Montana wins Gonzaga 7-v-7 tournament in penalties

Photo Galleries:  GU-v-Idaho-White  -  CWU-v-Idaho-Black  -  WallaWalla-Gold-v-Montana-Maroon  -  EWU-v-Montana-White

The University of Montana and tournament host Gonzaga University women’s soccer programs dominated the weekend’s 7-v-7 event held Saturday on the GU campus. Montana would prevail in the championship game, 4-3 in a penalty kick tiebreaker, after a 3-3 draw against the defending two-time champion Zags, wrapping up the 12-team competition.

The tournament featured teams from Central Washington University (and CWU alumni), Eastern Washington University, the University of Idaho (2), the University of Montana (2), Spokane Community College and Walla Walla University (2) along with the host and their alumni team. The stronger programs were in Groups A and B with the top five (one wild card) and the winner of Group C advancing to the knockout phase.

Idaho State wraps up spring slate with success

The Idaho State University Bengals traveled to Boise over the weekend for the final friendlies of the spring season.

They played to a pair of draws, getting a 1-1 result Saturday against a Washington State University program that finished fourth in the Pac-12 a year ago and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. The following day they drew 2-2 with host Boise State despite holding a two-goal advantage with 20 minutes remaining.

Local high school sophomores return to Spokane Shine

The Spokane Shine of the Women's Premier Soccer League announced today the return of a pair of local high school sophomores to the roster for the summer. Joining the team will be Mead's Kara Marbury and University's Hannah Holm.

Marbury, also plays for local youth clubs Spokane Shadow and Washington Premier FC, is entertaining offers for several universities nationally, including the northwest's University of Portland and Washington State University. Also in consideration are Baylor, Illinois and Purdue.

Holm, who also plays for local youth club FC Spokane, is currently a member of US Youth Soccer's national Olympic Development Program pool.

Ching ends drought in Houston Dynamo draw

Former Spokane Shadow and Gonzaga University striker Brian Ching tallied for the Houston Dynamo Saturday in a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer action, ending a nine-game goalless streak dating back to the 2011 campaign.

Northwest women’s soccer comes to Gonzaga Saturday

The Gonzaga University women’s soccer program hosts its third-annual 7-v-7 Tournament Saturday on campus, bringing together a number of schools from the region in the 12-team competition. Joining the Gonzaga and GU alumni teams at the tournament will be teams from Central Washington University (and CWU alumni), Eastern Washington University, the University of Idaho (2), the University of Montana (2), Spokane Community College and Walla Walla University (2).

The tournament splits the various squads into three groups of four, playing 40-minute matches on the stadium field (split in two) and the adjacent practice field. The action kicks off first thing in the morning at 9 am with schools from three different states in action as Gonzaga faces the Maroon Montana Grizzlies, the Black Idaho Vandals play the Eastern Eagles and an all-Washington showdown of Spokane CC and Walla Walla.

Montana Grizzlies announce 2012 schedule

The University of Montana Grizzlies have quite a schedule ahead of them in the final third of the calendar year. The defending Big Sky playoff champions will see much of the western United States with eight non-conference games away from home to open the 2012 season. And similar to last year, the Grizzlies will finish with four regular season contests on the road.

In his first year as head coach for the University of Montana, Mark Plakorus used a difficult schedule to forge a team strong enough to win the Big Sky Conference playoff tournament in Colorado, earning a trip to the NCAA tournament, where they fell to top-ranked and eventual champion Stanford, 3-0. The Grizzlies, who finished up the slate with four of five on the road in 2011, shocked many with as the fourth and final seed – earned with one victory on the road in that final stretch – when they won consecutive shootout tiebreakers against both top seed Northern Colorado and Weber State after identical 1-1 draws in the tournament.

Gonzaga blanks Seattle University 2-0

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A cool little rain gave way early Sunday morning on the campus of Gonzaga University for the women’s side to play its second spring friendly in as many days, downing visiting Seattle University with a pair of goals in the first of the three-period contest.

The Redhawks, who fell 5-0 Friday evening against the W-League Seattle Sounders Women featuring five US National Team players, had the initial pressure in the first four minutes of the contest with Gonzaga coming back at them for the next few minutes. The game then settled into a fairly even back-and-forth flow for the rest of the way.

Gonzaga edges EWU in spring friendly

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On a cool Saturday morning, Gonzaga University and nearby Eastern Washington University squared off in a spring season women’s soccer exhibition that finished 1-0 in favor of the hosts in downtown Spokane. Though the match was a friendly, the competition was quite physical as both sides showed they meant business in preparing for the fall.

The three-period contest was dominated, for the most part, by Gonzaga, who limited Eastern’s opportunities to score to very few. Meanwhile, the Zags were regularly in the offensive third but could not find the finishing to make the score reflect the chances on goal.

Gonzaga had plenty of attack early with back to back chances in the ninth minute come close and the ensuing corner sent over the goal. Two minutes later midfielder Kasey Rubosky sent a nice ball from the left behind the defense to Kenzie Lubeck, creating a one-on-one with the keeper. Lubeck, however, would be stuffed by the charging netminder, who made several nice stops in the contest.

MAJOR SPOKANE MERGER: Shadow and SSC to merge

 The Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club and Spokane Soccer Club (SSC) Elite Youth Soccer Club announced Friday their intention to merge into a new club known as Spokane Soccer Club Shadow. Both Shadow Technical Director Sean Bushey and SSC Elite Director of Coaching Abbas Faridnia will remain in similar positions within the new club.

“Our Spokane soccer players deserve to compete against the very best our state, region and, eventually, our nation has to offer,” said Shadow Technical Director Sean Bushéy in an announcement released by both clubs. “We cannot do that if we do not find ways to work together. Our clubs have found a way!” 

"While others have chosen to blaze a path for a few coaches, we have chosen to bring two clubs together because we know it is best for players at all levels, coaches and the community as a whole." added SSC Elite Director of Coaching Abbas Faridnia. "Our competition lies at a higher level.  Our players deserve this chance to represent Spokane and the outlying cities from which they reside, including north Idaho, Pullman and Moses Lake.”

More on this story coming soon...

Busy weekend for Gonzaga University soccer

The Gonzaga men's squad heads across the state to play the North Sound SeaWolves of the USL Premier Development League in a friendly. The SeaWolves will play the scrimmage against Gonzaga University at 3:30 p.m. on April 14 at Quil Ceda Stadium (5611 108th St. NE, Marysville, WA 98270). The game will involve players who advanced through two rounds of SeaWolves open tryouts held earlier this year. The SeaWolves also announced Wednesday the return of four players from its 2011 roster.

Back at home in Spokane, the women's side will play host to Eastern Washington University Saturday and Seattle University Sunday in a pair of morning matches. Seattle U will be coming off a friendly Friday evening versus the Seattle Sounders Women of the USL W-League.

Seattle U’s INW trio face Sounders Women Friday

The Seattle Sounders Women continue their preseason slate Friday evening at the Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. with a friendly versus local Seattle University, which features three Inland Northwest players from Boise, Pasco and Spokane.

Junior M/F Carlee Norquist (Boise, Idaho), sophomore M/F Shawna Anderson (Pasco, Wash.) and redshirt sophomore midfielder Ashley Fritts (Spokane, Wash.) will be going up against the W-League team featuring five US Women’s National Team players.

The match-up will create a Tri-Cities showdown between Anderson and Richland native Hope Solo, the star goalkeeper from the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Solo faced only a few challenges in their opening friendly versus Seattle Pacific University, leaving late in the contest with a shutout performance and three saves.

Solo and Sounders Women soar in win over SPU Falcons

The Seattle Sounders Women got off to the new-look start in fine fashion with a 5-0 victory over Seattle Pacific University in a preseason friendly. It was the first action with four of the team's five US Women's National Team stars in the lineup, including Richland native Hope Solo, who posted 83 shutout minutes before being switched out.

Spokane native Megan Lindsay had very limited opportunities on the night as the Sounders dominated possession. The Gonzaga Prep grad in the first half had a shot on goal and set up another in two of the very few moments that Solo was challenged.

Kennewick's Rodriguez returns to Spokane Shine

The Spokane Shine announced the return of Kennewick, Wash. native Julissa Rodriguez for the 2012 Women’s Premier Soccer League campaign, joining fellow New Mexico Highland University teammate Alyssa Saucedo on the roster.

The Cowgirls senior striker concluded her collegiate career in fine fashion last fall being named to her third NCAA Division II All-America team and receiving her second consecutive Division II Central Region Player of the Year award. The RMAC Pre-Season Player of the Year did not disappoint during the 2011 campaign with 16 goals and a total of 40 points, finishing as NMHU's all-time leading scorer with 32 goals in just two years.

“Julissa will be staying in Spokane versus trying to commute from the Tri-Cites as she did last summer,” said Spokane Shine Head Coach Jason Quintero. “She is in form and really enjoying her soccer which could be huge for us.”  

Spokane’s Megan Lindsay to test Richland’s Hope Solo Monday in first friendly for Sounders Women, US National Team stars

Lindsay in action for Seattle Pacific University (photo: SPU)

It is only a friendly Monday evening, but Spokane native Megan Lindsay (Gonzaga Prep High School) will lead Seattle Pacific University against the Seattle Sounders Women in an exhibition at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. The game is the first of the university’s spring campaign and will be the first match for the new-look Sounders Women, who have signed five US Women’s National Team players for the 2012 campaign.

The striker is one of four juniors on the squad that will be called upon face the Sounders, pitting her up against Richland native Hope Solo, the starting goalkeeper for the Olympic-bound US National Team and star from last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

"I'm really excited to test Hope Solo and see how she is in person,” said Lindsay about the upcoming contest. “She did really awesome in the World Cup, making fantastic saves. There are balls that she gets to that most goalkeepers wouldn't even think of diving for, and she saves them. She's super-good at PKs. I'm actually in awe of how great of a goalkeeper she is.”

Timbers bring Oregon into US Soccer Development Academy fold

Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers were announced as a new addition to the US Soccer Development Academy for the 2012-13 season, joining the West Conference's Northwest Division.

The conference includes Crossfire Premier (Kirkland, Wash.) and Seattle Sounders FC (Tukwila, Wash.) as well as a number of clubs from California and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Canada.

Currently, all USSF Development Academy membership resides west of the Cascades, leaving a void in the Inland Northwest. According to US Soccer communications, there has been minimal interest from clubs outside of the Northwest’s larger communities of Seattle and Portland.

Whitecaps Women add WSU’s Setterlund

Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday the return of three Canadian U-20 national team players, including Washington State University midfielder Nicole Setterlund, for the 2012 USL W-League season. Setterlund, 19, returns for her third season with Whitecaps FC in the W-League after making three appearances during the 2011 W-League season.

Solo back in Seattle

She has been in Seattle for less than 24 hours, but Hope Solo is already the center of attention in her home state, where she will be playing for the W-League Seattle Sounders Women this season.

Eastern Oregon appoints Platts as assistant

With new head coach Jennifer Simonetti in place, Eastern Oregon University announced the addition of Mark Platts as the assistant coach for the NAIA school.

Richland’s Solo posts shutout versus Brazil

The U.S. Women’s National Team scored on three set plays in Chiba, Japan to defeat Brazil 3-0 in its second and final match of the Kirin Challenge Cup in a game that kicked off four hours earlier than previously scheduled due to inclement weather.  Richland, Wash. native Hope Solo recorded the shutout in goal.

Boise State busy hosts in April

The Broncos will play host to six games this spring. The ladies will kick things off April 14 against Northwest Nazarene and conclude the busy slate two weeks later with the Alumnae Game April 28.

Gonzaga, WSU spring Women’s schedules

The Gonzaga and Washington State Women opened their spring campaigns with friendlies versus the University of Idaho last month, but have several more contests in April.

Spring soccer well under way for Vandals

The University of Idaho Women are off to a busy start to a spring campaign that features five friendlies against regional colleges and wraps up with the Gonzaga Tournament April 21.

Gonzaga Men busy in Western Washington

On the heels of a 4-12-2 season the Gonzaga Bulldogs are spending some extra prep time over in Western Washington playing some friendlies. The series of games began with a match against the Seattle Sounders MLS reserve squad Sunday and continues against a pair of USL PDL clubs.