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Intercollegiate AthleticsFor Sports EnthusiastsFor Student Athletes |
Joe Gjertsen, First Men's Soccer Player Ever to be Named National Player of the Week |
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October 8, 2003 OLYMPIA, Wash. - One of the thrills of watching a gifted athlete in action is never knowing when their next big performance will occur. Often times such moments sneak up unexpectedly and are realize only after they have occurred. The Evergreen State College Men's Soccer player Joe Gjertsen (Tacoma, Wash./Wilson H.S.) had such a performance last week, in the span of three games over five days. His eight goals and four assists netted him not only Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Player of the Week, honors he previously earned the first week of September, with 8 goals and 1 assist in two games, but also NAIA National Player of the Week. 
Joe Gjertsen
"Yes, this means a lot to me," Gjertsen said. "I have never received anything like this before. When I played a TCC (Tacoma Community College) that league only included Washington and Oregon. Last year at Yavapai Junior College (Phoenix, Ariz.) I was on the bench most of the year injured." What makes last week's performance standout from his earlier exploits this season is that Gjertsen's breakout was not a one-man show. Virtually the entire Men's Soccer team found the back of the net, as the Geoducks scored a total of twenty goals and had fifteen assists in the three games - Concordia (Oct. 2), Cascade (Oct. 4), Walla Walla (Oct. 5). As the second round of conference play began this week, the three victories improved Evergreen's conference record to 3-2-1, 7-5-1 overall, and help them secure a fourth place tie in the Cascade Conference standings with Western Baptist. "At the start of last week, I told the team that this week was critical," said head men's soccer coach Tom Boatright. "Not only the race for conference championship but qualifying for a playoff berth has turned into a dogfight." Thursday (Oct. 2) got the ball rolling for Gjertsen. In the convincing 3-1 Evergreen victory, Gjertsen scored 2 goals, and the defending Cascade Conference champions Concondia University Cavliers were handed their first conference loss of the season. On Saturday (Oct. 4), Gjertsen scored three goals, a 'Hat Trick', in the first thirty-nine minute of action against Cascade College. Early in the second have he scored his fourth goal, in a contest that Evergreen went on to win 8-0. A month earlier Gjertsen's four goals would have tied a ten year old school record for 'Most Goals (Game)', set by All-Conference forward John Hall in 1992. But Gjertsen's five goals, on Sep. 6, against George Fox, established a new record. So, Saturday's performance against Cascade became part Evergreen sports history as just another good performance. Then on Sunday (Oct. 5), Evergreen sent Walla Walla back to Eastern Washington with a 9-2 loss, due in part to Gjertsen's two goals and two assists. As the season begins to wind down, Gjertsen has become a serious contender to dethrone two-time Cascade Conference Player of the Year, Taurai Daka (Western Baptist). At the time of this writing, Gjertsen leads the conference in 'Goals' - 22, 'Goals per Game' - 1.83, 'Points' - 52, 'Point per Game' - 4.33, 'Shots' - 93 and 'Shots per Game' - 7.75. In 'Game Winning Goals', he trails Daka by one goal. And in the 'Assist' category, Gjertsen is #3, trailing his own teammate Nathan Ford (Steilacoom, Wash./Steilacoom H.S.) by a single assist. "What is really unique about Joe, " said Coach Boatright, "it that he is a really mature and good young man. He does not remind me of the classic league leading goal scorer. He is content to play his game and does not worry about the recognition." Spend a couple of minutes with the team and you can see exactly what Coach Boatright is talking about. "The group does not think he is a real hot shot, a superstar," Boatright added. "Joe is a leader, a person who makes a lot of room for other to succeed also." Chances to watch Joe Gertsen and this year's Men's Soccer team in action are limited. Friday, Oct. 17, is the final men's home game, against the always loved Albertson College of Idaho. With both teams needing a victory to guarantee their spot in the post-season tournament, there will not be a better Men's Soccer game on the campus of The Evergreen State College that this Friday's game, which will start at 2:00 p.m. on Campa De Quatro (Field 4). |
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