On Oct. 21, Wolves cross country headed to Bellingham, Washington to compete in the GNAC Championships.
The men’s cross country team, currently number 12 in the NCAA DII rankings, took home two trophies —their first team title, as well as a first-place 8,000-meter trophy for senior David Ribich.
The team win is the first GNAC Championship win in Western history — it also beat a seven-year winning streak from University of Alaska Anchorage. The Wolves came close to a win 10 years ago, but ultimately ended up in second place.
Ribich, currently GNAC Athlete of the Year, won the 8,000-meter with a time of 24:54.82, coming in 0:48.83 seconds in front of Edwin Kangogo from University of Alaska Anchorage.
Western junior Dustin Nading placed eighth in the same event with a time of 25:32.76. Wolves Tyler Jones, Parker Marson and Justin Crosswhite came in at 11th, 12th and 13th, rounding out the top 15 spots in the event.
The cumulative scores of the men’s team resulted in the 51-point win for the Wolves.
Senior Kennedy Rufener took the lead for Western’s women’s cross country, placing seventh in the women’s 6,000-meter run. Rufener finished with a time of 22:07.73.
The second Wolf to place was senior Suzanne Van De Grift, who came in 21st with 22:53.51.
The Wolves stay in Monmouth for the next cross country event. The NCAA West Regional meet is slated for Nov. 4 at the Ash Creek Preserve.
Saturday evening, Nov. 4: cool, calm and then collected were the Western women’s rugby team as a few of the members, coaches and players, coalesced into a group to watch the men’s team rally to get a tough home win against Willamette University. Despite the ladies losing earlier that morning to Willamette, spirits were high as both Wolf clubs have recently returned to the field from an offseason with lots to look forward to. But even with the difference in outcome between the two teams, what was seen on the field on Nov. 4 was rather a family affair as the women’s team cheered the boys on. While the men played, plenty was happening on the sidelines.
A confident expression of “no worries” was uttered by senior lock of the women’s team, Maddi Fagnani. Many of her teammates and coaches wore cheerful countenances, as did she. Many of them huddled together two or three at a time to keep warm in the frigid cold with large blankets. And still, there was a battle, a game plan, something to work on and keep in mind for on and off the field. “We need to improve on our defensive structure,” said assistant coach Emily Applegate. “(Willamette) didn’t break through our defensive line, but they beat us on the outside, and we need to improve on our scrums; we need to get a little bit lower.” Perhaps something of a weapon for future foes, however, was the tackling.
“We were really nailing our tackles,” said Fagnani. “We had a lot of light bulbs click, and in rugby, it takes a lot to get the light bulbs to click. For that, I’m proud of my team.” Chalk up a win from their spirits and motivation, but the battle was only half won until the men made due. Close, up until the end, the boys would seal their victory with a final try, with two minutes left in play. “This is a good starting point, and we’re going to build on it and hopefully become better each week,” said sophomore forward Matthew Cornish. Still room for improvement, junior fullback Bernard Barber felt that the spreading needs to improve and that Willamette “capitalized and got out on the outside. But we were able to stop them and rally back.” For what was a fight, battle, tooth and nail and eventual win, so too was a moral victory spread around to everyone that night.
On Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 volleyball action shared many woo’s and woe’s, but the Wolves fell short both games, finishing at 3-0 and 3-2, respectively.
Playing at home on Oct. 31, the 3-0 overall set scores against Concordia was a recurring deficit through half of the first set.
Whenever the game was tightly contested, Concordia would nudge just a little bit ahead in the score. At times the scores would be 5-8, 8-8, 9-12, 14-17, then 17 all. But, inevitably, Concordia had the advantage.
It seemed whenever the Wolves would tie it up, a service error, a faulty set or simply someone making illegal contact with the net would eat at the Wolves’s chances. Indeed, the blocking of Concordia at the net would make all the difference needed to edge out the Wolves in the first set 25-23.
The second set was tight, back and forth action throughout but Western would only see their largest lead of the game at two when they went up 4-2 in the score. With the game as tight as it was at 15-16 in the second set, the Wolves would see their deficit slowly evaporate until Concordia blew the score open onto a 17-25 win.
The Wolves also had their chances at taking advantage in the score when similar mistakes made by the Wolves would make its way onto Concordia’s end. But Wolves failed to realize any positive outcome in the end and would lose the third set in similar fashion to the previous set with a score of 19-25 and a 3-0 loss to Concordia.
November 2’s second match and the first set at Montana State would take a roundabout turn to the similar sets given up to Concordia. Western would lose the first set, but was more valiant in its efforts.
Western showed promise in the heart of their senior outside hitter, Alisha Bettinson, when she surpassed a school record of 1,065 kills — set by former Wolf Danielle Reese — in the second set to tie the knot in the match at 1-1. Bettinson would end the night with 18 kills, and for her volleyball career thus far: a DII school record of 1,075 kills.
Montana State would win the third set by a hair at 25-23. Western then battled back to even up the match at 2-2.
In the final set, MSU would prevail in the clinch winning 16-14 to a match total of 3-2, surrendering the Wolves winless through three days.
Next up, on Nov. 9, the Wolves schedule a trip to Alaska where they will face the University of Alaska Anchorage. Toss-up is set for 7 p.m.
Western got off to a strong start against the Azusa Pacific Cougars, scoring on two early drives of the game for a 13-7 lead. The Cougars would eventually get back on track en route to a 41-16 win. The first scoring drive was quick, with the Wolves going 79 yards in 48 seconds. Sophomore running back Devon Fortier scored on an eight-yard run. Azusa answered back right away, going 72 yards in just under two minutes with redshirt freshman quarterback Tyrone Williams Jr. finding sophomore wideout Darrell Adams Jr. for a 58-yard touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, the Wolves struck again, with senior quarterback Nick Duckworth connecting with senior receiver Paul Revis for a two-yard touchdown pass, completing a drive that lasted seven and a half minutes. The Wolves were outscored 21-0 in the second quarter, making the total tally at halftime 28-13, and Azusa never looked back. The only score in the third quarter came on a 27-yard field goal by Wolf junior Adrian Saldana. The Wolves headed into the fourth quarter down 28-16.
Azusa struck quickly in the fourth, scoring on their first two drives and putting the game out of reach. Junior tailback Kurt Scoby would score both touchdowns, the first on a 19-yard run and the second on a one-yard run. Duckworth finished with 243 yards on 20-47 passing with one touchdown, while Fortier had 105 yards on 18 rushing attempts.
Western looks to bounce back on Nov. 11 against Simon Fraser on senior night.
“I’ve never seen that much rain in my life,” said Wolves quarterback Nick Duckworth, of experiencing the complete weather difference between here and Arizona, his native home state. Duckworth transferred to Western from Phoenix Community College.
He grew up in Scottsdale, but is now prepared for the new forecast of this here Oregon weather. He’s also prepared to fulfill the position of a starting quarterback for the Wolves football team as he is about to finish his two-year career at Western.
While he prepares for the final stretch, he’s also working on finishing up his degree in economics, with a business minor.
Athletes, too, have a lot to prepare for during a transfer transition. Usually, junior college transfers make that transition between their sophomore year and the start of their junior year at the university they’re transferring to. Duckworth is one of those transfers. He’s also understood, very well, the differences between the two institutions of community college and universities.
“It’s a challenge at first,” said Duckworth. “With the four-year school, there’s more of a social aspect with it.”
Perhaps what makes him more ready and at ease with the transition is based on the fact that he’s not alone, and that that social aspect is present here at Western.
This is the case especially when it comes to his teammates.
“I was worried about getting acclimated with all the guys, but that was the easiest part… and I think we’ve had a lot of junior college transfers as well, so it helps that we’ve been through a lot of the same stuff,” he said.
In fact, according to the Western’s website, 10 players from the Wolves football roster, including Duckworth, are transfers from junior colleges. That shared bond with teammates is something he’ll take with him long after he’s graduated from college.
When asked about what he would carry with him from the experience of playing at Western, Duckworth answered, “definitely the relationship with my teammates. The relationship with those guys, I feel like I’ll have a lot of lifelong relationships with, even though I’ve been here in such a short time.”
In the short amount of time he’s had on the field, he’s amassed 3,121 in passing yardage, and has nearly doubled his touchdown number, from 9 to 16, compared to last year.
Of course, last year he didn’t start a single game and only played six games total. The fact remains that he became ready when his number was called upon.
“Last year,” speaking on his first touchdown on Western soil. “Winter was not fun.”
And the recurring theme here is that he may just be warming up.
Duckworth had said that he would like to continue the profession of football, and wants to turn it into coaching at some point after college.
Speaking on the change from year one to year two, he said it has been quite a shift; “I’ve put on a lot more warmer clothes. I definitely can get used to it. The first year was very tough, but I think I’m more prepared now.”
Duckworth will have another chance to ready himself on senior day, when he and the Wolves look to sweep the season series against Simon Fraser on Nov. 11 — and where they will look to end a tumultuous season on a high note. But he’ll have more chances, during life after Western.
“I love the summers up here,” he said.
And perhaps, after next summer, a shot at the green — the golf course, of course, not the gridiron.
If there was another sport he was as equally as passionate about as football, it’s golf.
“I play golf a lot—that gets my competitive juices flowing,” Duckworth said. “I actually worked at a golf course last summer.”
And his favorite club: “Definitely the driver.”
Taking this into consideration, in the way he uses his club on the course, or his arm on the field, there’s a drive in him towards accomplishing a goal.
On Nov. 4, the Wolves go head-to-head in the homecoming game against Azusa Pacific. Azusa is currently ranked third in the GNAC with a conference score record of 3-3. The Wolves are ranked fourth, following right behind them at 1-5.
Though Western’s history with the Cougars isn’t long, it is torrid. The teams first played each other in 1999, with the Wolves missing the win by a mere four points. The next year, Western creamed Azusa to the sound of 44-14. That was the last time the teams would face each other until 2009, when Western won the battle yet again.
Looking at more recent history, Western has lost the past three games against Azusa and has lost at home for the past two seasons.
When the Wolves played the Cougars on Sept. 30, they lost 17-48.
To find out if the Cougars will pounce on the Wolves yet again, or if the Wolves will thrive at home, go to the homecoming game on Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. or read our coverage in issue 6, printing on Nov. 8.
Just before the Wolves football team were able to gain traction on Oct. 21, the Humboldt State University Lumberjacks were swift to put the first points up. Just before the Wolves were given the opportunity to have their prey in the crosshairs, the ‘Jacks were there to elude their momentum. And before the Wolves were able to see a positive outcome in the game result, there were the ‘Jacks chopping down at the adversarial Wolves to a 42-32 victory.
The away action in Arcata, California displayed a balance between such big and even short chops by both teams.
Less than four minutes into the game, two big offensive plays for touchdowns by the ‘Jacks would deal the Wolves the first blow, putting them at 14-0.
GNAC rushing leader in all-purpose yards, and ‘Jacks senior tailback, Ja’Quan Gardner would be the recipient of one of those touchdowns.k
But a big play made by the Wolves would swing things their way.
A fumble by HSU quarterback Robert Webber, recovered by Wolves redshirt freshman lineman Tayvis Passos, shifted such position. The Wolves’s hunt to get back into the game meant capitalizing on the turnover after a field goal was made.
Later in the second quarter, a 90-yard punt return for touchdown by senior wideout Paul Revis amounted to 17 unanswered points and a Wolves lead of 17-14.
The game took another swing after the ‘Jacks scored 25 unanswered for a big gap at 35-17.
The Wolves fought back valiantly, chipping away at the lead until midway in the fourth quarter where they would cut the deficit to 10 after a goal line-passing touchdown from Wolves senior quarterback Phillip Fenumiai to senior receiver Zack Suarez.
The ‘Jacks would prevail in the end, however, with a final score of 42-32.
The rematch proved exciting, with GNAC leaders on both ends providing contributions for their teams.
Gardner made his runs throughout the game, netting a total of 215 yards on 35 carries. While leading receiver in receptions, Revis would be a key factor catching six for a total of 89 yards including the highlight punt return.
Fenumiai got his start while the starting quarterback, senior Nick Duckworth, did not play due to injury.
Next on tap for the Wolves is opponent Tarleton State where they will look to end a two game slide. The away game will be played on Oct. 28th in Stephenville, Texas. Kick-off is set for 4 p.m.
Western got trampled in their second home game of the season. On Oct. 14, the Central Washington University Wildcats, currently undefeated in the GNAC and No. 10-ranked in the division, headed to McArthur Stadium to face off against the Wolves. The game ended 42-0.
It was a red-out event as the Wolves continued to try and play off of the momentum from last week’s game where they beat Simon Fraser 82-21. However, the Wildcat’s strong offensive line got the best of the Wolves.
Western racked up a mere 261 offensive yards, with Central Washington running 474 yards.
Sophomore linebacker Andrew Weber led Wolves defense with 11 tackles throughout the game, and senior wide receiver Paul Revis led with 96 receiving yards from a total of 8 passes.
The score was 28-0 at the half — 21 of the points were scored by passes from junior Wildcat quarterback Reilly Hennessey. Hennessey was the GNAC Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 8. The remaining 7 points were the result of an interception by Wildcat senior defensive lineman Bo Banner in the beginning of the second quarter.
The third quarter led to an additional two touchdowns on the part of Central Washington, leading to the final score of 42-0. No points were scored in the last quarter.
This loss places Western football at 1-4 in the GNAC, and 2-5 overall. On Oct. 21 the Wolves head to Arcata, California to face off against their longtime rivals, the Humboldt University Lumberjacks. The game is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. The Wolves lost to the Lumberjacks 48-49 when they played them at home in September.
Western’s volleyball team experienced a double loss at home against the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks and the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
The Nanooks travelled to Western’s campus for a game on Oct. 12. Though it looked promising after the first set, the Wolves played — and lost — a tight game. The final score was 3-1 in favor of Alaska Fairbanks.
Junior Mariella Vandenkooy scored 22 kills and three blocks for the Wolves, topping the Western leaderboard.
The first set leaned in heavy favor of the Wolves. Though Nanook sophomore Kim Wong got her team on the board with the first kill of the game, the Wolves followed with three kills and two attack errors — gaining five consecutive points. A kill by Nanook Maddie Davis interrupted the streak of points, which resumed with five more after Davis’s kill. The rest of the first set was a back and forth between the two teams, finally ending with a score of 25-14.
The middle two sets were both rounded out at 28-26, with the Nanooks taking the lead on both. While the Wolves completed their first set win with a series of consecutive kills, the Nanooks pieced their wins together.
The last set began with four consecutive points for the Nanooks. Their scoring took a brief break, allowing for Western to put themselves on the board with two points, and then resumed with a consecutive streak of five more. The rest of the set mimicked the first, resulting in a final score of 19-25, cementing the Wolves’s loss.
Western played Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 14. The team saw a similar fate as the match they played against Alaska Fairbanks three days prior — a 1-3 loss.
Vandenkooy led the board once again with a combined 18 kills throughout the course of the game.
The first set started out with four consecutive points on the part of the Wolves. What started out strong in the beginning of the set remained so, eventually resulting in a 20-8 advantage for the Wolves. After a timeout for the Seawolves, the Alaska team came back to score four consecutive points. The final score before the second set read 25-19.
The Seawolves kicked it up for the second set, putting themselves on the board with six points. As the set progressed, the Wolves consistently positioned themselves just behind Anchorage. The set ended at 25-23 in favor of the Seawolves.
Alaska Anchorage won the remaining two sets, boasting final scores of 25-17 and 25-21, respectively.
The Wolves go on the road next week, travelling to play Central Washington on Oct. 19 and Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 21.
The men’s soccer game on Oct. 13, ended with Western Oregon University getting their first win of the year, 2-1, over Portland State University. The first half was a defensive battle, and both teams went into halftime with zeroes on the scoreboard.
Western has been working on defending more as a unit, according to head coach Mark Jorgenson.
“We’ve been working on our shape, and just defending as a unit rather than individually and there weren’t, maybe a couple dodgy moments, but much better than last week. We didn’t really have too much panic tonight, which was nice to see,” said Jorgenson.
The game got off to a late start after only a few of the PSU players showed up before 6 p.m. and most of them arriving shortly after six. This caused a 15 minute delay in start time.
The scoring opened up 15 minutes into the second half with number Tatsuya Kobafor Western scoring off a deep pass from first-year left back Brent Walsh. In the 27th minute, Portland State tied the game up off a mistake by Western’s defense. The Wolves kicked the ball into an open middle field and the goalie had to run up to try and get the ball, which left the goal wide open for Portland State to score. This was the only major mistake the defense made.
However, this was the best game for the defense this year.
“We really worked well as a team. It’s a lot less stressful when we’re compact and moving as a unit instead of leaving a bunch of windows and open gaps,” said Walsh.
Western took the lead for good with 12 minutes left after striker Brandon Cortez managed to put a goal in past the goalie.
“It feels awesome to finally get a win, finally get a goal, been struggling with that all year and I feel like our team is finally coming together,” said Cortez.
Western Oregon travels to Corvallis on Oct. 21 to take on the Oregon State Beavers, and try and get a winning streak going.
On Oct. 14, the Thorns were victorious in their hunt for a second National Women’s Soccer League Championship win, with a 1-0 result over the North Carolina Courage.
In a very physical game where defense was crucial, the Thorns were up to the task. Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and the center back pair Emily Menges and Emily Sonnett were threatened at several points during the match, but were able to come away with yet another clean sheet. They came into the match with a league leading 11 shutouts during the regular season.
The match proved to be catharsis for the Thorns, as they had lost in a critical semifinal match in 2016 to the Western New York Flash — now called the North Carolina Courage. When the final whistle blew, the team came streaking across the field to celebrate and Franch ran over to the traveling Rose City Riveters supporters to wave the Thorns crest.
While the women celebrated their victory, the men continued their fight for a second championship trophy, as well.
The Timbers romped to a 4-0 win over D.C. United on Oct. 15. Midfielder Diego Valeri, a strong contender for league MVP, notched another goal, this time from the penalty spot just before halftime.
Just five minutes after the play had resumed from halftime, defender Alvas Powell calmly dribbled up the corner of the 18-yard box and hit a long, sweeping ball that landed in the back of the net for the second goal of the game.
The Timbers continued to dominate the game, as midfielder Sebastian Blanco rounded out the score with two goals in the second half.
While the Timbers’s win guarantees their spot in the playoffs for the MLS cup, they will face a massively important last game this weekend at Providence Park. They will play the Western Conference leaders and Cascadian rivals, the Vancouver Whitecaps.
If the Timbers are able to pull off a win against the tough ‘Caps on Oct. 22, they will sit on top of the Western Conference standings, giving them a first round bye in the playoffs. It will also crown the Timbers with the Cascadia Cup for the first time since 2012.
David Ribich has had a good year. So good, in fact, that he was promoted from his position as a tent assistant at Steens Mountain Running Camp.
“I would be allowed to be a tent assistant last year but the camp founder said ‘you are on the verge of a professional career. We’re going to pull you out of the tent, you’re now a tent coach,’” explained Ribich. “Now, I’m up at camp as an agent for the kids to talk to.”
The camp’s founder wasn’t exaggerating Ribich’s accolades. In the past year, the track and cross country star has been named the 2016-17 GNAC Male Athlete of the Year, won the 1500-meter title at the 2017 NCAA Division II Championships and travelled to Sacramento, California to compete in the U.S.A. Track and Field Outdoor National Championships.
The latter is an honor few collegiate athletes receive. Described by Ribich as “the Olympic trials in an off-year,” the experience was one to behold.
“I raced against pro and top division athletes,” said Ribich. “I beat a lot of professional athletes signed by companies with contracts. So, this last summer really opened the door for me next year as a professional athlete.”
Ribich went into the event as the 33rd man in the nation and ultimately placed ninth in the final. Solid stats for someone who started running for a no-frills team on a dirt track in Enterprise, Oregon.
“I didn’t come from the stellar program,” said Ribich. “I just had a good coach, a dedicated coach.”
His coach, Dan Moody, is still working after 42 years, and is currently in possession of the track star’s 1500-meter NCAA trophy — he put it on his mantle.
Ribich’s coach isn’t the only one from Enterprise rooting for him; Ribich gets letters and messages of support from citizens throughout the 2,000-person town. The letters are placed near his door in his room, serving as a constant reminder of both how he got to where he is, and what keeps him going.
“I came from such a small town that I constantly get messages and letters from people. I have them pinned up on my wall in my room right by my door, so everytime I open a door I look at a letter and read it, and that’s why I’m doing it … I’m doing this, and I’m doing it for them. Keeping me motivated is everyone counting on me back home that said ‘you’re going to be a professional athlete some day’ and putting that pressure on me, but it’s like a challenge to me. Having them support me still when I haven’t been home much is incredible.”
For Ribich, the decision to start running was made out of practicality. There were only two sports offered for men in Enterprise: football and cross country.
“I was just that super tiny skinny kid that had a big mouth,” he said. “(Cross country was) what I pretty much was only able to do and because, in cross country, it’s pretty much the only sport a 4-foot-10-inch freshman could beat a 6-foot, fully-matured man.”
Like every graduating senior on campus, Ribich’s future is on the horizon. With a major in communications and a minor in sports leadership and development, he’s paving the way for himself to continue on the path that he’s been running.
First up on his life plan: finishing out his athletic career, regardless of how long it may be. Then, the field is wide open.
“My major and minor are so broad that I know for a fact I want to be in the running community or running field,” said Ribich. “I just don’t know if it’s collegiate coaching, pro-coaching … I really enjoy public speaking. I’m actually writing a journal.”
The journal is a recent project of his — the first entry was written the night before the U.S.A. Track and Field prelims. Ribich is writing the currently untitled journal with the hope of using it in the future as a way of encouraging high school runners.
“I just want to focus on my athletic and running career and … try to travel to high schools, public speak and just say like, ‘guys, you can do whatever you set your mind to. I was an 86-pound freshman from a small school, I went to a division two school, and now — hopefully — I’m a professional athlete.’”
In the immediate future, he still has to finish out the school year. He’ll be running the Wes Cook Collegiate meet on Oct. 14, followed by the GNAC Championships on Oct. 21.
Regardless of the path that Ribich chooses, it’s bound to be great.
“You don’t do college athletics because your friends are doing it, you do it because it’s something you find fun and it’s your passion.”
After a two-week dry spell, Wolves’ football got back into the action with an 82-21 road win against Simon Fraser University.
On Oct. 7, the team travelled north to Burnaby, B.C. to face off against Simon Fraser and along the way ended up setting a new school record for the Wolves and tying an old one.
The team racked up a record-breaking 82-points — the highest amount to scored since a 2012 game between the Wolves and Dixie State, which set the record at 66-points.
Senior quarterback Nick Duckworth’s six touchdown passes led him to tie the record for most touchdown passes, previously set in 2013.
The team gained 604 offensive yards for the day, against Simon Fraser’s 248-yards.
“It all started with our week of practice. We focused on pushing the ball down the field in practice which resulted in big plays throughout the game,” said Duckworth.
Throughout the game, Western consistently sat above Simon Fraser on the scoreboard.
The Wolves started out strong in the first quarter, with senior Paul Revis scoring a 59-yard, eight-play touchdown. Simon Fraser scored one touchdown in the first quarter, opening up the field to the Wolves. At the end of the first quarter, the board read 24-7.
A similar scoring pattern continued throughout the game, with the Wolves scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter and Simon Fraser inching behind them with their second touchdown of the game.
The score was a promising 44-14 going into the third, and continued to look-up from there.
“Early in the third quarter I threw a touchdown to Paul Revis, and after that I knew our defense would be able to hold on from then on,” said Duckworth.
The Wolves finished out the game with an additional four touchdowns and a field goal.
This game continues Western’s winning streak against Simon Fraser — a streak that began in 2010.
The Wolves are back home on Oct. 14 to go against currently undefeated Central Washington University. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
Wolves’ volleyball headed to Portland on Oct. 3 to face off against Concordia University. After a series of tight sets, the final score read 0-3, with the Wolves’ giving up the win.
Junior Mariella Vandenkooy scored the most kills for Western, tallying up 19.
Throughout the first set, Concordia held a consistent lead above Western. The Wolves finally began to redeem themselves with a series of kills and attack errors, but not before Concordia beat them to the 25. The final score read 21-25.
The team kicked it into gear for the second set, leading the way for the majority of the remaining time. Their steady lead was halted with repeated kills from Concordia sophomore Jessica Wheeler and Concordia senior Colby Barnette. The repeated attack led the Wolves to a close second set at 24-26.
The third set was a slow-build in favor of Concordia; kills and errors were the name of the game. The final score was 17-25, rounding out a loss for the Wolves.
The team headed back home to play the Montana State Billings on Oct. 7.
After losing to Concordia, the Wolves made a comeback with a 3-0 win against the Billings.
Vandenkooy was the kill leader in this game, as well, racking up 20.
Vandenkooy started the Wolves off with a kill at the top of the game. This put the Wolves on a path of steady points ahead of the Billings. The end of the first ended with a gutting 25-9 in favor of Western.
The Billings made the first kill of the second set, but Western came back with eight consecutive points. The rest of the set played out in a similar way; Montana State getting a kill in, followed by Western coming in and scoring multiple consecutive points.
The third set mimicked the one before it, with both the second and third sets ending 25-18.
This win makes Western 2-6 in GNAC. Their only other win of the season so far was against Saint Martin’s in September.
The Wolves face two Alaska teams at home this week; University of Alaska on Oct. 12 and University of Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 14.
It’s difficult to go to college without being aware of the myriad of different NCAA sports teams on campus. For students who aren’t inclined to go the NCAA route, Western is also home to intramural programs and club sports, both of which are open to students across campus.
Both IM and club sports are a way for members of the Western community to participate in recreational sports at varying levels of intensity.
Club Sports are run by students and go through the university’s campus recreation department. Some of the clubs offered include rugby, wrestling and rock climbing. Club Sports are a way for students to participate in structured games and practices, as well as travel and compete with other college students throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“Playing club sports here has opened so many doors that I never even thought it would,” said Lake Larsen, senior Lacrosse player and Club Sports Supervisor. “On the field I’ve been able to travel all over the west coast ranging from Las Vegas and San Francisco to Seattle and Boise.”
In addition to being part of a team, participating in club sports can also come with various responsibilities. Larsen, who was elected president of the Lacrosse team, can attest to this; “The biggest impact of club sports has come from my time off the field and behind the scenes … with this title I learned how to manage an annual budget of approximately $50K, hired a new coaching staff and have developed great relationships with people around the school.”
IM programs are less structured; they’re less likely to have a coach, and take on a more freeform nature. Unlike club sports, they are also open to Western faculty and staff.
“IM teams are usually a group of friends comprised of WOU students competing to have fun and try to win an Intramural championship T-Shirt,” said Andy Main, the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Intramural and Club Sports.
Some of the intramural sports programs, such as Flag Football and Basketball, cost students a registration fee of $50. The money paid by students goes back into the program to help pay for court and field maintenance, as well as to pay student workers.
“The largest portion of the Intramural budget goes to pay for Intramural student-employees,” said Main. “The intramural program requires about 30 student-employees to ensure that all competitions are officiated by referees and/or monitored by Intramural supervisors.”
What isn’t covered by the intramural fee is provided to the program by the Incidental Fee Committee.
Those interested in finding out more about IM programs or club sports, can do so by heading to wou.edu/campusrec or by looking up @wou_imsports and @wouclubsports on Instagram.
Students who are more interested in watching the sports than playing them, can view the schedules for both Intramural and club sports at IMLeagues.com/wou.
On Sept. 30, the Wolves travelled to Glendora, California and surrendered yet another win to Azusa Pacific University. The final score was 48-17 in favor of Azusa. This is their first time heading against Azusa this season, but their third consecutive loss against the team.
The Wolves’ only lead during the game was 7-3 in the first quarter. Wolves’ junior tight end Caleb Tingstad scored the first touchdown of the game, completing a 72-yard, five-play run. By the end of the first, junior kicker Jacob Hill had put three points on the board for APU with a 38-yard field goal.
Azusa gained control of the second quarter, scoring two touchdowns. The Wolves were determined to stay close behind their competitors, and gained a 49-yard field goal from junior kicker Adrian Saldana. The second quarter closed out at 10-17.
The game tied 17-17 early on in the third quarter when senior quarterback Phillip Fenumiai scored Western’s second and last touchdown of the day. The tie was broken by APU junior running back Kurt Scoby before the end of the third.
The score at the top of the fourth read 17-24, and continued to weigh in favor of Azusa Pacific. The remainder of the game was rounded out with three more touchdowns and one field goal on behalf of APU.
This loss places Western Oregon at the bottom of the GNAC leaderboard, just above Simon Fraser University. The Wolves will be heading to Burnaby, B.C. on Oct. 7 to face Simon Fraser; kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
On Sept. 26 and 30, Wolves’ soccer played their last two home games before heading out on the road for three weeks.
Concordia, Western’s opponent on Sept. 26, came into the game with a 355-minute shut out. They left with that record extended by 90 minutes.
Though sophomore goalkeeper Caitlin Kastelic made five saves throughout the game, she was unable to stop three of Concordia’s shots over the course of the 90-minute game. The Wolves fell against Concordia, 0-3.
The Wolves started out strong on Sept. 30 in their match against Seattle Pacific; junior forward Amber Whitmore scored the first point of the game in minute 22, with an assist from first-year midfielder Alexie Morris. They held a 1-0 lead going into the second half.
It looked as though the Wolves would taste victory and end their 20-day drought, until the Falcons’ Kasey Reeve scored in the 83rd minute of the game. After seven more minutes of back and forth with no goals made, the game launched into overtime. However, there was no resolution in the additional 10-minutes of game play provided, forcing the game into double-overtime.
After 102 minutes of play, the game was decided by a goal for Seattle Pacific, making the final score of 1-2 in favor of the Falcons.
Post-match on Sept. 30, the Wolves have a conference record of 0-4-1.
The Wolves return to Western’s soccer field on Oct. 21 to face Saint Martin’s University.
Wolves volleyball garnered a dual loss while on the road.
On Sept. 28, the Wolves headed to Burnaby, B.C. to face-off against Simon Fraser University. The game was a series of close scores and inevitable misses. Junior Alisha Bettinson scored the first kill of the game, putting the Wolves on the board. The first set was close, but had the Wolves leading by a marginal 25-22.
The Wolves lost momentum as the sets progressed, surrendering the win to Simon Fraser. The remaining three sets totaled 22-25, 17-25 and 16-25, respectively.
Bettinson was the star attacker of the game against Simon Fraser, racking up 19 kills.
On Sept. 30, the Wolves continued their tour to Bellingham, Washington to face off against No. 10-ranked Western Washington University. The game ended in a 0-3 loss for the Wolves.
From the beginning of the first set, Washington held the lead against the Wolves. This culminated in a 25-11 lead for Washington at the end of the first. The two remaining sets saw similar fates, with the Wolves coming in short at 17-25 and 14-25.
Against Washington, the team saw a season-low hitting percentage of 0.032.
Wolves volleyball is currently ranked last in GNAC. The team has a chance to redeem themselves at home on Oct. 7, where they will face the Montana State Billings. The Wolves beat the Billings 3-1 in their 2016 game.
The women’s soccer team holds a record of 0-2-1 in the conference, after a tied game on their home turf against Montana State Billings with a score of 1-1. Results of the Sept. 26 match against Concordia were not available as of press time.
Wolves soccer will return to Western Oregon’s soccer field on Sept. 30 to face Seattle Pacific.
Cross Country
The men’s cross country team has taken every spot on the podium over the course of their first three meets for the season — first, then third, then second. The team is being led primarily by senior, national record holder in the distance medley relay and last year’s GNAC Male Athlete of the Year David Ribich.
The women’s team has had more trouble finding their footing this season, having taken fourth, ninth and then fifth as a team in their first three meets.
The next time students can catch the Wolves cross country teams competing in Monmouth will be on Nov. 4 for the NCAA Division II West regional meet — the last meet before nationals, hosted in Indiana this year. However, the next meet is only a short drive away, in Salem at Bush Park for the Charles Bowles Invite.
Football
Western’s football team has had two near-victories in conference thus far, losing their first game by a single touchdown and their most recent game by a single point in overtime. See our coverage by Zoe Strickland. Overall, the team’s current record is 1-3.
Students will have their next chance to support the Wolves at home on Oct. 14, when they’ll be facing the Wildcats from Central Washington University.
Volleyball
Wolves Volleyball team, led this year by new coach Tommy Gott, is very young this year, with only six upperclassmen on the roster. They currently hold a record of 1-3 in conference play, with a 5-6 record overall. They fell to Central Washington University on Sept. 23 after falling short of points in all three sets: 17-25, 21-25, 22-25.
Senior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson led the team in game stats for the Spet. 23 game, with 16 kills on 42 swings. Junior and outside hitter Mariella Vandenkooy followed in second position for game stats, with 6 kills.
Western fans will be able to cheer for the Wolves at home next when the team faces Montana State Billings on Oct. 7 in the New PE building.
GNAC Student Athletes of the Week
Each week, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference recognizes athletes who have excelled in their sport. Over the first four weeks of selection, seven Wolves have received this award.
Aug. 28 – Defensive Volleyball Player: Mackenzie Bowen, junior
The Wolves spent Oct. 23 in a deadlock against the No. 22-ranked Humboldt State University Lumberjacks — eventually succumbing to a 48-49 loss in overtime. This was the first home game of the season for Western.
Ultimately, the Wolves would get 517 offensive yards for the day. The players to watch included senior Paul Revis, who accumulated a whopping 176-yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore Torreahno Sweet, whose 111-yards gained the Wolves three touchdowns throughout the course of the game.
HSU obtained the majority of their points by taking advantage of long plays and holes in Western’s defensive line. Western’s path to points involved more plays and ultimately more time in possession of the ball.
Fans saw a continuous back-and-forth between the two teams, with the Lumberjacks leading 7-14 after the first quarter. The second quarter saw three touchdowns at the hands of senior Kenny Portara, Revis and Sweet, raising the score to 28-14 at the half.
Though the third quarter began to even out the score, the Wolves held the lead with 35-28. What began to look promising in the third quarter ultimately came to a halt in the fourth.
A 42-42 tie at the end of the fourth led the game into overtime. The overtime caused both teams to kick it into gear; the Lumberjack’s Ja’Quan Gardner and Wolves’ Sweet both scored touchdowns at the top. Lumberjack Jose Morales completed the kick, bringing HSU to a combined 49 points.
The roughest moment of the day came when Wolves junior Adrian Saldana missed the kick that would’ve once again tied the game 49-49. Instead, the Wolves surrendered the win to the Lumberjacks. This was the third consecutive home loss for the Wolves against HSU. They face the team again on the road in October.
The loss results in the Wolves falling 1-3 overall. On Sep. 30 the Wolves head to Glendora, CA to head off against Azusa Pacific. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
