Located in the valley of the Blue Mountains, the Eastern Oregon women's soccer program faces arguably some of the toughest obstacles in finding success in La Grande. The small-town program, though, has broken through not only in the Cascade Conference, but nationally as it just completed an unbeaten run against four consecutive ranked opponents as it prepared for conference play that kicks off Friday at Northwest Christian.
Following up on their third NAIA tournament appearance in the last four years, the Mountaineers faced an extremely daunting non-conference slate this fall as all four opponents were ranked as they went into their match-ups. A trip to Nebraska saw the Mountaineers return home with a 1-0 win over (12) Hastings and a 1-1 draw against (9) Midland. And over the past few weeks they played host to (10) Embry-Riddle and (24) Hope International, registering 2-0 and 6-0 victories.
"If we showed well we would get some recognition on the national level and be in a good spot headed into conference play. If we struggled we would have a better idea of what we needed to improve on.
"We definitely try to keep our team focused with the underdog mentality along with everything is one game at a time. Our strong non-conference results won't mean as much if we aren’t able to stay focused and get results during conference play. Each year the teams have continued to buy into that mindset. Our team chemistry is the strongest I’ve been a part of during my 10 years of coaching at the collegiate level."
The non-conference run is a marquee moment for the program, which registered its first-ever NAIA tournament win in the Opening Round last season in Indiana against (15) Grace. The result helped push the then 20 Mountaineers to a final ranking of 14 for the season.
That 3-0-1 run pushed the Mountaineers to a program-best ranking of seventh in the NAIA preseason poll published last week.
"The CCC is a strong conference that I don’t think gets enough respect on the national level. But I also think as a conference we have done a much better job with scheduling top teams from different regions and having strong results, that starts to open some eyes for our conference."
Building a competitive program in a strong conference with soccer hotbed markets in areas around exciting and fun cities like Seattle and Portland is no simple task.
The women's soccer program at EOU was launched in 2001 and after the initial three building years the Mountaineers began to find some mid-table success in the CCC, but still only had one winning season (7-2-0 in 2006) from its launch until the team was 5-4-0 in 2013.
Justin Wagar's tenure that started in 2015 marked a turning point for the Mountaineers. He took a 1-5-3 side and pushed them to 9-2-0 that season, advancing to the CCC Final (falling in penalties to Carroll) and the program's first-ever NAIA tournament appearance. Things dropped a bit the following season (6-3-2) after star striker Crystal Schuder and lead defender Allison Jordan graduated. Then, just as quickly as the rise began, it was dealt a potential blow when Wagar would move onto take the head coaching position at Grambling State.
A coach native to the region hailing from Kennewick, Washington, Wagar did not completely leave the program high and dry, taking the time to consult with Plocher when needed.
"I knew Justin a little from different camps so I definitely picked his brain about the team I was taking over, and with the timing of the takeover if there were some individuals I should reach out to," Plocher said of the transition.
"There was no doubt this team had talent when I took over in April of 2017. One thing I truly believe in is making a team a family. We talk all the time about the importance of playing for one another, and how if we want to be successful we have to put the team first: we over me.
"So that was the first goal I set for the group when I took over. We started to implement a new mindset and strategy on the pitch and we said it would take some time, and that they needed to trust the process. Truthfully being able to have an entire spring with them was crucial as it helped us lay the foundation."
The program lost a successful coach that knew the region, but Plocher, though, was arguably a perfect choice for the position, coming from a Presentation College program that faced a very similar recruiting scenario - if not more difficult - as Aberdeen was a small town in South Dakota competing with schools in Sioux City and Omaha.
On a macro level, Inland Northwest residents consistently see this scenario play out with programs like Washington State and Gonzaga where the programs for football and basketball are constantly trying to compete for top talent with schools in big cities and/or the lure of the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. The GU basketball program took decades and a bit of fortune to break through that barrier, but the WSU football team is a constant reminder of that struggle.
At the micro level, soccer programs at small or farm town schools like Eastern Oregon face that uphill battle without all the scholarship offers or big-money coaching hires.
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| Downtown La Grande not quite the bustling big city feel |
"In South Dakota we had some great medical degrees so I knew we would be attractive academically - it was just trying to convince them to come visit South Dakota," he said with a chuckle. "There are some similarities between EOU and PC, the biggest being they are both a little isolated. But they are also are hidden gems.
"One thing I do like about smaller schools is the personal attention you can receive from the professors and instructors, and that’s one thing I think EOU does a phenomenal job with."
Plocher, though, doesn't do a full sell on the advantages of the small schools, encouraging potential players to explore all of their opportunities.
"We tell all our recruits to make sure you check out all types of schools/cites. You might think you want something big but then get on campus and feel lost.
"We talk all the time when you are making your decision there are a few things you should strongly consider. First: you are here for your academics first so making sure you are happy with what the university offers. Second: if you want be be involved with an extremely competitive soccer program we have been able to build that here and feel we will be able to sustain that. And lastly: all the extra curricular activities. La Grande and EOU aren’t for everyone, but if you love the outdoors and all the activities the outdoors can offer we might be the right school for you."
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