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Intercollegiate AthleticsFor Sports EnthusiastsFor Student Athletes |
EVERGREEN UNABLE TO STOP CONCORDIA'S ATTACK |
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October 17, 2002 by James J. Portune Evergreen State College Sports Information Director Tony Ballew's hat trick leads Cavaliers to fifth consecutive win. OLYMPIA, Wa - It was a beautiful mid-October day to watch a late season NAIA men's soccer game and a great day to watch a rising star in the Cascade Conference in action. That is if you wanted to watch Evergreen State sophomore goal keeper Tommy Kneeshaw (Eatonville, Wa/ Eatonville H.S.) keep his team in the game. "Tommy had a great 1st half," said Concordia Head Coach Dan Birkey, whose team defeated Evergreen (4-5 CCC, 7-8 Overall) on their home field 4-1. "It is hard for a keeper to play at that level for the entire game." In the first forty-five minutes Kneeshaw turned away Concordia (8-1 CCC, 12-4 Overall) nine times, with saves that seemed to get more difficult as the game progressed. But the laws of percentages eventually run out for any goal keeper and it was Cavalier forward Tony Ballew that had Kneeshaw's number on three different occasions. Evergreen freshman Jake Taylor (Cali, Columbia / Peninsula H.S.) broke the 0-0 tie in the 8th minute of play, with a looping shot from the right side, over the Concordia's keeper, into the far upper corner of the net. The teams other starting freshman, Luke Arthur (Eatonville, Wa / Eatonville H.S.), got the assist off a mid-field pass. "Jake showed his real speed with his early game goal," said co-head coaches Andy Hill and Tom Boatright. Eleven minutes later Ballew's tied the game with a text book header from in front of the goal, off Justin Wolvert's corner kick. In the 29th minutes Ballew's put the Cavaliers ahead when he pushed the ball right around a charging Kneeshaw, from the left upper corner of the box. Ballew's magical hat trick also came on a corner kick header. This time freshman Tim Tubra struck the ball from the corner, at 61:31, and Ballew's made the backside header when Kneeshaw missed the punch out save. Junior BJ Gamble got his name in the record book with the final goal of the game, unassisted, in the 74th minute. "I have nothing but praise for what Tom (Boatright) and Andy (Hill) have done with this program," remarked Birkey. "This season we had to prepare carefully for each game we played against Evergreen. It is just unfortunate that (Chris) Pugh did not play today and that (Jason) Gjertson when down in the second half." Junior Chris Pugh (Lacey, Wa / North Thurston H.S.), Evergreen's #2 scorer, is rehabilitating a severely sprained knee, suffered in the second half of the Warner Pacific game last week. By all indication he will be on the field for post season play. Junior College transfer Jason Gjertson (Tacoma, Wa / Wilson H.S.), the teams leading scorer and assist man, went down with twelve minutes remaining in the second half after taking an elbow above his left eye. With an ice bag held to his head, Gjertson indicated that he will be on the field for Saturday's game against Cascade. Only three games remain in the conference schedule for the 2002 men's soccer season. Saturday at 11:00 a.m. the Geoducks will host Cascade College on Field 4. Tuesday (Oct 22) the team will be on the road for a 7:00 p.m. game at Juanita H.S. against Northwest. And, a week from Friday (Oct 25) Evergreen will host Albertson, at 4:00 p.m., for the final conference game. "We are in control of our future," stated Coaches Hill and Boatright, in reference to post season play. "We don't need help from anyone, all we need to do is win." |
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