INW Best XI - Week 9: Talley and Hughes lead NIC, Northwest U to league titles

On the women's side, defense played a big role as teams looked to clinch postseason berths or keep themselves in the hunt, resulting in Patty Hughes (Kalispell, MT) taking the Player of the Week honor after yet another outstanding week in net for Northwest University. On the men's side, North Idaho College locked up the top spot in the NWAC East courtesy of Adam Talley (Newman Lake, WA)

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. Established in 2012.

INW NAIA & NWAC College Recap – Week Nine: Playoff fields nearly set with just one spot still TBD in CCC

In the NAIA, the final weekend of women's play wrapped things up in the Cascade Conference with the College of Idaho ladies clinching a spot in the tournament with a fourth-place finish, confounding the preseason poll of eighth. On the men's side there are several games remaining, but Evergreen State has a commanding hold on the final berth.

The Frontier Conference still has a few games left for the ladies and the men, but the brackets for the Unaffiliated Group tournament which the Frontier teams participate in have been set for the following weekend at Rocky Mountain College.

In the NWAC, there are a few positioning details to be figured out, but the CC Spokane ladies clinched the division title with a win on the road plus other results and the North Idaho College men grabbed the top spot with a week to go at home Saturday. Treasure Valley and NIC round out the women's qualifiers and Wenatchee Valley and Walla Walla CC are the other men's entrants into the NWAC tournament.

INW DII-III College Recap – Week Nine: Whitworth men reclaim control; Central Washington stuns Vikings

Among the Division II action this week in the GNAC, the Central Washington and MSU-Billings women were unbeaten on the road with the Wildcats posting the biggest result, ending ranked Western Washington's amazing home win streak with a draw. Amidst the Division III Northwest Conference was Whitworth's pair of dramatic home wins in overtime that kept them in the heated three-way race for the league title.

Here is a rundown of the area schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

INW DI College Recap – Week Nine: Eastern Washington clinches Big Sky berth, Montana to host tourney

Among the Division I action this week, the Big Sky Conference's postseason picture began to take shape with Montana sweeping the weekend to lock up the regular season title and opportunity to host the tournament. Although Eastern Washington slipped up Friday, a victory Sunday put them in the field with the Grizzlies and Portland State. Idaho State, with a split, are still in contention and Idaho, after two road losses, are done, sitting in the final spot needing everyone beneath them to come up short in the final weekend, including their state rivals.

After a slow start to conference play (2-5-0), Boise State used a weekend sweep to push their current win streak to three games and keep hopes alive for sixth spot. in the muddled Mountain West postseason picture. With their final game Friday against already qualified Utah State, they need to match or better San Jose State and Air Force's results to hold them off.

Meanwhile, in non-tournament conferences 24th-ranked Washington State picked up a pair of road wins to move to third in the Pac-12 and the Gonzaga women had a split of sorts dropping a game to struggling Loyola Marymount Friday before posting a draw against 11th-ranked Pepperdine Sunday.

Here is a rundown of the area DI schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

Gonzaga women tripped up by struggling LMU

Unfinished chances left Bulldogs on wrong end of scoreline Friday

The Lady Bulldogs scored early and had a significant advantage of play in the first half, but two goals against the run of play for Loyola Marymount Friday was enough to snatch a 2-1 victory on the road Friday in Spokane.

INW Best XI - Week 8: Williams and Alvarez lead Eastern Washington, Wenatchee Valley to sweeps

Sitting in eighth, Eastern Washington made a huge jump up the ladder as the majority of teams in front of them had bad outings on the week. Propelling the Eagles up to fourth on their two-game road trip against the teams sitting in fourth and third was Chloe Williams (Spokane, WA), who scored the game-winning tallies in both contests.

Meanwhile, the Wenatchee Valley College men solidified their foothold on a likely NWAC East playoff spot with a two-game sweep on the week, but needed a big outing from striker Josh Alvarez to do it. He tallied a hat-trick and assist in a 5-3 victory against Treasure Valley and then scored in a win against playoff contender Spokane.

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. Established in 2012.

INW NAIA & NWAC College Recap – Week Eight: Mixed results in CCC & Frontier; Playoff picture coming into focus for NWAC East

In the NAIA it was a week of split results for the Eastern Oregon women and the College of Idaho's two teams. Meanwhile in the Frontier Conference the Carroll women returned from Texas and played a pair of close 1-0 decisions against conference foes, beating Rocky Mountain and falling to Westminster while Great Falls ladies won a pair of non-league games. On the men's side, Rocky Mountain drubbed Carroll and Great Falls and the Argos again swept a two-game set in Denver.

In the NWAC, the East races are started to become a little more clear. In the battle for the final men's spot Walla Walla and Spokane played to a draw mid-week, but the with Spokane falling on the weekend to Wenatchee Valley, who needed five to get past last-place Treasure Valley earlier in the week to keep in range of first-place North Idaho, which grabbed a victory over the weekend. Spokane continues to run away from everyone on the ladies side for the title with Treasure Valley slipping up Wednesday in a draw against last-place Wenatchee Valley. Third-place North Idaho picked up a pair of wins on the week to create some space in front of Walla Walla, who fell at Spokane before drubbing Yakima Valley.

INW DII-III College Recap – Week Eight: Stalemate for Whitworth in battle for first; mixed results around the region

Among the action this week, the Northwest Nazarene men and Central Washington women had the best of the mixed results on the road this week, each going 1-0-1 in GNAC play. In the Northwest Conference the second installment of the battle for first between Whitworth and Puget Sound finished as a stalemate while the Whitworth women won the showdown with local rival Whitman Wednesday with a late tally.

Here is a rundown of the area schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

October 13-19 | Upcoming games PT & conference matches unless noted (NL)

INW DI College Recap – Week Eight: Eastern Washington moves up in Big Sky; Boise State stuns San Diego State

Among the Division I action this week, the Eastern Washington women jumped from eighth to fourth after a big road sweep, posting victories over teams that were third and fourth in the conference, with one loss each in league play, going into the weekend. Meanwhile, Big Sky leader Montana played the same to opponents to a pair of draws.

Boise State split on their road trip, falling narrowly at New Mexico before registering a surprising victory at powerhouse San Diego State. The Gonzaga men split on the road as well during their trip to California and Washington State picked up an overtime win at home against Oregon.

Here is a rundown of the area DI schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

Wednesday Recap: Hosts unbeaten in Spokane vs Walla Walla x 3

Wednesday saw a tripleheader of Walla Walla visiting Spokane with the ladies of Whitman College facing Whitworth University followed by the CC Spokane ladies and men playing host to longtime rival Walla Walla CC. The Pirates grabbed a late 1-0 victory over the Missionaries early in the afternoon while the Bigfoot women downed the Warriors 2-0 to kick off the evening at The Falls with the Sasquatch men playing to a 2-2 draw in a battle for potential playoff position.

INW Best XI - Week 7: Defenders Leliefeld and Pavel lead Great Falls, Seattle Pacific in big wins

Defense continues to steal the spotlight across the northwest. Defender Kandace Leliefeld (Deer Park, WA) helped guide the University of Great Falls to a pair of victories last week, also contributing at the offensive end in an upset win over a ranked opponent. Meanwhile, Seattle Pacific University defender Bryson Pavel (Boise, ID) not only helped lead the Falcons to a pair of wins, but played a key role in both game-winning tallies, including one against a fellow ranked and unbeaten opponent.

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. Established in 2012.

INW NAIA & NWAC College Recap – Week Seven: Great Falls and Rocky Mountain down ranked Westminster

Amidst the NAIA action this week, the Great Falls men saw their nine-game win streak come to an end while the Argo ladies ended their four-game winless run with a pair of victories, including an overtime win against 19th-ranked Westminster College, who also fell at Rocky Mountain. In the Cascade Collegiate Conference the College of Idaho women picked up a win and a draw on the road.

In the NWAC East, the Spokane ladies knocked off neighbor North Idaho College and completed a season sweep of second-place Treasure Valley to cement their place atop the division. On the men's side Walla Walla handed the NIC Cardinals their first loss while Wenatchee Valley drubbed Columbia Basin to keep the top spot within reach.

Here is a rundown of the area schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

INW DII-III College Recap – Week Seven: Pirates dominate in battle of Whits; MSUB women impress in Washington

Among the Division II action this week, the MSU-Billings women continued their fantastic start to the season, earning a hard-fought draw in a scoreless stalemate at Seattle Pacific Thursday and downing Central Washington two days later to conclude the trip. On the men's side MSUB and Northwest Nazarene swept Saint Martin's on the trip but came up short with one-goal losses at unbeaten and sixth-ranked Seattle Pacific.

In the Division III Northwest Conference, the light week was highlighted with a showdown of the Whits that turned out to be rather one-sided this time around. The neighbors to the north dominated at home in Spokane with a high-paced six-goal effort to give Whitworth the big win over Whitman of Walla Walla. On the ladies side, Puget Sound returned to their winning ways while Whitman and Whitworth, who surprised them last week, each lost at George Fox in rare defeats to the Bruins.

Here is a rundown of the area schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

INW DI College Recap – Week Seven: Montana keeps Big Sky lead; WSU stumbles in PAC-12

Among the Division I action this week, the Big Sky featured a match of two unbeatens with Montana playing host to Idaho. The Grizzlies prevailed in overtime with the Vandals going on to rebound two days later at Eastern Washington.

Washington State returned home from their impressive PAC-12 trip to California, but suffered an atypical result in a loss to Arizona, rebounding for a draw against Arizona State with another outstanding defensive outing.

Here is a rundown of the area DI schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

CC Spokane sweeps Treasure Valley Saturday; and for the season

The Sasquatch posted a pair of shutouts Saturday afternoon at Spokane Falls, giving them a clean sweep in all meetings against the Chukars for the season, all of them shutout victories. The ladies used a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes to grab a 2-0 victory while the men snared a 1-0 result in the second half against the visitors.

They're Back - North Idaho, Spokane rivalry renewed with split in Wednesday doubleheader

First official meetings between neighbors results in one-goal decisions

The Cardinals, officially back in the NWAC, made their first league trip to Spokane for the first time since they were soccer-only affiliate members of the league in 2004, the final year of their five-year stint that ended when the association required the school to commit at an all-sports basis. All four teams went into the doubleheader contenders for the postseason and the match-ups did not disappoint with the Bigfoot ladies coming away with a narrow 1-0 victory over the Cardinals and the men's match featuring a frantic finish to a dramatic affair in which the visitors rallied twice and came away with a 3-2 victory on a stoppage time winner.

INW Best XI - Week 6: Defense leads the way in impressive performances from the ladies against ranked opponents

Usually, these lists are dominated by strikers and midfielders with plenty of goals on their ledgers. This week, particularly on the ladies side, that was not an option, and very little searching was needed to put them on the list. Teams represented by players on the list faced a combined six opponents in their respective national polls - and several others that are conference powers - and came away with impressive results.

Among them was Player of the Week choice Hailey Woods (Meridian, ID), who guided the College of Idaho at both ends of the pitch to an upset win over top ranked Concordia that snapped several streaks.

On the men's side, the eye-catching performance was another upset win as Timmy Mueller (Post Falls, ID) tallied a hat-trick and assist in a stunning 6-2 victory over the 13th ranked California, which also saw its ninth ranked women's side fall to Washington State this week... netting some recognition on the list as well.

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. Established in 2012.

INW NAIA & NWAC College Recap – Week Six: College of Idaho nets upset & Great Falls downs rivals

Amidst the NAIA action this week, the College of Idaho ladies picked up a sweep at home that included an upset win over top-ranked Concordia in CCC action. On the men's side, Great Falls prevailed in the Frontier Conference showdown with rival Rocky Mountain, extending their streak to nine wins and earning a spot in the national poll. 

In the NWAC East, North Idaho continues to dominate in the men's race while fellow contenders Walla Walla and Wenatchee played to a 3-3 draw in their showdown. On the ladies side Spokane picked up a pair of wins and got a little help from longtime rival Walla Walla, which handed Treasure Valley a loss as they try to pull themselves back out of their rare visit in the bottom half of the table. The Warriors earned two wins and a draw on the week, showing they just may be back in the picture come the end of the season.

Here is a rundown of the area schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

INW DII-III College Recap – Week Six: NNU sweep nets first poll appearance; Mixed results for Whitman & Whitworth vs Loggers

Among the Division II action this week, the Northwest Nazarene and MSU-Billings men continue to do well in the GNAC. Both picked up a pair of wins with Crusaders keeping pace with seventh ranked Seattle Pacific at 5-0-0 and earning their first-ever ranking in a national poll. On the women's side the two schools squared off with the Yellowjackets prevailing in a historic performance against the Crusaders.

In the Division III Northwest Conference, the showdown of men's contenders went to visiting Puget Sound at Whitworth, but the story of the week may have been on the women's side where the 15th ranked Logger women dropped both games on their trip 1-0 to Whitman and Whitworth.

Here is a rundown of the area schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

INW DI College Recap – Week Six: Winning weekend & impressive results against ranked opponents for many

Among the Division I action this week, it was a pretty good week for the INWsn area schools. The Gonzaga women swept their two home contests in the opening weekend of WCC play. In the Big Sky, Montana posted a rare road sweep and the Idaho Vandals went unbeaten while Eastern Washington and Idaho State split on the weekend. Boise State split on the weekend as well in the MWC and Washington State nearly posted two impressive results on the road in California, settling for a split two top-10 sides California and Stanford.

On the men's side, Gonzaga settled for a split and Timmy Mueller (Post Falls, ID) led Oregon State to a stunning win over ranked California with a hat-trick.

Here is a rundown of the area DI schools and their conferences as well as how players from the Inland Northwest performed around the nation in the past week.

Women register upset as Whitworth splits versus Puget Sound

Tiara Pajimola scored for the ladies, but Sam Engle was unable to do the same for the men

It was a role reversal Sunday afternoon at Whitworth with the Lady Pirates claiming a victory, 1-0 over unbeaten Puget Sound, while the unbeaten Bucs fell 2-0 in their men's showdown of Northwest Conference contenders against the Loggers. Tiara Pajimola was the lone goal scorer for the hosts on the day.

INW Best XI - Week 5: Ramos and Widner big scorers for Whitworth, Montana in sweeps

In earning INWsn Player of the Week recognition, Mike Ramos (Spokane, WA) put forth one of the most impressive NCAA performances in INWsn history in Whitworth's 7-1 victory at George Fox in which he played a role in every goal for the Pirates. In Montana, striker Hallie Widner (Meridian, ID) guided the Grizzlies to a pair of victories in Big Sky action.

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. Established in 2012.