Mount Hood

Women’s basketball bounce back from home opener, brings home first win of the season

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Women’s basketball started their season with a tough loss, but prepared for their next home game against California State University, East Bay on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m.

One year ago exactly, the Wolves matched up to the Wildcats, bringing home a loss.

This year, Western Oregon came back ready to win with a lot of depth within their team.

Testing the waters throughout the first quarter, a back-and-forth battle ensued with no scoring. But minutes later, the Wolves bagged their first points and jumped themselves ahead.

Western Oregon continued to push the ball forward, and took every opportunity, earning them a lead against East Bay.

East Bay started to come back and score, but not enough to catch up.

For the majority of the first half, the Wolves finished most of their chances —  East Bay, on the other hand, missed multiple opportunities, which caused many fouls against Western, and gave them even more points.

The Wolves’ guards, including sophomore Tresai McCarver, sophomore Rachel Rogers, junior Olivia Denton and junior Keyonna Jones, showed great ball skills and movement to stay open and finish plays.

Continuous subbing from both teams gave fresh legs to the court, keeping the speed of play fast and intense.

The first half concluded 37-21, the Wolves ahead by 16 points.

Coming into the second half, the Wolves brought more finesse and more points, staying up and not letting their guard down. Points continued to stay in their favor, leading to their first win and first win at home.

The game concluded with Wolves winning 65-49, keeping their 16-point lead from the first half. McCarver and Jones finished with 17 points each, making up almost half the score.

The Wolves’ next home game is Friday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. versus Texas A&M International University.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Max Carmona

Wolves chomped down on the Bearcats in their last home game

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

The night left the morning grass tickled with water, making for a slick game, the skies filled with gray — it was a perfect day for some soccer. The Western Oregon Women’s soccer team hosted Central Washington on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. for their final home game before leaving for GNAC Championships.

The first half consisted of a tough battle, both opponents doing whatever they could to keep the ball out of their half. Three minutes before the half concluded — Alyssa Tomasini, a junior forward, scored her second goal — a goal that defeated all odds, driving it in from a corner kick, Wolves ahead 2-1. 

Leading by only one, the Wolves’ defense began to play frantic and only kicked the ball forward creating multiple 50/50 chances, rather than playing the ball from side to side to maintain possession. The Wolves’ offense stayed knit and kept up the pressure to make for more shots on goal, testing the Wildcats goalkeeper.

The second half started with Western and Central giving the crowd more of a kickball game with the ball switching from end to end, no passes to feet or connection among either team. Many opportunities were generated, but no finishes. 

At 28 minutes, Central made consecutive substitutions to give their team fresh legs against the worn Wolves; this had no impact.

A few minutes later, the Wolves switched the ball to Isabelle Creighton, a senior forward, who then beat the Wildcats’ defenders to cross the ball into Kennedy Clay, a junior forward, who headed the ball into the back of the net — Wolves ahead 3-1. 

Central kept up their attack even though Western had all the momentum. Many chances were built up from the Wildcats’ defense, but their offense couldn’t find a finish. The Wolves’ defense held strong and stopped numerous attacks, creating a harder wall for the Wildcats to break through.

The countdown began: five, four, three, two, one — Western Oregon Wolves finished their final conference game with a 3-1 win in the bag.

The Wolves leave for Seattle to finish off their season in the GNAC Championship tournament on Nov. 14 to play Seattle Pacific University — a team they played twice during conference. The Wolves are returning to the tournament after a six year gap.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Hannah Greene

Knapp out of sight, cruisin’ into the NCAA Cross Country Championships

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Western Oregon University held the NCAA Division II West Regional at Ash Creek — both the men and the women competed for the Wolves racing to get top positions overall.

The final results of the race were not as expected with Grace Knapp, a senior in her last cross country season, taking the sixth overall spot out of 187 other racers — only eight seconds away from placing second. The men on the other hand didn’t have a single finisher in the top 10, and their first racer, Andy Muha, a transfer junior, came in 45th place overall — just four seconds away from finishing in the top 40.

The women’s team placed 17th overall while the men placed 13th overall, out of 27 teams.

Knapp has officially qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 23. 

This was the final race for both the cross country teams, but the training doesn’t end there; with indoor track season on the horizon, the cross country team will hang up their running shoes and flex their spikes.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Left with an empty stomach, Men’s Rugby lose championship match to the Owls

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Western Oregon hosted Oregon Institute of Technology for the Championship match on the turf Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. The second time this season the Wolves faced the Owls — previously on Oct. 26, beating them 17-10.

With nerves and excitement, the Wolves showed up early to jump start their day. The eagerness to begin the game was present, the focus and seriousness of what was ahead was highlighted in all the eyes of the Wolves. 

The first half started and within five minutes, the Owls scored their first try — a wakeup call for the Wolves, setting the tempo for the final game. 

There was no return from Western as the Owls grabbed their second try of the split, the score 12-0. The Wolves gathered to talk and relight their fires, keeping each others’ heads up and in the game.

A gruesome battle of tackles, runs and hard hits led to the Wolves’ first try, completed by Keegan Echevarria, a first-year and past “Man of the Match” — finally adding some points to the scoreboard. The extra two points were kicked by Braedon Eltagonde, a sophomore returner, to make the score 7-12. The Owls were ahead, but the Wolves’ hunger was growing.

Before the first half concluded, time was added, and the Wolves punted the ball only to have it blocked by the Owls, who then snagged the ball and carried it downfield to the endzone, but not before Gabriel Wai, a junior returner, was able to tackle a few of the Owls’ players.

That ended the first half, with the scoreboard reading 19-7, Owls.

The second half started out as more of a scrap than a rugby match, with the ball going either direction down field and the players all wanting a piece of their opponents. 

Many hard tackles made by the Wolves created an unbreakable wall against the Owls. Wylie Cossitt, a sophomore returner, gained yards, but not enough to complete a try.

Ten minutes in with no scoring and multiple effective Wolves out of the game including Wai, Riley Bardes, a senior returner and Andrew Reyes, a junior returner — this that demanded players step up and bring their A-game.

Hakam Nagra, a sophomore returner, got handed the ball; he stiff-armed an Owl and gained yards for the Wolves, but still no completed try.

With eight minutes left in the final half, a chill fell across the field and entered the stands; the Wolves looked tired, but kept pushing themselves to score.

Two minutes later, the Owls made for a tricky try, scoring again and pulling ahead 24-7.

The clock counted down as the fatigued Wolves persevered, however they lacked the rabbits foot. 

The whistle blew to leave the “W” in the talons of the Owls.

Western Oregon Wolves never let their heads down and played a remarkable match — one to learn from and propel themselves into the winter season.

A few of the Wolves’ players were unable to withstand injury — Eltagonde with a broken nose and Reyes with a concussion — but continued to support their teammates. 

Men’s Rugby finished their season with a 5-1 record and their boots full.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Hannah Greene

A feast for the Wolves, Bearcats are main dish as the Men’s Rugby team leave everything on the field to take home the semi-final win

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Teeth were sharpened, growls were exchanged and the Wolves were ready to start their semi-final match against the Bearcats.

The Men’s Rugby team came into the game with a 4-0 winning streak after already beating Willamette University in the past. 

At noon, Saturday, Nov. 2, the Wolves came locked and loaded, a score made by senior Riley Bardes within the first three minutes of the game .

Not even 10 minutes after, Keegan Echevarria, a first-year, scored the second try of the game. The Wolves were heating up and scored their third try after Levi Jenks, a returning senior, crossed the endzone. The two points were then completed by sophomore Braedon Eltagonde. The Wolves were ahead 17-0 in only 20 minutes — and they weren’t done yet. Trever Kahunahana, a returning senior, scored another try, and moments later, Bernard Barber, another returning senior, scored too, making the score 27-0. 

Three minutes later, Willamette retaliated with their first completed try, making the score 27-5. This didn’t even phase the Wolves; they knew they’d score again, and Wylie Cossitt, a returning sophomore, took it upon himself to get the momentum back, scoring a try and adding five more points. Following this jump, Robert Cummings “RC,” a transfer, scored the seventh try of the game — followed by Eltagonde’s two-point kick, leaving the fans and the Bearcats with a halftime score of 39-5.

The second half allowed the teams to build momentum. RC snagged the first try of the half and his second try of the game, giving the Wolves an extra little oomph. But the Bearcats weren’t ready to give up just yet; scoring their overall second try of the game gave themselves double digits but not enough to keep up with the Wolves. 

Seconds after, Barber returned the Bearcats try with one of his own, and his second of the game, driving Western forward. 

The match continued to move forward in favor of the Wolves with continuous scoring. More point-grabbers of the game include: Anu Kanoho, a returner and last week’s Man of the Match, Jenks with his second try of the game and Andrew-James Reyes, a returning junior. 

 The Wolves ended the game with a score of 70-10.

Hats off to Willamette for keeping their heads in the game, playing with a total of 15 men. The Bearcats never gave up, even after the Wolves continued to score and add to the board. 

Man of the Match was awarded to Hakam Nagra, a returning sophomore, for his defensive skills and stability, as well as being a player the Wolves could depend on for being wherever he was needed. 

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Emily Prall

Women’s Club Soccer team continues to raise funds for their first-ever national tournament

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Disclaimer: This is a firsthand account of the attempt at raising funds for the Women’s Club Soccer team expenses for the national tournament. Being that I am on the team, I was in the loop of what was going on but not in every process or agreement made. Below is an account/summary of information I received from all parties involved, the Co-President Sarah Texter, Andy Main and President Rex Fuller. I, myself, am very grateful for all the support this team has received since the announcement of us going to compete in the NIRSA tournament.

 

On Oct. 4, the Women’s Club Soccer team was selected to participate in the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association tournament in Round Rock, Texas. This was one of the rare times any club or intramural team from Western Oregon University has ever been selected or invited to something this big. It was also the first time a women’s club team would attend a national tournament. 

Women’s Club Soccer is not a varsity team, therefore funding is not equal or advantageous for these types of tournaments. Since the entry fee was paid and the team was given the “okay” to pursue their chance at a national tournament, they have been faced with several roadblocks and setbacks. With that being said, there have been enormous amounts of help and support to get these women on a plane to Texas.

Monmouth is a small community, but a large supporter of anything associated with Western — especially when it comes to athletics. The Women’s Club Soccer team wanted to take advantage of this and before doing so reached out to the WOU Foundation to follow the steps correctly in asking for sponsors or money. The WOU Foundation returned saying the team was not allowed to ask Monmouth businesses because they already donate to Western Oregon University, and to be sponsored or funded it had to come from direct donations or through “people you know.” Many, such as the co-presidents and some team members, thought this was strange because club sports don’t see any of the money donated by Monmouth businesses; most funds are distributed to support the school and varsity athletics.

This didn’t stop the women’s team and a GoFundMe page was created; families, friends and community members donated, and REBuild Salem gave some sponsorship money as well as a tour and test of the new facility and equipment.

“The amount of money the Women’s Club Soccer has raised in such a short amount of time has been incredible. It’s really a testament to how organized and motivated they are. They continue to exceed expectations both on and off the field,” said Andy Main, the assistant director of campus recreation intramural and club sports, about the team finding ways to fund their way to Texas.

As of Oct. 18, the team had raised $4,109 of the $11,500 total needed for the tournament. This money was raised through generous donations, a bake sale and the money given from the Incidental Fee Committee for travel funds.

The team continued to show gratitude and perseverance, taking every step necessary and never overstepping boundaries or rules, making for an easier but longer process.

This was when Co-President Sarah Texter, a returning player from last year, reached out to President Rex Fuller for funding. Initially, communication was rough due to delays and miscommunication from President Fuller and his staff in regards to this matter. Ultimately, in the end, Texter met with President Fuller and he apologized for the delays and discussed how this experience has been a learning opportunity for both sides.

“This process has been very long and frustrating, but in the end all the hard work we have put in to make this trip happen will be worth it,” said Texter after receiving a response from President Fuller.

On Friday, Nov. 1, an email was received stating that President Fuller would support the Women’s Club Soccer team and give them funding matching the amount given by campus recreation.

“I am very grateful to receive a generous amount of support from the school,” said Texter shortly after the email from President Fuller was received.

“They’ve faced some obstacles along the way, but everyone from family members, the IFC travel sub-committee, and even President Fuller himself have stepped up to help out,” said Main after hearing the news of funding from President Fuller. “It really makes me proud to be a part of the WOU community.”

Women’s Club Soccer continues to trudge forward and raise money for the tournament, grateful for any donations given to them. The roster has been set in stone, the plane tickets have been purchased and the team is hyped and ready. The NIRSA tournament will be held during Nov. 21-23 in Round Rock, Texas. Come out and support these women at their next home game against the Beavers on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

OSU Women’s Basketball welcome the USA Women’s National Basketball team to their court for home opener

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Drums rattled the sidewalk as spectators crowded the Gill Coliseum entry — it was on, the home opener for Oregon State University Women’s Basketball team faced none other than the United States Women’s Basketball team. The feels were real, chills were sent across the bleachers and the support for women’s athletics was roaring.

On Nov. 4, fans from all over came to watch the Beavers take on the USA team, a rare opportunity.

As I stepped into the Coliseum, my eyes began to tear up and my body was filled with an indescribable feeling as the players for both teams were introduced — an image forever ingrained in my head, the epitome of what women had fought for: the right to play sports. Every single player out there was proud, excited, happy and focused, but most of all, they were on the court supporting each other. Before the whistle blew to start the game, the USA players high-fived and shook hands with the OSU players.

Throughout the entire game, the USA team was giving pointers and hints to the Beavers, consistently showing encouragement.

The first half was not dominated by either team, with the Beavers challenging USA to every ball and shot. The crowd continued to cheer only for OSU and the crickets were standing strong every time the USA made points or got the ball. No matter what color shirt was worn, one could only cheer for the Beavers — the underdogs. 

The second half started with USA being the dominant team, and this carried on until the end, with every second entertaining the spectators. The Beavers never gave up, the pep in their step never faltered. The chance to play a national team with professional players would keep any competitor on their toes.

The game came to a close with the USA Women’s National team beating the Oregon State Beavers 81-58, but that didn’t mean the court was filled with grief and disappointment – just pure joy. 

The USA team takes on the University of Oregon Ducks this Saturday, Nov. 10 in Eugene at 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $12 for general admission.

If you get the chance to go to this game, do not pass it up. Whether you are a basketball fan or not, a sports fan or not, these athletes are sure to delight and engage everyone.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photo by Hannah Greene

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