Mount Hood

Volleyball snatches comeback victory in final home game

By: Grace Knapp Staff Writer

Emotions ran high as Western’s volleyball team fought to stay alive against Montana State Billings (MSB) in their final home game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015.

With an incredible comeback victory, the Wolves overcame a two set deficit to surpass MSB in three straight sets.

The set scores were 15-25, 18-25, 26-24, 25-22 and 15-9.

The narrow victory over MSB (6-21, 5-13) boosted WOU’s ranking three spots in the GNAC, taking the Wolves (8-19, 5-13) from tenth to a 4-way tie for seventh with Seattle Pacific University, Montana State Billings and University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The Wolves started slowly and found themselves with their backs against the wall as they were down two sets.

Redshirt-freshman Amanda Short (OH) shifted the momentum of the game by blasting a kill to win the intense rally. Western would come out victorious in the third set to stay alive in the match.

Starting slow once again, WOU trailed MSU by five points for the majority of the fourth set.

However, two huge outside blocks and a kill by redshirt-sophomore Sydney Blankinship (MB) during a four-point scoring streak, led the Wolves to claim the set and even the overall match score 2-2.

The final set was crucial, and the Wolves brought their A-game. Short secured WOU’s victory by securing four straight points during a rally of eight straight points.

MSB fought back, closing the gap to 12-9, but ultimately could not compete. The Wolves finished the set with three straight points to win the overall match.

Head coach Brad Saindon is proud of the team’s performance against MSB. “In this match we really showed our true colors and showed what we’re made of,” said Saindon. “The girls fought hard and persevered.”

The volleyball team concludes their season on the road against Alaska Anchorage (24-2 overall, 16-2 GNAC) on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015.

Men’s Basketball gets back-to-back wins

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The Western men’s basketball team defeated Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) 82-76 on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 in their first game of the regular season.

The first half was back-and-forth, and there were eight ties and six lead changes. With the score tied at 38-38 with 2:15 remaining till half time, the Sea Lions outscored the Wolves 10-4 to take a 48-42 lead into the break.

PLNU, with the momentum carrying over from the first half, continued to build on their lead until the Sea Lions had an 11 point advantage with the score at 61-50.

The Wolves would claw their way back into the game and go on a 7-0 run with a three-pointer from senior Devon Alexander (G) and a tip from Sophomore Tanner Omlid (F).

WOU would take the lead with a little over five minutes to play and never look back.

Omlid, who made his WOU debut, led all scorers with 28 points and shot an amazing 93 percent from the field, making 13 of 14 shots. Omlid also added eight rebounds and six steals.
Western had three other players beside Omlid that cracked double digits in scoring. Senior Julian Nichols (G) had 14 points, sophomore Alex Roth (G) had 13 points and Devon Alexander had 11 points.

Then on Saturday, Nov. 14, the Wolves defeated Fresno Pacific University (FPU) 82-73 to improve to 2-0 on the season.

The Sunbirds jumped out to an early lead in the first half with an 11-8 margin. The Wolves would buckle down and tie the score at 11-11 with a Kadeem Strickland (G) 3-pointer.

After taking the lead on the next possession, WOU would not look back, and kept the lead for the rest of the game.

Although FPU would finish the game with a higher shooting percentage of 48 percent from the field compared with Western’s 42 percent, the Wolves won the turnover battle 12 to 18. WOU also had 13 steals compared with FPU’s five.

Winning the turnover battle has been key for the Wolves in the first two regulation games. In both games, the Wolves have had a total of 21 turnovers and created 39 turnovers off of their opponents.

Alexander led Western in scoring with 17 points and also added four assists. The Wolves had three other players in double digits for scoring; Roth and Nichols both had 16 points and Omlid had 12 points.

The No. 21 ranked Wolves’ next two games are back-to-back home games. The first is against California State Monterey Bay University on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The second is on Saturday, Nov. 21 against Warner Pacific College also at 7 p.m.

2014-15 GNAC Player of the Year Andy Agvi (F) will make his season debut for Western, after sitting out the start of the season due to NCAA regulations as he was also playing on the football team.

Both games are held at the New P.E. Building. You can purchase tickets online or on game day at the box office.

Heartbreak for football

By: Jamal Smith Sports Editor

Western Football dropped their last game of the season 29-13 to Humboldt State University (HSU) on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 at McArthur Field.

The Wolves came into the game with the hopes of reaching the NCAA Division II Playoffs with a win against HSU.

The Wolves were ranked No. 10 in the region and Humboldt was ranked No. 3 prior to the game; the top eight teams in the region would qualify for the playoffs.

The Wolves struck first on their second drive of the game when redshirt-sophomore Phillip Fenumiai (QB) connected with sophomore Maurice McSwain (WR) for a 71-yard strike, giving the Wolves an early 7-0 lead and sending the Western faithful into a jubilant frenzy.

McSwain finished the game with a season-high 129 yards on five catches.

The Jacks would even up the score a few minutes later after the GNAC’s leading rusher Ja’Quan Gardner found a hole in the Wolves’ defense and broke away for a 43-yard touchdown run.

WOU’s running game, which has been a staple of the offense all season, had trouble establishing a rhythm. Leading rusher and true-freshman Malik Braxton was held to only 26 yards on 11 carries.

To make matters worse, the Wolves were stung by the injury bug. In the second quarter, senior defensive play maker Jonathan Breland (LB) had to leave the game after an apparent knee injury.

Then early in the second half, Fenumiai sustained an injury which took him out of the competition. Both players would not return.

HSU showed why they are at the top of the GNAC ladder in the second quarter, stopping the Wolves from scoring and then adding a field goal and a touchdown. The Jacks took a 17-7 lead going into half time.

Senior Trey Shimabukuro (QB) took over for Fenumiai early in the third quarter, but HSU’s defense held Western scoreless in the quarter. The Jacks would again add to their lead, scoring another field goal and a touchdown in the quarter to take a 26-7 lead into the fourth quarter.

After HSU kicked another field goal and went ahead 29-7 early in the fourth quarter, it seemed like the game could get out of hand. But the Wolves showed their never-say-die attitude and stepped up the defense.

Last weeks’ GNAC Defensive Player of the Week junior George Swartzlender (DL) continued his impressive play with a career-best 11 tackles for the game.

The Wolves’ leading tackler senior Shane Kuenzi (LB) had 8 tackles and also saved a touchdown with a key interception in the first half.

With just seconds left in the game and Western on the HSU 1-yard line, senior Joe Harris (RB) punched his way into the end zone. Although the score was insurmountable, scoring the last touchdown was a matter of pride for the Wolves.

“Getting in was the only way. I had to score,” said Harris after the game. “Not getting in wasn’t an option. We had to go out with a touchdown. That was the only way to go out.”
With the victory, the Jacks became 2015 GNAC champions, guaranteeing their spot in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

“We couldn’t get enough on offense, and defensively we allowed them to run the ball and they wore us down,” said head coach Arne Ferguson after the game. “We knew we were going to play a really good Humboldt team; they are number three in the region. With their strength in schedule they should be number one in the region.”

Although the Wolves’ concluded their season on a sour note, Ferguson was optimistic about the future of the program.

“First of all we want all of our players to do well in school. We want them to be disciplined. We want them to develop as football players. Throughout the season our players continued to get better,” said Ferguson. “We aren’t where we would have liked to be, but the progress we made finishing 7-4, there’s a really good opportunity to build on that.”

The 7-4 season marks the tenth consecutive winning season for the Wolf Pack.

“We are fortunate to have most of our d-line coming back and they are the staple of our defense. Replacing seniors and that experience is so hard to do and [so is] the physicality they bring,” added Ferguson.

WOU hosts XC Regionals

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

Western played host to the 2015 NCAA Cross-Country Regionals on Saturday Nov. 7, 2015 at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon.

The men’s team finished 12th out of 23 teams. Sophomore David Ribich was the first to cross the finish-line for the Wolves, and placed 11th individually, earning him All-West honors and also qualifying him for the NCAA individual championships.

“As a team we came a long way from last year. We wanted everyone on the team to run the best race they could to give back to the seniors who deserved a good last race and to go out on a high note,” said Ribich.

“[The team] fell short on making nationals, but I qualified as an individual which will take place next Saturday on the 21st in Joplin, Missouri,” Ribich said.

Ribich became the first WOU cross-country athlete to qualify for the NCAA individual Championships since Connor Kasler succeeded back in 2011.

Ribich finished the 10K race with a blazing time of 30:11.95.

“During the race I felt pretty good. I was expecting the Anchorage, Alaska competitors and the Chico competitors and Oliver Jorgensen from Simon Frasier to go straight to the front, and that’s where I wanted to be,” said Ribich.

Ribich continued, “The race was really packed up and I couldn’t get my full stride because of how close everyone was to each other.”

“At about 6K, Chico and Alaska started picking up the pace so at that point I had to give it my all because if I dropped off from the lead group there would have been no way to catch back up,” added Ribich.

“So I hung on till about 8500 meters and then I started struggling. But with the support of the fans, community and my family; when I heard the cheering, it gave me a second wind,” Ribich concluded.

The Wolves had three other male athletes place in the top 100. Senior Zach Hollaway placed 43rd with a time of 31:23. Junior David Cornish finished in 67th place and freshman Tyler Jones finished 91st.

The women’s team placed 15th out of 28 total teams.

Junior Nichole Maurmann had the Wolves’ best time of the day, finishing the 6,000-meter race in 37th place with a time of 22:07. Senior Stephanie Stuckey finished the race three seconds later to place 40th.

“We were all really excited that it was a home meet for regionals. We had so much support from the track team and the other sports teams,” said Stuckey.

Stuckey added, “As a team we went out and did our best, but we didn’t finish exactly where we wanted to be. But at the end of the day, we ran the best race we could. I had a lot of fun and was able to run with Nichole and it was really cool that we got to work together.”

The 2015 NCAA Championships is on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 at 11 a.m. in Joplin, Missouri. Ribich looks to build on his successful season and accomplish is macro and micro goals.

“My focus goal is to place in the top 40 to gain an All-American medal,” said Ribich, “My macro goal is to just go out there and run the best race I possibly can and represent the GNAC and Western Oregon.”

Women’s basketball drops opening exhibition games

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team opened up their exhibition schedule on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 on the road against Weber State University. The Wolves were out-matched and lost to the Wildcats 42-71.

Redshirt-junior Kelsey Henry (F) led the Wolves in scoring and finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds.

Senior Emily Howey (C), junior Jordan Mottershaw (G) and first year Kaylie Boschma (G) each finished with 6 points for the Wolves.

Both teams shot 48 percent from the field, but the score discrepancy came down to turnovers and missed free-throws.

WOU racked up a total of 31 turnovers which led to 41 Wildcat points, giving Weber State an extra 25 field goal opportunities.

Two days later, the women’s basketball team concluded their exhibition schedule in a tough fought 56-73 loss to Idaho State University Saturday Nov. 7, 2015.

Sophomore Jasmine Miller (G/F) led the way for the Wolves, finishing the game with 16 points while shooting 6-of-9 from the field.
Miller also tallied 8 rebounds. WOU’s center Howey continued to play solid, tallying 10 points and 5 rebounds.

The Wolves shot a respectable 40 percent from the field, but just like in Thursday’s game, they struggled from the free-throw line, converting just 12 of 27 from the charity stripe. Idaho State also held the rebound advantage of 45-38, and outscored the Wolves 40-24 in the paint.

It is worth noting that exhibition results do not impact the team’s record.

The Wolfpack look to rebound in Western’s first regular season game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 at 4 p.m. against California State University Easy Bay in Hayward, California.

Their first home game is on Saturday Nov. 21, 2015 against California State University, Chico at 2 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.

For tickets and game information, visit the ticket office during regular business hours in the New P.E. Building, or call 503-838–8917.

Men’s basketball posts loss to Oregon State

By: Jamal Smith Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team lost their first exhibition game 76-57 in Corvallis on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, to Oregon State University (OSU).

Senior Devon Alexander (G) led the wolves in scoring with 16 points. Alexander hit a game-best five shots from beyond the arch.

Jefferson High School product Kadeem Strickland (G) had 14 points in his collegiate debut while sophomore Oregon State transfer Alex Roth, had 14 points and five rebounds against his former team.

Oregon State got off to a quick start, scoring the game’s first 14 points, but Western would grind their way back into the game. With 5:27 left in the first half and Western down 29-19, the Wolves hit four unanswered shots from beyond the three-point line to take the lead 30-29.

The Beavers would answer with a run of their own, scoring the final eight points of the half to take the lead 37-30 going into half time.

In the second half, after OSU increased their lead by 14 points, Alexander would keep the Wolves in the game when he hit two consecutive three-pointers, cutting the lead to 59-53.

After it looked as though Western could challenge the Beavers for the upset, the Wolves went cold from the floor. OSU would outscore the Wolves 17-4 in the final minutes sealing the victory.

The Wolves were without last year’s leading scorer and 2014-15 GNAC Player of the Year, senior Andy Agvi (F). Agvi was inactive for the game due to NCAA regulations because he is currently playing on the football team.

Next up the Wolves play Point Loma Nazarene University in the GNAC/PACWEST challenge on Friday, Nov. 13 2015 in Olympia, Washington at 5 p.m.

Tough loss for a young team Simon Frasier edges out Western in four nail-biting sets

By: Grace Knapp 
Freelance Writer

The young WOU volleyball team faced Simon Frasier University on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015.

Battling for every point, the 7-18 Wolves eventually succumbed to the 12-12 Clan after four hotly contested sets. The set scores were 26-24, 25-23, 25-15, and 25-22.

In the opening set, the score difference between the teams never exceeded three points, and the Wolves secured four aces.

However, this wasn’t enough to win the set, and WOU fell to SFU 26-24.

Motivated by the close set, the Wolves rallied their efforts in the second. Although the Clan took an early lead of 20-15, the pack overtook the five point deficit and tied the score 22-22, eventually winning the set with a kill by Sydney Blankinship (MB).

Western quickly fell behind, leading to a disappointing set loss of 25-15. Fighting to stay in the game, WOU secured an early lead of 15-20 in the final set, but ultimately fell to SFU 25-22.

Head coach Brad Saindon feels like the close battle with SFU shows the true potential of the Wolves.

“Our team continues to improve daily. We put ourselves in position to win regularly, and I believe if we continue to work and stay on course that the wins will start coming,” Saindon said. “We are so close, and our games show that.”

A strong contributor to the team’s potential is junior Christie Colasurdo (L) who leads the GNAC in digs, and is currently ranked fourth in the nation in digs per set.

Colasurdo does everything she can to help her team on defense in the hope that they can finish out the season with some wins.

Next up, the Wolves face Montana State-Billings at home on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. For tickets and game information, visit the ticket office during regular business hours in the New P.E. Building, or call 503-838–8917.

Update: On Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 the Wolves lost in three sets to Concordia University at home. The set scores were 25-23, 26-24 and 25-21.

Fenumiai’s four touchdowns lead Wolf Pack to victory

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

It was a cold, wet, and windy night at McArthur Field, but the Wolves got their seventh consecutive victory on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SD). The final score was 37-26.

The victory improves the Wolves overall record to 7-3 and 5-1 in GNAC play.

Redshirt-sophomore Phillip Fenumiai (QB) led Western downfield on their first drive of the game, connecting with senior Daniel Thomas (WR) for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Fenumiai would finish the game with 168-yards through the air, four passing touchdowns and tack on 55-yards rushing.

Fenumiai, who is known for his ability to run the ball, showed that he is not just a one trick pony, connecting with sophomore Maurice McSwain (WR) for a 16-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.

The Wolves led 12-0 after the first quarter.

SD would score the only points in the second quarter after the Hardrockers started their drive on the Western Oregon 17-yard line. SD would convert on a two-point attempt to tighten the score to 12-8 going into half time.

Fenumiai picked up right where he left off on the Wolves’ first drive of the second half, throwing his second touchdown pass to McSwain, his third TD pass of the game.

Five minutes later, Fenumiai would connect with sophomore Paul Revis (WR) for a 15-yard touchdown, giving Fenumiai four total passing touchdowns for the game. The third quarter would end with the Western leading 26-8.

“Phillip threw a pass up the middle, and once I made the catch I just followed my blockers,” said Revis. “There just happened to be no one in front of me and I just walked into the end zone.”

In the fourth quarter, with just minutes remaining in the game, first year Malik Braxton (RB) would break way for 57-yard run, but was stopped at the SD 4-yard line.

He finished the drive by bullying his way into the end zone. Braxton would finish the game with 136-yards rushing.

“Every week the offensive line keeps doing what they’re doing, and I just had to get a touchdown for them,” said Braxton after the game.
Junior George Swartzlender (DL) led the defense with 10 total stops and four tackles for a loss which included a 10-yard sack.

Swartzlender was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week.

“We felt positive about the way we played on defense. We made a lot of defensive stands, and we have been doing that all year,” said head coach Arne Ferguson. “Offensively, our offensive line took some time to wear them down. Malik had a big run, Phillip played well and we were getting the ball to Paul.”

Next up, the Wolves finish out the regular season at home against Humboldt State University (HSU) on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 at 1 p.m. With a win against HSU, the Wolf Pack has a good chance at improving their regional ranking to keep their post-season hopes alive.

“We’re 10th in the region, Humboldt is second. The top seven go to the NCAA playoffs,” said Ferguson. “We feel really good about beating Northern Alabama and if we are able to beat Humboldt the last game of the season, with winning seven in a row, there is a really good chance we can make it.”

“They are a really good team; they’re coached really well and they are on fire, so it’s going to be a really tough task,” added Ferguson.

Portland Timber defeat Sporting Kansas City in 22 round shootout

By: Jamal Smith 
sports editor

In what is being heralded as one of the greatest Major League Soccer (MLS) playoff games of all time, the Portland Timbers, with a little bit of luck, came out victorious in the knockout round against Sporting Kansas City (SKC) on Thursday Oct. 26, 2015.

The sold out crowd at Providence Park got their money’s worth; the atmosphere was insane, there were ups and downs, phenomenal last minute goals, and one of the craziest double goal post penalty misses of all time.

It would take 90 minutes of regulation, two 15 minute overtime periods and 22 penalty kicks for the Timbers to become victorious and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals. The game was a draw at 2-2 with Portland winning the penalty shootout 7-6.

Portland came out firing on all cylinders in the opening minutes of the first half, but was unable to capitalize with a goal, and the first half ended with the score tied at 0-0.

Timber’s midfielder Rodney Wallace would find the back net in the 57th minute after a beautiful juggling flick pass from Timber’s midfielder Diego Valeri inside of SKC’s 18-yard box.

In the 87th minute, with just 3 minutes to play in regulation, SKC evened the score at 1-1 off a cross into the Timber’s 18-yard box which was headed in by SKC’s defender Kevin Ellis, causing the match to continue with two 15 minute overtime periods.

SKC ripped the heart out of the Timber’s faithful in the 97th minute when forward Krisztian Nemeth’s hit a ridiculous top-corner goal which Timber’s keeper Adam Kwarasey had no chance at saving.

In the second overtime period, with just two minutes remaining, Portland super-sub Maximiliano Urruti (F) tied the game at 2-2 after a Wallace cross found its way to Urruti and he calmly blasted it past SPC’s goalkeeper Jon Kempin.

Still, even after the overtime periods, the match would be decided with penalty kicks. The team with the most goals after five rounds would be crowned the victor, but even still, the match would continue into sudden-death.

After Portland failed to covert in the 8th round, SKC’s defender Saad Abdul-Salaam’s shot on goal unbelievably bounced off both goal posts and somehow didn’t go in.

“Our crowd, our fans, our supporters, the Timbers Army, I think they were the ones who kept that last ball out of the net,” said head coach Caleb Porter at the postgame press conference. “It was either them or God because the thing bounced twice, and I don’t know how it didn’t go in. But it didn’t.”

“Something kept that goal out. I don’t know what it was; maybe it was them from them yelling so much,” added Porter. “Something did, something kept it out. So I’m going to credit the Timbers Army.”

With every penalty make from the Timbers, the crowd went into a frenzy, but SKC would answer every time. With every miss, the crowd collectively held their breath, but SKC would fail to convert.

The eleventh round pitted Timber’s keeper Kwarasey against SKC keeper Kempin. Kwarasey would convert on his penalty kick, and then make the save against Kempin to the estatic delight of the Timber’s Army.

“It was like a movie,” said Kwarasey after the game. “I didn’t expect it to go to penalties. I didn’t expect to take a penalty. I’m still a little bit exhausted. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

With the incredible victory, the Timbers advanced to Western Conference Semifinals against no. 2 seed Vancouver Whitecaps, a two-leg series with the first game played in Portland and the second in Vancouver, B.C.

Note: On Sunday Nov. 1, 2015, the Timbers finished the match with a 0-0 draw against the Vancouver White Caps. The decisive next match will be played in Vancouver, B.C. on Sunday Nov. 8, 2015. With a victory, the Timbers would advance into the Western Conference Finals against the winner of Seattle vs. Dallas.

Soccer finishes the season with double overtime thriller

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The woman’s soccer team wrapped up their season with a 2-1 overtime victory on the road against Simon Fraser University (SFU) on Saturday Oct. 31.

The Wolves spoiled SFU’s post-season aspirations, which with a victory the Clan would have finished in fourth place in the conference ensuring a berth in the GNAC Woman’s Soccer Championship.

SFU came out determined in the first half, and put pressure on Western’s defense. The Wolves survived a barrage of 14 first half shots. Despite SFU’s offensive flurry, the match was scoreless going into half time.

In the 54th minute, WOU senior Brooke Steinberg (D) scored her first goal of the season with a free kick to the near post.

Western would only have the lead for 34 seconds, though, as the Clan would equalize the score at 1-1 after a loose ball found its way into the back of the net.

After 90 minutes and the score still even, the match would continue into overtime. The Wolves had a chance to win just two minutes into overtime when senior Vicky Cruz Rosales (M) took a shot that went just over the top of the crossbar.

Still scoreless after the first overtime period, the match would continue to a second. In the 107th minute, the Wolves were rewarded a penalty kick from just outside the 18-yard box. Junior Taylor Higa (F/M) stepped up to take the penalty kick and sent it past SFU’s goalkeeper. Higa’s game winning goal was her second of the season.

Rosales and junior Dani Payne (M) led the Wolves with three shots on goal. SFU outshot WOU 25-19.
With the victory, the Wolves concluded their season with an overall record of 8-8-1 and 4-7-1 in GNAC play and finished in 7th place in the conference.

Running game and stingy defense key to victory over Azusa Pacific

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

WOU Football hosted Azusa Pacific University (APU) on Saturday, Oct. 31 at McArthur Field, and defeated the Cougars 17-14.

The victory marks the fifth consecutive win for the Wolves and improved their overall record to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in GNAC play.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter.

APU failed to convert two field goals in the first 17 minutes of the game. The first field goal bounced off of the left upright, narrowly missing three points by a matter of centimeters, and the second careened to the far right after catching a gust of wind.

WOU established their running game in the late first quarter and redshirt-sophomore Phillip Fenumiai (QB) lead the Wolves downfield and into the Cougars’ red zone.

After failing to convert a touchdown, senior Jesse Correa (K) kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Wolves a 3-0 lead, just minutes into the second quarter.

After stopping APU on their next two drives, the Wolves raced downfield with runs from Fenumiai and from first year Malik Braxton (RB), who was excellent at grinding for extra yards after contact.

Braxton, who was awarded last week’s GNAC offensive player of the week, finished the game with 105 yards rushing.

Fenumiai would cap off the 12 play 59-yard drive with a 1-yard rush on a quarterback sneak, increasing Westerns’ lead to 10-0.

“The offensive line gives us everything they have every play, and we needed to give back,” said Braxton after the game. “Between me, Ambrose and Joe, we just want to get in there and hit the hole that the O-Line gives us.”

After the Wolves’ defense forced a three-and-out on APU’s ensuing possession, the Wolves would start their drive with great field position near midfield.

In his second game back from injury, senior Trey Shimabukuro (QB) would step in for Fenumiai and show his abilities at throwing the ball. Shimabukuro connected with redshirt-sophomore Paul Revis (WR) for a 16-yard touchdown, which increased the Wolves’ lead to 17-0 going into half time.

“Our offense controlled the clock in the first half,” said head coach Arne Ferguson. “We had the ball for twenty minutes which allowed our defense to make some key three-and-outs and play very aggressive.
In the third quarter, the Cougars showed grit and determination, scoring two unanswered touchdowns to tighten the score to 14-17. But the Wolves’ defense refused to give up.

Senior Breeon Moreno (DB) made an incredible play in the fourth quarter, breaking up a third down pass attempt in the secondary. Moreno would finish the game with two pass breakups and nearly come down with an interception.

¬¬“As a senior, I had to come out and make big plays for our defense and for our team to help us win,” said Moreno after the game. “Last year they beat us because of one big play and we came into the game wanting to stop them from converting on the big play, and make some ourselves.”

After failing to score in the fourth quarter, the Wolves found themselves in a familiar situation: just minutes left in the game and the ball in the hands of APU with a chance to even the score with a field goal or go ahead with a touchdown.

APU would start their final drive at their own 18-yard line.

With a balanced attack of passing and rushing, the Cougars marched downfield and into WOU territory. The Wolves’ defense held the line and forced APU into a fourth down with 4-yards to keep their drive alive. On fourth down, APU handed the ball off to their running back and he was stopped 3-yards short of the first down marker by senior Jonathan Breland (LB).

The Wolves would take over on downs and finish the game in the victory formation.

“I’m very proud of our defense. It has been a few weeks in a row making those plays in the fourth quarter,” Ferguson added.

WOU’s final two games of the season are both home games played at McArthur Field.

First, Western hosts South Dakota School of Mines & Technology on Saturday Nov. 7 at 3:30 p.m. The last game features Humboldt State University, the first place team in the GNAC, on Saturday Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.

Ribich ready to take on regionals

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By: Brianna Bonham
Staff Writer

David Ribich started his sophomore year off strong with high hopes for the racing competitions this cross country season.

Being in the lead in the top 6 of the team, David is very determined to work with his team to get to nationals.

“Our ultimate goal is to get to nationals this year, we’re all very committed to that goal […] We’re committed to do the work it takes,” said Ribich.

Ribich said that he team last year “fell short at regionals” and with regionals being at Western this year, the team and David both feel a lot of pressure to perform. They want to make Western proud.

“When the season rolled around one of the highlights was [at] Sun Dodger where I went 24:38 minutes for 8K. It was a minute PR (personal record) and really set the tone for the rest of the season,” Ribich said.

He has been training to be his best in order to get to the goal of nationals.

Ribich recently set a new PR running a 10K at 32:02 minutes. His personal highlight is getting 4th in conference.

“The race started out like I thought it would,” Ribich said, adding “But we’re only climbing. We’re on the uphill for regionals.”

“For regionals right now, we are sitting in the middle of the pack between all the teams […] We’re in the hunt for it,” said Ribich. During their last race, the team exceeded what they were expecting and are feeling good about their ability to compete at regionals. They were ranked 7th in the conference this year and exceeded expectations.

This summer, he counseled at a running camp and was able to train through the summer and work to better his times. He managed multiple new PRs and is continuing to train.

“I just know that if I have support I can go out there and make everyone proud,” Ribich said. He looks to his family and community to support during races, and with Western being the host for regionals this year, he hopes that the community will come to support as well.

“At some point in the race, everyone is going to get physically tired,” he said. For Ribich, the majority of races are a mental challenge as opposed to a physical challenge. He believes that mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation.

Ribich has been running since 7th grade, he went to a small high school that did not offer soccer past 6th grade, and soccer was his passion. His sister ran cross country which inspired him to begin running as well.

He is in his sophomore year here at Western and is majoring in communication studies with a minor in sports leadership and sports development.

“Professional running is a macro goal for me. My micro goal is to pursue athletics,” Ribich said. Choosing this major/minor allows him to pursue his passion for athletics. He wants to pursue a post collegiate career in running and coaching

“Netflix is definitely a post workout priority […] Right now I’m watching Arrow, The 100, Prison Break and Supernatural,” Ribich added. He also finds time outside of workouts to hike and do outdoor activities.

Ribich and the cross country team hope to see Western supporters at regionals. He looks forward to pursuing cross country the rest of his college and professional career.

MSU Yellow Jackets sting Wolves on senior day

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By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

The Wolves women’s soccer team lost at home to Montana State University-Billings (MSU) 1-0 on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The loss brings the Wolves overall record to 7-7-1 and 3-6-1 in GNAC conference play.

A large crowd was on-hand to cheer on the pack for senior day, the last home game of the year.

“Senior day is a very exciting day and it’s a really emotional day,” stated head coach Steve Ancheta. “It’s hard to keep all of those emotions in check and come out and play well against a good opponent.”

Western fed off the energy from the crowd and pressed the Yellow Jacket’s defense.
Controversy arose in the 15th minute after the Wolves sent a cross into MSU’s 18-yard box which should have been a hand ball on one of MSU’s defenders. However, the referee chose not to award Western a penalty kick.

MSU took the lead in the 36th minute on a shot from the top of the 18-yard box which sailed over Nicole Tejada’s (GK) outstretched arms.

In the second half, the Wolves continued to press MSU but couldn’t find the back of the net. Western’s best chance for a goal came in the 56th minute when junior Mariah Konyn (M) just missed the top right corner.

The Wolves would outshoot MSU 14-4, but the Yellow Jacket’s stingy defense held their clean sheet.

“Although we lost, we still worked really hard as a team, and I’m really happy for our seniors,” stated Ancheta. “They brought a lot to this team and I will miss all those guys.”

The Wolves hit the road for the final two games remaining on their schedule. The first is against Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, Oct. 29, and the final game of the season is against Simon Frasier University Saturday, Oct. 31.

Basketball hype and expectations

By:Jamal Smith

Are you getting excited for basketball? Lucky for you, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are currently preparing for the start of the season.

The GNAC coaches’ poll, released on Thursday, Oct. 15, ranked the men’s team no. 2 out of the 11 teams in the conference.

The expectations for the men’s team are high on the shoulders of last season’s successes.

The Wolves finished the season with a program best winning record of 23-7 and reached the NCAA Division-II West Regionals for the first time in school history.

“The season is just a journey and we are starting out 0-0 just like everybody else, and last season doesn’t mean anything,” stated head coach Jim Shaw. “We have to approach this year as an opportunity to get better every day, and then we will be all right.”

The men’s team has four returning starters, and two First Team All-GNAC selections in redshirt: senior Andy Agvi (F) and senior Julian Nichols (G).

Agvi was also selected for the GNAC pre-season All-American Team. In his junior year, Agvi averaged 18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He also was named the 2014-15 GNAC player of the year.

“Our foundation comes back to four things: our attitude, our work ethic, our leadership and our ability to work as a team,” added coach Shaw. “I expect them to compete every night, no excuses. We have to leave everything out there on the floor and let the results speak for themselves.”

Last year, the women’s team had an overall record of 8-18, and 5-13 in GNAC conference play. In the GNAC coaches poll, the Wolves were ranked no. 10 in the conference.

The women’s team looks to the return of three starters from last year, including GNAC preseason team selectee junior Jordan Mottershaw (G). Last year, Mottershaw led the Wolves in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game.

Returning sophomore Sami Osborne (G/F) had a great second half of the season last year, and started 13 games for the Wolves. Last year, as a true freshman, Osborne averaged 8.8 rebounds per game.

The men’s team faces a huge test in an exhibition game against the Oregon State Beavers on Thursday, Nov. 5 in Corvallis at 7 p.m.

The first exhibition game for the women’s team is also on Thursday, Nov. 5, on the road against Weber State University at 7 p.m.

Cross country competes in GNAC championships

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Western’s cross country team competed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships Saturday, Oct. 24, in Bellingham, Wash.

Out of 11 schools, Western’s men’s team placed fourth overall, and the women’s team placed sixth.

The men were led by sophomore David Ribich, who tallied 122 points and finished fourth out of ninety-one athletes on the 8K course. Ribich ran a personal-best time of 24:59, which was 57 seconds faster than his run in the 2014 GNAC Championships.

Senior Stephany Stuckey placed thirteenth out of ninety-seven with a spectacular time of 22:40 on the 6K course.

“I went into the race and felt fantastic and had so much fun with it,” stated Stuckey. “I talked with my teammates before the race about believing that the people behind us on our team was really going for it and putting their best foot forward.”

“I’m really proud of my work, but also of my teammates work,” Stuckey added. “We just did really well as a team.”

Next up, the Wolves will host the NCAA West Regional Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Ore. The women will start at 10 a.m., and the men will begin at 11:15 a.m.

Braxton leads Wolf Pack to victory against Simon Frasier

By: Jamal Smith Sports Editor

In a clash north of the border, the Wolfpack headed to Canada on Saturday, Oct. 24, defeating Simon Frasier University (SFU) 37-26.

The Wolves were led by freshman Malik Braxton (RB) who had a record-setting game, and was awarded the GNAC Football Offensive Player of the Week. Braxton finished the game with 199 yards of all-purpose yards: including 179-yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown pass.

Redshirt sophomore Phillip Fenumiai (QB) got the start for the Wolves and would show his dual threat abilities on Western’s first possession, rushing on third down for a 45-yard first down. Fenumiai tallied 81-yards rushing for the game, adding another 55-yards through the air.

Braxton would finish out the first drive with a bit of trickery, throwing a touchdown pass to sophomore Paul Revis (WR) which evened the score at 7-7. Revis finished the game with five receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

On the next drive, Braxton would break away for a ridiculous 75-yard touchdown run which would give the Wolves a 14-7 lead.

In the second quarter, SFU would outscore the Wolves 10-3 and take a 20-17 lead going into half time.

Midway through the third quarter, senior Trey Shimabukuro (QB) made his return to the field after a three week absence due to injury. On his second drive, Shimabukuro would throw a 56-yard touchdown strike to Revis which gave Western a 24-20 lead, and would be the only points scored by either team in the quarter.

Just seconds into the fourth quarter, and on the first play of the drive, Shimabukuro would connect with redshirt sophomore Katakana Apelu (WR) for a 50-yard touchdown pass which increased the Wolves’ lead to 31-20.

SFU answered the Wolves’ touchdown on their ensuing possession with a seven play, 73-yard touchdown drive to bring the score to 31-26.

With 8:05 remaining in the game, the Wolves started their drive from the one yard line.
On the first play, Braxton broke through and raced past the SFU’s defense, running for a 99-yard touchdown, which set a GNAC record for the longest rushing touchdown and sealed the victory for the Wolves.

The impressive win improves the Wolves’ overall record to 5-3 and 3-1 in GNAC conference play. This is Western’s fourth consecutive victory.

Western’s next game is at home on Saturday, Oct. 31, against GNAC opponent Azusa Pacific University at 1:00 p.m. at McArthur Field.

Volleyball secures dramatic four set victory

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

The women’s volleyball team edged out Saint Martin’s University (SMU) in a tense four sets on Saturday Oct. 24.

The scores for the four sets were 25-19, 25-23, 21-25 and 29-27.

After winning the first two sets, WOU looked to sweep SMU with a win of the third set.

With the score tied at 10-10, the Saints would go on a five point unanswered run and would pull away from the Wolves, eventually winning the set 25-23.

SMU continued to build momentum in the fourth set, going up on WOU 11-5. But the Wolves clawed their way back, eventually tying the score at 23-23.

Seeing the score tied at 25-25, the Wolves buckled down and took their first lead of the fourth set at 26-25 on a long back-and-forth volley. SMU wouldn’t go down without a fight though, and responded by leveling the score twice before the women would put SMU away with a kill from redshirt sophomore Sydney Blankinship.

“I was really happy at how hard we fought today, especially in that last set,” head coach Brad Saindon said.

Redshirt sophomore Alisha Bettinson (OH) led the Wolves with 14 kills and 6 blocks, and redshirt sophomore Sydney Blankinship (MB) and redshirt freshman Amanda Short (OH) each added 9 kills.

“We are improving each game and our confidence is coming around,” added Saindon. “I think we can be a really threatening team for the rest of the season, and the future looks bright for us as well.”

The conference victory improves Western Oregon’s overall record to 7-14, and 4-8 in GNAC conference play, and is the Wolves’ third consecutive victory.

The Wolves hit the road on Saturday, Oct. 31, to play Northwest Nazarene University before returning home to play Western Washington University on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.

Drought Relief

By: Jack Armstrong 
Copy Editor

S_Timbers

The Portland Timbers have ramped up their efforts to qualify for the 2015 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs with a 5-2 win against the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015 in Los Angeles.

Portland fielded a familiar lineup with the exception of young right back Taylor Paey (D) in place of regular starter Alvas Powell who was suspended for the clash. The Galaxy were quick to test the new man, but he proved himself to the fans throughout the night, effectively managing the left hand attack of L.A.

Despite the Timbers cohesive back line, Steven Gerrard (M) rattled the crossbar from a free kick just inside of three minutes into the first half.

Gerrard set the tone for the Galaxy going forward, and in the 35th minute, captain Robbie Keane hammered home a glorious curing volley into the top left corner of the Timbers’ goal.

As the second half kicked off with L.A. controlling the game with a 1-0 lead, Portland roared into life in the 64th minute on the back of leading scorer Fernando Adi (F).

Holding the ball up in L.A.’s box after some brilliant team play, Adi turned and struck a rising shot in the back of the net.

Adi would strike again as he drew a penalty two minutes later. Electing to take it, Adi stepped up and slotted the ball just underneath former Portland Keeper Donovan Ricketts (GK).

This opened the taps with Diego Chara (CDM) scoring a flying header in the 73rd minute.
Even though Keane was able to scrape one back to make it 3-2, Portland would grab two more unanswered goals almost instantly, one from Darlington Nagbe (M/F) in the 84th and another courtesy of Maximiliano Urruti (F) in the 89th minute.

Speaking to mls.com after the game, head coach Caleb Porter said “Maybe there are some guys in LA that are more talented than us, but we wanted to be the better team today.”

Racking up two wins in two against conference rivals including Real Salt Lake, Portland stands on the precipice of a playoff series, but it isn’t a dead lock just yet.

The Timbers must win in their last game against the Colorado Rapids Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015 at Providence Park. If they lose, they must bank on Seattle or San Jose losing their last game, or Kansas City losing both of their final outings.

If Portland can manage to win on Sunday, there is the possibility that they will be the number two seed in the playoffs, granting them automatic passage to the semi-finals and a home game during the cup run.

The number two seed is up for grabs but only if Vancouver loses their last game while Sporting Kansas City and Los Angles draw, or if Vancouver loses and Sporting Kansas city draws or loses to their last game against the Rapids.

If the Timbers don’t secure the number two seed, they will be forced into the knockout rounds to play for a spot in the semifinals.

With a the goal drought still in very recent memory a knockout round with little to no rest could spell disaster for the team, but Portland have been playing better on the road than at home this season and the long rest between the end of the season and the semifinals could cool off their new-found momentum.

With all that being said, those of us in the stands can just sit back and look forward to an exciting round of matches approaching.

Homecoming powder-puff

By: Amanda Clarke 
Staff Writer

The annual powderpuff game took place on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at the intramural recreational field on campus.

This year’s game featured a match up between students living on-campus against students living off-campus.

“There were a lot of students supporting others, which was wonderful to see and be a part of such a united community!” said Karisa Merrill, a sophomore with a pre-professional biology major.

There was a pre-game tailgate that included free food. The event, which was hosted by the Student Activities Board, also gave all attendees chance to take pictures with mascot Wolfie before the game.

A firework display followed the powderpuff game.

The off-campus team sported black uniforms with pink lettering, and the on-campus team sported pink uniforms with black lettering.

Ann-Marie Matagi, a junior social science major, said she felt the game went well.

“There were times when it was aggressive, but other than that our team went out and had fun,” she said.

Matagi played for the off-campus team for her first year at Western this year.

The homecoming court nominees were introduced at halftime. They consisted of students who attended the homecoming activities throughout the week. Members of the Homecoming Court included Jordan Ducotey and Nathan Tew, Shay Guyton and Bryan Kelly and Kaylee Church.

The homecoming honorees from 2014 also made an appearance.

The final court was scheduled to be announced on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the homecoming football game.

The final score of the powderpuff game was 8-0 with off-campus emerging as the victors.

Western a hotspot for Hawaiian student-athletes

By: Jamal Smith 
Staff Writer

It has been well documented within the past decade that Oregon’s major universities have been a draw for Hawaiian athletes.

Although Western is a much smaller college than the University of Oregon or Oregon State, the Wolves still play host to a growing number of Hawaiian student-athletes.

On all three rosters of the football team, soccer team, and volleyball team, the Wolves have a total of 22 Hawaiian athletes; 13 on the football team, six on the soccer team, and three on the volleyball team).

These numbers may not seem all that staggering, but when comparing the number of Western’s Hawaiian athletes to the rosters of the other ten schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), it becomes clear that Western is a stand out in attracting Hawaiian players.

The rosters of football, soccer, and volleyball from all of the other 10 schools in the GNAC conference only have a grand total of 15 Hawaiian students (11 for football, three for soccer, and one for volleyball).

Yes, you read correctly. Western Oregon has seven more Hawaiian athletes in football, soccer, and volleyball than the 10 other teams in the GNAC conference combined.

Generally, Division-II schools across the country recruit athletes within their state lines or bordering states.

Central Washington’s women’s soccer team, for example, has a 28 person roster, all of which are from the state of Washington.

So what makes Western Oregon such a hot destination for Hawaiian athletes?

“I like the people; they’re all friendly,” stated first year midfield soccer player Taylor Cadiz from Mililani, Hawaii. “I also like that it’s a small school. The classes are really small and it’s easier to go to the professors and get help compared to a bigger university.”

Junior midfield/forward soccer player Machaela Rapozo from Lihue, Hawaii said, “I chose Western Oregon because it’s under the WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange Program) and we get in-state tuition here. Also, Oregon is pretty close to Hawaii because it’s on the west coast so we don’t have to travel that far to go back home.”

“There’s still a lot of [Hawaiians] here so you can get away from home but at the same time there’s still the comfort of having other [Hawaiians] here,” Rapozo added.

Whatever the reason may be for a Hawaiian athlete or student to choose Western Oregon over other universities, the Wolfpack is certainly happy to have them.

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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