Seven Reasons to watch MLS Cup Saturday

Both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, after surprising sub-par seasons, showed their veteran experience and quality in the MLS Cup playoffs, and are set to play for the league championship for a second consecutive year Saturday. Here are some of the top reasons for Northwesterners to catch the game at 1:30 pm PT on ESPN (or Telefutura, TSN, RDS) even though the Sounders and Timbers are not playing... 

School changes to highlight final Vandals season in WAC

Denver University will not be following the University of Idaho to the Big Sky when the Vandals make the move in 2014-15. In their one and only season in the WAC Denver won the conference title this season at 6-0-2 (17-3-4 overall) and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time before bowing out to defending champion Stanford. 

Tournament Updates: INW players lead Concordia in title quests

Thanksgiving has come on gone and only a handful of players from around the region are thankful for still being alive for a national championship as both Concordia sides face a four-game week for the NAIA championships in Alabama.

Peninsula Pirates snare NWAACC titles from grasps of Spokane, Walla Walla for rare double

Both defenses were difficult to beat for Spokane and Peninsula in title game | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (gallery)

Sunday just was not a good day for the NWAACC East Division. Both of the East-West All-Star teams fell to the North-South in the first half of the day’s action at the Starfire Sports Complex, and then the CC Spokane women were edged via penalties, 3-2, after a 1-1 draw for the championship by the Peninsula Pirates, who also saw the men win, 1-0, against Walla Walla on an 87th minute tally.

The double was the league’s first since 1999 when Columbia Basin won both titles in a showdown with current East Division rival Spokane in both the men’s and women’s finals.

Big block sends Bigfoot onto NWAACC Final

Currie surrounded after scoring winning tally | Photo: Gerald Barnhart (photo gallery)

It was about as one-sided as a semifinal match could be Saturday morning at the Starfire Sports Complex as the East champion CC Spokane Bigfoot squared off against Clackamas in the first semifinal of the day, but it came down to a 90th minute Lateashea Currie strike created by a Tasha Luu block in the offensive third as the Sasquatch advanced, 1-0. The Bigfoot will face Peninsula, 3-1 winners against Everett, in the championship in Tukwila, Wash. Sunday at 3:00 pm PT. 

Week 13 Collegiate INW Best XI – Men & Women

It is tournament time. Only a handful of teams and players are left in action, making week 13 the final installment for a Best XI list. For games through Sunday, November 11.

All-Star laden Sasquatch headed to Tukwila for NWAACC Final Four

It was a cold afternoon with temperatures just above freezing after the season's first snowfall a few days before

NWAACC Semifinals set for men & women; All-Stars & honors announced

The record-setting CC Spokane women affirmed their status as a top seed Saturday by clinching a ticket to the league’s Final Four with a fairly easy 3-1 victory over Whatcom CC, the second seed from the North. They join the trio of Peninsula, Everett and Clackamas, who are all returning from last year’s quartet.

College Recap: Tournament time for INW teams

Three schools from the Inland Northwest (Idaho State, Washington State and Whitworth) and players from the region representing eight other teams (Arizona State, Santa Clara, Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, Puget Sound, Concordia M&W and Rocky Mountain) advanced to their respective national tournaments. The NCAA schools have already kicked off their title chases - highlighted by Western Washington getting wins in the first two rounds of DII action - while the NAIA gets underway this weekend.

Whitworth’s Pirates best known for defense; kick off postseason Saturday

Final words on a chilly night beneath the temporary lights at Whitworth | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

When it comes to the Pirates of Whitworth, the story is more of a case of defending the ship instead of plundering the opposition or living carefree like Captain Jack Sparrow. These buccaneers, who mark their return to the NCAA Division III tournament at 3:00 pm PT Saturday in San Antonio (Trinity University) against Mississippi College, have posted one of the nation’s best defensive performances this year via a crew of six that have stifled one opponent after another.

Bigfoot look to take another big step forward Saturday in playoff opener

CC Spokane Bigfoot celebrate winning the East Division | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (gallery)

On Saturday, the NWAACC’s second-best team on paper begins its playoff campaign in the league quarterfinals when the CC Spokane Bigfoot play host to Whatcom CC, the second-place side from the North Division, at Spokane Falls Community College. The winner advances to the NWAACC Final Four the following weekend in Tukwila, WA at 1:30 pm.

Week 12 Collegiate INW Best XI – Men & Women

This week’s list of recipients are a mix from teams finishing their seasons and those in conference postseason action. For games through Sunday, November 4.

College Recap - CCC & Frontier: Rocky Mountain sweeps Frontier; Northwest, Concordia have same opportunity

Not surprisingly, the top two seeds in the Cascade Collegiate Conference's tournament, Northwest and Concordia, were victorious in the semifinals. On the men's side, the College of Idaho closed the season on a positive note with a pair of shutouts against Oregon Tech while others were playing for the postseason. Chief among the other results was Warner Pacific spoiling Concordia’s bid for an unbeaten season.

In the Frontier Conference, Rocky Mountain captured the league championship with a pair of victories over their state foes on the weekend, blanking Great Falls and narrowly slipping by Carroll in the season finale. The title sends them to Tennessee, where they will square off with Martin Methodist College of Tennessee (14-3) Saturday for the Frontier / TransSouth Unaffiliated Group championship. The men made it a sweep with a victory over the Argos, sending them to Salt Lake City to face the same MMCT Saturday.  

College Recap - NWC & GNAC: Whitworth women fall short as men learn NCAA foe; MSUB falls to WWU in Final

A rough Halloween week proved to be more trick than treat for the Whitworth women as they saw their title hopes dashed with three losses. After clinching the title last week, the men played their reserves in the final match as they awaited news of their NCAA DIII Tournament draw. Meanwhile, in the Division II GNAC, MSU-Billings bid for a berth via an upset against Western Washington was dashed in the league final.

College Recap - WCC & PAC-12: Cougars top Huskies, hope for NCAA spot

The Gonzaga women wrapped up their campaign with a thumping of nearby rival Eastern Washington in a non-conference match-up while Washington State continued its run of dominance over state rival Washington, hoping that an NCAA tournament berth is in the future with a 12-6-1 overall record. 

College Recap - Big Sky, WAC, MWC: Idaho State lone team to win conference tourney

While their state's other Division I compatriots, Idaho and Boise State, were knocked out of their conference tournaments in the WAC and MWC, Idaho State stayed true to it's top seed - despite a three-way tie for the title - in the Big Sky and came away with a league-high fifth championship to clinch a berth in the NCAA tournament, advancing via an outstanding goalkeeping performance by freshman Sheridan Hapsic in two penalty kick shootouts at home.

MSUB reaches GNAC Final; Montana, Idaho State to meet for Big Sky title

Shot from Richter (left) led to MSU-Billings winner from Mancilla (right) in GNAC semifinal

Montana State University-Billings upset second-seeded Seattle Pacific in the semifinals of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Thursday evening while Idaho State and Montana advanced from their respective semifinals Friday afternoon.

LD Update: MISL season kicks off; NASL Minnesota gets new owners

The spotlight of MISL opening weekend was stolen away a bit by the NASL's announcement Friday that the Board of Governors ratified a deal that allowed the league-owned Minnesota Stars to be acquired by a new local ownership group.

Week 11 Collegiate INW Best XI – Men & Women

With the end of the season in sight, teams were looking for needed results for postseason positioning or to for positive finishes for seniors and the future of the program. For games through Sunday, October 28.