As the postseason kicks off Wednesday, here's a quick look back at Saturday's regular season finales as well as updated stats and the postseason schedules.
The only item left to be determined for the postseason out of the East was the men's seeding for spots two and three between North Idaho College and Walla Walla. North Idaho picked up a key win to pull even in the table and thanks to a victory by division champion Spokane over Walla Walla, the Cardinals took the second spot based on having swept the season series against the Warriors with three identical 2-1 scorelines.
On the women's side, the highlight of the day was Spokane finishing their campaign unbeaten. At 13-0-1, they were one of three teams - with Peninsula (15-0-0) and Clark (11-0-1) - to finish their division slates without a loss, but the Bigfoot stand alone as the only team to finish the entire campaign without a defeat at 17-0-4.
MEN ##############
Wenatchee Valley 2 :: 3 North Idaho (@ SFCC) - Needing a win and some help from the team whose field they are calling their new alternate home to earn the second seed, the Cardinals found themselves down two goals after the opening 26 minutes. Dilan Calva (Yakima, WA) scored eight minutes in and Lenin Guzman (Connell, WA) added the second for the Knights, but NIC began to climb back in it quickly with Max Mularski (Coeur d'Alene, ID) scoring a minute later. Koby Murphree (Coeur d'Alene, ID) made it even in the 39th for the Cardinals, but it looked like they may come up just short with a a draw just minutes away when Alec Maldonado (Coeur d'Alene, ID) struck in the 88th minute for the win.
Spokane 3 :: 1 Walla Walla - Jonny Cortez (Moses Lake, WA) had another fantastic outing. He scored in the 11th and added another in the 35th to double the lead before the break. He completed the hat-trick in the 64th. Kevin Alvarez nearly had his eighth shutout only to see Emilio Meraz-Rodriguez (Pasco, WA) spoil things with four minutes remaining.
Columbia Basin 3 :: 2 Treasure Valley - Israel Gonzalez (Grandview, WA) scored twice for the Hawks in the 28th and 41st minutes for a solid lead, but Elia Kisimba (Boise, ID) struck in the final minute of the half and six minutes into the second to even things up for the Chukars. Five minutes later, though, it was Gonzalez as the one completing the hat-trick for the game, giving CBC the road win.
NWAC PLAYOFFS - MEN ####
Wednesday, November 2
Game A: (W3) Pierce @ (E2) North Idaho (@SFCC) 5:15
Game B: (E3) Walla Walla @ (W2) Tacoma 11:45
Game C: (S3) Portland @ (N2) Whatcom 4:15
Game D: (N3) Edmonds @ (S2) Clark 12:00
Saturday, November 5
A Winner @ (S1) Chemeketa 6:00
B Winner @ (N1) Peninsula 2:00
C Winner @ (W1) Highline 2:15
D Winner @ (E1) CC Spokane 4:00
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Spokane 5 :: 1 Walla Walla - Since returning from injury, Erica Simpson (Post Falls, ID) has scored 13 goals in six games with three hat-tricks, her third coming against the Warriors. It was Maddy Boyd (Spokane, WA), though, that opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Simpson made two in the 41st with Boyd scoring again in the final minute of the half. Haley Berryman (Ephrata, WA) scored the first goal of the second half in the 57th minute, but any thoughts of a rally by the hosts were dashed by Simpson, who scored in the 64th via Boyd and again in the 73rd as they rolled to the win and finished their season unbeaten.
Wenatchee Valley 1 :: 1 North Idaho (@ SFCC) - Playing away from home due to field conditions, the Cardinals opened the scoring int he 56th minute on a goal from Megan Lowery (Hayden, ID) courtesy of Aliea Son (Pocatello, ID). Ten minutes later the Knights pulled even through Brenna Whitney (Warden, WA) and things stayed deadlocked from there.
Yakima Valley 12 :: 2 Blue Mountain - The Yaks snapped their six-game losing skid with an easy win against the Timberwolves. Katie Balauro (Spokane, WA) scored in the 14th and 21st to get things going. Mayra Fuentes (Wapato, WA) and Taylor Foley (Elk, WA) also struck for two goals with Cami Pfliger (Richland, WA), Biviana Rivera (Grandview, WA), Veronica Cueva (Zillah, WA), Baneza Gonzalez-Nunez (Yakima, WA), Kelsey Smith and Ellie Alexander (Yakima, WA) each getting a goal. Rivera also tallied four assists and Gonzalez-Nunez had five helpers. Damara Morales scored in the first half for the hosts and Tyra Carter (Hermiston, OR) scored in the second half for the Timberwolves.
Columbia Basin 1 :: 2 Treasure Valley - Scoreless after the first half, Lindsey Williams (Twin Falls, ID) scored four minutes into the second half via Madison Wells (Nampa, ID) and Amber Spaulding struck in the 71st for the Chukars. Treasure Valley nearly had a shutout, but Madison Gatherum (Richland, WA) found Diamond Franco to spoil things in the 90th minute.
NWAC PLAYOFFS - WOMEN ####
Wednesday, November 2
Game A: (W3) Green River @ (E2) North Idaho (@ SFCC) 3:00
Game B: (E3) Walla Walla @ (W2) Tacoma 2:00
Game C: (S3) Southwest Oregon @ (N2) Everett 2:00
Game D: (N3) Shoreline @ (S2) Lane 2:00
Saturday, November 5
A Winner @ (S1) Clark TBD
B Winner @ (N1) Peninsula 12:00
C Winner @ (W1) Highline 12:00
D Winner @ (E1) CC Spokane 1:00
STATS ##############
Maddy Parton (Leavenworth, WA) tallied a goal and assist for Peninsula in a 10-0 win against Edmonds in which Cicely Warnick (Pullman, WA) helped complete the shutout in... Tayler Lime (Yakima, WA) scored the opening goal for Shoreline in a 2-2 draw against Whatcom... Kyle Weller (Hailey, ID) made 16 saves in leading Southwestern Oregon CC to a 1-1 draw against playoff-bound Portland for their first point of the season... Songa Katanga (Boise, ID) set up a pair of goals for Whatcom in a 4-1 win against Shoreline... Sergio Vela (Warden, WA) tallied South Puget Sound's second goal in a 4-3 victory against Bellevue.
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