WOMEN'S SOCCER: The Cascade Collegiate Conference women's soccer season gets underway this weekend as Evergreen hosts Eastern Oregon on Friday and Warner Pacific on Saturday. Kickoff for both matches is slated for 3 p.m. at Geoduck Pitch, also known as Field #4.
FOLLOW THE GEODUCKS: If you are unable to attend the game, you can follow the action via live stats at
https://neo-client.stretchinternet.com/client/evergreen.portal#.
ABOUT THE GEODUCKS: The Geoducks enter today's match with a 2-1 record in pre-conference matches. Since opening with a 2-0 loss at Willamette University, Evergreen has scored eight goals while beating Sierra Nevada College and Pacific University.
Haleigh Ryneski is the team's scoring leader with two goals, while
Delaney Rice,
Ellie Engel and
Kylie Gorton have all contributed a goal and an assist. A total of six different players have put the ball in the back of the net, and the Geoducks also benefitted from an own goal in the Pacific match.
Kayla Baskett has played all 270 minutes in goal and has compiled a 2.00 goals against average. "We are really looking forward to the new season. We have all of our conference nominated players returning –
Loren Switzer,
Haleigh Ryneski and
Vanessa Zamora – along with a couple of other key players returning to health plus a lot of new players that will add depth and strength to every position on the team," head coach
Adam Fenster said. "With some work on and off the field we should improve from years past. We'll have the experience in the back line with three senior defenders and two senior goalkeepers, plus some young talent running for us upfront. We should be a fun team to watch this year."
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS: Eastern Oregon is building a strong tradition and comes into the 2016 conference season after having participated in the 2015 NAIA national tournament. The Mountaineers return a significant number of players from that team, led by, among others, senior goalkeeper Jessica Parker and sophomore forward Zoe Anderson. In compiling a 3-2-1 pre-conference record, the Mountaineers have scored 11 goals while allowing five. A total of 10 players have scored goals, led by Mariana Madrigal with two. Nan Kiebert paces the team with three assists. Parker has a 1.14 goals against average while splitting time with two other players.
CATCH THEM WHILE YOU CAN: Because of the quirky Cascade Conference women's soccer schedule, the Geoducks will play only four of their 11 conference matches at Geoduck pitch. So if you want to see Evergreen play on its home turf, this weekend's matches provides just two of the four opportunities available. It should be noted, incidentally, that the Geoducks played seven of last season's 11 conference matches at home.
