Mount Hood

Western volleyball loses to Alaska Fairbanks

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Hopes were high for the Wolves coming into their final home game of the season. The season had been a rough road for Western as they had only found themselves in the winning column six times of their 23 games so far. Despite this, the Wolves looked to put on a show at home for the departing seniors.

Before the matches began, each of the leaving players were honored with a few gifts and words spoken about their athletic achievements at the school and hopes for the future. One of the players playing their last game in Monmouth was junior psychology major Morgan Haskett.

“Since I had just decided to graduate in three years, I feel pretty (bittersweet) about the whole situation. I’m pretty excited to be done with college and move onto bigger things, but I am so in love with so many aspects of the sport… so that’s going to be pretty tough to leave,” said Haskett.

The first match was utter dominance for the Wolves. Jumping out to a 3 point lead, Western looked unstoppable. University of Alaska Fairbanks trailed the entire first match. The Nanooks needed to take a couple of timeouts to attempt to slow the raging momentum of the Wolves, but this was to no avail.

After a dominating win in the first match, the Wolves momentum seemed to immediately die. The Nanooks took control of Western and led the entirety of the second match. Alaska Fairbanks warded off several comeback attempts and won the second match with ease.

The Wolves never saw themselves back on top for the rest of their matches. The Nanooks controlled Western’s offense and tore their defense apart.

“We started really strong and I just don’t think we played mentally tough enough to get the win that day,” said Haskett.

The Wolves continued fighting to tie up the score, but despite their best efforts they couldn’t get back into any of the matches.

While this isn’t the end the seniors were looking for, many will miss playing in Monmouth.

“I’ll miss playing at a place where a lot of my family and friends were able to come watch, they’ve been such a big part of my volleyball career,” said Haskett.

After this loss, the season looked to be over for the Wolves. Mathematically, Western stands a chance to make the postseason tournament. However, making the tournament would rely on other teams dropping matches; meaning, the postseason hopes of Western is not in their hands.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Wolves’s Lacrosse takes a loss in 2018 annual alumni game

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Familiar faces gathered together Oct. 27 for the annual lacrosse alumni game. Players from past years, of the last graduating class to those long graduated, strapped on their helmets to battle it out against Western’s newest roster.

With the first whistle it was evident that the older alumni were out to have have some fun while also wanting to show the younger guys who’s boss. In the previous years, the alumni team has been laden with players on All Conference and All American teams and this year was no different.

The alumni team quickly took advantage of the young Western team, bullying them around with powerful hits and lightning quick dodges. Despite the hard play, banter and light-hearted trash talk could be heard between passes. With every ball thrown wide of the goal or long sprint of an alumni, Western could be heard chirping the older players.

“It was fun to play against former teammates that you haven’t seen in awhile. It’s good to catch up (on) the field and maybe give ‘em a good whack,” said senior history major Alex Eidler, midfielder for the 2018 team.

It was a afternoon full of high powered offenses as the Wolves and alumni both scored whopping 15 goals apiece. By the end of regulation, the score was all tied up and both teams were ready for overtime.

With a strong defense effort from the Wolves, it was no easy task for the alumni to set up their offense. However, the alumni was able to dodge their way to a opening for a laser shot, ending the game in a 16-15 victory.

Even with the loss, the Wolves are hopeful for the upcoming regular season.

“I think this year the team is on the up with the new freshman. We got a lot of new talent this year that will help define this team for the next few years,” mentioned Eidler.

The Wolves fall season ends soon with one final game at the University of Oregon on Nov. 9.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Nightmare on Monmouth Avenue: A look at sports that have made it to the Western athletics graveyard

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western Oregon has existed as a school of many different names for 156 years. In this over a century and a half, the school has seen the birth and death of many different sports.

Since these sports departure the fields they called home have since been abandoned and forgotten. Welcome to the Western sports graveyard.

Tennis 1923-1990s

Tennis was first spotted on the Oregon Normal School campus as early as 1923. The program was split into a men’s team and women’s team and over the years these teams saw varying levels of success. There are years with no recorded mention of a tennis team, but its spirit lived a full life in Monmouth, finally seeing its death of an unknown cause in 1990.

Women’s Field Hockey 1925-1980s

The mysterious women’s field hockey team seemed to elude the history books for the better part of the 20th century. Pictures can be found of Oregon Normal School students playing field hockey during the 1925 school year. Skip forward 45 years and women are seen playing again. Their last sighting was in the early 80s, and not much is known since.

 

Golf 1920s-1980s

Another granny of the campus, along side the tennis program, golf has been spotted on the campus of Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College. Perhaps the golfers would rather play a few holes than take a picture as records of the team are hard to come by. Lost on the back nine, the team seemed to fade from existence in the 80s.

Wrestling 1927-1991

Wrestling saw its first official team in the year of 1927. The wrestling team saw years of wins, losses, close-matches and eventually some national championship contenders. Wrestling is the only sport in the graveyard with a true murderer however. The team met a cruel fate after their 1990-91 season with the new Measure 5 ruling that defunded and killed the successful program after 64 years.

Swimming 1927-1980s

Splashing into pools for the first time in the late ‘20s, Oregon Normal School’s swimming team was host to all sorts of aquatic shenanigans. The death of the swimming program is lost to time as the history books have no clear answer to why they never made it out of the 80s.

Gymnastics 1971- 1980s

Blink and you’ll miss it, the gymnastics program was only alive for a short 10 years on the campus of Oregon College of Education. The team never saw much success in the gym, as noted by the Lamron staff never seeming to report on a match that was won. Evidence of the team can still be found on the walls of New PE showing off the teams of yesteryear.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of previous Western yearbooks: “The Norm” and “The Grove”

Fall intramural leaderboards

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Volleyball

Co-Rec Competitive – Monday/Tuesday Evenings:

Gold Diggers

Mayjah Rayjahs

Orville Ready Blockers

Set for Life

Taco tuesdays

Block Party

Bumpin’

 

Co-Rec Recreational – Monday/Tuesday Evenings:

Hittas

Safe sets

AP Volleyball

I’d Hit That

That’s What She Set

Top Notch

Henkle Pancakle

 

Co-Rec Recreational – Thursday Evenings:

Just TRI Us

4C

Dutch Mafia

A1

Wolferines

 

Women’s/Men’s – Wednesday Evenings:

Humuhumunukunukuapua`azzz

Nolan’s Kane

Volley Kings

Heritage 2C

Hit Squad

Mas Hits

One HIT wonders

 

Flag Football

CoRec – Wednesday Evenings

The Abusement Park

Show Us Your TD’s

Off in the endzone

Spartans

 

Men’s – Sunday Evenings

Nothin’ but D

Regional Team

Bryce’s Team

Holy Ghosts

Mike G’s Team

Blue Mountain ST.

N.H.A.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Larsen’s picks of the week

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western Football at Azusa Pacific

Prediction:

In their last meeting the Wolves fell to Azusa Pacific 17-28.

This game will be won or lost on the back of the Western offense.

The first half of the season was riddled with weak play from the offensive side of the ball. However, in the past few games the offense has found solid footing and has been able to consistently find the endzone.

If the offense for the Wolves continues their streak of success and the defense plays the way they have all season, the Wolves will have no problem with Azusa Pacific.

 

Western Volleyball vs. University of Alaska Anchorage

Prediction:

Earlier in the season, the Wolves lost a tight set, 1-3. While the score seemed lopsided, the matches were anything but. Western’s defense needs to step up in the upcoming games in order to edge out the Seawolves. Western has struggled in their last few matches to halt their opponents point runs. This has caused the offense to constantly need to catch up in order to win games. If Western’s defense slows the Seawolves momentum, the Wolves stand the best chance to win.

 

Western Women’s Soccer at  Saint Martin’s University

Prediction:

Saint Martin’s and Western have played once before this season. In that game the Wolves edged out Saint Martin’s University 1-0. With their final meeting marking the last game of the regular season, this game is a must-win for Western if they want to end their season on a high note. Saint Martin’s offense is weak, not being able to score a single point in their last two games. If Western’s offense is able to put up points, this will be an easy win for the Wolves.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Homecoming on the gridiron for the Wolves

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

It was a beautiful sunny day as the Wolves took the field for the 2018 Homecoming game. Western had just come off a sizable loss to the Central Washington Wildcats and looked to bring their record back to .500 with this home match.

In the last meeting between the two teams, the Wolves had walloped the Humboldt State Lumberjacks in Arcata, California with a score of 38-13. Hoping to duplicate those results, the Wolves snapped on their helmets and were ready to play.

On the opening drive of the game the Wolves were all business. A touchdown pass set up Western to quickly jump out to a 7-0 lead. The rest of the quarter was filled with defensive stops from both teams, ending with no more points being scored.

Humboldt State put themselves on the board and showed that they were ready for a fight, tying up the game 7-7 in the 2nd quarter. After a score by Western’s offense, the defense showed they could score too with a huge interception that was returned for a touchdown. Going into the half, Western was on top 21-7.

After the announcement of the homecoming court, Western looked to have lost a bit of momentum. Humboldt State kicked a field goal and later scored a touchdown to bring the game to 17-21. However, right before the end of the 3rd, the Wolves were in the endzone once again.

The 4th quarter was gearing up to be anyone’s game. The Wolves’s score late in the 3rd helped them maintain a lead, but the relentless Lumberjacks held the Wolves to a field goal. Both offenses fought hard to give their teams an edge. Western’s defense helped maintain the lead and the addition of two more touchdowns for the Wolves cemented the lead. Western brought the homecoming festivities to a close with a huge 45-24 win.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Wolfie’s Bowl action

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the 2018 Homecoming week, the ladies were the first to step foot on the gridiron for the Wolves. The 39th Annual Powerpuff Game: Wolfie’s bowl was gearing up to be a powerful start to this year’s homecoming football festivities. With female students lining up for the On-Campus team and Off-Campus team, this year’s participants were ready for a fight.

The first half of action was a defensive struggle as neither team gave the other an inch. Blows were traded back and forth but neither team found the endzone.

“I was worried because I had class until 6 (p.m.) in Corvallis and I didn’t get here until halftime, but I knew we could hold them off,” said junior criminal justice and exercise science major Mikaela Wong on the Off-Campus team.

Within minutes of the start of the second quarter, Wong torched the defense on a trick play, finding the endzone to put the first points on the board. Due to tight officiating, the points ended up coming off the board. Forcing a turnover, the On-Campus team took possession and marched their way down the field.

Off the power of junior chemistry major D-Dré Wright’s arm, the On-Campus team was the first to put points on the board.

“I just know I’m throwing to the left half of the field. I don’t aim or anything, I just put it up and let my receiver get the ball,” said Wright on her touchdown bullseye.

After falling behind, the Off-Campus team knew they needed to score.

“We called a Mac-Daddy 3, that’s the name of the play. I knew (the ball) should be going to me, I just (have to) streak down the field (and catch it),” explained Wong on how the play was to be executed.

Wong sprinted past the defense and caught the game-tying touchdown pass. After a successful one point conversion, the Off-Campus crew led, 7-6.

Defensive stops came back and forth, but after a missed first down, the Off-Campus team kneeled out the clock to mark their third straight win. Hoisting the trophy high, the crowd cheered and made their way to the bonfire pep rally.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Caity Healy

Opinion: From the Sports Desk

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

“Football is on solid standing at Western… If we get (to add more games to the schedule) with the Lone Star (conference) then we’ll be playing football for the next 50 years at least,” stated Athletic Director Curtis Campbell. His voice gave me no doubt that he held this belief very near and dear, but the facts seemed to point another direction.

Thursday, Oct. 11, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Campbell about the financial status of Western’s athletics. During the interview it became abundantly clear that Western struggles to compete at a high level athletically due to the inability to fully fund any of the varsity athletics.

“We are the lowest funded school in our conference. We offer the least amount of scholarships in every sport. We are at the bottom of the list,” said Campbell about our ability to offer scholarships.

“In football…you can offer 36 full scholarships. We offer about 15. In baseball you can have nine, and we have three. In track and field you can have 12.7 and we have three. So were the lowest funded school in our conference.”

This inability to fully fund athletics comes at the cost of success.

“The more scholarship dollars you have, the more competitive you are — the teams that are winning in football, and in basketball and in baseball. The teams that are winning are the ones that have the most scholarships to award.”

In Issue 3 of The Western Howl in the article titled, “Opinion: From the Sports Desk” I expressed how football may be on its deathbed due to the monumental cost and microscopic size of the conference. After speaking with Campbell, it became apparent to me that football is not only dying, it’s killing off the sports around it.

“We don’t have the funding…We are the lowest funded school in our conference” Campbell repeated over and over.

The question that kept occuring to me, if Western was struggling so much to fund all the athletic programs, why not condense the amount being offered?

When asked about adding programs, Campbell said, “We’re not funding the varsity sports we currently have… When you fully fund the sports you already have, then you start adding sports. But we’re so far away from that.”

But wouldn’t lowering the amount of programs offered allow the rest of Western’s athletics to thrive?

In 2008, when Western Washington University ended their football program, Eileen Coughlin, vice president for Student Affairs and Academic Support Services said to Tim Booth, Associated Press Sports Writer in his story “WWU Ends Football Program; Ensures Excellence of All Other Sports“, “Ending the football program will allow intercollegiate athletics to meet budget reduction targets, and, most importantly, to protect the quality of the remaining intercollegiate sports,”

Maybe Western Oregon should take a page from Western Washington’s book and protect the sports around football. Because if football stays for 50 years, other sports might not.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Western Men’s Rugby pounces on Seattle University Redhawks

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

After losing a nail biter to Central Oregon Community College on Oct. 7, Western’s Men’s Rugby looked to bounce back against the Seattle University Redhawks. With the sun shining on their backs, the Wolves didn’t waste any time asserting their dominance over Seattle University.

Two minutes into the first period, the Wolves scored off of a breakaway run and made the conversion to quickly bring the score to 7-0. The Redhawks showed they were ready for a fight as they bullied their way down the field, scoring a try and missing the conversion, making the score 7-5. The feverish battle between the teams looked to make for a close match, but Western wasn’t looking for another at home loss.

Tries were scored back and forth until the end of the first period where the score sat 14-10 with the Wolves on top. But for the Wolves, the best was yet to come.

Lighting up the scoreboard, Western found themselves scoring 17 unanswered points throughout the 2nd period. Every large gain by the Redhawks was met with an overwhelming defensive effort and an even more powerful offensive push. Cheered on by hoots and hollers from the crowd, the Wolves rumbled their way to a now lopsided score of 38-10.

In the final quarter the Redhawks showed some signs of life. Outscoring Western 15-14 in the period, the Redhawks hoped to claw their way back into the game. However this effort was no match for the dominant 2nd period. As time ran out, Western finished on top with a score of 52-25.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Western Lacrosse stands tall against the Rippers

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The freashman heavy Western Lacrosse team took the field on a sunny Oct. 14. The Wolves were pitted against the Rippers, a men’s league team, for their home debut of the fall lacrosse season.

Previously the Wolves split their last four tournament games with two wins and two losses. With this matchm Western hoped to gain experience and add to their winning column.

The first quarter was messy for Western. Unable to win a faceoff, the Wolves quickly fell into a 0-2 hole before finally finding the back of the net. Poor defensive play led to Western falling to a 2-4 score at the end of the first.

“We were playing against an offensive set we hadn’t practiced against. The different look took us a bit to react to,” said senior history major and defenseman Bryce Hinkle.

The Wolves finally found their offensive footing in the second quarter. The senior led offense found the cage six times to capture the lead over the Rippers. Visibly tired, the Rippers offense struggled to hold a possession while the deep bench of the Wolves lead to an offensive run.

Not ready to give up, the Rippers came storming back in the 3rd quarter. After a couple of missed shots and poor goalkeeping from Western, the Rippers buried four shots to bring the game within three points.

It was anyone’s ballgame as the clock began to run in the final quarter of play. Carrying off their momentum from the third, the Rippers fought their way back to bring the game within one. Great defensive efforts were made on both sides of the field as the Rippers battled to retake the lead.

With just a handful of minutes left to play, the Wolves’s offense cemented their lead with a pair of goals. Western lacrosse’s home debut came to a finish with the Wolves on top, 14-11.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Discovering Club Sports

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Whether students are looking to continue their competitive passion for high level athletics or just wanting to learn something new, a viable option is Western’s Club Sports. Joining a team gives students the ability to compete nationally in competitive team sports. Club Sports are open to student of any skill and experience level — many rosters are full of students who have never played the sport before coming to college.

The teams within Club Sports are split into two types: Tier 1 and Tier 2. The Tier 2 sports are geared more toward practicing and enjoying the sport while the Tier 1 sports are about competition with other schools and competing within a national league. Below, I’ve listed the Club Sports currently offered at Western.

 

Tier 1:

Dance Team

Joining the Dance Team allows male and female students the chance to perform in front of the school at home football and basketball games.

Contact the club president Olivia Ashmanskas at oashmanskas14@wou.edu

Men’s Rugby

Playing for the Men’s Rugby Team gives male students the ability to compete against other schools in this full-contact sport.

Contact the club president Chris Davis at cwdavis@wou.edu

Women’s Rugby

Being the only full-contact female club sport, the Women’s Rugby Team is a way for female students to compete in an aggressive sport.

Contact the club president Ciara Brady at cbrady16@wou.edu

Men’s Soccer

The Men’s Soccer team is for male students who want to participate in a higher level of soccer.

Contact the club president Nash Idler at nidler14@wou.edu

Men’s Lacrosse

Being a full contact sport, the Lacrosse Team is another option for male students looking to get involved in hard hitting and fast paced competition.

Contact the club president Justin Morales at jmorales17@wou.edu

Rock Climbing

Whether a student wants to learn how to climb or compete against other schools, the Rock Climbing Club gives the option of a relaxed or competitive experience.

Contact the club president Kayla Baker at kmbaker15@wou.edu

 

Tier 2:

Women’s Soccer

Competing against other schools all around the west coast, the Women’s Soccer Team is for female students looking to play soccer at a high level.

Contact the club president Haylie Shinsato at hshinsato14@wou.edu

Disc Golf

Brand new this school year, the Disc Golf Club is a way for students to learn about and compete in the sport.

Contact the club president Lucas Castanon at lcastanon15@wou.edu

Martial Arts

No matter what the skill level, the Martial Arts Club grants students the chance to show off their martial art skills with others.

Contact the club president Alex Buschauer at abuschauer14@wou.edu

Running Club

Running with the Running Club gives students the chance to participate in team practices on many different courses and trails as well as the chance to join in on some competitive events.

Contact the club president Sean Martinez at smartinez17@wou.edu

Tennis Club

The Tennis Club gives students the opportunity to hone in their tennis skills against different students in a relaxed or competitive environment.

Contact the club president Jacob Bering at jbering16@wou.edu

Wrestling Club

Meeting several times a week, the Wrestling Club gives students the opportunity to spar with their fellow students to help grow their wrestling skills.

Contact the club president Todd Sjullie at tsjullie17@wou.edu

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Wolves’s Men’s Rugby lose close match against COCC Bobcats

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Clouds covered the sky and rain began to fall as Western Men’s Rugby took the field to battle against the Central Oregon Community College Bobcats. A week prior, Western Rugby took on Oregon State University and pulled off an upset beating them 31-29. Hoping to continue their season in the winning column, the Wolves matched up against the Bobcats.

The first 20 minutes saw offensive domination by the Wolves with the ball only crossing back over midfield once. However, despite the offensive pressure, Western was only able to score one try, missing the conversion.

Shortly after their try the Wolves’ defense fell back on their heels. The Bobcats scored and were able to complete their conversion to take a 7-5 lead with close to 15 minutes left on the clock in the half. After a few defensive stops by Western, the Bobcats once against found themselves on the board with another try. After missing the conversion the Wolves were down 12-5 going into the half.

Western needed to make some adjustments at halftime in order to stall the offensive momentum of the Bobcats.

“We made some substitutions because some guys were a little fatigued,” said senior criminal justice major Chris Davis. “But overall it was more so just getting back to the basics… settling back down and getting back to what we do well: running our offense.”

Shortly after the half Western started to battle back, bringing the score to 10-12. However both defenses were relentless as no points were scored either way for the majority of the second half.

As the clock came down to just a few minutes left, the Wolves pulled ahead 15-12. Unfortunately for Western, this lead was short lived as the Bobcats scored a try and conversion to retake the lead. With just a few minutes on the clock Western was unable to recover the lead, finishing the game 15-19 with the Bobcats on top.

Despite the loss, Western still kept their heads high.

“It was encouraging because this team was the conference champion last year and we matched up pretty well,” said Davis. “I think that going forward for the rest of the season, only a two point loss to a really good team like this can be pretty encouraging”

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Opinion: From the Sports Desk

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The football program has been a part of Western Oregon University since 1923. However, the end might be in sight.

Western belongs to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and competes at the NCAA DII level for football. Along with Western there are four other schools: Central Washington, Simon Fraser, Azusa Pacific and Humboldt State that complete the conference.

As of July 17, Humboldt State announced that the 2018 season will mark the final season for football at their school. Due to this loss in the conference, I believe that the GNAC might be seeing its final days, leading to an eventual death of Western football.

After losing Humboldt State, the GNAC will only have four members. For a comparison, the average NCAA DI conference hosts about 12 teams, meaning the GNAC size is far below average. Due to this, Western is forced to play every team in the conference twice in order to field a full season of games.

With Humboldt State no longer on the schedule, Western will be forced to travel approximately 1,000 miles at the closest to play another opponent. This is due to NCAA DII football being very sparse on the western half of the United States with only five teams west of Colorado. The added travel will lead to student athletes being away from classes for a longer period of time as well as an increased cost — something that Western Oregon, per the fiscal year 2019 working budget, already budgets $85,630 for.

If Western wants to continue to field a football program, the answer might lie in moving up a competition level to NCAA FCS (DI-AA). The FCS level hosts far more teams much closer for Western to travel to. However, in order to join, Western would have to pass a multitude of obstacles, something that the school would need to investigate if they wanted to keep a program.

Regardless of which route Western wants to take in regards to a football program, action needs to be taken. The GNAC is already a tiny conference in comparison to the rest of collegiate football conferences and with the loss of Humboldt State, Western’s options are dwindling. Traveling hundreds of miles for games will only increase the budget making the funding side of the program increasingly more difficult. If the school doesn’t act soon, I believe there will no longer be a team to watch.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Wolves’ scoreboard

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Date Sport Opponent Score

Varsity
10/6 Football @ Texas A&M Kingsville W 13-7
Women’s Soccer vs. Simon Fraser University L 1-3
Volleyball vs. Western Washington University L 0-3
Cross Country Conference Crossover @ Lewis University Men place 9th
10/9 Women’s Soccer vs. Saint Martin’s University W 1-0

Club Sports
10/6 Men’s Soccer vs. Willamette University L 0-7
Lacrosse vs. University of Portland W 7-5
Lacrosse vs. Humboldt State University W 6-2
Lacrosse vs. Montana State University L 3-10
10/7 Men’s Rugby vs. Central Oregon Community College L 15-19
Men’s Soccer @ Central Oregon Community College W 5-2
Lacrosse vs. University of Montana L 2-9

Western Women’s Soccer secedes to Simon Fraser Clan

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Saturday, Oct. 6, the Wolves looked to turn their season around and climb the rankings within the GNAC with their match against the Simon Fraser Clan. After losing two in a row to top ranked opponents in conference play, the Wolves had a lot of work ahead of them. If Western was able to pull off a win against Simon Fraser, they stood a chance to move up in the rankings within the conference. But the Clan had other plans.

It was a tight game for the entire first half. The Clan’s defense got the better of Western’s offense, holding them to only two shots and no points.

Western’s defense didn’t stand as tall as they gave up eight shots. However, due to effective goalkeeping by junior criminal justice major Alex Qualls, the Wolves kept the game scoreless going into the second half.

The second half did not go the way the Wolves had hoped as they gave up two unanswered points to the Clan. Western started to mount a comeback by scoring a goal to bring the game within one. The goal came off the foot of first-year communications major Hannah Cabral with the assist coming from sophomore early education major Alyssa Tomasini. Cabral’s goal marked the first of her collegiate career and the assist was Tomasini’s third of the season.

The Wolves’s comeback came to a screeching halt when the Clan scored their third goal off the foot of a Western defender. This would be the final point of the game as Western’s offense stood no match for the Clan defense. The Wolves finished the game in a 1-3 loss.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

A league of change

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

IMLeagues has taken over the Western Oregon Intramural and Club Sports scene. After becoming a large part of the school in the previous school year, the scheduling and managing website now controls all aspects of Intramural and Club Sports. If students wish to join or play any sports this year, it’s important for them to familiarize themselves with the site.

Intramural and club sports are very popular activities among the student body at Western. With the integration of IMLeagues, participation in these have never been easier.

“You don’t have to go to 12 different places to be able to see if you can join this club, or that club, ‘can I play intramurals?’ It just lays it out for you.” said Andy Main, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Intramural and Club Sports.

“Once you’re in, (for) any club that you’re interested in joining you can see: ‘does it fit with my schedule?’” added junior early education major Brianna Jones, who is also the Club Sports Supervisor. “It’s easy to access and see their practice schedule and their game schedule.”

IMLeagues allows students the ability to plan out their game schedules to make the experience as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Visiting IMLeagues gives the user access to many more features used by both Intramural and Club Sports.

“Once you’re in, it’s a very intuitive program. It lays it all out for you, makes it easy to invite friends. It’s easy to join a team, it’s easy to find your schedule… Once you get the quote unquote difficult part out of the way, which is creating the initial account, it makes participation and organizing your life around intramural activities a lot easier,” added Main. Everything a student athlete might need, no matter what level of competition they are playing at, is laid out on the site. Overall, the experience within the app makes playing Intramural just about the sport and gets rid of the headache around running a team.

Joining IMLeagues is the first and biggest step a student can take to get involved with Campus Recreation. Students can join by visiting IMLeagues.com/wou.

 

Contact the author at llarsen13@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of IMLeagues.com

Defensive domination

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The Wolves’ looked to extend their winning streak to two as they took on the Simon Fraser Clan at McArthur field on Sept. 20 for the first home game with school in session. Coming into this game, Western had been on the losing end for the majority of the season. The Wolves’ had yet to be in the winning column at home having lost the first three games of the year. On the road, the Wolves’s season had taken a turn for the better as they picked up the win against Humboldt State in the week leading into their game against the Clan.

Saturday’s game was over fairly quickly as Western jumped to a 54-6 lead at halftime. Western’s defense was nothing short of exceptional as the Wolves’ forced an astonishing 10 turnovers. Seven of these turnovers were interceptions which is a single game Western football record and tied the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record. Three of the turnovers resulted in touchdowns for Western.

The special teams took some inspiration from the defense as they scored some points of their own. With seven extra points, a field goal, a blocked a punt returned for six points and a blocked extra point returned for two points, the defense and special teams scored the vast majority of points.

This record-breaking effort was met with a dysfunctional Western offense. The offense of Western found the endzone the same number of times as their defense, totaling three touchdowns. However these scores came at a cost as they turned over the ball five times, one of which resulted in a Clan touchdown. While this game will go down as a 54-13 victory for Western, it was anything but for the struggling Western offense.

 

Contact the author at llarsen13@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Home-field advantage

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

In recent seasons, Western softball has been littered with canceled practices and delayed games. While rain delays can be common occurrence in softball, especially in Oregon, these delays weren’t at the hand of the weather but instead the result of unfavorable conditions of the field. Due to these conditions, the playing surface has finally received a much needed renovation.

Over the previous summer, the softball field was transformed from an unplayable mess to a top of the line facility. The new field features a modern drainage system in the grass outfield to help lower the possibility of rain delays. It also has an entirely-turf infield complete with Western logos.

While the new playing surface is a welcomed change, the most exciting change for Western’s new field is simple: it will be able to host home games again.

“Two years ago we didn’t have any home games at all, we had to travel everywhere,” said senior first baseman Jenna Kelly.

“It’s hard to gain fans, too, when we’re not even here to have (home games),” added senior second baseman Raynne Whitaker. Because of the lack of home games for the previous seasons, the players greeted with open arms the ability to host games again.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of this, to be able to experience with my senior class,” noted senior catcher Nicole Miller.

Looking beyond the excitement of the new field and being able to host games again, the gift of the renovations are not forgotten by the team.

“(President Fuller) came and watched one of our home games last season when we had to tarp the field multiple times and we were out here doing fieldwork in between,” explained senior utility Cheyanne Rimer as to why the field was renovated.

“He came and watched that and realized this isn’t really how it’s supposed to be. (We’re) supposed to be here for game day, and not worry about loading bags of dirt onto the field and making sure that the field is playable. So I just wanted to really make sure that he knows that were thankful for him,” Rimer added.

The opening of the new field will allow Western Softball to no longer endure the headache of constant field management paired with the anxiety of not knowing if a game will need to get canceled due to conditions.

 

Contact the author at llarsen13@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Upcoming games: October

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

10/6

Varsity-

Cross Country Lewis University. DII Conference Crossover 10 a.m.

Softball @ College of Siskiyous (eugene) 12 p.m.

Softball @ University of Oregon 2:30 p.m.

Soccer vs. Simon Fraser 1 p.m.

Football @ Texas A&M University Kingsville 7 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Western Washington University 7 p.m.

Club-

Lacrosse Fall Shootout

Men’s Soccer vs. Willamette  1p.m.

 

10/7

Club-

Lacrosse Fall Shootout

Men’s Rugby vs. Central Oregon Community College 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer @ Central Oregon Community College 1p.m.

 

10/9

Varsity-

Soccer vs. Saint Martin’s University 3 p.m.

 

10/11

Varsity-

Volleyball vs. Saint Martin’s University 7 p.m.

 

10/13

Varsity-

Cross Country @ Warner Pacific Cross Country Classic 9 a.m. M 9:30 a.m. W

Softball @ Oregon State University 12 p.m.

Softball @ Oregon State University 2 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Seattle Pacific University 4 p.m.

Soccer @ seattle Pacific University 4 p.m.

Football @ Central Washington University 6 p.m.

Club-

Men’s Soccer Vs. Portland Community College 1 p.m.

Men’s Rugby Vs. Seattle University 4 p.m.

 

10/14

Club-

Lacrosse vs. Rippers 2 p.m.

Men’s Soccer @ Willamette 2 p.m.

 

10/18

Varsity-

Volleyball @ Northwest Nazarene University 7 p.m.

 

10/20

Varsity-

Football v. Humboldt State University 1:05 p.m.

Volleyball @ Central Washington University 3 p.m.

Soccer @ Western Washington University 5 p.m.

Club-

Women’s Soccer vs. University of Oregon 4 p.m.

 

10/22

Club-

Women’s Soccer vs. Central Oregon Community College 11 a.m.

 

10/25

Varsity-

Soccer vs. Central Washington University 3 p.m.

Volleyball vs. University of Alaska Anchorage 7 p.m.

 

10/27

Varsity-

Volleyball vs. University of Alaska Fairbanks 2 p.m.

Soccer @ Saint Martin’s University 2:30 p.m.

Football @ Azusa Pacific University 6 p.m.

Club-

Lacrosse vs. Alumni 1 p.m.

Men’s Rugby @ Oregon Institute of Technology 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer @Portland Community College 8 p.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. Willamette 4 p.m.

Breaking down student sport options

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

With the beginning of the new school year, many students may be looking to join and compete in athletics. There are two major ways for students to get involved athletically with the school: either joining an Intramural or a Club Sport. While both offer several benefits to joining, it’s important to note the differences. To make the choice between the two easier, I’ve broken them down to see which sports may fit the needs of each student.

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports are played by Western students against Western students. Intramurals give students the opportunity to form their own teams comprised of other students to battle it out against friends and foes from all over campus. Fall, winter, and spring terms are packed with full seasons of sports as well as single weekend tournaments. The winners of each championship are awarded a champions shirt.

Intramural sports give students the opportunity to compete athletically, while simultaneously allowing them to meet other students from all around campus that they otherwise might not have known. Intramural sports are very low demand on the schedule as there are no practices and no coaches. There are two types of play, full seasons with a postseason and single weekend tournaments. The leagues offer three combinations of teams: coed, which is comprised of half men and half women, open, which is a varying amount of men and women, and teams comprised of only men or only women.

To sign up and start or join a team visit IMLeagues.com/wou

Club Sports

Club Sports are essentially varsity level sports without the school funding. This means that club sports host weekly practices, have full seasons of games and play against other schools. Many of the club sports also have coaches or a coaching staff. There are two levels of club sports: Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 2 sports don’t normally compete and are more centered toward meeting new people that share the same athletic passions. Tier 1 sports are much more serious. They compete in national leagues and battle with schools all around the country.

Club Sports are a great way to continue playing sports at a high and competitive level. There are some restrictions on club sports such as maintaining a certain GPA or credit amount. These restrictions vary from sport to sport. However, there is no experience needed to join. All club sports are open to all students regardless of their experience level.

To join a club sport team visit IMLeagues.com/wou

 

Contact the author at lllarsen13@wou.edu

 

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