pressure and his going man-to-man, ’cause if you give us open looks we can really shoot it.” Hills added.

Typically, the Yotes can too, and trailing 28-18 at the break, the came out and finally knocked down some buckets to start the second half. A Josh Owen triple 1:36 into the final session sparked The C of I, which put together a 16-5 run capped by a Phillip Matcham 3-ball out of the left corner, and with 12:41 to play, the Yotes suddenly led 34-33.

“The first five minutes of the second half are what makes the game,” McGee said. “We came out, we got the defense that we wanted, we knocked down some shots and everything started rolling.”

Both teams inched along toward the finish, with six lead changes before a Champ triple put The C of I up for good 47-44 with 5:17 left. An Owen 3 with 1:57 left made it 51-46, then The C of I hit 9-of-14 free throws down the stretch to ice the rivalry win.

“I think it means something to the 25, 30 kids on the court, NNU and ours included, it means something to them,” Owen said of the win, which gives the Yotes a 113-72 series edge. “And it means something to the people across town on our side and on their side as well.

“Even though it’s an exhibition, it’s still a game.”

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NNU outside hitter Lindsay Forseth (4) goes up for a block during the second game of Thursday evening's match against Western Oregon. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Team third NNU athletic squad to advance on to NCAAs By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — If the Northwest Nazarene Crusader volleyball team wasn’t overwhelmingly excited to hear about their first-ever berth to the NCAA Division II national tournament, they had a good reason.

“I’m not sure they were too excited this morning because I made them watch the webcast at 7 in the morning,” Northwest Nazarene volleyball coach Jared Sliger said, “but after that they were super excited.”

Early wake-up call aside, the Crusaders are ecstatic as they earned the No. 6 seed in the West Region and play UC San Diego in the first round of nationals at 1 p.m. MST at Coussoulis Arena on the campus of Cal State-San Bernardino. Sliger thinks it’s a pretty good matchup for the Crusaders (18-8 overall), as the Tritons (19-7) beat NNU 30-24, 30-19, 31-29 back on Aug. 31. How is that a good matchup?

“I said all along, if we were going to go I want to go in as No. 6 and I want to pair up with San Diego again,” Sliger said. “I feel like we match up very well with them.”

The Crusaders kind of beat themselves in the match, turning in their second-worst offensive outing of the year with just 30 kills and a .112 hitting percentage.

“… And we’ve been able to even a lot of scores with teams that beat us earlier this season,” Sliger adds.

The winner plays the winner of the Western Washington vs. Chico State match in the regional semifinals Friday, with the regional finals Saturday. This will be a big weekend for the Crusaders, who become just the third NNU athletic team to qualify for NCAA nationals, following in the footsteps of the 2004 and 2006 women’s basketball teams. The Crusader track team has also qualified individual athletes the last two seasons for nationals.

“I’m sure I’ll be nervous, I’m sure (the players)’ll be pretty excited,” Sliger said of nationals. “Excited, but not overwhelmed by playing at nationals.

“They had to play some matches now that have had some significance, so I feel we’re pretty well prepared,” Sliger adds, “and we had great a preseason against these teams and are pretty well prepared.”

They’re prepared to do the things that have worked well all year, as Sliger says that the keys to victory Thursday will be the continued strong play of outside hitters Lindsay Forseth and Loni Evenson, and middle blockers Cammy Dranginis and Chelsea Pelton. That, and the play of senior setter Allison James.

“Allison James is the key for me,” NNU’s coach said. “If she’s distributing the ball well and the hitters are swinging, we’ll do OK.”

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Albertson's Anton Coleman goes for a lay-up as Northwest Nazarene's Dato Sakvarelidze attempts to swat it away during the Coyotes' 88-80 victory over the Crusaders on Thursday night at the Idaho Center in Nampa. (Vance Green / IPT) Despite exhibition status, game still means plenty to Treasure Valley hoops fans By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — On the schedule it might not mean too much. After all, it is just an exhibition. But sometimes a schedule doesn’t say just what is at stake. The battle for basketball bragging rights in the Treasure Valley is on tonight at 7 as the oldest college hoops rivalry in the state tips off at the Idaho Center with the College of Idaho Coyotes ready to battle their Canyon County rivals, the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders.

“These people go nuts over this crazy thing and we’re still getting ready for season,” NNU coach Tim Hills said.

Nearly 5,000 people are expected for the annual battle, which began in 1933 and over the years often saw both teams battling for league and national supremacy. Now the game between the NAIA Yotes and the NCAA Division II Crusaders won’t affect either team’s season, but it still means a lot in terms of pride.

“I think they’re going to have the feel of it because I showed them last year’s game on the tape, we played it on the bus on our way back from Utah,” Hill said of preparing his team, with several newcomers, for this rivalry game. “They kind of got the flavor of what’s going on. This is a big game in the valley and I think it’s a great way to prepare us for big games in the conference.

“If they haven’t quite got the feel, when they walk in that arena and see 5,000 people, they’ll get the feel of it.”

Coyotes coach Mark Owen definitely has a feel for this game as he’s played or coached in the rivalry since the early 1980s.

“I think the media and the fans put a lot of emphasis on the game, which is probably OK,” Owen said. “There’s a lot of bragging rights going up and down for who wins, and you get that for the whole year.”

But the Yotes coach adds that the rivalry may have lost some of its luster from the days when the teams were conference rivals.

“It’s two teams going out there trying to get better.”

For the Yotes, that means getting 5-foot-11 senior guard Josh Owen (8.5 ppg) and 6-0 junior guard Phillip Matcham going from outside as they’ve hit just 5-of-30 from beyond the 3-point arc, along with the bench as the Yotes have changed up their full-court press and trap a little bit in their first four games of the year, going 2-2 to date.

“For us to be successful, we’ve got to have Josh making baskets and Phil making baskets, and the other guys are holding up their end,” Owen said, “and right now we’re not getting production from the bottom six.”

So, tonight will be a chance for The College of Idaho to work on those things, along with trying to contain the size of NNU inside. Owen admits he hasn’t had time to scout the Crusaders, but knows coach Hills.

“Hillsy’s brought in guys who’ll listen and do things he wants to do, so I know they’re a lot better this year.”

For the Crusaders, the gameplan will be a bit different as they’ll look to slow down the speed of the Coyotes on both offense and defense and fend off the C of I’s perimeter attack.

“Our big guys trying to guard their little guys is going to cause some problems, they’re quick,” Hills said.

Of course, the Yotes will need to contend with the Crusaders strengths, too.

“We’re bigger and stronger physical than them inside,” Hills said. “I don’t think there’s any big secrets, we’re going to try to get it inside.”

Inside to guys like 6-8 Scott Helpenstell, who in six minutes last year — his only six minutes of the season — scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in this game. Healthy this season after a hip injury sidelined him, Helpenstell is averaging 6 points and 4 rebounds a game, while newcomer Tyler Roberts (11.5 ppg), a 6-5 point guard, and sophomore Justin Parnell (11.5 ppg) are leading the way for NNU on offense. As for the importance of winning, well, it still might not matter come season’s end, but it’s still going to be a battle.

“I think it’s big just … it’s good for your confidence for your team to win,” Hills said.

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The College of Idaho’s Willie Shelton drives past a Northwest Nazarene player during a game in the 1986-87 season. The oldest college basketball rivalry in the state of Idaho, the Coyotes and Crusaders clash again Tuesday at the Idaho Center. (Photo courtesy of The College of Idaho) Northwest Nazarene’s Clive Allen pulls down a rebound against The College of Idaho during a game in the 1988-89 season. (Photo courtesy The College of Idaho) Plenty of fond memories for players when Coyotes, Crusaders clash By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Just a freshman, Mike Davidson recalls what proved to be a rare win for the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders during the 1985-86 season.

“I’m sure (former College of Idaho coach) Marty (Holly) would remember this too. (Rick Young) stole the ball and streaked down the sideline and scored the game winner on a lay-in,” Davidson, who played for NNU from 1985-89, said.

It was a 70-69 NNU win that snapped a six-game Coyote win streak, the lone Crusader win in a 14-game, three-season stretch. Just a small taste of this rivalry’s history, the oldest basketball clash in Idaho which began in 1933 when C of I topped NNU 23-16. Since then, Canyon County’s two colleges have met 184 times on the hardwood with the Yotes holding a 112-72 advantage in a battle that resumes Tuesday at the Idaho Center. An exhibition now for both teams, as the Crusaders and Coyotes no longer play in the same conference, the game has changed a little from its roots, but still is an intense rivalry for both schools and communities. And it remains “The Game.”

“When you play at the College of Idaho, that was it, that was really the game you circled on the schedule and the game you got excited about,” former Coyote Kevin Hulsey said.

“Boy, for us it was so intense,” Hulsey, who played at the C of I from 1986-87. “The entire communities of Nampa and Caldwell rallied around that rivalry and the gyms were packed and the noise levels were incredible.

“There was enough distaste between the two schools that it made the games very, very competitive and therefore enjoyable.”

NNU’s Bob Tamminga remembers those crowds, and the games, too.

“It was as good an atmosphere as you can get for a small college,” Tamminga, who played from 1992-93, then again from 1994-96, said. “The roar of the crowd was deafening the entire game, you could barely hear the instructions being called out from the bench.

“It was a lot of fun to be able to play in those circumstances.”

Games, and a rivalry, that are easy to remember, though different things stick out for different players.

“I will tell ya this incident when I was a freshman,” NNU product Gary Locke said. “I came from Michigan, so I really had no background about NNC and C of I. I made the varsity and we were playing over at the C of I and someone had pulled one of our banners down in their gym.

“Next thing I know, there were fans jumping out of the stands onto the floor,” Locke, who played from 1960-64, said. “And at the time I thought, ‘What in the world?’ But it was kinda that competitive-type stuff. No one got hurt, but it was one of those deals you look back at and kinda smile because there was some good competition there.”

It was competition Locke himself provided for several Coyote players, as former Coyote Steve VanOcker, who played from 1959-63, definitely remembers one of the Crusaders’ all-time great scorers.

“Gary Locke was a real scoring machine,” VanOcker recalls of the rivalry. “We probably had a little more balance than they did and thus we were able to (win). We were pretty successful against them in some of those years.

“But it was fun to watch Gary perform.”

Still, it proved just as much fun to win, as Tamminga recalls the battles he faced playing against one of the Coyotes’ all-time best scorers in Cade Wilson.

“As I recall, we were both fairly highly ranked, but that night I was stuck with the joyous task of guarding Cade Wilson all game, he was a tough player,” the NNU product recalled. “Tall and long and he could shoot real well. But it was just fun to come out there and not just him, but beat the whole team.

“... Both our teams during those years were very talented and went deep into the playoffs and the national tournaments,” Tamminga said, “so a lot of good, quality basketball and good, quality players back then.”

And individual battles, as players got to continually matchup, adding to the rivalry.

“A couple of memories, I used to personally look forward to the Crusader I played against, his name was Mike Davidson,” Hulsey said. “We used to play very, very physical, intense games and it just made the physical part of the game very exciting.”

The renewed battles between players on the court, the proximity of the schools, the clash for conference titles all fuel the rivalry, as does plain ol’ bragging rights.

“I think it’s because kinda bragging rights up and down Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard is what it was,” Charlie Henry, who played for the Yotes from 1961-63, said of the key to the rivalry.

“Those were games we really wanted to win because they were crosstown rivals, so to speak,” Locke said, “so it was important to us to walk away with bragging rights for a victory.”

Bragging rights that lasted more than a game.

“That carried over after the season,” VanOcker said, “you’d run into each other or play summer ball or whatever, so it wasn’t just a one-game thing, usually it was a year-round thing.”

All making for one of the most memorable experiences for a player on either team.

“Oh man, it’s incredible. That’s truly the reason you compete is to get that exhilaration, the packed houses and the crazy fans and the intense competition that’s attributed to the rivalry,” Hulsey said. “... It’s really exciting that it’s being refueled.”

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College of Idaho’s Sara Rutter participates in the 200 yard backstroke at the Saturday afternoon College of Idaho swim meet at the College of Idaho. (Greg Kreller / IPT) College of Idaho's Annie Younggren participates in the 100 yard freestyle at the Saturday afternoon College of Idaho swim meet at the College of Idaho. (Greg Kreller / IPT) Sophomore races way to NAIA’s biggest meet By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It turned out to be a great day for Ashley Byrnes in the pool Saturday. The sophomore from Vancouver, Wash., not only got a chance to compete at home for The College of Idaho; Byrnes went ahead and earned herself a spot at the NAIA national meet at the end of February. Finishing fourth overall in the 200-yard butterfly behind a pair of Boise State swimmers and one from Mesa State, Byrnes clocked a time of 2 minutes, 33.47 seconds, nearly a half-second faster than the automatic qualifying time for nationals (2:33.89).

“Awesome,” Byrnes said, “I’ve never made it individually before, and even when I was in high school I never made state individual, so this is just amazing.”

Byrnes was part of a pretty good day for the Coyotes in the triangular meet swept by BSU, 156-80 over The C of I and 151-97 over Mesa State, while Mesa State topped the Yotes 152-100. Despite the team scores, the NAIA Yotes still performed exceptionally well as Auriana Clapp added a provisional mark for nationals in the 200 individual medley, finishing third in 2:28.62, Alphonsina Savell and Ellen Judd hit automatic marks in the 200 breaststroke, finishing first and third, respectively, in 2:38.49 and 2:41.44, and The C of I ladies added several personal bests.

“A lot of personal bests, which at this age and in college life, that’s great,” Coyote coach Mary Parsons said. “That’s huge for a sport where you usually peak at about 16.

“The girls are genuinely happy. They see they are building on day-to-day work and that’s always a good feeling.”

Amanda Smith shaved six seconds of her best time in the 500 freestyle, finishing sixth, and Annie Younggren cut second off her 100 (59.16) and 200 (2:09.38) free times, finishing third and fifth, respectively, in provisional times. Savell grabbed both wins for the Yotes on the day, adding the 100 breast win to her total in 1:13.24. Of course, the NCAA Division I Broncos dominated the D-II Mavericks and Yotes, winning all but four events.

“We had some good swims,” BSU coach Kristin Hill said. “The girls are really focused on trying to swim the races well and that’s what we were looking at, the way they split their races. … And we did have some good competition in some of the races, which is fun.”

Kelly Knapp, a junior from Capital High, had lifetime bests in the 200 free (sixth in 2:10.97) and 500 free (5:54.11) for the Broncos. Hill also was pleased with Kim Nelson, who was second in the 1,000 free (11:05.76) and third in the 200 fly (2:27.26), and clocked a time of 2:22.06 in the 200 backstroke; and 200 IM swimmers Rachael Meisner, who won the event in 2:15.54, and Allison Hall, who finished in 2:15.58....read more

College of Idaho’s Denise Hill, right, tries to take the ball to the basket against Westminster’s Rachel Shippee, left, Saturday night in Caldwell. (Greg Kreller/IPT) College of Idaho forces turnovers, but can’t hold on to ball in 84-79 loss to Westminster By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Generous to a fault. “Coyote Chaos” worked for The College of Idaho women Saturday night as the Yotes forced 36 turnovers, but coughing it up 33 times themselves in an 84-79 loss to Westminster.

“I was extremely disappointed,” C of I coach Reagan Rossi said. “There was a three-minute span in the second half that we got out-worked and we got on our heels and we didn’t respond appropriately.

“We made a lot of errors in transition, passing the ball up the floor instead of dribbling it up the floor,” she added. “We made a lot of mistakes passing the ball, which honestly has been a contention for us so far.”

Still, things went well in the opening half as a pair of Kayla Brewer 3s early sparked a 10-3 lead. Westminster (3-0) rallied and took a 22-20 edge on a Dani Evans triple, but the Yotes (0-1) bounced back for a 38-34 edge at the break. That lead grew to 42-34 after a Whitney Clark 8-footer 1:28 into the final session when the breakdown hit the Coyotes. The C of I had five turnovers and an 0-for-5 shooting slump aided a 15-0 run by the Griffins, who took the lead and never let go.

“I thought defensively we were well prepared for their high on-ball stuff,” Westminster coach J.D. Gustin said, “and we went to a little — our bread-and-butter — a 1-2-2 (zone) in the second half, and (if) we just do it well, we feel like we’re solid.”

The Yotes, who were down 49-42, made a couple runs at the Griffins, only to see Westminster find an answer. ShaNae Horner got The C of I back to 51-48 down with 11:54 to play when she busted an 18-footer, but the Griffins responded with a Shannon Evans triple that sparked a 7-0 run. The Yotes then got to 65-62 back on a Denise Hill 4-foot bank shot with 6:16 to go, but a Mara Hoskins 3-ball ignited an 8-2 Westminster push that helped ice the win.

“We talked a lot about making plays,” Gustin said. “... In the second half we tried to step up and say ‘Hey, you need to do it.’ We’re still gonna be unselfish, but you need to step up and make a play, and we did. Kids stepped up and made a play. That’s why we won.”

The Yotes got as close as 82-78 back after a Katee Brewer bucket with 7.6 seconds left, but it proved too little, too late. Christon Vander Esch led the Yotes with 14 points while Clark had 13, Horner 12, Kayla Brewer 11 and Hill 10....read more

The College of Idaho swimmer Alphonsina Savell works out Friday afternoon at the school’s pool in Caldwell. (Mike Vogt/IPT) C of I women look for fast times as they host Boise State, Mesa State By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It might not be the glamour sport on The College of Idaho campus, but they work just as hard. And today, the Coyote swimmers get to show just how hard as C of I’s ladies host NCAA Division I Boise State and NCAA D-II Mesa State (Colo.) in a triangular meet at the J.A. Albertson Aquatics Center at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all fans.

“I’m actually really excited we have Boise and Mesa State coming in,” Coyote junior Alphonsina Savell said.

“It does push us,” the Caldwell High grad, who is in her third year with the three-year old program, added. “Having the competition is really good for us to be able to go out there and — you really can’t gage how fast you’re going until you race, and when you race faster teams ... having them in the water with us is going to push us to go as fast as we can.

“I’m hoping to see some good times.”

There should be plenty of good times, as the Broncos set 12 school records their last time out in a win over San Jose State. A tough challenge for the NAIA Coyotes, but then, it’s not all about a team win for The C of I.

“When it comes right down to it, we’re all going for our times and trying to hit nationals,” Savell said.

Without a conference of their own, it’s the Coyotes quest every year to find good competition to push these athletes to excel, and eventually earn those spots at Nationals. All while keeping their focus on schoolwork, too.

“NAIA is a great place for the balanced students who want to keep competing in college, there’s great competition at the national level and they still get a great education,” first-year Coyote coach Mary Parsons said.

That can make things tough on a coach, though, as Parsons admits she wasn’t hired to necessarily build a national champion. But she has brought in some talented recruits, and is positive about her Coyotes.

“I don’t think we’re just going to get through the season this year, we’re looking strong,” she said.

With Savell already earning a nationals berth in the 100-yard breaststroke, Casey Walker in the 100 backstroke and John Green in the 50 freestyle for the men, and both the men’s and women’s 200 free and 200 medley relays all qualifying for nationals, too.

“Making some national times in the first two meets, that was great,” said Parsons, who says three swimmers are on the verge of nationals, and adds that the Yotes could potentially take 13 athletes to the NAIA’s biggest meet at the end of February.

Some potential national qualifiers to watch today include sophomore Alicia Cabrera in the freestyle, freshman Annie Kerrick in the backstroke, sophomore Ellen Judd in the breaststroke and freshman Annie Younggren in the middle distances. ...read more

Northwest Nazarene head coach Tim Hills instructs his team as they prepare for their season opener during a Thursday afternoon practice at the NNU gym. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Northwest Nazarene’s Justin Parnell dribbles up court as the basketball team prepares for their season opener during a Thursday afternoon practice at the NNU gym. (Greg Kreller/IPT) NNU men add depth, strength inside and positive attitude By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Sounds like this could be a very good year for the Crusaders. Picked to finish seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball returns four standouts, adds four top newcomers, gets big man Scott Helpenstell back from a season-long injury and suddenly looks ready to roll.

“We’ve got good options this year, that I like,” third-year NNU coach Tim Hills said. “Now how that’s going to translate out into Ws and Ls, I don’t really know. I just know we’re better than we have been and we’re playing harder than we did before. We’re playing defense better than we did before, and we have a better attitude than we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Watch out, GNAC.

“Right now we’re learning a lot, we’re a pretty new team,” 6-foot-7 junior power post Helpenstell said. “But I think talent-wise and everything, I think we’re gonna hang in there with every one of these teams and it’s just a matter of how hard we want to work and how much we strive to improve each day.”

So far, the work needs to be in passing according to Hills, who says turnovers are the team’s weakness. But the strengths are a variety of things, starting with depth. NNU returns 6-4 guard and GNAC Freshman of the Year Justin Parnell (14.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) and 6-7 forward Kendall Gielow (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), who just as well could have earned that honor. The Crusaders also will get 6-3 guard Louie Beech (7.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg) back from a wrist injury later in the season, and return 6-8 senior post Jason Simmons (9.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg). But the biggest return might be Helpenstell.

“Having Helpenstell healthy is huge,” Hills said. “Now we can get a rebound in traffic that last year we couldn’t get. We’re going to throw down a dunk in traffic to kind of ignite our fire and our fans, and last year we couldn’t do that stuff.”

It also makes NNU much tougher inside, Hills adds.

“I’m sure I’ll have nights where I have big numbers,” Helpenstell said, “but it’ll be best to get the win.

“A lot of teams are gonna overlook us I think, and they’ll probably overlook me because I’m not the tallest of the big men in this league, but we have a good chance of out-working our opponents.”

A key for NNU, which now has depth to out-work foes with the addition of sophomore Tyler Roberts (6-5, PG), juniors Adam Shildmyer (6-5, G) and Matt Mgebroff (6-7, P), and freshmen Tippy Burke (5-11, PG,) Joel Ryman (6-0, G) and Brian Barkdoll (6-10, P). Roberts, who last played for Corban in the 2004-05 season, gives NNU a mismatch at point guard, plus he is a talented passer who Hills said “can throw some passes we haven’t thrown the last two years.”

Hills adds that Shildmyer and Ryman “can flat out stroke it. I mean as good as anybody we’ve had here can shoot.”

Mgebroff and Barkdoll will help the NNU inside game. Which is a focus for the Crusaders on offense, as Hills says the team will run at every chance, but will also pound the ball inside and take those outside shots when they do open up. But the key to victory?

“To be honest, everybody thinks I’m an offensive guy, that’s not been our main focus,” Hills said. “Our main focus is defend like crazy, rebound it like crazy and sprint like crazy. You do those three things, we’re going to be pretty good.”

Good enough to win the GNAC? Hills isn’t going to make any predictions, but he sees Alaska Anchorage, Seattle Pacific, Seattle, Western Washington and Central Washington the running for the league title. As for his Crusaders?

“I’m going to talk to our kids about finishing in the top five,” he said. “Hey, we finish in the top five we’ve got a shot at going to the playoffs.”

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Northwest Nazarene head coach Kelli Lindley demonstrates a technique to Nicki Schutte, right, and the rest of the women’s basketball team during Wednesday evening’s practice at the NNU gym. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Northwest Nazarene’s Nicki Schutte, center, defends Heather Craig, right, as Jennifer Williams, left, looks to pass in the lane during practice Wednesday evening at the NNU gym. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Northwest Nazarene’s Jennifer Williams yells words of encouragement to her teammates during a drill at the team’s practice Wednesday evening at the NNU gym. (Greg Kreller/IPT) NNU has experience and depth to be contender this season By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Eight returners with ample experience back on a third-place team that just missed the national tournament: Gotta be the favorites, right? Maybe any other year in any other conference, but the Northwest Nazarene women’s basketball team finds itself just another squad in a tough Great Northwest Athletic Conference, despite having a team that most definitely can contend for the league crown.

“Our conference is just flat out tough,” NNU coach Kelli Lindley said, “... this year I think it’s exceptional.

“I think we’re a very, very good team that could finish anywhere in the top five, but because it is so tough from top to bottom, I could have one of my best teams since I’ve been here and still finish third or fourth.”

Case in point — already GNAC favorites Seattle Pacific and Alaska Anchorage have knocked off NCAA D-I programs Washington and Washington State, respectively. But Lindley and the Crusader women aren’t afraid to do battle, or expect the best.

“We are really excited because most everybody is a returner and we just know how much potential we have and how good we could be,” NNU senior post Nicki Schutte said, “so it’s really exciting this year. We’ve set a lot of high goals this year, and we’re really focusing on accomplishing those goals and really succeeding this year.”

Goals like winning the league crown, and certainly a return to the national tournament, where NNU played in 2004 and 2006. Lindley adds that playing a tough conference slate can only help come postseason.

“I think any of the teams that finish in the top three or four (in our conference) are going to do damage in the tournament.”

Depth and experience will help NNU (16-11 last season) be one of those top teams, as the lone major loss for the Crusaders is first-team all GNAC forward Danielle Pridgen. A four-year star and the teams go-to player the last few seasons, NNU knows Pridgen will be tough to replace. Six-foot post, Schutte (5.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will be one team of inside leaders, though.

“It’s good to finally be able to be fill those shoes,” Schutte said.

Also helping out will be All-GNAC honorable mention Kristin Hein (8.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg), a 5-11 sophomore, 6-2 sophomore Jennifer Williams, who returns from a broken back, and 6-2 freshman Beth Johnson, who Lindley says will step in and have an impact.

“All four are capable of scoring a big bucket,” Lindley said, adding that any one could become the team’s next go-to gal. “... I think that they’ll tell me, they’ll determine it themselves, who’s capable of finishing it in the crunch and who mentally wants that responsibility to be that go-to player.”

But to keep foes from collapsing on the inside game, NNU also has experienced threats on the perimeter in 5-7 junior guard Mallory Whipple (4.7 ppg, 4.1 apg), who will lead the team at the point. She’s joined by returning sophomore guards Janee Olds (5-7, 9.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg), Brittney Roggenkamp (5-9, 7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Lindsay Brady (5-8, 8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Krista Oliver (5-9, 2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg), and senior Paige Knudson (5-10, 2.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg), who can shoot outside or attack the basket. Lindley also expects an impact from 5-7 freshman Falissa Smith from Tigard, Ore., as the NNU coach adds that Smith is a defensive wonder.

“I think the fans will just love watching her, she’s tenacious on defense.”

A big key for NNU, which will continue to play an attacking defensive style that will throw full-court traps at teams and aggressive half-court man-to-man.

“Again, we’re deep and I want to be tenacious defensively for 40 minutes,” Lindley said.

But one thing that has changed for NNU is the offensive focus for a team that shot 38.8 percent last year, including three games under 30 percent, two of which were losses, and 15 games under 40 percent, with nine of those being setbacks.

“This year is the first year that one of our team’s goals is shooting a certain percentage each game,” Lindley said, “... but I really thought it was necessary because last year we lost a couple games by one point shooting 28, 29 percent and those were games — we missed the national tournament by one game and so I’m hoping this year shooting percentage won’t cost us games when they’re doing everything else I ask.”

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The College of Idaho’s Katee Brewer (12) drives to the basket in the Yotes ‘ practice on Oct. 30. (Greg Kreller/IPT) The College of Idaho’s women’s basketball coach Reagan Rossi watches her team run drills during pratice on Oct. 30. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Plenty of returners in The C of I’sup-tempo, pressing style By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Last season the Coyotes took a chance on a new system, not knowing what the outcome might be. It turned out pretty darn good as The College of Idaho women’s basketball team came within a win of the NAIA Division II National Tournament, quickly learning an up-tempo, full-court press game. They learned it so well that with seven players back who saw significant minutes in the run-and-trap style, the Yotes are virtually the co-favorite to win the Cascade Conference.

“I’m excited,” seventh-year College of Idaho coach Reagan Rossi said. “It’s a special group, it’s one of those groups where we’ve had no problems at this point in time, they work well together, their chemistry is good.

“The returners, you throw Whitney Owen in that top group, and they look like they just took a long weekend off. They were right back at it. The intensity was right back where it needed to be. The transition game was better than it was last year at this time.”

A big reason why the Yotes — who went 19-10 last year and open this season Saturday at Utah State — were picked by six of 11 Cascade Conference coaches to win the league, and landed just a point back of favorite Eastern Oregon. That might just change, though, as the Mountaineers lost their point guard for the year to a blown Achilles, leaving The C of I in the mix with Southern Oregon, Corban and Oregon Tech as the top teams in the league, according to Rossi.

“I think the toughest team out there will probably be Southern Oregon,” Rossi adds, “(coach Lynn Kennedy) returns his point guard, she’s a senior, Chelsey Muri (Zimmerman), and she handled the press pretty well.”

Returners have made a big difference for the Yotes as four starters return in guards Whitney Clark (Sr., 15.2 ppg, 48 3-pts) and Kayla Brewer (So., 3.5 ppg), along with forwards Christon Vander Esch (Jr., 7.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Denise Hill (Sr., 11.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg). uard Magen Dufurrena (2.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg).

“We had one offensive set at this point in time last year because we spent the entire month of October on defense,” Rossi said. “... We’re so much further ahead, I just hope we haven’t missed anything.”

Clark added: “We’re 10 steps ahead of what we were last year, and all the new people are catching on so quick I think because the returners help a lot.”

Some of the top newcomers for The C of I will be transfers ShaNae Horner and Josie Pugsley, both 5-foot-8 junior guards from Snow College.

“(Horner) has good range, she drives the basket well, she understands the offense and defense, learns things quickly, and then having her and Josie play together for two years at Snow and putting them together on the floor here, they just have that chemistry,” Rossi said.

Rossi also expects 5-9 junior guard Ashley Wolfe, and freshman forwards Tyra Rickman (5-11), Nicole Bruce (6-0) and Brianna Hansen (5-10) to also help out their new team. As for leaders — or stars — Rossi says Clark and Hill have provided the leadership, and the Brewer twins will be key at the point guard spot. But ... .

“I think it’s everybody,” Clark said. “I don’t think we just have one star really, we just work together so well, and I think it’s even different from last year because I think we all just have different roles this year.”

Making the Yotes tough to stop, as does their style. While The C of I won’t surprise foes with its run-and-press game, it’s still a tough game to play.

“You can’t come in on Monday and say ‘We have The College of Idaho this week, let’s work on our up-tempo game, let’s work on our press break,’” Rossi said. “If they’re not doing it consistently, it will still be difficult to play against.”

The big key to success, though, will be how quickly the newcomers can be effectively playing the Yotes style, as Rossi will need to sub frequently to keep all her players rested.

“If I can get that second group to get it down by the middle of November I think we’ll be in good shape,” Rossi said.

And good shape this season means a little more than just missing out on Nationals.

“There’s high expectations just within the team because of falling short a little bit of Nationals last year only because we know we should have had it,” Clark said, “Just getting that close, getting that taste just makes us want it even more.”

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NNU fails to get power game going in four-game loss By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Maybe it was revenge, or maybe a bit of intimidation. Whatever the reason, Northwest Nazarene’s volleyball team struggled all night in a 28-30, 31-29, 30-28, 30-18 loss to Central Washington in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

“They got us here last year when we were vying for playoff spot, and you don’t like to think sweet revenge but in a way it helped motivated our girls to step it up and play against a playoff caliber team,” Wildcat coach Mario Andaya said.

NNU...read more

Members of the 1956-57 Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball team board the train as they leave for Kansas City and the NAIA National Tourney. (Courtesy NNU sports information) Men’s hoops exhibition one of many events on Saturday By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It’ll be a busy weekend on the Northwest Nazarene campus as the Crusaders celebrate Homecoming. And what would be Homecoming without a big game for the alumni to enjoy. Well, there are plenty of big games as the women’s soccer team hosts No. 2-ranked Seattle Pacific at noon, the cross country teams host the NCAA Division II West Regional at Eagle Island State Park at 11 a.m., the women’s basketball team plays the alumni at 2:30 p.m., and the volleyball team battles Great Northwest Athletic Conference front-runner Western Washington at 7:30 p.m. Oh yeah, and the men’s hoop team gets started, too, with an exhibition contest against a little underrated Northwest Christian squad at 5 p.m. in one of the weekend’s big highlights.

“Oh man, our kids are so ready to play against somebody else,” NNU men’s coach Tim Hills said. “You just get tired of trying to run your stuff against kids that know it so well, so it’s going to be nice to take some of our enthusiasms out on somebody else.”

Also part of the busy weekend will be a celebration dinner tonight to honor two of the history-making Crusader teams as the 1956-57 men’s hoop squad and the 1996-97 women’s basketball return. Both teams achieved firsts. Fifty years ago, the men’s basketball team became the first national tournament qualifiers, topping 20 wins and earning a trip to Kansas City for NAIA nationals.  The ladies then became the first national champs 40 years later, winning the NAIA Division II title. All giving NNU alumni, current students and Crusader fans of all types plenty to enjoy, including one of those big games.

“I think we’re going to have pretty big crowds,” Hills said, adding, “and there’s so many activities going on (Saturday), it’s going to be fun.”

Of course, how Hills’ squad is going to do is always important to the alumni, and Hills knows the Beacons, who were national runners-up in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association for small schools.

“I actually know quite a bit about them because I played them for years and years and years at Western Baptist and they have the same coach,” Hills said of Saturday’s foe. “(Coach) Dave Lipp does a great job coaching, they’re very disciplined in what they do, he always gets his kids to play very hard and they have some very, very good talent on this team.

“… He’s going to do better than where they’re picked (in the Cascade Conference), I guarantee. … They’re going to really bring it so we’re going to have to play well.”

Which means a great game for fans, despite the fact it’ll also be a bit of a learning experience.

“It’s more about giving everybody a look to me,” Hills said, adding, “obviously we want to win the game while we’re doing that, but it’s important to see kids in the battle, in front of a crowd, and I think we have some kids that are really competing closely for positions and so we’re going to take a good look at everybody.”

One player is 6-foot-7 power post Scott Helpenstell, who fans got just a taste of in exhibition play when he scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds  in six minutes against The College of Idaho last season in his only action due to injury.

Hills says the big guy is healthy, has practiced almost every day this fall, and, “I hope he puts on a show for the fans. … We’re feeling like we’ve got the real Helpenstell, so that’s going to be really nice.”

For what should be a really nice weekend on the NNU campus with plenty of action for fans to enjoy....read more

The College of Idaho’s Josh Owen drives on Oregon Tech’s Levell Hesia during their game last season. Owen is one of 10 returners on the Coyotes roster as the C of I will look to run-and-gun opponents again this season. (Greg Kreller / IPT) The College of Idaho's Craig McGee shoots over Oregon Tech's Josh Garrett during their game last season. McGee improved his strength during the offseason and will be one of the top big men in the Cascade Conference. (Greg Kreller / IPT) The College of Idaho's Steffen Spinks drives to the basket against Oregon Tech last season. Spinks and fellow sophomores Anton Coleman and Donnel Garner will be key to the Coyotes this season. (Greg Kreller / IPT) Depth and experience should help improve on up-tempo, pressing style this season By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Last year, the Coyotes ran — until they ran out of gas down the stretch. This time around The College of Idaho men’s basketball team will try it again with a little more depth and experience in hopes of creating more problems for their Cascade Conference foes.

“We’ll stay with the system as long as we can get good production from 12 guys,” eighth-year Coyote head coach Mark Owen said of his team’s full-court pressure and trapping style, which forced 628 turnovers in 27 games last year.

“If we can’t do that then I have to change it during the year, and only time will tell with that.”

But when the Yotes — who went 19-8 and qualified for the NAIA Division II National Tournament — hit the court for the season opener in the Las Vegas Shootout against Concordia-Irvine (Calif.) on Friday, expect them to run-gun-and-press opponents — Coyote Chaos — into an uncomfortable game.

“You’ll hear coaches, ‘Settle down, settle down,’ and when they say that then we’ve got them right where we want them,” Owen said, “tempo-wise. Whether or not we’re winning the game or not, we’re making them play the way we want to play and that’s beneficial to us.”

Of course, you need a lot of contributors to play up-tempo for 40 minutes, but the Yotes look to have depth with a 16-player roster that includes 10 returners. And experience definitely helps.

“Last year the system was kind of new so we were working out the kinks, giving it a try,” 6-foot-8 junior post Craig McGee said.

“This year we’ve really ironed out all the problems we had last year, and it’s just kind of feels like everything is flowing and everybody is buying into the system better this year.

“And we also put in more of a structured offense just in case our run-and-gun fails we can fall back on something else.”

McGee (11.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is one of three returning starters, joining guards senior Josh Owen (5-11, 14.2 ppg, 74 3-pts) and junior Bryan Champ (6-0, 7.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

Coach Owen likes his son as a team leader at point guard, says Champ added strength and improved his shot, and McGee “is probably playing as well as I’ve been around a big guy since I’ve been a head coach.”

McGee himself adds: “I really worked hard this offseason to put on a couple extra pounds, to get a little bit stronger, so I think I can handle our conference.

“I want to be the best big guy in the conference, that’s my goal, so I’m going to put my best effort out there and see what happens.”

They’ll be helped by 6-4 senior forward J.R. Maggard (6.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and 6-5 junior forward Kurt Nielson (4.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 17 3-pts) off the bench, and a trio of sophomore guards in 6-3 Anton Coleman (3.8 ppg, 10 3-pts), 6-2 Steffen Spinks (4.7 ppg, 10 3-pts) and 6-2 Donnel Garner (5.0 ppg). That trio will be key.

“You hate to put a lot of pressure on sophomores, but probably the way we’re playing and the system we play, a lot hinges on those three,” Owen said.

The Yotes also added a few new faces in junior college transfers Phillip Matcham (6-0, G) and Calen Blessinger (6-0, G), and some talented freshmen, including Skyview High product Andy Maxwell (6-5, F).

“(Matcham) can really shoot it,” Owen said, adding of Maxwell, “...I’m really pleased with his progress to this date. I think he’s got a great chance to be a really good player.”

And hopefully help the Yotes in a very tough conference, as the C of I is picked to finish fourth behind favorite Oregon Tech, Eastern Oregon and league favorite Warner Pacific. ...read more

C of I refocuses, sweeps another foe 30-11, 30-21, 30-12 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Cascade Conference can blame the Raiders for this. Southern Oregon’s three-game sweep of The College of Idaho last weekend in volleyball refocused the No. 10-ranked Coyotes, who looked particularly tough Saturday night as they completed a weekend slaughter by routing...read more

College of Idaho forward Kazuki Murata battles a pair of Warner Pacific defenders during the first half of Friday’s game at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) College of Idaho defender Brian Weiss battles a forward from Warner Pacific for the ball during the first half of Friday game at The College of Idaho. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT) Facing must-win game, C of I gives up three early goals, falls 3-2 By Mike Stetson msetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — All that’s left is the senior so-long. Playing a must-win weekend, The College of Idaho men’s soccer team spotted Warner Pacific three goals then watched its comeback come up short in a 3-2 loss to the Knights in Cascade Conference play Friday.

“You spot a team three goals, it’s pretty tough in this type of game to get yourself back into it,” C of I coach Brian Smith said, “but yeah, just give all the credit to Warner Pac, they really disrupted what we wanted to do and they’ve got some special players.”

Players who, like the Coyotes, were playing for the playoffs Friday as the Knights needed a tie or win to secure a postseason berth over The College of Idaho, which needed to best Warner Pacific and then top Concordia today to oust the Knights from the postseason.

“We knew coming here we needed to get at least a point in this game and then we’ll be through,” Knights coach Bernie Fagan said, “but when you score two early goals, it’s pretty cool. We got a good lead.”

Eight minutes, 9 seconds in, the Knights (11-6 overall, 11-3 conference) jumped in front when Andrew Scott booted a cross from Luis Galvan out of the air and past C of I keeper Jay Gentle. Just 2:29 later, Galvan and Scott set up J.B. Chuna to the right of the Yotes goal, where he knocked home the 2-0 lead.

“We just really had a really difficult time on our back line dealing with their three strikers (Cunha, Chris Price and Davor Lukic),” Smith said. “We just had a few breakdowns defensively and the stuff we talked about during the week, and worked and trained on, we just didn’t quite get it done.”

The Yotes (11-5-1, 8-4-1) tried to battle back, but a diving save by Brian Kelly on an Antonio Bautista chance in the 24th minute and a Kelly save on a Kazuki Murata shot in the 26th helped keep C of I off the board. As did Scott, who with five minutes left in the half, stopped a Mauricio Both shot at the goal line after a Garga Caserta corner kick. Then came the final blow, 5:27 into the second half, as Lukic, counter-attacking, blasted a left-footed shot off the hand off a diving Gentle and home for the 3-0 lead.

“I knew Davor could do that, that’s one of the things, he can rip it with his left foot,” Fagan said.

Then timed ticked away, until with 17:37 left, the Yotes came to life when a Gentle goal-kick bounced over the Knights defense to Scott Ward, who tucked a C of I goal inside the right post. Murata added a goal after Kelly mishandled a long throw-in by the Yotes’ Mats Boehnke, as Murata booted the loose ball into the top of the net with 10:04 left, but The College of Idaho got no closer, sealing the Coyotes’ fate to wrap up their season today, missing the postseason.

“We emptied the bench out, and the guys gave everything they had, and at the end of the day I can’t be unhappy with that,” Smith said.

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The College of Idaho's Michael Delgado brings the ball upfield in the Coyotes' 6-1 win over Northwest on Oct. 12. The Coyotes face a must-win weekend as they host Warner Pacific and Concordia on Friday and Saturday with a playoff berth at stake. (Greg Kreller/IPT) The College of Idaho's Michael Delgado kicks a ball over his head in the Coyotes' 4-2 win over Cascade on Oct. 3. The Coyotes host Warner Pacific and Concordia this weekend with the playoffs at stake for the C of I. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Coyotes play must-win games Friday at 3 p.m.: Warner Pacific (10-6 overall, 10-3 conference) at College of Idaho men’s soccer (11-4-1, 8-3-1) Saturday at 2 p.m.: Concordia at C of I men’s soccer C of I men face must-win games this weekend against Warner Pacific and Concordia By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The playoffs came a week early this year for the Coyote men’s soccer team. The College of Idaho wraps up its regular season Friday and Saturday hosting the two biggest games of the season, starting with second-place Warner Pacific Friday at 3 p.m. If the third-place Yotes — who need to win both games this weekend to finish second in the Cascade Conference and earn a berth in the NAIA Region I tournament next weekend — top the Knights, they’ll play one more must-win against first-place Concordia on Saturday at 2 p.m.

“It’s playoff time for us,” fourth-year Coyote coach Brian Smith said. “That’s how we’re kinda approaching it. There’s two games this weekend but really it’s win and move on at this point.”

The Coyotes leading scorer, Alex Penrod, adds: “Both of these games are gonna be pretty big for us, ... (we) lost to both of them back in Oregon.

“Coming away with two of them will be really big,” he added. “It’ll be tough considering they’re back-to-back and both of them are big powerhouses.”

The C of I (11-4-1 overall, 8-3-1 conference) isn’t looking past the first game, though, as it truly is win or your done time. The Yotes trail the Knights (10-6, 10-3) by five points in the standings, with three points awarded to a team for a win. Warner Pacific has just Friday’s game left on it’s schedule, and with the top two teams in conference earning automatic berths to regionals, you know it’ll be a battle.

“Warner Pacific is in the exact same boat we are, they have to get a win ’cause they control their fate,” Smith said.

“Both teams have a lot at stake. We’re not really concerning ourselves with Saturday at all. If we don’t take care of it on Friday, Saturday doesn’t matter whatsoever.”

To get to Saturday, the Yotes want to shut down a Knights squad that looks very much like their own on offense as both teams pepper the opposing goal, both can score in bunches and both have balance up front. Warner Pacific is led by Davor Lukic (10 goals), Chris Price (8 goals) and J.B. Cunha (6 goals). The big difference is on defense where the Yotes have allowed eight fewer goals in one less Cascade Conference game.

“They’ve got a pretty good attack, so this week we’ve been stressing a lot of things defensively,” Smith said. “I think if we can take away some of their skillful players and hopefully kinda take them out of the game a little bit and disrupt what they’re trying to do, I’m very confident in our ability to score goals.”

Scoring will be another key for the Yotes, who lost 2-1 on the road to the Knights, which started a seven-game win streak for Warner Pacific.

“Hopefully we can put a couple goals away,” Penrod said, who leads the Yotes with eight goals. “We’ve been doing well, the foot comes alive we’ll do well.”

Plus, The C of I will also have homefield advantage — no traveling woes which hurt the Yotes when they played these two previously.

“That is the one aspect that is in our favor, and the fact we determine our own fate,” Penrod said, adding, “... and the home crowd will be nice.”

And true to any good playoff scenario, the Yotes aren’t looking beyond the Knights — though they already know who the next game is and what could be at stake. Actually, Smith feels pretty good about Saturday’s matchup if his team can top the Knights. Concordia edged Albertson 3-2 only after the Yotes arrived late to that game on the road and didn’t have time to warm up. The Cavaliers jumped up 2-0 before The C of I tied it, but the Yotes lost on a goal with 4:38 to play.

“I really feel if we take care of business on Friday we’ll definitely win on Saturday,” Smith said.

“This is our shot,” he added. “At least we don’t have to worry about what other teams are doing, it’s all about us, and if we’re the better team we’re gonna win.”

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Photo: Cascade College’s Karina Martinez, left, and The College of Idaho’s Emily Dickerson, right, battle for the ball in the fist half of the Saturday afternoon home playoff game for the Yotes. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Photo: Cascade College’s Amy Korzelius (2) and The College of Idaho’s Leah Roach (7) battle for the ball in the fist half of the Saturday afternoon home playoff game for the Yotes. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Yotes beat Cascade 1-0; travel to play Concordia on Wednesday By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — The Coyotes need a new goal. The College of Idaho women’s soccer team set a few goals for the year, all of which they achieved Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Cascade in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Conference playoffs.

“Feels great,” Coyote coach Niki Taylor said of her team meeting both its goals, to host a postseason game and win that game at home, both firsts in the program’s 19-year history. “They’re working very hard, and yeah, it’s nice to achieve those things we set out to a couple months ago.”

“It’s awesome,” senior Leah Roach added, “it’s kind of a surreal feeling.”

So now there’s a new goal for the Coyotes (9-6-3 overall), who play No. 4-ranked Concordia on Wednesday in Portland, Ore. The Yotes get their shot at Concordia thanks to an early goal off a corner kick against the T-birds, as Mandy Greif sent a ball from the left corner to the right post of Cascade’s goal. Allie Dufault missed a chance to boot home the corner, but Roach didn’t, just sneaking the ball across the goal-line before Cascade could clear it away.

“That was good,” Roach said of the 11th-minute game winner. “I was hoping for it. I was glad we got it done in the first 15.”

The Yotes kept pushing, outshooting the T-Birds 13-10 and creating the better scoring threats, though Sandy Hanania and Theresa McKenzie each tested Yote keeper Sadie Hughes in the opening half. Hughes finished with five saves in the shutout, passing both tests. And it looked like C of I had iced the win early in the second half when Roach tapped in a loose ball after a Greif cross, but the Yotes’ Brittney Hulin was called for a foul battling T-bird keeper Valerie Perez for the loose ball, and the goal was wiped out.

“It was frustrating, yeah, because we wanted to put a few away,” Roach said.

It didn’t hurt, though, as The C of I kept pushing the attack to hold Cascade at bay and eventually net the win.

“The kids, they worked hard, they kept their composure and I thought we created the better chances,” Taylor said. “We could have had a couple more, but we’ll take the win.”

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Photo: Northwest Nazarene’s Ashley Puga competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country championships at Nampa’s West Park onSaturday morning. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Photo: Northwest Nazarene’s Kevin Lambert (247) competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country championships at Nampa’s West Park on Saturday morning. (Greg Kreller/IPT) Helm claims Cascade Conference title By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — It turned out to be a very good day to run at home. Saturday, Nampa Christian High products Ashley Puga and Kevin Lambert each earned All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors, racing their way into the top 5 at the GNAC cross country championships at West Park. Puga, a junior at Northwest Nazarene, finished third in 21 minutes, 48.67 seconds on the 6-kilometer course while Lambert, a senior at NNU, was fifth in 25:26.29 in the men’s 8K title race.

“(Ashley) raced aggressive and it finally paid off,” NNU cross country coach Ben Gall said, “(Kevin) ran good, he ran exactly what we thought was going to happen, which he stayed with the group. He’s not there as far as switching gears, but he pushed the pace and did what he could to get the win.”

Lambert proved to be a nice surprise for NNU, not with his finish but in the fact that he led the third of four laps.

“I enjoyed it,” Lambert said, “I was around the corner and I hear them say ‘Kevin Lambert in the lead’ and I got a little bit of a pride boost.

“They went out really slow then kicked it up there in the end,” Lambert added of the day’s race. “I hung in there with them for as long as I possibly could, but yeah, they’re better athletes.”

Lambert’s effort led a good performance by the men as sophomore Seth Clark finished 23rd overall in 26:30.27, as the Crusaders took seventh with 164 points.

“I thought actually our guys ran ... decent,” Gall said.

Western Washington won the men’s title with 35 points and St. Martin’s John Riak won the individual crown in 24:56.77. On the women’s side, Puga’s third was matched by the Crusaders finishing third as a team with 110 points, just back of second-place Western Oregon (99) and team champ Seattle Pacific (24).

“I was happy,” Gall said, “we were gunning for second ... like I said there were a bunch of teams that were close, but the nice thing is we had a gap between us and fourth (Alaska Anchorage with 123 points) (Saturday).”

Plus, Puga, an All-Conference runner last year in cross country, had a strong day as she trailed just repeat champ Jessica Pixler (20:53.48) and Jane Larson (21:45.32), both of SPU. Yotes’ Helm takes title; Hopper just misses men’s title EAGLE — Stephanie Helm even surprised herself a bit Saturday morning. The College of Idaho freshman from Challis ran away from the field in the second of two laps at Eagle Island State Park to win the Cascade Conference cross country championships, and nearly lead the Coyotes to the team title.

“I did kinda surprise myself, but I went out there confident,” the Coyotes newest conference champ said.

That confidence shone through as Helm ran a time of 18 minutes, 47.80 seconds on the 5-kilometer course, besting Eastern Oregon’s Marcella Bosch by just over 12 seconds.

“Stephanie looked incredible today,” Coyote coach Pat McCurry said. “She really crushed the second loop and opened up a huge gap and looked poised and in control the whole time.”

Helping the Yotes to second overall, just three points off the winning total of Eastern Oregon (43-46), as two of Helm’s teammates ran close behind her, earning All-Cascade Conference honors with their top-12 finishes. Stephanie Sparks took sixth in 19:33.20 and Molli Lee-Painter was 12th in 20:04.80, helping C of I to the runner-up finish.

“Women I couldn’t be more happy with,” McCurry said, adding that one of the team’s top runners, Lauren Plymire sat out with an injury, “and they were still just a hair short of a conference title. The girls really just raced well, Eastern nipped us, can’t ask for anything more.”

Nipped proved to be a theme for the Yotes, who nearly swept the individual titles but saw Tyler Hopper nipped at the line by Oregon Tech’s Korey Humberston.

“I’m never happy when I don’t get the win,” the senior from Caldwell High said as he clocked a time of 26:07.20 on the 8K course, less than a second back of Humberston’s 26:06.40.

“With 400 (meters) to go, there was a little buffer there and I should have closed it when I had a chance,” Hopper said, “but he held me off. I’ve got to tip my cap to him.”

McCurry added: “Hopper executed his race plan perfectly, he just let the guy get a little too far out. We were kinda sitting with the pack in the team battle a little too long and then he started racing for the win, just came up a hair short.”

In the team race, the Eastern Oregon men took the title with 43 points while Southern Oregon was second with 56 and the Coyotes finished third with 81. ...read more

Runners compete for championships GNAC Cross Country Championship: Today, Oc. 20, at West Park in Nampa; 10-team field with women’s race (6K) at 10:30 a.m. and men’s race (8K) at 11:15 a.m. Cascade Conference Cross Country Championship: Today, Oct. 20, at Eagle Island State Park; 11-team field with women’s race (5K) at 10:30 a.m. and men’s race (8K) at 11:15 a.m. NNU hosts GNAC meet; C of I holds Cascade Conference meet By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com Today, Oct. 20, is championship weekend for the Coyotes and Crusaders as both host their conference rivals in the Cascade Conference and Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country meets, respectively. The College of Idaho entertains an 11-team field at Eagle Island State Park, and Northwest Nazarene hosts a 10-team meet at West Park in Nampa, with both meets beginning with the women at 10:30 a.m. followed by the men’s races at 11:15. And the excitement is definitely building.

“It’ll be a lot more exciting (today), I think,” NNU cross country coach Ben Gall said Thursday afternoon. “… It’s nice to not travel and be on a course we know.”

The Crusaders host their meet on the same course they hosted the NNU Invitational on back in early September, this time with the men running an 8-kilometer race — four laps of the park — and the women running a 6K — three laps. Early favorites for the GNAC team title are No. 7-ranked Seattle Pacific for the women and No. 11 Western Washington and No. 17 Alaska-Anchorage for the men. But Gall feels his teams will definitely fare well.

“Last weekend (at Eastern Oregon) I thought we ran pretty well,” he said, “I think we’re feeling really confident, I think were going to do as well as we expect and a little better than everyone else expects.”

Which means a potential second-place finish for the NNU women, ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division II’s West Region, and possibly fourth for the men.

“(SPU’s) probably unbeatable, but we’re gunning for them just like anyone else,” Gall said, adding that the field is wide open and even a good day could mean a finish anywhere in the top seven for the Crusader ladies.

“There’s a lot of teams that are right there.”

For the NNU men, who set their goal of being in the top four after taking ninth last year, Gall adds: “They’re looking a whole lot better than they have.”

Individually, junior Ashley Puga and senior Kevin Lambert will gun for the top spots and for All-GNAC honors — a top- 10 finish — alongside prerace favorites Jessica Pixler of SPU and David Kiplagat of UAA, who won the GNAC titles last year. Behind them, Gall says to expect good things from Ashley’s sister, freshman Jaclyn Puga, junior Shannon DeBoer, sophomore Seth Clark and junior Kyle Gray, all of whom will shoot for the top 20. While NNU competes in Nampa, the Coyotes will run in Eagle at the Bandanna Running sponsored Cascade Conference meet.

“It’s real exciting,” Coyote coach Pat McCurry said of hosting the championships. “It’s rare, … we don’t get ’em all over here too often so when we do, it’s nice.”

Running on the same course as the Bob Firman Invitational last month, the men go 8K and the women 5K.

“I think we’re in the mix to contend on both sides,” McCurry said. “I think the women’s race is pretty wide open between (No. 19-ranked) Eastern Oregon, ourselves and Corban.

“The men’s race, (No. 9) Eastern is definitely the favorite with us and (No. 16) Southern hopefully nippin’ at their heels.”

The Yote women are ranked No. 18 and are led by freshman Stephanie Helm and sophomore Molli Lee-Painter, while the C of I men are No. 20 and led by seniors Tyler Hopper and Jesse Chlebeck, all of whom should contend for All-Cascade honors (top 12), and potentially the individual title. As a team, both Coyote squads will be happy if they finish near the top, McCurry adds.

“We will be looking for a top-three finish,” he said. “I think if we’re top three in both, I’ll be pleased. I think it’ll be pretty close for those top three.”

Photo: Northwest Nazarene’s Jamie Sundvall runs during the Bob Firman Invitational on Sept. 22. The Crusaders host the GNAC cross country meet today at West Park in Nampa....read more

Crusaders unstoppable early, complete sweep of Western Oregon By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — They beat ’em like a drum. Rudely swept four weeks ago on the road by Western Oregon, the NNU Crusader volleyball team exacted revenge Thursday night by crushing the Great Northwest Athletic Conference leading Wolves 30-14, 30-18, 30-26 in league play.

“The difference for me between this time and last time was, the gamplan I handed the girls before the match, they didn’t miss a beat the whole match,” NNU coach Jared Sliger said.

“It was exciting,” NNU middle blocker Cammy Dranginis added. “We talked about getting a little bit of revenge and I think that after working hard the last few weeks after losing to them, we accomplished that.”

They did in fine fashion, as the night started a bit bumpy for the Crusaders (13-6 overall, 7-4 GNAC) with Western Oregon taking a quick 7-2 lead in the opener. Then ... Allison James scored on a second-hit set for NNU, then back-to-back tandem blocks from Dranginis and Lindsay Forseth, and Dranginis and James, got the Crusaders rolling. Forseth and Dranginis then added kills, then teamed up for an 8-7 lead, an edge that seemed to mentally crush the Wolves (13-6, 10-2).

“We were where we wanted to be every single time they hit a ball,” Sliger said. “... Then they started trying to hit around it, which is what we’ve been trying to get teams to do, and then we were standing right where they were trying to hit around it.”

And the points piled up as back-to-back Forseth kills then a ball-handling error by Lisa Martini capped a 12-0 run, as NNU never looked back in the opener. Or in game two, as a tandem block by Loni Evenson and Dranginis made it 15-3, a Forseth kill made it 21-8 and a hitting error by the Wolves’ Mandy Keifer made it 29-15 before NNU closed out the 2-0 edge.

“Our defense and serve receive has been amazing this week in practice and it really came through for us,” James said.

As did NNU’s offense against a stunned Wolves squad, as the Crusaders pounded down 35 kills with just five errors in the first two games.

“Our hitters help each other out, if one’s on and another’s on the blockers don’t know who to follow and they have 1-on-1 more often,” James said, adding, “everyone was on tonight, which helps everyone else out.”

Still, Sliger knew the match wasn’t over.

“We talked in the locker room about, ‘They’re good, they’re gonna put pressure on us but pretend you’re all greased up, slide around them and punch ’em in the mouth’ and they actually did,” he said. “(We) came back and played great.”

More of a battle, the Wolves took their first lead on a Claire Carpenter ace — 19-18 — since up 7-2 in the opener, but the Crusaders answered with solid defense, forcing two Western Oregon miscues. Tied twice down the stretch, a Chelsea Pelton kill, followed by a Forseth kill then Forseth outbattling Keifer at the net for a loose ball finished the sweep.

“I think we have enough confidence in ourselves now to just be calm all the time and no matter what the score is and know that we can do it,” Dranginis said of NNU’s finish.

Dranginis led the Crusaders with 17 kills and five blocks in the win, while Forseth added 11 kills and 14 digs, James had 33 assists and Kristy Wigren added 21 digs on defense. Photo:NNU outside hitter Lindsay Forseth (4) goes up for a block during the second game of Thursday’s match against Western Oregon. (Charlie Litchfield/IPT)...read more

Photo: C of I's Brittney Hulin, right battles Eastern Oregon's Nicole Archibeque for the ball Wednesday afternoon at College of Idaho. (Mike Vogt/IPT) First-ever home posteason game just one of soccer team's goals for season By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — They might have seemed like lofty goals for a program that’s had just two previous winning season’s in 18 years.

“We want to host a home playoff game, and so we need to finish in the top four in the (11-team) conference,” second-year Coyote head coach women’s soccer Niki Taylor said before the 2007 season, adding, “and we’d also like to win the first playoff game in program history.”

Not so lofty for the 25 players on The College of Idaho roster, though, and as the season rolled along, for fans of the Yotes who witnessed this team overcome injuries and some adversity to take step No. 1 toward those preseason wishes. That’s because the Coyote ladies have wrapped up the first home playoff game in their history, along with the team’s first winning record since the 1995 season when then coach Kristine Jones led C of I to a 3-1-4 record.

“It’s great, we’ll be at home,” said Taylor, whose team went 8-6-3 this season and hosts Cascade Saturday at 3 p.m. in a Cascade Conference tournament quarterfinal game. “We don’t have to travel and we get all the fans out, and the parents get to watch them and everything.

“It’ll be nice, first one in program history, it’s pretty cool.”

Especially for some of the Yote players who have been through the lean times, such as Katie Ball.

“It’s really great,” the senior from Boise High said. “My freshman year we were 1-16 and to come this far in four years is amazing. The players, we’ve all put it together and worked really hard this season, so I’m really happy.”

Also a part of that 1-16 Yote team were fellow seniors Laura Fink from Centennial High, Leah Roach from Timberline High, and Jennifer Phillips from Ontario (Ore.) High. So you can bet the chance to play at home this weekend is certainly special. But what about that other goal?

“It’s great that we reached our goal of hosting but we’re definitely looking forward and hoping for a win and carrying on in the tournament,” Ball said.

Key to victory against the Thunderbirds (8-6-3) will be continuing to put in the hard work that’s paid off so far for the Yotes. And ... .

“We’ll have to finish,” Taylor said, “and have a really high work rate. We can’t have lapses at all, we have to mentally stay plugged in and keep working for 90 minutes.”

“As long as we get up for the game and play our game I think we’ll be good to go,” Ball adds.

Giving the Yotes a great shot at achieve goal No. 2 — then who knows what else this team might accomplish....read more

Photo: College of Idaho's Mandy Greif, right, squeezes by Eastern Oregon's Ashley Julian for the ball Wednesday afternoon at College of Idaho. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Vallivue grad Gaskell helps Eastern Oregon top C of I women 1-0 in OT By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Disappointing, but not disastrous. The College of Idaho women’s soccer team let a shot at second in the Cascade Conference slip away as Eastern Oregon netted a 1-0 overtime win to spoil the Coyotes regular season finale Wednesday. The loss drops the Yotes to fourth in league, but didn’t hurt too bad as C of I still gets to host an opening-round game in the Cascade Conference tournament Saturday at 3 p.m.

“It was a good game but definitely disappointing,” Coyote senior defender Katie Ball said, “so we’re looking forward to Saturday and hope to do well there and carry on in the tournament.”

A first for the Yotes (8-6-3 overall, 5-3-2 conference) who are guaranteed a winning season, the first since 1995, and will host a postseason game for the first time in the program’s 19-year run. But it all could have been just a little bit sweeter.

“We played OK,” Yote coach Niki Taylor said, “we had better chances and we didn’t finish them. They took advantage of their chance and when you don’t put a team away at any time you can lose like that.”

The decisive goal came with 1 minute, 20 seconds left in the first overtime when Vallivue High grad Courtney Gaskell charged up the right sideline on a counter-attack and crossed a perfect pass to Lauren Souza who booted home the pass inside the left post.

“That kind of a play is almost text book,” Eastern Oregon coach Jessy Watson said, “you don’t get them very often and that was great.

“I’m just happy we finished our season strong, we had an up and down season all year so it was nice to finish on a high point,” said Watson, whose Mountaineers (5-9, 4-6) finished a spot shy of the postseason.

It could have ended worse for EOU if the Yotes had finished off one of many chances as C of I outshot the Mounties 20-8. Unfortunately, most of the Yote chances missed the mark as Allie DuFault sent a shot high in the 12th minute, Jamie Reichel pushed a shot wide left in the 15th minute and Leah Roach booted a ball over the net in the 25th minute. EOU keeper Kristina Kennedy made a save on another Reichel shot in the 32nd minute and stopped Jennifer Phillips in the 39th minute, right after Roach missed another shot high.

“I think we weren’t making good decisions,” Taylor said. “We were passing it when we should have shot it or shooting it when we should have passed it and just didn’t execute very well.”

Which continued in the second half as Roach missed another chance in the 53rd minute and Mandy Greif was stopped by Kennedy in the 59th minute before C of I nearly ended it with a minute left in regulation. Kayla Williams drew a foul just outside the EOU penalty box and DuFault took the free kick, blasting a shot off the crossbar.

“That ball off the crossbar, I thought that was the game right there but (Wednesday) we got the bounce and it just worked out for us,” Watson said.

As the game headed to overtime where Souza finally won it for the Mountaineers.

“They were just able to put it away and we just weren’t able to put away our chances,” Ball said.

...read more

Photo: NNU's Stacey Beckman, right and St. Martin's Cayla Dixon battle for the ball Wednesday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Photo: NNU's McKenzie Bailey, right, tries to steal the ball from St. Martin's Amber Pratt on Wednesday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) Photo: NNU's Kim Bowen, right, tries to make a move on St. Martin's Lauren Kruzner on Wednesday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene University. (Mike Vogt/IPT) NNU scores on pair of corners, stops three-game slide By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusaders got back on track Wednesday. Battling a heavy downpour, the Northwest Nazarene women’s soccer team didn’t let that — or the Saint Martin’s Saints — stop them as NNU snapped a three-game skid with a 3-0 win in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

“It’s been a while,” NNU coach Jamie Lindvall said, “we played well in a couple losses, but it’s still a loss, it’s still frustrating, so it’s nice to do some good things today and find the back of the net a couple of times and really execute the way we wanted to.”

The Crusaders executed a pair of set plays, scoring off corner kicks early in both halves to pull away from the Saints (1-13 overall, 0-8 GNAC). In the fourth minute, Carlee Stinton set up the first goal, taking a corner from the right side of the St. Martin’s net and send a perfect ball towards Marie Smith who headed it home for the game winner. A great start to an otherwise sloppy day as the rain drenched the field the first half. Still, it didn’t stop NNU (7-5-1, 4-4)

“We played pretty well considering the conditions,” said Stinton, who set up the Crusaders second goal soon after the halftime break.

Clinging to a tenuous 1-0 lead — something that’s haunted NNU a times this season — the Crusaders finally started to pull away in the second half with an early surge, as Hilary Hughes nearly scored off a Stinton corner in the 47th minute, and Katy McNutt tested Saints keeper Breanna Klasen from in close in the 52nd minute before Liz Gross made it a 2-0 game. Stinton took a corner from the left side this time, and helped a little by the first-half storm that let up during the break, Klasen mishandled the ball Gross took advantage, booting it home away from the Saint Martin’s keeper in the 56th minute.

“We’ve actually been working on corners a lot lately and trying to get ’em right,” Stinton said. “I played good balls in to the six and Liz and Marie I think just headed them right in, so they did a good job.”

With the second one being very important for NNU, giving them some comfort on the scoreboard.

“It’s great, it gives you a lot of confidence going in the second half and it allows you to play a lot more free and play a good possession style of soccer instead of being more direct,” Lindvall said of the two-goal edge.

Stinton added: “One-0 is kinda a not very friendly lead because it’s just one goal, so when we got that second goal it was kinda a little bit of relief, not that we could relax.”

NNU never did relax, as the Crusaders dominated play, outshooting the Saints 22-9 and allowing only one good scoring chance midway through the final half when Jessica Wilson headed a free kick from Shannon White just over NNU’s goal. The Crusaders kept attacking, too, as Stacey Beckman just missed wide left on a chance in the 76th minute, but Skyview High grad and NNU freshman Kim Bowen didn’t miss her chance in the 80th minute, easily scoring after Klasen again misplayed a ball.

“We’ve really been working on being dangerous offensively and creating our own opportunities and I think we did that today,” said Lindvall, whose team returns to action Saturday hosting Western Oregon.

Amanda Peters finished with five saves in the win for the Crusaders, her fifth shutout of the season....read more

Okay, maybe coach Niki Taylor wasn't 100 percent impressed. Truth be told, the Yote women's soccer team could have — and should have — buried Northwest Christian on Friday, Oct. 5, in Cascade Conference play. But one thing has to impress you if you're a Coyote fan — the Albertson ladies keep holding on to that No. 2 stop in league. And it's been a tough run with starting...read more

CALDWELL — Perfect? No, but effective. The Albertson women’s soccer team put in a strong first half, got some rest for their starters and remained near the top of the Cascade Conference standings by knocking off Northwest Christian 2-1 on Friday.

“It’s good to get the win and get the points, we’ll take it,” Albertson coach Niki Taylor said, adding, “I don’t think we played our best soccer, but we got a result.”

The...read more

I like records, it gives me something to write about. So congrats to All-American senior Katie Hogue, as she set a few marks Saturday night, Sept. 29, as the No. 12 Coyote volleyball team cruised. Most impressive was the 13 blocks she put up for a single-game record. Maybe making it more impressive is the fact that record came in a three-game match. I guess it's not surprising that she set...read more

Senior posts record 13 blocks By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — It was a record night for Katie Hogue, and pretty much any night for the Coyote volleyball team at home. Hogue set a single-game record for blocks with 13 as the No. 12 Albertson volleyball team crushed another Cascade Conference foe, rolling past Northwest 30-19, 30-13, 30-22.

“Sometimes it just goes super right, sometimes it goes super wrong,” Hogue said as she also added 13 kills. “...I was reaching really well on the block and trying my hardest, trying to get the team pumped up.”

“She really, really had a great night tonight, and thank goodness,” said Albertson coach Liz Mendiola. “She really provided the intensity and the spark we needed.”

Hogue...read more

MSU-Billings uses lucky break to slow Northwest Nazarene By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — One bad break derailed Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Battling their way back against Montana State-Billings, the Crusaders saw Brittney Sandau score her second goal of the day after a bad bounce to steal NNU’s momentum and propel the Yellowjackets to a 3-1 win in Great Northwest...read more

Barrieau scores twice as ACI women top Corban 2-1 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Fortunately for the Coyotes, they turned it on just in time. Playing a listless first half, the Albertson women’s soccer team spotted Corban a 1-0 edge then picked up its play to grab a 2-1 the win in Cascade Conference play, thanks in part to a pair of second-half goals by Amanda...read more

Win, lose or draw — you know you’re doing something right when the enemy coach comments on your crowd. That’s exactly what happened Thursday, Sept. 27, as the Northwest Nazarene volleyball team took on Alaska Fairbanks, and the Crusader crowd should be proud of their efforts, even if the NNU ladies came up just a big short.

“When you get the student body involved the way that they do, that’s really the fun of college athletics,” said UAF coach Phil Shoemaker after his team’s slim 5-game win. “You have two teams that are well match and they’re fighting it out to the end and the crowds going crazy, I mean that’s just a lot of fun.”

Well...read more

Hitting errors pile up for NNU, prove costly in five-game loss By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — This night turned out to be less than grand for the Crusaders. Hoping for 1,000 fans, the Northwest Nazarene volleyball team missed that mark, but it was a different number that ended up bothering Crusader coach Jared Sliger. NNU played a thriller in front of a boisterous 724...read more

Crusader women don’t give best effort in 1-0 loss to Seattle By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — How can you be disappointed about not posting an upset? Just ask Northwest Nazarene women’s soccer coach Jamie Lindvall, whose team lost 1-0 to No. 15-ranked and Great Northwest Athletic Conference leader Seattle.

“Unfortunately, I don’t feel like we played to our potential,” said the NNU coach, “we played scared, we didn’t play with confidence. We should have, because if we play with confidence we beat that team. We shouldn’t have lost to that team.

“I guess the positive is they are No. 15 in the country and we lost to ’em 1-0, and we shouldn’t have.”

NNU...read more

Raybould third overall for NNU against Cascade Conference field By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com WILDER — The Crusaders came just so close. The Northwest Nazarene men’s golf team opened the 2007-08 season with a strong showing, shooting a 47-over 911 to finishing second among the NAIA schools at the first Cascade Conference tournament of the fall.

“It was a good opening tournament for us, we improved each round,” said NNU golf coach Craig Stensgaard, who added that the finish could have been better.

“We started the day thinking, ‘Alright, we need to beat Concordia by eight to win and that was definitely their mindset.”

NNU’s low scorer, senior Dale Raybould, added: “Everyone could have saved some strokes out there, but all-in-all we’re pretty happy.”

The...read more

Softball: No. 4 Simon Fraser posts two wins, ends record run for No. 14 Albertson in first-ever regional By Press-Tribune staff SURREY, B.C. — An incredible campaign came to a crashing end Friday in Canada for the Albertson softball team. Needing one win over host and No. 4-ranked Simon Fraser, the 14th-ranked Coyotes instead found themselves beaten in a pair of eight-run rule shortened...read more

College Baseball: NNU finishes with win over Central Washington By Phil Dailey pdailey@idahopress.com NAMPA — It was the last day of the baseball season for the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders on Saturday, and for the team’s seven seniors, they were able to go out on top. The Crusaders dropped the opener of the doubleheader to Central Washington 10-9, but during the second game...read more

Regional: Zubizarreta blanks No. 1 Warriors for 10 but ACI still falls 2-0 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com CALDWELL — Joey Zubizarreta picked up his team and carried the Coyotes for 10 innings Saturday. The soft-tossing junior lefty from Borah High walked one, scattered four hits and struck out five in 10 shutout innings for the Albertson baseball team in an elimination game...read more

For Albertson softball fans, this season has been a dream come true as the Yotes not only have been winning, but won a record number of games and the conference title. Now the No. 14-ranked Coyotes are north of the international border taking on perennial power Simon Fraser, along with conference foes Oregon Tech and Concordia. For Albertson to get this far deserves some serious recognition,...read more

NAIA Region I Tournament Thursday, May 10 at Noon: No. 1 seed Lewis-Clark State (48-4) vs. No. 4 seed Concordia (17-29) Thursday, May 10 at 4 p.m.: No. 2 seed Albertson (29-15) vs. No. 3 seed British Columbia (21-18) Site: Simplot Stadium Cost: $7 for adults for full day; $5 for students 17-and-under and seniors. Tournament pass is $15. Yotes take on familiar foe in British Columbia as NAIA regional begins in Caldwell today By...read more

Team set to play Oregon Tech in first-ever trip to NAIA Region I tourney By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com BURNABY, B.C. — Yes, the Coyotes are excited. For the first time in the Albertson softball team’s history the Yotes are playing in the NAIA Region I Tournament which begins today at host school Simon Fraser.

“The girls are really excited,� said Albertson coach Al Mendiola, whose team has enjoyed a record season compiling a 35-10 record, a first-ever Cascade Conference title and a No. 14 ranking in the final NAIA poll. “…They’re already talking about that ‘N’ word (Nationals), and like Liz’s (Mendiola’s volleyball) team, we’re not allowed to say it. But I think they’re handling it pretty well right now for a big stage.�

A...read more

On the Diamond: NNU wins 5-3, falls 6-0 By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — Another battle with the Wolves and another split. Ryne Phillips led the charge in the opener, pitching into the seventh to give Northwest Nazarene a chance to knock off Western Oregon, 5-3 before the Wolves regrouped to take the nightcap of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference twinbill, 6-0.

“I think if we live up to our potential we’re exactly that, over the course of eight games we split four and four,� said NNU coach Tim Onofrei, whose team also split Friday’s doubleheader with Western Oregon, and a pair of twinbills in March in Monmouth, Ore. “I think we’re an evenly matched up team.�

A...read more

Baseball: Late-inning heroics, squeeze bunt gives NNU first win in 10 tries By Matt Smith msmith@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Northwest Nazarene baseball team won the tail-end of a Friday evening twinbill with Western Oregon 8-7, ending what was a dismal nine-game losing streak, after losing the opener 4-3 in extra innings. The streak came to a screeching halt in the bottom of the seventh...read more

Softball: Seattle pounds out 31 hits, helped by Crusader errors in 13-2, 24-2 twinbill sweep By Mike Stetson mstetson@idahopress.com NAMPA — The Crusaders just couldn’t stop Seattle on Thursday. The Redhawks plated 37 runs on 31 hits, and were aided by 11 Northwest Nazarene errors, as Seattle swept NNU in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader 13-2 and 24...read more

For Coyote fans, it's an exciting time of year once again as Albertson baseball and softball find themselves in the think of the playoff race. Unfortunately for NNU, a recent road slump cost the baseball team it's shot at the GNAC title, but with Western Oregon coming to town Friday and Saturday, there's still a chance the Crusaders could salvage some pride. And on the NNU softball side, kudos...read more

It’s time to jump on the Crusaders bandwagon. No, one win over Albertson doesn’t make Northwest Nazarene national champs, nor does a sweep of Menlo while on the road in California. But let’s face it, this team is rolling having just set a new school record for consecutive wins. And you have to look at just how they did it. Seven games in five days on the road, winning...read more

What’s happened to the Coyote baseball team?

Seems like the recent loses to No. 1 Lewis-Clark State stole some of the swagger from the Albertson dugout as the Yotes hit the road over the weekend and dropped three straight to Concordia.

Now I haven’t seen the Cavaliers this season, so it’s hard to say just how good they might be, but it looked like the Coyotes could do no...read more

Sports fans, don’t miss this. A beautiful weekend just got a little bit better as the top two collegiate baseball teams in the state of Idaho clash in Caldwell on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And these games have a lot riding on the outcome as Lewis-Clark State and Albertson continue their rivalry. First pitch each day is at 1 p.m. at Simplot Stadium. The Warriors — ranked...read more

If you missed it Tuesday night — Albertson baseball at Northwest Nazarene — you missed a classic in this series.

For years the Coyotes have dominated the Crusaders on the diamond, and starting the season head-to-head back on Feb. 10, it looked like this year might bring more of the same as the Yotes won 6-0 and 4-0.

Ah, but things certainly have drawn closer now that the NNU hitters...read more

Albertson sports information director Mike Safford Jr. had a little free time with the Coyotes on Tuesday and decided to do a write-up from the NAIA National Tournament.

Here’s what Mike — and the team — had to say about the Coyotes and their trip to Missouri so far.

BRANSON, Mo. — For the Albertson College of Idaho men’s basketball team, a trip to the NAIA...read more

Welcome to the Idaho Press-Tribune’s newest website addition, a page devoted to Albertson and NNU sports action.
And it couldn’t come at a better time with a compelling season of hoops wrapping up.

First, congrats to the Coyote men’s team, whose hard work paid off with a much deserved berth to the NAIA National Tournament.
And don’t underestimate Albertson’s...read more

Mike Stetson has been with the Idaho Press-Tribune since 1997, covering Albertson College of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene University for 10 seasons, including the Coyotes national championship baseball team and the Crusaders moved to the NCAA during that time....read more