Geoduck Sports News
October 20, 2009
Some great news for Evergreen Athletics this week as Basketball Conference Pre-season Polls were released, a volleyball player honored as CCC Player of the Week and Men's Soccer is in CCC playoff contention.
Men's Basketball - For the second year in a row Nate Menefee is honored with Cascade Conference Pre-Season Player of the Year. Menefee (Tacoma, Wash.) , a 2008-09 Season NAIA First Team All-American, fullfilled last seasons predictions for the award.
The team returns Menefee, Julio Feliciano (Tacoma, Wash.), Anthony Gallagher (Puyallup, Wash.) and Johnny Sarysz (Renton, Wash.). All have National Tournament experience.
Head coach Jeff Drinkwine touts Nick Livi (SR. Seattle, WA) and Marice Tolliver (JR, Tacoma, Wash.) as two of the teams standout newcomers. Full team quickfacts
The Geoducks are ranked 4th in the early CCC poll. College of Idaho returns as a stronger-than-ever program to take the #1 spot over Oregon Tech.
Evergreen opens up their season with their annual Alumni game on Saturday, October 31st at 2:30 PM and open the collegiate season with an exhibition game at St. Martin's University on November 10th at 7:00 PM
2008-09 Season Stats Full CCC Pre-Season Release
Women's Basketball - Evergreen will feel the loss of All-Conference Honorable Mention forward Kristi Auckland this season. Auckland graduated in the spring after a great senior year in which she totaled a school record of 10 double-double games and averaged 13.63 points per game.
Evergreen has been picked ninth in the pre-season CCC poll, one spot better than they finished the '08-09 season. Unfortunately no individuals were picked for the Pre-Season All-Conference Team.
The Geoducks return senior Katie Garcin (Gooding, Idaho) in the forward position and Alex Saab (Lakewood, Wash.) who had a great freshman year, averaging over 8 points a game. Junior Angel Stewart (Yakima, Wash. ) Saab and Stewart add speed and agility to the Geoducks game. Le Asia Jones (Oroville, Calif.) who sat out last season with an injury sustained in her pre-season, and Jasmine Horton (Tukwila, Wash.) will bring height to the line-up.
Transfers Latrina Woods and Chelsea Nill (both 5-8 guards) will help the team with their quickness and scoring ability. Woods averaged 12.6 ppg at LSU during the 07-08 season and Nill hit 11.7 ppg last season at YVCC. Complete team quickfacts
2008-09 Season Stats Full CCC Pre-Season Release
Cross Country - The men's and women's Cross Country Teams are rapidly closing in on their championship season with the CCC Champs under three weeks away. Evergreen will head to Corvallis, Oregon to the OSU Beaver Classic this coming Saturday. The meet will play host to NCAA Div. I-III, NAIA and Community College teams and is one of the favorites for the Geoducks.
Britta Peterson (SO, Oak Harbor, Wash.) is the women's team leader and placed 13th at last Saturday's Warner Pacific Invitational. While Peterson hasn't quite reached her '08 form yet (15th '08 CCC Champs), this weekend can serve as a confidence builder as she has fought through sickness and injury this season.
On the men's side, Brian Rakestraw is running at top form and ranks as the 7th fastest 8k runner in the CCC currently. Rakestraw coasted to a fourth place finished at Warner Pac Saturday as he prepares for his larger goal of improving on both his '08 CCC Champs finish (12th) and NAIA Championships (83rd). Last season ran his personal best 8k at OSU of 25:00. Two weeks ago Rakestraw was three-tenths off of that time.
The women's team is currently ranked 9th in the CCC with the men sitting in 8th position.
Men's Soccer - Evergreen (4-4-3, 4-3-2 CCC) has moved closer to CCC playoffs position after their weekend tie and win on the road. The Geoducks tied with Northwest Christian University on Friday night and defeated Corban College Saturday.
Senior Midfielder Kyle Foster was given his second caution in the 63rd minute of a scoreless game and the Beacons quickly took advantage. Playing 11-on-10 soccer, NCU's Chris Longi sent a pass to Greg Erickson just 41 seconds after the caution and Erickson fired home the leading score with 27 minutes to go in regulation.
NCU looked to be in control with the Geoducks forced to play with just one forward, but ESC continued to penetrate nonetheless. Finally, in the 83rd minute, Jeremy Novack (Lake Forest Park, Wash.) fired a 25-yard strike into the upper right corner of the net for the equalizer.
Saturday Evergreen moved into fourth place in the CCC, winning in overtime 1-0 over Corban College (2-9-1, 1-8 CCC) and moving ahead of Oregon Tech in conference standings. Sophomore Corey Johnson (Longview, WA) snuck a well-aimed shot under Corban's keeper off an inside pass from Geoduck Chris Miller (Seattle, WA). It was the fifth goal of the season for Johnson and the third assist for Miller.
This afternoon ESC hosts perennial powerhouse Concordia University at 4:00 PM. The Cavaliers 8-4-1, 7-3-0 CCC were ranked #38 in last weeks NAIA standings and recently slipped to #2 in the CCC behind Warner Pacific College (9-3, 8-1).
Women's Soccer- The 1-9-4, 0-8 CCC Geoducks are playing their final game of the season Saturday at home. The team hosts Northwest University (2-10-2, 1-6-1 CCC), a team that sits one place ahead of ESC in the Conference Standings.
Evergreen's young front line have had a tough time getting the ball into the net as their college play inexperience has proven to be a factor. The team has just 8 goals this season. The team certainly has shown they have the ability to break away from their opponent and get the ball near their opponents net.
ESC's defense has been indispensable in keeping their opponents scores low and currently ranks as the 5th best defense in the conference and tied for third in saved goals. Keeper Sonya Daisley-Harrison (JR. Maple Valley, Wash.) ranks as the second best keeper in the CCC with 6.71 saves per game.
At last weekends road games The Geoducks lost two close 2-1 battles with Northwest Christian University (#7 CCC. 3-12, 2-5 CCC) and Corban College (#3 CCC. 9-5-2, 6-1 CCC). Versus NCU Claire Brown (FR. Norwich, VT) scored her second goal of the season off an assist by Brianna Speed (SO. Tukwila, Wash.). Freshman Zoe Ostrander-Durr (Lakewood, Wash.) scored her first collegiate goal unassisted at Corban.
Volleyball- Chantal Petkus (Richland, Wash.), a 5-6 sophomore libero, totaled 36 digs and three service aces in two matches for the Geoducks earned the honor of Cascade Conference Libero of the Week over three other nominees.
Petkus is the first volleyball player to receive Player of the Week honors since Meredith Lane in 2003.
Volleyball has two home games this weekend, both against CCC powerhouse teams. Friday the Geoducks host the Yotes of College of Idaho (#8 NAIA, #2 CCC, 16-2, 12-1 CCC) at 7:00 PM. The same time Saturday Eastern Oregon visits the Greenhouse. The Mounties are #33 NAIA, #4 CCC and have a record of 11-7 and 9-4 CCC.
Last Friday's game with Northwest University the Geoducks played a strong match. Hitter Jazzmin Garcia (Kirkland, Wash.) totaled 13 kills in the match, her second highest of the season. Strong on offense and defense was LeAsia Jones (Oroville, Calif.) who had 6 kills, 2 solo blocks and 2 block assists.