Ching Testimonial Friday in Houston - A look via #ThrowbackThursday

#ForeverChing

The day is here... tomorrow. Former Spokane Shadow and Gonzaga University standout Brian Ching will take the field for the final time Friday as a player in a Testimonial Match presented by the Houston Dynamo and BBVA Compass in honor of the three-time MLS Cup champion, six-time MLS All-Star and former US international featuring a number of current and former teammates.

INW College Recap - Final Edition: Concordia brings title back to NW

With only the DI men’s final four remaining as the final college soccer left this season in the nation, the action for the northwest has come to a close… and in fine fashion as the Concordia women captured the NAIA championship over the weekend. The Cavaliers were led by a handful of INW-area players as they posted four shutouts in the national tournament, knocking off the top two seeds along the way, including the defending champions, as they finally captured their first title in four tries.

Award-winning Waibel guiding Huskies into unprecedented territory

Waibel was named Far West Assistant Coach of the Year by the NSCAA Thursday | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

Only three years removed from playing his final Major League Soccer game for the Houston Dynamo and in his second season as an assistant coach for his alma mater, Spokane native and former Spokane Shadow PDL standout Craig Waibel was honored Thursday by the NSCAA and has the University of Washington on the verge of the NCAA Final Four with a home contest against New Mexico. The game can be seen on the Pac-12 Networks.

“It has been a year of steady growth and continued improvement for our guys,” Waibel told INWsoccernews. “They have battled as tough as any of their competitors and have found ways to win game through efficient play, and at times beautiful soccer.  But their spirit and their humility is their true strength. They also possess the ability to win games ugly when needed.  They have the confidence in themselves to set aside their ideals of the beautiful game and roll up their sleeves. And in doing so, they show their maturity as a group and their overwhelming desire to succeed on the field.

Spokane Shadow appoint Barnhart as GM for EPL-WA men’s team

The Spokane Shadow men’s soccer team set to re-launch in 2014 as members of the state’s newly-formed Evergreen Premier League (EPL-WA) announced that Spokane native and INWsoccernews founder Gerald Barnhart, who served as the first Public Relations Director for the Shadow’s USL Premier Development League team from 1997-99, has joined the team and will serve as the general manager.

INW Best XI - Week 13: Ludwigs, Swanson guide Gonzaga & Loggers to wins

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 13: Season coming to a close, with a few exceptions

It was a difficult weekend for college soccer fans in Eastern Washington as the Washington State Cougars were knocked out of the tournament at home in penalty kicks, and despite finishing third with an emphatic win in their home finale, the Gonzaga men were not selected Monday for the men's tournament.

Elsewhere, however, some teams will continue to play in national tournament action. Rocky Mountain College is the lone team from the region still alive with their NAIA tournament campaign set to begin this weekend, but there are several other schools featuring INW players still in play. Among them are the Santa Clara women (DI), Puget Sound women (DIII), Corban men (NAIA), Concordia women (NAIA) and Westminster women (NAIA)

Gonzaga soars by Gaels, hope midnight howl enough to get selection committee's attention

Ludwigs and Phillips provided plenty to celebrate Sunday in home finale | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERY

Aside from one long-range effort that was on the mark for the Gaels, the Gonzaga Bulldog men completely dominated the team's home finale en route to a 3-1 victory Sunday in a showdown for third place in the West Coast Conference. More importantly, the Bulldogs put an exclamation point at the conclusion of their impressive 2013 campaign hoping that it would be enough to send the Zags into the NCAA tournament via the selection committee, which will announce the field Monday morning.

Tourney hopeful Zags fall 1-0 to San Francisco, face must-win Sunday against Gaels who moved to third in Portland

The Zags wrap up their home season with Senior Day at noon Sunday | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERY

The NCAA tournament-hopeful Gonzaga men were dealt a big blow Friday afternoon amidst the constant, frigid drizzle that came down, falling 1-0 to visiting San Francisco in the first of their final two games of the season. They play again Sunday at noon, hoping a win against Saint Mary's in a showdown for third in the conference will be enough to earn an at-large berth.

INW Best XI - Week 12: Bowden & Boyd lead Boise State and C of Idaho to big wins

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 12: NWAACC Final Fours are set; players announced for All-Star games

The Warriors of Walla Walla CC were the lone sides from the East to survive the NWAACC Quarterfinal Round contests Wednesday as they won both at home while Spokane was swept on the road and the Columbia Basin was knocked out on the women's side.

INW College Recap - Week 12: Frontier & Cascade - Rocky Mountain men headed to NAIA tourney; C of Idaho reach CCC playoffs

In the Unaffiliated Group qualifying tournament, the top-seeded Rocky Mountain sides split after reaching their respective championship contests. The Battlin' Bear men edged Jamestown College 1-0 to reach the NAIA tournament while the ladies dropped their first game of the year against conference foe Westminster, 1-0, in the Final.

Meanwhile, the CCC ladies started the postseason tournament to narrow the field down to two. Top seeds Concordia and Northwest University prevailed in the semifinals, though the Eagles needed penalties to squeak by Corban. On the men's side they finished out the regular season with the Yotes posting a huge win in their finale to jump up to fourth and claim the final berth in the conference tournament, which kicks off Tuesday.

INW College Recap - Week 12: GNAC & NWC - Puget Sound sweeps NWC titles; CWU falls in GNAC semi

In the GNAC, Central Washington's postseason hopes were dashed in the semifinals by third-place Seattle Pacific, who rallied with a pair of late goals to reach the final and eventually win the title against top-seed Western Washington via penalties. On the men's side the Falcons finished a close second to defending champion Simon Fraser, coming up just one point shy of the guaranteed berth.

In the Northwest Conference, the Puget Sound Loggers, having already clinched the men's title, made it a sweep as the women wound up seven points clear with a pair of wins while fellow contender Linfield collapsed with two losses.

INW College Recap - Week 12: WSU Cougars extend streak vs rival Huskies to a decade; GU men sweep LMU

The result itself may not have looked dominant by the 1-0 scoreline, but the numbers on a larger scale are much more impressive as Washington State is now 7-0-3 over the last 10 years against Washington. More importantly, the Cougars are reaching new heights in program accomplishments - most wins and best conference finish at second - and are on the verge of a third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, fifth in the last six years.

Meanwhile, the Gonzaga men are still on the hunt for a potential NCAA berth, finishing a split on the road in California with an impressive victory over conference-leading Loyola Marymount before heading home for the final two games of the season this week.

INW College Recap - Week 12: Broncos make run, but fall short in MWC Final; plus WAC & Big Sky tourney results

The Broncos of Boise State added to their quality season with a good run in the Mountain West Conference's postseason tournament, reaching the championship game before falling to San Diego State by the same narrow 1-0 scoreline from the regular season. The results, which included a victory over second-place Fresno State could have the Broncos on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile, the University of Idaho Vandals saw their final Western Athletic Conference contest finish with a big thud as they were unable to solve regular season champion Seattle University in their third consecutive meeting. After falling 3-0 and 3-1 in the final week of the season, the Vandals were thumped handily by the Redhawks, who cruised to the league championship with a 3-0 win in the Final.

The Vandals now begin preparations for the Big Sky, which crowned its postseason conference champion over the weekend. Weber State took the crown after a scoreless draw with Portland State via penalties, marking the third consecutive year the conference title has been decided from the spot. Two years ago the Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament after falling in the tiebreaker to Montana, who were edged in last year's shootout by Idaho State.

Pirates prevail 2-0 as Whitworth, Whitman men close out NWC campaigns

Saturday was about more than the final score for the regional foes | Photos: Gerald Barnhart 

Local foes Whitworth and Whitman met Saturday afternoon in Spokane with the host Pirates coming away 2-0 victors on goals from Matt Bray and Will Wren. It was the Northwest Conference finale for the two programs, though, first-year Whitworth coach Morgan Cathey is hopeful the team has an outside shot of being selected as an at-large representative of the NWC in the Division III NCAA Tournament with their 17-3-3 overall record and 10-2-2 conference campaign.

"I think, hopefully, we still have a chance on Monday," said Whitworth head coach Morgan Cathey. "Being fourth in the region I think we'll have to see what happens with the at-large bid. I don't know if we are in a place right now over UT-Dallas, but I think our guys thoroughly deserve to be considered in the NCAA tournament talk. I think we haven't lost in seven or eight games."

CC Spokane sweeps NWAACC playoff doubleheader to reach Quarters

The Bigfoot now hit the road for Quarterfinals Saturday | Photos Gerald Barnhart 

Looking to return to the championship match after finishing runners-up a year ago, the Bigfoot women snared a relatively easy 3-0 victory in the opening round of the NWAACC postseason with a pair of goals from Tasha Luu as they downed visiting Bellevue College, sending them to a Quarterfinal showdown with Clackamas, whom they faced in the semifinals a year ago and in the season opener this year.

In the second half of the doubleheader the Sasquatch men made an adventure of it against the visiting Titans as they were in control much of the match and held the lead after an early Brian Clark penalty. However, the final five minutes saw Tacoma come within inches of scoring the equalizer three times only to come up short in the 1-0 decision.

INW Best XI - Week 11: Setterlund led WSU to huge upset wins, Cass guided RMC over rivals

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 11: GNAC & NWC - Central Washington set for GNAC tournament as two-seed

In a preview of their GNAC semifinal contest coming up this weekend, the Central Washington Wildcats concluded the season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Seattle Pacific to move into second, though the tournament is being held at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA.

The GNAC men still have one week outstanding as they will not play a tournament, and the Northwest Conference still has one more weekend of play remaining, though the Puget Sound men have clinched the men's title. On the women's side the Loggers are also in the top spot, though they leaped into it by defeating Linfield, who had been at the top for most of the campaign. They both have two games in the final weekend of action.

INW College Recap - Week 11: Walla Walla women win showdown for first as Warriors claim title double

The NWAACC season came to a close in a somewhat drama-free fashion aside from the first-place showdown between leaders Walla Walla and Spokane, who were separated by just one point. The Warriors rolled to a surprising 5-0 victory to avenge their lone loss of the season, leaving the duo as part of a trio across the NWACCC that finished with only one loss on their overall record along with Whatcom. Whatcom was joined by reigning NWAACC women's champion Peninsula (16-0-0) as the only unbeaten teams in conference campaigns. The East Division finished Walla Walla, Spokane and Columbia Basin for both the men's and women's seasons.

INW College Recap - Week 11: Frontier & Cascade - Conference playoffs set begin for all but CCC men

Eastern Oregon finished their turnaround season with a victory over the College of Idaho to claim the fifth season in only their second postseason appearance in program history while on the men's side of the CCC, the College of Idaho remains in the running for the fourth and final seed going into their final game, though they need a home victory Saturday versus seventh-place Warner Pacific and a loss by Evergreen at last-place Northwest Christian.

Conference play finished up in the Frontier Conference, which will play host to the Unaffiliated Group tournaments courtesy of top seed Rocky Mountain College. The RMC men wrapped things up by avenging last week's loss to Great Falls and the ladies were the only team to sweep the final-week series between the three Montana-based schools which saw Carroll split as Great Falls lost to both rivals.

INW College Recap - Week 11: Washington State downs two ranked sides; Double-split for Gonzaga

It was a statement week for Washington State as the Cougars knocked off two ranked opponents in Pullman. First they rallied past 21st-ranked California for a 3-1 victory and then they stunned 6th-ranked Stanford - their first win at home against Stanford since 1993, which also ended a pair of amazing Cardinal road streaks.

Meanwhile, a little further north the Gonzaga duo split their respective pair of contests. The Bulldog men split, ending a lengthy winless stretch in conference play on the road with a win in Portland before returning home and falling to Santa Clara. The lady Zags went to overtime in both games on the road, falling at Pacific and rebounding to defeat Saint Mary's.

INW College Recap - Boise State, Idaho prep for MWC & WAC tournaments; Big Sky tourney set

A pair of victories propelled Boise State to third in the MWC in the final week of the season, placing them in the Second Round of their tournament and the University of Idaho found a bit of fortune in other results, allowing them to hold onto the fourth seed in their final season in the WAC, setting up a third consecutive match in the period of two weeks with Northwest foe Seattle University, who won this weekend's matches by 3-0 and 3-1 to finish perfect on the year in conference.

Lower Division Power Rankings: November 4

Only one game remains in Lower Division play this year, making the rankings more or less a done deal with the exception of New York and Atlanta next week in the final edition.

This week, though, Carolina jumped up into the top five by locking up the best overall 2013 record in the NASL, but the biggest movement was further down where Minnesota moved up two spots with a big win at Tampa Bay while FC Edmonton's draw at Fort Lauderdale ensured they had one of the better tallies in the loss column overall for the year than most of the league as the result was their 12th tie of the year.

Lower Division Recap: Round 31

In the semi-preview of the NASL Soccer Bowl set for 7:30 pm ET Saturday, the New York Cosmos claimed a 1-0 road victory over the Atlanta Silverbacks in the regular season finale to finish the Fall campaign with just one loss and an eight-point gap over the second-place side Carolina RailHawks.

The RailHawks, who finished second in the Spring season as well, jumped into the number two spot with a 2-1 victory over the visiting San Antonio Scorpions while Tampa Bay had fallen 4-6 at against Minnesota. The results also ensured Carolina finished with the best overall point total for the entire 2013 campaign as they 12-7-7 for the year for 43 points, finishing five points in front of the 10-8-8 Rowdies.

Whitworth women snare 1-0 win in home finale; Wren leads men to 3-0 win

The Whitworth men will celebrate Senior Day next Saturday vs regional foe Whitman | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The Whitworth women closed out their home slate with their eighth conference play shutout performance and claimed the victory against visiting Lewis & Clark on a late goal from Jackie Day, and the Pirate men had yet another easy go of it as they blanked Linfield 3-0 in a game in which reserves saw plenty of action and defender Will Wren tallied a brace playing up top.

Whitworth and Willamette play to a pair of draws

The Pirates play at home again Sunday on what will be Senior Day for the ladies | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

Finding goals was a difficult task Saturday at Whitworth as the Pirate ladies finished in a scoreless draw, their third in four games, against visiting Willamette and the men rallied for a 1-1 draw against the Bearcats, eliminating them from contention for the conference title that went to the University of Puget Sound with the day's results.

INW Best XI - Week 10: Galbraith, Lilly lead Northwest & CBC to victories

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 10: Frontier & Cascade - Playoff races heat up going into final weeks

The College of Idaho men saw their postseason chances take a hit when the Yotes fell at Evergreen, which is also chasing the fourth and final spot in the conference tourney, and now trail by five points along with Oregon Tech. On the women's side, things are a lot more wide open, but Eastern Oregon currently sits fifth, one point back of third with a game against the last-place Yotes in the final week.

In the Frontier Conference, the Great Falls men moved into first with a victory over rival Rocky Mountain but the two meet again in the final week. On the women's side RMC is still on top with an unbeaten record, but in the small conference everything is still up for grabs as the three Montana schools all play one another in the final week.

INW College Recap - Week 10: Showdown Wednesday likely to decide women's title for NWAACC East

The story in the NWAACC East continues to be the domination of Walla Walla and Spokane. The men's side has seen the two clinch first and second, respectively, while on the women's side the two are separated by only one point going into the final week, making the showdown Wednesday at leaders Walla Walla most likely the deciding factor between the two for the division title which currently resides in Spokane and a nine-year stint with the Warriors.

Meanwhile, the North Idaho College men opened their postseason play with a win before falling to the region's top seed in the second contest. The women begin postseason play this week.

INW College Recap - Week 10: GNAC & NWC - Whitworth men continue to roll with road sweep

The Whitworth men are doing their best to repeat as the conference champions, but it looks like catching Puget Sound, who have a five point lead and relatively easy slate remaining, is a tall task at this point. This week, the Pirates earned a pair of shutout wins on the road versus Pacific and George Fox. Meanwhile, the Whitworth ladies continue to fight despite having a limited squad, earning a scoreless draw at Pacific and taking league-leading Linfield nearly the distance before falling in the final minutes of overtime.

It was a tough week for the region's schools in the GNAC as MSU-Billings and Northwest Nazarene men's sides faced league-leaders Western Washington and Simon Fraser. Each had close-knit contests against the Vikings, but were routed by the Clan north of the border. The Central Washington women, meanwhile, earned four points on the week.

INW College Recap - Week 10: DI round-up - Several INW programs still in mix for postseason play

The Big Sky Conference regular season came to a close and all three programs in the region missed out on the top four and a playoff spot, including 2012 co-season champions and playoff finalists Montana and Idaho State. The Bengals, with a shot at making the final cut, won their opener on the road at North Dakota, but lost a decisive battle for fourth with Northern Colorado in the second outing.

Meanwhile, ISU's counterparts are still alive for a chance to reach the playoffs. The Boise State Broncos, facing two of the league's top teams, narrowly fell at home to powerhouse San Diego State but rebounded to edge New Mexico. The Vandals of Idaho lost at Kansas City, but won on the road versus New Mexico State to remain in a three-way race for fourth.

Across the Palouse, and the border, the Washington State Cougars, strong contenders for an NCAA tournament berth, posted a sweep of their PAC-12 counterparts in Arizona, blanking both the Wildcats and Sun Devils on the road.

Lower Division Five Stars: Week Thirty

A weekly list of the top five players or performances of each round in NASL, USL Pro and MLS Reserves in all competitions…

ROUND THIRTY (October 21-27)

Player – Club (5 Star Selections)

Pablo Campos - Minnesota United (3)
Played a key role in all three goals in the 3-1 victory over Fort Lauderdale, tallying the opener and final goals as well as setting up the second.

Lower Division Power Rankings: October 28

With the now Fall champion Cosmos firmly entrenched among the elite of the year, the shuffling continues amidst the middle of the pack as the rest of the NASL remains filled with parity. The Silverbacks continue to fall down the list with a string of big losses just weeks before the Soccer Bowl.

This Week (Last Week) Club (League) :: W-L-D :: Notes

1 (1) Orlando City (USL Pro) :: 16-4-6 :: League champions

2 (2) New York Cosmos (NASL) :: 8-1-4 :: Rallied from an early deficit to clinch NASL Soccer Bowl berth with a 2-1 victory at San Antonio.

Lower Division Recap: Round 30

The chase is over. The New York Cosmos rallied on the road for a 2-1 victory against the last-place San Antonio Scorpions to clinch the NASL Fall season and a berth in the Soccer Bowl with the Spring champion Silverbacks in Atlanta. The league announced Friday it has reached an agreement with the ESPN broadcast networks to carry the game, November 9 at 7:30 ET, on ESPN3.com (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish). Coincidentally, the exact same match-up will see the Cosmos in Atlanta for the final game of the regular season Saturday in a preview the week before the title game.

CC Spokane soars past Wenatchee Valley in evening doubleheader

The Bigfoot are back in action at home Saturday with doubleheader starting at noon | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The Sasquatch ladies kicked things off in a rare NWAACC East doubleheader under the lights at Spokane Falls CC Wednesday evening with a rout of visiting Wenatchee Valley College that finished 8-0 while the men were unable to break down the last-place Knights until the second half in a 2-0 victory.

INW Best XI - Week 9: Larson & Luu lead Whitworth and CC Spokane to sweeps

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 9: Frontier & Cascade - Rocky Mountain women post a road sweep

The Rocky Mountain women had a good week on the road, handing Carroll the program's first defeat at home in two years before heading to Utah for a win at Westminster. The Eastern Oregon women, meanwhile, earned a split on the road and almost came away with a draw against unbeaten Northwest University only to see it slip away in the final minutes.

INW College Recap - Week 9: Walla Walla, Spokane continue to widen NWAACC East gaps

Columbia Basin's sides gave Spokane and Walla Walla some trouble this week, but the Hawks just were not enough to get any points in their meeting with the NWAACC East title contenders. Meanwhile, the game of the week had to be the eight-goal affair between the Treasure Valley and Wenatchee Valley women in which the two exchanged early goals and the host Knights rallied from three down late in the game for a draw.

The North Idaho College women joined their men's counterpart in the postseason with a pair of road wins while the men wrapped up their regular season campaign with a pair of road wins over NWAACC sides.

INW College Recap - Week 9: GNAC & NWC - Whitworth gets rare sweep of UPS, PLU; Northwest Nazarene ties unbeaten SPU

The Whitworth men have not had a home sweep of fellow regular NWC title contenders Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran since 2005, but the Pirates completed the feat with an impressive 1-0 victory against the Loggers in which they did not allow a shot on goal, handing them their first conference loss, and then downed the Lutes in convincing fashion, 4-1, a day after Pacific Lutheran fell 1-0 on the very last second of overtime at Whitman. Meanwhile, Northwest Nazarene posted an impressive result in GNAC play, getting a last-minute goal to tie unbeaten Seattle Pacific 2-2.

Lower Division Five Stars: Week Twenty-Nine

A weekly list of the top five players or performances of each round in NASL, USL Pro and MLS Reserves in all competitions…

ROUND TWENTY-NINE (October 14-20)

Player – Club (5 Star Selections)

David Estrada - Seattle Sounders Reserves
Scored the opening goal and set up the third as the Sounders won 4-1 at rival Portland.

INW College Recap - Week 9: DI round-up - Boise State wins in advance of big homestand

Though they currently sit fourth in the conference, the Boise State Broncos posted a 3-0 victory at Colorado to remain in a tight group in contention for the regular season title with the top two teams, San Diego State and New Mexico, coming to town this week. It was a tough week for Gonzaga as the men suffered their first conference loss at Santa Clara after nipping visiting Portland midweek and the women dropped an overtime decision at fifth-ranked Portland in a bizarre finish.

In the Big Sky, Idaho State split their two games this week amidst a record-setting performance from Amanda Ellsworth while the Montana Grizzlies snared a narrow victory over visiting Eastern Washington. In the Palouse, it was a depressing week as Washington State lost at home to the struggling Beavers and Idaho dropped a pair of one-goal decisions at home.

Lower Division Power Rankings: October 21

In the NASL, the clubs have separated into three tiers led by the one-loss Cosmos all alone in the first. The second group features Tampa Bay, Carolina and Atlanta jockeying with each other week after week for 'second-best' status. Then there is the rest, battling it out to avoid being at the bottom. The third tier is where the biggest movement was this week as FC Edmonton ended New York's five-game winning streak with a draw.

Lower Division Recap: Round 29

There was an eight-goal game this week in the NASL, but only two late goals really mattered when it was all said and done as a 76th minute penalty Saturday kept the Tampa Bay Rowdies Soccer Bowl hopes alive for one more day and a 90th minute equalizer for FC Edmonton at New York Sunday kept the Cosmos from clinching the Fall title, at least for one more week. Meanwhile, the MLS Reserve League came to a close* with all three games finishing with at least five goals.

Whitworth men win big against Pacific Lutheran after scoreless women's contest

The Pirates trek to Oregon next week before returning home | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The Whitworth men and women both dominated on the day in their doubleheader with visiting Pacific Lutheran University Sunday with the injury-plagued ladies settling for a scoreless draw in the first contest and the men rolling to a 4-1 victory after a three-goal first half performance.

The victory for the men marked the first time the Pirates swept the duo of visiting teams (Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran) since 2005. Though they had lost only three times over the course of those 14 games the last eight years, they missed the sweep on four other occasions due to draws. The bad news on the day, however, was that Puget Sound won 2-0 at Whitman to keep the gap at five points in the table.

Whitworth men hand Puget Sound first NWC loss 1-0; ladies fall 3-0 to Loggers

Another Whitworth home doubleheader Sunday vs Pacific Lutheran | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The Whitworth University men dominated in a 1-0 home victory over the previously perfect University of Puget Sound, who were unable to register a shot on goal in their first conference loss of the season. The win followed a loss earlier in the day for the Whitworth ladies, an injury-plated side that came back in the second half to make the play on the field a lot more even than the eventual score would show as the second-place Loggers used a pair of goals from Kylie Beeson to snare the 3-0 victory.

Successful collegiate career nears end for Oliver Gore at Rocky Mountain College

Gore has enjoyed his time as a Battlin' Bear, but what lies ahead? | Photos: Gerald Barnhart 

As a striker for an NAIA program at a school featuring just over one thousand students in Montana, national media attention - not to mention professional scouting - does not exactly beckon. For Rocky Mountain College's Oliver Gore, however, that may not matter as his senior season in the Frontier Conference nears an end and he will be able to explore options himself.

This week the Englishman was selected by INWsoccernews as part of it's Best XI for the third time this season and eighth over the past two years after he tallied a goal and an assist over the weekend. His 17th goal of the year was number 63 of his career at RMC.

CC Spokane sweeps visiting Columbia Basin, 3-1 and 3-0

Two entirely different games finish with nearly identical outcomes for Sasquatch | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The CC Spokane Sasquatch women cruised to a relatively easy 3-1 victory Wednesday afternoon versus the Hawks of Columbia Basin College in the first game of the doubleheader while the men battled to a hard-fought victory that was far more difficult than the final 3-0 scoreline would indicate.

INW Best XI - Week 8: Bevans & Fisher lead Bulldogs and Bigfoot to big victories

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 8: Frontier & Cascade - Rocky Mountain posts sweep over Jamestown

In the Cascade Conference, the Eastern Oregon women split on the weekend while the ladies from the College of Idaho dropped both matches at home. The Yotes did pick up a victory in the lone men's match however. Rocky Mountain were the lone winners in the Frontier as they swept a doubleheader with Jamestown, which had more success at Great Falls with a men's tie and women's win. The Westminster women also visited Montana, tying Carroll and beating Great Falls.

INW College Recap - Week 8: Spokane, Walla Walla split NWAACC East showdown, NIC splits with Dakota County

The top two programs in the NWAACC East met Wednesday in two evenly-fought matches that featured thrilling second half action. In the first match, the Sasquatch women of Spokane scored twice to get their first win over the Warriors in many years. The men nearly went scoreless before WWCC found a late goal, creating late drama. The Spokane men were then upset over the weekend, falling at Treasure Valley.

INW College Recap - Week 8: GNAC & NWC - MSUB, NNU finish deadlocked with each other, unbeaten for the week

INW region foes MSU-Billings Yellowjackets and Northwest Nazarene Crusaders could not get the better of one another this week with the the ladies finishing in a 1-1 draw Thursday and the men playing to a scoreless affair Saturday. The Crusader women played to another 1-1 draw Saturday against visiting Western Oregon while the Yellowjackets topped Saint Martin's 2-1. Meanwhile, Central Washington downed Seattle Pacific and Simon Fraser. In the NWC, regional foes Whitworth and Whitman squared off on the men's side with the Pirates prevailing 2-1. Whitman also narrowly defeated Walla Walla U in a non-conference contest and both schools blanked George Fox on the women's side.

INW College Recap - Week 8: DI round-up - Gonzaga men continue unbeaten WCC start

The Gonzaga men's program continues to enjoy one of its most successful seasons in years, downing visiting Loyola Marymount and posting a 3-3 draw in a game against San Diego they had the better of play in. Meanwhile, the GU women split in California. Also splitting results on the weekend were Washington State, who scored three in each game, and Boise State. The Big Sky's INW trio saw mixed results as Montana also split, earning their first conference win, while Idaho State played to a draw and Eastern Washington lost twice, including being the first to lose to second-year Big Sky program North Dakota, who were zero for 13 previously.

Lower Division Five Stars: Week Twenty-Eight

A weekly list of the top five players or performances of each round in NASL, USL Pro and MLS Reserves in all competitions…

ROUND TWENTY-EIGHT (October 7-13)

Player – Club (5 Star Selections)

Diomar Diaz - New York Cosmos (2)
Set up the opening goal eight minutes in and doubled the advantage in the 53rd as they blanked Carolina 4-0.

Outstanding Gonzaga performance spoiled by San Diego in 3-3 draw

Clark Phillips (L) and Nick Hamer (R) jubilation from equalizers | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERY

In what could have been a marquee result in their West Coast Conference campaign with the offense running on all cylinders throughout the contest as they held the better of play, the Gonzaga Bulldog men had to settle for a 3-3 draw Sunday at home versus San Diego, which used two penalties and a corner to make things much more difficult than needed to be.

San Diego took the lead twice on set pieces with Nick Hamer equalizing for the Zags after the first and Clark Phillips the second before adding his own go-ahead goal in a dramatic five-goal second half.

Lower Division Power Rankings: October 13

With a big win over the only team that has handed them a loss, the New York Cosmos have more than proven their success in a half a season of competition is not to be taken lightly, moving them up to the second spot in the rankings as they are arguably, the heavy favorites to win the Soccer Bowl in Atlanta at this point, unless the Silverbacks return to the form that earned them the Spring crown.

Lower Division Recap: Round 28

It is nearly over with three weeks left in the NASL Fall season as the New York Cosmos can only be caught mathematically by the Tampa Bay Rowdies (seven back) and Spring champion Atlanta Silverbacks (eight back). That means with a dozen games left throughout the league, it could all be over next week if Tampa Bay and Atlanta falter Saturday or New York wins at home Sunday against seventh-place FC Edmonton.

Whitworth women edge George Fox 1-0 in dominant performance

One goal was all the Pirates needed versus George Fox Saturday | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERY

In a game that was far closer on the scoreboard than what the possession and opportunities could have led to, the Whitworth women earned a narrow 1-0 victory against visiting George Fox University Saturday afternoon. The Pirates had chance after chance throughout the contest, but it was Kristin Wucherer's tally in the 49th minute that stood as the deciding tally.

NWAACC East contenders Walla Walla and Spokane split doubleheader

Spokane and Walla Walla square off in the return half of the series October 30 | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

CC Spokane and visiting Walla Walla CC - the clear NWAACC East Division leaders in both genders - played to a pair of thrilling encounters Wednesday afternoon at Spokane Falls CC with both games featuring even play and thrilling second half finishes. The CC Spokane women prevailed 2-0 with a fantastic Tasha Luu strike and a late counter finished by Rainey Pelzel while the men's contest nearly went the distance scoreless before Walla Walla's Mario Guizar struck in the 89th followed by a frenzied finish.

INW Best XI - Week 7: Goalkeepers Caballero & Siegl lead Gonzaga, Idaho to positive road results

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

For games of October 1-6

INW College Recap - Week 7: Frontier & Cascade - Eastern Oregon turnaround season success continues

A trip to Jamestown proved to be a difficult trek for Great Falls as the Argos men's and women's sides lost all four games on the weekend by the same 2-1 scoreline. Though the second game was cancelled due to field conditions, the Carroll women came away with a 4-1 win against Jamestown and Rocky Mountain women played to a 1-1 draw with conference foe Westminster.

Meanwhile in the Cascade Conference the College of Idaho men picked up the lone win in three games for the Yotes and the Eastern Oregon women split their two road contests to continue their impressive turnaround season.

INW College Recap - Week 7: Spokane, Walla Walla pull away in NWAACC East, square off Wednesday

As things transition to play within the East Division now that crossover competition with the North has concluded, one thing has become abundantly clear: Walla Walla and Spokane - who meet in Spokane Wednesday - are clearly the top two sides in both the men's and women's leagues. On the men's side the Warriors are unbeaten (5-0-2) and Spokane is not far behind with one loss (4-1-1); while on the women's side both are unbeaten with Walla Walla (7-0-1) leading Spokane (5-0-3)

The remaining teams in the division for both genders all have losing records thus far; and on the women's side third-place Columbia Basin (2-4-2) is the only other team with a win as the three others are a combined 0-20-4.

INW College Recap - Week 7: GNAC & NWC - MSUB & NNU men pick up weekend sweeps

In the GNAC this week both MSU-Billings and Northwest Nazarene men's sides swept their respective pair of games, but the big result was the 2-1 victory goalkeeper Cody Lang (Spokane, WA) helped lead Seattle Pacific to over top-ranked Simon Fraser. Meanwhile in the NWC it was a rough road week for Whitman and Whitworth with only two points between the four teams as the Pirates picked up a pair of draws at Pacific Lutheran.

INW College Recap - Week 7: DI round-up - In California Gonzaga men earn two road draws & WSU women split

The Gonzaga men had not earned a point on the road in conference play since 2009, but the Bulldogs continue to surprise many this season and came away with two points this weekend with a pair of draws at Saint Mary's and San Francisco in which the defense allowed just one goal. Also in California this week was Washington State. The lady Cougars suffered their first loss of the year against the third-ranked UCLA Bruins but rebounded with a win at USC. In other Division I results, the INW trio of Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Montana only picked up two wins in six combined Big Sky contests; Idaho split a pair of road games and Boise State won in their lone home contest.

Lower Division Five Stars: Week Twenty-Seven

A weekly list of the top five players or performances of each round in NASL, USL Pro and MLS Reserves in all competitions…

ROUND TWENTY-SEVEN (September 30-October 6)

Player – Club (5 Star Selections)

Ryan Finley - Columbus Crew Reserves (3)
Trailing by one at halftime, he scored the equalizer and go-ahead goal in a 3-1 victory at FC Dallas.

Lower Division Power Rankings: October 7

The New York Cosmos continue to prove they are the best of the NASL in the Fall season while the rest of the pack chasing them suffered losses to the bottom three teams within the rankings, leading to them slipping slightly down the rankings and the rest of the league inching upward.

Lower Division Recap: Round 27

The New York Cosmos won on the road to move seven points clear with four games remaining in the Fall campaign, making themselves strong favorites to reach the NASL Soccer Bowl in Atlanta in their first season on the field. New York leads a pack of five teams - four tied for second seven back, and Atlanta, which is eight back. Among the foursome is Carolina, which visits New York next week, and Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Fort Lauderdale.

Portland State posts 2-0 road win at Eastern Washington

Eagles fall on two first half goals in Big Sky home opener | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERY

The Portland State Vikings maintained their position at the top of the Big Sky table with their third win of the season, using two quality strikes in the first half to down host Eastern Washington, which is now 0-3.

INW Best XI - Week 6: Barsher & Duty lead Whitman, Central Washington to pair of wins

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 6: NWAACC East outdoes North in final week of inter-divisional play

In the final weekend of competition between the East and North Divisions of the NWAACC, the East came out slightly on top as both the men and women's teams each finished with a 3-2-4 record against the North. Walla Walla had the best overall performance with a 3-0-1 record on the week.

INW College Recap - Week 6: Tough week for INW schools in Frontier, Cascade Conferences

The RMC Battlin' Bears traveled to Utah where the men edged host Westminster 1-0 while the ladies rebounded from a 1-0 loss to 21st-ranked CSU San Marcos before rebounding to top William Jessup 3-2. It was a rough week for the rest of the teams in the region as the Carroll women and College of Idaho men were both swept.

INW College Recap - Week 6: GNAC & NWC - Whitworth & Whitman men, Central Washington women sweep

The Whitworth Pirates and Whitman Missionaries dominated their foes from George Fox and Pacific on the weekend by an aggregate 17-6 tally. Things did not go as well on the women's side as the Pirates dropped both contests and Whitman fell in the first to Pacific only to rebound for an upset win over 20th-ranked Linfield.

In the GNAC, it was the Central Washington women having the best outing among the three INW schools as they defeated the other two, Northwest Nazarene 4-1 and MSU-Billings 2-1 in overtime, for a sweep on the weekend.

INW College Recap - Week 6: DI round-up; Bengals & Grizzlies still deadlocked in Big Sky

With conference play underway for most of the Division I programs, the Big Sky kicked things off this week with a championship rematch between Idaho State and Montana, who ended up playing to a third consecutive draw between the two programs. Meanwhile, in their Pac-12 opener Washington State was surprisingly stymied by the Oregon Ducks in a scoreless draw.

Lower Division Five Stars: Week Twenty-Six

A weekly list of the top five players or performances of each round in NASL, USL Pro and MLS Reserves in all competitions…

ROUND TWENTY-SIX (September 23-29)

Player – Club (5 Star Selections)

Quincy Amarikwa - Chicago Fire Reserves (2)
Trailing by two at home, he scored twice in a five minute span to pull even with Montreal in a 3-2 victory.

Lower Division Power Rankings - September 30

The New York Cosmos have captured that elusive defining victory to prove the one-loss start to the season is not a mirage, downing Tampa Bay to switch places with them near the top of the list. Several other switches took place, though they were among the four sides that lost this week.

Lower Division Recap: Round 26

The logjam in the NASL continues with only three points separating second and sixth, but the New York Cosmos (5-1-3) used a thrilling comeback victory at home over Tampa Bay in a battle for first to move ahead of the pack by four points. Meanwhile, MLS Reserve League action is winding down for the season with three contests in the past week, including an exciting rally at home by Chicago against Montreal.

Whitworth splits homestand doubleheader against Pacific University

The Whitworth men had plenty to celebrate while the Pacific women won the other match | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The Whitworth men and women each saw a rally Sunday afternoon in home contests against Pacific University, but experienced them from different sides of the story. Tiara Pajimola's fantastic tally in the first half was not enough as the ladies fell 2-1 while the men rebounded from an early deficit - on a goal from Spokane native Ian Farley - to pull even and, after a Pacific red card, pull away in a 4-1 victory.

Gonzaga men close out successful non-conference slate with 2-1 win over Seattle U

The Zags had plenty to celebrate in the wet conditions Saturday | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

Back home after nearly a month on the road in which the Bulldogs enjoyed their greatest success in quite some time, the Gonzaga men, ranked 23 by Soccer America, found some freedom from the wind in the second half Saturday afternoon to build a two-goal lead against Seattle University en route to a 2-1 victory on a very wet and blustery afternoon.

INW 2013 College Preview - Big Sky Conference at a Glance

INWsoccernews rounds out its series of conference previews with the Big Sky Conference, which currently features three teams in the region and is kicking off conference play this weekend. A year ago, the conference was a wide-open race with plenty of parity. Judging by the preseason conference poll, the coaches expect that to be the case again.

INW Best XI - Week 5: Surprise results land Whitman's Tsuji, Linfield's McCool top honors

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.

INW College Recap - Week 5: Walla Walla & Spokane proving only hopes for NWAACC East

As the inter-divisional play continues in the NWAACC between the East and North, it is becoming increasingly clearer each game day that the CC Spokane and Walla Walla CC men and women are the best sides as they are the only programs continually registering positive results outside of the division. They were a combined 6-0-1 on the week with the only other victories for the East coming via the Wenatchee Valley men and Columbia Basin women as the North came out on top with an 11-8-1 mark for the week between the two divisions.

INW College Recap - Week 5: UGF Men's four-win week highlights Frontier, Cascade Conference results

The Argonauts had an excellent week, posting big victories over visiting Walla Walla twice midweek before traveling to Utah and posting two more, including one against conference foe and host Westminster. Meanwhile, the lady Argos were able to avenge their preview Red Lion Challenge loss to the College of Idaho, but fell at Westminster.

INW College Recap - Week 5: Mixed results for INW teams amidst start of GNAC, NWC conference play

Conference powers Simon Fraser men and Western Washington women were tough opponents for MSU-Billings and Northwest Nazarene in the first week of conference play in the Division II GNAC while the Whitworth and Whitman men and women ended up with a mixed bag of results on the road as they kicked off conference play in the Division III NWC.

INW College Recap - Week 5: DI round-up; Gonzaga men top another ranked foe on the road

Fresh off of receiving their highest ranking since 1997, No. 19, the Gonzaga men continued their lengthy road series in Chicago, suffering a 1-0 setback before rebounding to defeat 21st-ranked and unbeaten Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Washington State women remain unbeaten by adding a pair of non-conference victories in California to their ledger heading into conference play, and the ladies of Boise State finished their non-conference slate unbeaten against PAC-12 opposition (2-0-1) with a win at Arizona State before falling at 13th-ranked Baylor.

Lower Division Five Stars: Week Twenty-Five

LD Soccer News on Facebook

A weekly list of the top five players or performances of each round in NASL, USL Pro and MLS Reserves in all competitions…

ROUND TWENTY-FIVE (September 16-22)

Player – Club (5 Star Selections)

Hans Denissen - San Antonio Scorpions (4)
Set up the equalizer and later converted from the spot in stoppage time to sting visiting Carolina 2-1.

Lower Division Power Rankings - September 23

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Tampa Bay and New York headline the top sides among the NASL in the rankings, and one could make a serious jump up the list with a commanding performance when the two meet this week after having previously played to a scoreless draw in the second week of the Fall campaign. The top five of the NASL have firmly entrenched their place in the top 10, barring any poor run of form, but it was San Antonio making a big jump up the list thanks to a win over Carolina.

Lower Division Recap: Round 25

LD Soccer News on Facebook

It took eight weeks, but teams are beginning to separate into tiers in the NASL with the New York Cosmos and Tampa Bay Rowdies pulling a handful of points clear of the pack. Meanwhile, the MLS Reserve League saw a light week of action with only two contests.

Scoreless stalemate for Gonzaga women and Nevada

Gonzaga women now hit the road for five consecutive over the next month | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

In a mostly lackluster afternoon, the Gonzaga women played to a scoreless draw Sunday versus visiting Nevada in a game in which neither team really assumed full control, though the Bulldogs began to show some life near the conclusion and into overtime.

CC Spokane women top Green River, tie Whatcom; men edge Whatcom 1-0

The Bigfoot men and women remain after going combined 2-0-1 on the weekend | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The CC Spokane men and women finished the weekend unbeaten with the ladies kicking things off with a 4-0 victory over visiting Green River CC on Friday and continuing their two-day outing with a 1-1 draw against Whatcom CC in a Saturday doubleheader that saw the men come away victorious 1-0.

INW 2013 College Preview: WAC, PAC-12 and MWC at a Glance

With conference play kicking off in the Western Athletic Conference this week, INWsoccernews continues its series of conference glances with the WAC, the Mountain West Conference and the PAC-12, each featuring one school in the region (series concludes with Big Sky next week).

INW Best XI - Week 4: Caballero shutout leads Zags, Castain double-brace leads Cougs

Each week INWsoccernews will release lists of the week’s best performances for men’s and women’s soccer in the region, recognizing players at schools in the region or those from the area that play elsewhere in the nation.