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Intercollegiate AthleticsFor Sports EnthusiastsFor Student Athletes |
Gjertsen the Younger, Evergreen Player of the Week |
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September 3, 2003 OLYMPIA, Wa - At the start of every season, for every team, there is uncertainty, even with the return of the star players. For The Evergreen State Men's Soccer team the uncertainty this season was multiplied with the unexpected absence of 1st Team All-Cascade Conference forward Jason Gjertsen (16 goals/11 assists) and 2nd Team All-Conference mid-fielder Chris Pugh. One is sitting out the 2003 season with insufficient credits, the other for financial reason. Two games into the season, co-head coaches Tom Boatright and Andy Hill can now breath a little easier. Joe Gjertsen (Tacoma, Wash./Wilson H.S.), younger brother of Jason, has lived up to his billing, stepped up and filled the shoes of his absent older brother. Thirty-five minutes into the season opener, Thursday, August 21st, against NAIA Region I ranked Westminster College, Gjertsen scored the first goal of the game and season for Evergreen, putting the Geoducks ahead 1-0. Unfortunately for Evergreen, the well played evenly matched contest ended in double overtime win, 2-1, for Westminster. Two days later, in Evergreen's first game of the 2nd Annual Arno Zoske Soccer Tournament, named after the legendary men's soccer coach, Gjertsen once again woke the crowd with the opening score, this goal coming a brief two minutes and twenty-six seconds after the opening kick-off. He then followed with two addition goals, one off a penalty kick, and an assist to senior Justin Connell (Sequim, Wash./Sequim H.S.) in the 18th minute. "It is really easy playing with Joe," said Connell. "He lets you know what kind of ball he wants and then he capitalizes on his opportunities." Putting the ball into the back of the goal is not a new experience for Gjertsen. At Wilson High School in Tacoma, Gjertsen lead the Rams to two 4A state tournament appearance. By the time his high school career ended he had accrued a shelf full of awards: Narrows League Leading Scorer (00, 01), All-Narrows League (98, 99, 00, 01), All-Area (00, 01), and Narrows League Most Valuable Player (01). His most notable honor, being named the 2001 South Sound Athlete of the Year. Following graduation he enrolled at Tacoma Community College and lead the Titon's to a 22-2-1 record in the Southwest League of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College (NWAACC). His NWAACC leading 26 goals and 14 assists earned him conference MVP honors. "Joe is very unselfish with the ball," said Evergreen co-head coach Andy Hill. "He has a very good nose for the goal but is also a great distributor and make the players around him better." Sidelined last season for 14 games with an ankle injury, Gjertsen recovered in time to help Yavapai Junior College in Prescott, Ariz., win the national men's soccer championship, with a 24-2-1 record. "It feels good to be health," Gjertsen said. "Last year I didn't play more than five games in a row. But the thing I am enjoying the most right now is being able to play again in front of my mom, brothers and my family." |
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