Mount Hood

Western hosts Rugby Pacific Coast Challenge Cup, takes third

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

The final two days of Spring Break were greeted with sunshine, warm weather and four teams coming together to go head to head for a bid to the big stage: the National Small College Rugby Organization National Championship Tournament. On March 30-31, Western was home to the Pacific Coast Regional Challenge Cup, which saw the Wolves, Azusa Pacific University, Humboldt State University and Central Oregon Community College battle each other out in a single-elimination tournament.

In order for Western to have the opportunity to act as host, they had to apply and fall under a number of specific qualifications.

“It was a comprehensive application process,” said Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Andy Main. “We had to outline everything from the size of your bleacher seating … the capability to do live stream … manage parking … manage the staff.” This information was outlined as clearly as possible for NSCRO, which is what Main believes won the Wolves the bid, along with their high level of organization which differentiated us from other schools.

When the bid was awarded to Western, excitement was felt for a couple of reasons.

“Not only were we excited for all the good things it could do for Western,” said Main, “but it meant that our team would be able to play in this tournament. If we hadn’t gotten the bid, we would not have been eligible for this tournament.”

The first semifinal of the tournament on March 30 saw the Central Oregon Bobcats take on the Humboldt State Lumberjacks. After 80 minutes of action, the Lumberjacks came out on top with a final score of 27-17, setting themselves up for the championship match 24 hours later. 

With game one of the tournament over, the Wolves made their way onto the rugby pitch to face the Azusa Pacific Cougars for the second semifinal, ready to see who would take the final seat in the championship match the following day.

From the opening kick, Western was met with a relentless offensive attack from Azusa Pacific. After four tries, three conversions and a 3-point play by the Cougars, the first half came to a close, posting a harsh score of 0-29.

As the second half began, Western was ready to turn things around. Nine minutes in, they scored their first try and conversion of the game, bringing the score to 7-29.

The Cougars were unyielding, but the Wolves weren’t ready to give up the fight. For the remainder of the game, Western put up a noble defensive blockade, holding Azusa Pacific from scoring at all in the second half. The game ended with a final score of 21-29, with the Cougars on top, earning their seat in the championship match.

The sun was shining brightly on March 31 as the four teams made their way to the pitch for day two. This seemed to stir up a sense of optimism in Western, who exhibited a clear hunger for victory as they got ready to take on Central Oregon.

“We came into the game with some energy,” said exercise science major Riley Bardes. “We knew we didn’t come into the game yesterday with energy, so we wanted to do the opposite of that.”

Right from the beginning, the Wolves came out firing. Within the first five minutes, Western scored two tries. The men continued a ruthless, offensive assault throughout the game, holding the Bobcats from scoring until the home-side had 17 points posted on the scoreboard.

The attack only got more brutal from there. The cheers from the audience continuously got louder as the ball seemed to live in the hands of the Western Oregon Rugby Men. Any attempts by the Bobcats to inch towards the goal-line were halted immediately by the Wolves until the game came to a close, 49-7.

“We finished (the season) well here today,” said Bardes, “that’s what we wanted to do… I’m really proud of today.”

In the final match of the tournament, Azusa Pacific came out on top over Humboldt State, 25-5, earning their bid to the NSCRO National Championship Tournament, which is set for April 27-28.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Wolves stomp Eagles, fall to Boxers

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the final time before the Challenge Cup, the Wolves took the field for back-to-back home matches on March 2 and 3. Their first of the two opponents was Eastern Washington University. Due to the Eagles being short on players, the Wolves agreed to adjust the match from the typical 15 vs 15 contest to only 10 vs 10. But regardless of the numbers, the Wolves were ready.

From the opening whistle it became clear that this game was far from typical rugby.

The Wolves blew past the Eagles and were off to the races on a seemingly regular basis. This supposed rugby match quickly became a track meet as both sides were able to make a single tackler miss and sprint to the goalline for a try.

As the game continued on, the only thing running faster than the clock was the score. With the Wolves on top by an amazing twenty points, the scoreboard began to look like that of a basketball game. Players could be heard laughing and joking with each other as the points kept piling on.

By the final whistle, Western put up an astonishing 73 points. Eastern Washington had put up a valiant fight as they finished with 53, leaving the teams to combine for a total of 126 points — an unofficial record for the club. But now the Wolves looked forward to their next opponent, Pacific University.

“We know we’ll have a really physical game” commented senior criminal justice major Chris Davis. “They’re a well conditioned team and communicate well so it will be a good game.”

As the Wolves stepped back onto the field for the second time, it became clear that today’s match would pale in comparison to the previous. The once high-scoring heroics of the offense would have to shift to hard-hitting defense for the Wolves to win.

No team had an advantage over the other as both sides stood their ground. The defensive powers collided over and over like the rumble of thunder. But finally, a crack a lightning struck the Wolves.

A firm Western pass out to the wing was intercepted by an opposing Boxer. The Wolves quickly changed their direction and began their pursuit, but it was too late. Pacific found its way onto the scoreboard first, leading 0-7.

The first half wore on, deprived of another score. Both teams knew that whichever side follied first would suffer. With only 11 minutes left to play, a slick juke followed by a hard cut let to a Boxer breakaway and another score. The Wolves now trailed 0-14.

With only a couple minutes remaining before the half, Western was in desperate need of a score. Thrice before the Wolves had seen their offensive push foiled by Pacific, but with only two minutes remaining, the Wolves caught a break.

Throwing down a would-be tackler with a violent stiff arm, senior Matthew Cornish broke away and flew down for a try. But with a nearly 40-yard conversion try falling short, the Wolves still trailed by two scores, 5-14.

With the second half underway, the abundance of scoring from the previous day showed to be more of a liability than an asset. Out of breath, the Wolves were unable to match pace with the well-rested Boxers. Tries began to pile up on the Wolves as they seemed to have no answer. In the echo of the final whistle, Western eked their way to one last try and conversion. But the match was all but over with Western having fallen 35-11.

After splitting the weekend 1-1 the Wolves look forward to some much needed rest. With their final regular season games now behind them, they prepare to host the Challenge cup on March 30 and 31.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Women’s basketball gets slaughtered on senior night

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

March 2 marked the final time the Wolves would take their home court for the 2019 regular basketball season against Saint Martin’s. Fresh off of a 60-53 win over Seattle Pacific on Feb. 28, the Wolves were ready to finish their season off with a win on senior night. With a pregame ceremony for the graduating senior players as well as for the senior dance team members coming to an end, the Wolves focused on the game ahead of them.

Due to the abysmal 8-17 record for the Wolves leading up to the night, there would be no chance for a postseason. But despite this reality, Western still took to their court with a vengeance.

The Wolves wasted no time as they jumped out to a massive lead half way into the first. A flurry of good jumpers slung Western to a 12-6 lead. This dominating burst was short-lived, however, as the Saints came marching back in the closing minutes of the first. By the end of the opening quarter, Western clung to a one-point lead.

The second quarter showed no team had a clear advantage over the other as both teams swapped the lead back and forth. Each good bucket was met with another by the opposition. But as the minutes dwindled down, Saint Martin’s went on a hot streak that carried them into halftime with a seven point lead.

The momentum gained in the closing of the first half carried into the second as the Saints again buried with Wolves with shot after shot. Saint Martin’s had taken their seven point lead and pushed it to a high of 12 before finally settling at eight.

The fourth quarter showed signs of an all too familiar final quarter of the Wolves. What started as a close match quickly devolved into utter chaos as the Saints pushed their lead higher and higher. With little resistance from Western, the score quickly got out of hand. The final buzzer had the Wolves leaving with their tail between their legs, with the final score reading 82-58.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western baseball hits a walk-off home run, saves game


Sarah Pitz | Freelancer

A bright sunny Saturday afternoon proved a perfect day for baseball. Add to that an excited crowd of 150 spectators, and it was evident the Wolves were ready to bring home a win in their doubleheader against Montana State Billings Yellowjackets on March 2.

The first inning showed some solid hitting by both teams, but none that were able to bring in runs. Pitchers rallied in the second inning. Despite almost getting hit in the face by a pitch in his previous at bat, Western’s Alex Roth delivered with two strikeouts in a row.

Montana State countered, also delivering a pair of strikeouts. With the game scoreless until the fourth inning, things began rolling for the Wolves when Collin Runge scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch.

By the sixth inning, Montana State was scrambling to score. That finally occurred with a run by the Yellowjackets’s Conner Linebarger due to a throwing error by the Wolves. That was rapidly followed by runs from Montana State’s Jalen Garcia, Brandon Koszuth, Daniel Cipriano and Matt Dillion. By the end of the inning, Montana State University had collected five runs.

While the Wolves turned around collecting three more runs of their own — Jared McDonald, Thomas Ahlstrom and Connor McCord all scored — Montana State dominated with an ending sixth inning score of 5-4.  

In the seventh inning, both teams were able to hold their own. But that changed in the eighth inning when Montana State’s Andrew Schleusner picked up yet another run.

However, it was the ninth inning that proved to be the game-changer as Montana remained scoreless and Western pushed ahead.

The break came for the Wolves when Patrick Chun sent a ground ball to second base allowing Derek Maiben to score. Later in the inning, it would be Jared McDonald who hit a home run ball to right center field, bringing home Griffey Halle and Collin Runge. The three run play brought the crowd to their feet and clinched the win for the Wolves.

The 8-6 victory marked Western’s second continuous win and their first home win of the season. The Wolves would continue to end up on top in their four game series with the Yellowjackets with three wins and one loss.

 

Contact the author at spitz18@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Men’s Basketball smothers the Wildcats

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the final time in the 2018-19 season, the Wolves took their home-court on Feb. 23. Having beaten Central Washington University early in the season on Jan. 24, Western knew their final match was a must-win to finish their home-season off right.

After a senior night presentation for the departing members of the team, the Wolves started to take it to the Wildcats. Within minutes of tipoff, the Wolves sank a couple of baskets to jump out to a slim four-point lead. This minimal lead proved to withstand the precision shooting of Central Washington as the Wolves clung to it. By midway through the half, Western was able to build off of their lead, pushing it to seven.

The Wildcats were nipping at the heels of the Wolves throughout the final minutes of the first half. However, every comeback attempt by Central Washington was met with a barrage of shots by the Wolves. Western’s lead was extended to a double-digit margin with only a handful of minutes left. But a relentless final push by the Wildcats shrank that lead to four by halftime.

The Wildcats were able to carry the momentum they built in the closing seconds of the first half to the second. The once mighty double-digit Western lead had been diminished to a single point. This minuscule lead was soon eliminated as Central Washington took their first lead of the game.

Less than 10 minutes remained on the clock as the score stood deadlocked at 51 each. After a good free throw and a breakaway dunk, the Wolves were back on top. And this time, the Wolves wouldn’t surrender their lead. Every shot by the Wolves pushed their lead higher and higher. The Wildcats had no answer for this deadly finale by Western.

The Wolves had taken a tied game, and 10 minutes later had beaten the Wildcats by a huge 15 point margin. Smiles could be seen across the Western side as the Wolves had blown away Central Washington 77-62.

The Wolves finish their season with two more matches against Western Washington and Simon Fraser before heading to the GNAC Tournament.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Club Sports know how to win

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western’s Club Sports department has been continually expanding with new team after new team in the past two years. One thing that these teams seem to have in common — winning. This tradition was proved true again as the Wolves club sports took to their respective fields on Feb. 23 and 24.

One of the teams competing was the brand new Men’s Basketball Club. Just weeks after being introduced as a member of the club sports family, the team took to the court in a multi-game tournament at the University of Portland. With three teams listed to play, the men knew their games would be anything but easy.

Just as the basketball team took to the court in Portland, the year-old Women’s Soccer Club took to the pitch in Corvallis. The tournament was a two-day event, spanning the weekend. Just a year ago, the Wolves took part in this tournament for their first-ever game.

The last of the competing teams was the Women’s Rugby Club on their home turf in Monmouth. The Women’s team has only played a handful of games due to scheduling problems. Despite these difficulties, the Wolves were still ready to play.

Scores began to ring in from all across Oregon, and most scores followed a familiar trend — Western wins.

The day started off with a disappointing loss from Women’s Rugby, falling to the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 23. But the sorrows quickly shifted as the basketball scores were posted.

Despite being only a few weeks old, Men’s Basketball had beaten the University of Oregon, Portland State University and the hosting University of Portland. This undefeated record caused the Wolves to be named the tournament champions — an amazing feet for a team that was only an idea a few months ago.

The final games of the weekend were to be played on the soccer pitch. The first day of the Oregon State University tournament was huge for the women, as they took on both the first University of Oregon team as well as the hosting Beavers. With a relentless offense, the Wolves blew past both teams to post a 2-0 record on day one. The following day, the Wolves took on the second Oregon and Oregon State squads. Again, the Wolves topped the hosting Beavers, but fell at the hands of the Ducks. After a strong showing, the Wolves finished third overall in the tournament.

With two of the three teams competing being founded during or after the previous school year, Western’s club sports are a new force to be reckoned with.

To become a member of a club sports team, visit IMLeagues.com/wou/clubsports.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Women’s basketball falls to Yellowjackets

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Nearly a month after their last meeting, the Wolves took the court again against Montana State Billings on Feb. 21. With a disappointingly long five-game losing streak hanging above the team, Western was in desperate need to end the spell. Sitting third from last in the GNAC standings, the Wolves were ready to attempt to pick up a much needed win.

The first quarter looked promising for the Wolves, as they quickly jumped out to the lead over the Yellowjackets. Efficient passing helped push the Wolves to a growing lead as the quarter’s time passed.

Montana State Billings was able to post a short run of their own to narrow Western’s lead, but the Wolves were relentless with the rebounds to help extend their lead to nine as the first quarter closed.

With the momentum still swinging their way, the Wolves offense came out even stronger in the second quarter. Western quickly scored a pair of baskets to push their lead to more than double that of the Yellowjackets. The Wolves edge seemed to hover in the low teens as the clock ticked to only a minute left before the half. However, cracks began to form as a pair of missed three-pointers from the Wolves let the Yellowjackets to narrow the gap to five.

The pendulum of momentum started to slip away from the Monmouth women in the third quarter. The Wolves’ lead began to follow a trend of one step forward, two steps back as their five-point lead jumped to seven, only to be cut to three just moments later. The Yellowjackets eroded what was once a double-digit Western lead. By the end horn of the third, the Wolves were down by one.

The fourth quarter was shaping up to be an all out brawl as the Yellowjackets and Wolves traded baskets. The opening minutes of the final quarter seemed to be anyone’s game, but this slugfest ended as the Wolves seemed to buckle under the pressure. Two missed layups and a missed jumper from the Wolves let the Yellowjackets grab a lead they wouldn’t let go.

The final minutes of the game were a disaster for the Wolves as the Yellowjackets sealed Western’s fate. It took the Wolves over a quarter to grow a double digit lead — Montana State Billings was able to do so in just three minutes. By the final whistle, the Wolves’ losing streak pushed to another high, falling 80-70.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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