WOMEN'S SOCCER MATCH NOTES: The Evergreen State College enters the final weekend of its 2016 regular season still in the hunt for a Cascade Collegiate Conference women's soccer tournament berth. The Geoducks kept their hopes alive last Sunday with a 3-2 road win against Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont., and this weekend they are again on the road. They play Northwest Christian at 3 p.m. Friday at Willamalane Sports Complex in Springfield, Ore., and close out the regular season with a contest against Corban at 8 p.m. Saturday at Willamette University in Salem, Ore.

FOLLOW THE GEODUCKS:
Northwest Christian live stats and video stream - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ncubeacons/
Corban live stats and video stream - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/corban/

ABOUT THE GEODUCKS: After getting shut out in its first five conference games, resulting in a 0-4-1 record, Evergreen has scored six goals in its last four CCC contests. Now, with six points in the standings from a 1-5-3 conference mark, the Geoducks remain in the playoff hunt and are finally seeing some results from their solid play this season. They need to continue to score goals and play excellent defense if they have any hope of making the eight-team conference postseason tournament. With games at Northwest Christian and Corban, the Geoducks would make the playoffs with a pair of victories. A win and a tie could get them in, but shoudl that happen a large combination of other factors would have to line up for Evergreen to play in the postseason. Senior forward Ellie Engel (Sandpoint, Idaho/Sandpoint HS/North Idaho College) and freshman midfielder Alli Crain (Port Falls, Idaho/Post Falls HS) share the team goal-scoring lead with three apiece, and Engel is the overall point leader with eight from three goals and two assists. Junior midfielder Haleigh Ryneski (Wasilla, Alaska/Bonney Lake Wash. HS) and freshman midfielder Delaney Rice (Arcata, Calif./Arcata HS) both have two goals and one assist, and Rice is the team leader with 23 shots. Senior goalkeeper Kayla Baskett (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy) has a 1.70 goals against average, one shutout and averages 4.42 saves per match, fourth best in the conference. She has played all but 29 minutes in goal for the Geoducks this season.

DEFENSIVE STRENGTH: Evergreen's defense has been well anchored by goalkeeper Kayla Baskett and its two central backs, senior Loren Switzer (Olympia, Wash./Capital HS) and freshman Taylor Germer (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage HS). Those three are among the six players who have started every game for Evergreen – Ellie Engel, Haleigh Ryneski and freshman midfielder Maddie Lockwood (University Place, Wash./Curtis HS) are the others – and have played nearly every minute this season.

ABOUT NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN: The Beacons (6-9-1 overall, 3-5-1 / 10 points CCC) are currently tied with Great Falls for the eighth-and-final berth in the conference tournament. They are in the proverbial driver's seat for that berth as Great Falls has already concluded its season. While the Beacons have an overall losing record, they are 4-3-0 at their home turf, Willamalane Sports Complex in Springfield. The team has scored 22 goals and allowed 23 goals in 16 matches. Emily Miller leads NCU with five goals and Sierra Graton tops the assists list with four. Katie Hastings, with a  1.25 goals against average and two shutouts, shares goalkeeping duties with Mackenzie Galick, who has a 1.55 GAA and one shutout.

RECENT RESULTS IN THE SERIES: Last year in Olympia, Northwest Christian picked up a 4-1 victory over Evergreen. Prior to that, the Geoducks had recorded 3-0 wins over the Beacons in both 2014 and 2013, the latter in Springfield. Over the last nine meetings between the teams NCU has won five and Evergreen four.

ABOUT CORBAN: The Warriors (10-6-0 overall, 6-3-0 / 18 points CCC), who host Northwest University on Friday, enter the weekend in third place in the conference table. They average 1.94 goals per match, best among the 11 conference teams, and they have allowed 24 in their 16 contests. With an average of 5.81 corner kicks per match, Corban ranks second in the CCC. Randi Donahue and Holly Moorman are tied for the team lead with six goals in 16 matches, and Donahue leads her team with four assists and 16 points. Four players have contributed at least three assists this season. Lexi McQueary and Donahue both have tallied three game-winning goals in 2016. Goalkeeper Sheyenne Brusven has a 1.50 goals against average, four shutouts and averages 3.27 saves per match.

RECENT RESULTS IN THE SERIES: The Warriors have won seven straight and eight of the last nine in the series between the two clubs, including a 3-2 decision in Tumwater last year. Evergreen's only win over the last nine came in 2008 by a 1-0 score in Olympia.

LAST WEEK: Evergreen's long road trip to Idaho and then Montana resulted in a loss and a win. On Friday in Caldwell, the Geoducks fell to College of Idaho, 3-1, with Alli Crain getting the goal and Maddie Lockwood the assist for the visitors. Crain was on the scoresheet again on Sunday, getting an assist and a goal in the Geoducks' 3-2 victory over Rocky Mountain in Billings. Ana Vigil (Minneapolis, Minn./Benilde-St. Margarete HS) scored the initial goal, Crain got the second with an assist from Haleigh Ryneski, and Delaney Rice scored the third with the assist to Ellie Engel.