Red Lion Challenge concludes heavily in Frontier Conference's favor

It was a wet afternoon as the Red Lion Challenge concluded Saturday | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERIES

Frontier Conference coaches

The second day of the Red Lion Challenge finished nearly the same as it did the day before between the Frontier Conference and the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Frontier sides took four of the five games - eight of ten for the event - with the men sweeping in convincing fashion.

The ladies nearly wrapped up the event with six one-goal decisions were it not for Carroll College posting a two-goal victory in the nightcap Saturday evening.

On the men's side the four-game series over the weekend saw a total of 24 goals with Frontier registering all but four and posting a pair of shutouts Saturday.

Frontier Conference dominates opening day of Red Lion Challenge

The Frontier Conference dominated the first day of competition | Photos: Gerald Barnhart - GALLERIES

The Frontier Conference won four of the five games Friday afternoon in Spokane, Washington at the Red Lion Challenge against competition from the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Action on the day included a pair of rather one-sided, eight-goal men’s contests while the ladies battled to three one-goal decisions with five total goals, including one that finished in overtime.

INW Collegiate Recap - Cascade & Frontier Conferences in full swing entering Red Lion Challenge

The Red Lion Challenge returns for a second year to Spokane's Dwight Merkel Sports Complex Sept 6-7

Competition between the two northwest NAIA conferences, the Cascade Collegiate Conference and Frontier Conference, is already underway as the two leagues head into the second edition of the Red Lion Challenge this weekend. On Friday and Saturday four men's teams and six women's sides will square off in a series of neutral site matches at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in north Spokane.

The two conferences have already begun to clash with the Great Falls women falling 3-2 on the road against Eastern Oregon on Labor Day and Carroll College defeating the visiting College of Idaho 2-1. The Rocky Mountain College women topped Evergreen State 3-1 while on the men's side RMC played to a 1-1 draw with the Geoducks

Corban, Carroll win on final night of Red Lion Challenge soccer event

Emily Tsugawa (L) and Katelyn Weaver (C) scored for Corban | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

While the slate of other sports events continues for the Red Lion Challenge between the NAIA’s Cascade Collegiate Conference and Frontier Conference, the soccer portion of the first-year series based in Spokane came to a close Saturday evening with Corban University and #23 Carroll College posting fairly easy victories in women’s soccer against the University of Great Falls and Eastern Oregon University.

Corban’s victory proved to be the only one on behalf of the CCC in eight men’s and women’s matches as the Frontier’s Montana contingent dominated in the win column.

Montana schools post comeback wins on first night of women’s Red Lion Challenge

Sullivan opened the scoring on a dramatic night | Photos: Gerald Barnhart

The 23rd-ranked Carroll College ladies rallied for a 2-1 victory in a three-goal first half against Corban College on the opening night of the two-day Red Lion Challenge at the Dwight Merkel Sports complex in Spokane, but it was the second half of the doubleheader that stole the spotlight as Great Falls came back from two down with three goals in the final 25 minutes to edge Eastern Oregon in the final minute of play.

Rocky Mountain completes Frontier sweep at Red Lion Challenge

Oliver Gore, left, led Rocky Mountain in a heated finale to Red Lion Challenge | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (gallery)

The final men’s soccer match of the Red Lion Challenge was a feisty affair that finished 2-0 in favor of the Frontier Conference’s Rocky Mountain College with Oliver Gore scoring twice in the win over Warner Pacific of the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

Both sides had spells of maintained possession in the contest, but it was a long ball over the top out of midfield 13 minutes into the second half that proved to be the pivotal moment. Chris Jermy’s ball found Gore all alone behind the defense, allowing him to turn and rip a shot from the right side of the top of the box into the far side netting out of the reach of Drew Bonifacio, who came in at the break.

Frontier’s Montana duo dominate in Red Lion Challenge

Delgadillo thrilled again for Argos; Gore scored Rocky Mountain season opener | photos: Gerald Barnhart

On the second night of the Red Lion Challenge action at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane, Wash., it was all Montana as the Frontier Conference’s Rocky Mountain College and University of Great Falls dominated in victories against the Cascade Collegiate Conference’s Northwest Christian, 4-0, and Warner Pacific, 3-1, in a double header.

Great Falls edges gritty Northwest Christian in Red Lion Challenge opener

Northwest Christian nearly stunned nationally-ranked Great Falls | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (full gallery)

Northwest Christian University (Salem, Ore.) was picked to finished last in their eight-team Cascade Collegiate Conference preseason poll, but don’t tell that to nationally ranked University of Great Falls, who were stymied much of the night at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane, Wash. before claiming a 1-0 victory.

Ironically, in a second half in which they dominated possession, it was a counter that provided the lone goal for the side from Montana as Manuel Espinoza played a ball out of midfield that caught the defense out of position and allowed Danny Delgadillo to beat one remaining defender and the keeper before putting the ball into the empty net in the 54th minute.

Soccer kicks off Red Lion Challenge in Spokane Thursday

Dwight Merkel Sports Complex hosts Red Lion Challenge soccer events Aug 23-25, Sept 7-8

The Cascade Collegiate Conference and Frontier Conference of the NAIA begin the men’s soccer element of their four-sport Red Lion Challenge Thursday evening in Spokane at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex.

The debut of the event will feature the CCC’s Northwest Christian University (Eugene, OR) playing Frontier’s 21st-ranked University of Great Falls (MT) at 5:00 pm PT. It continues Friday with a doubleheader that starts at 5:00 pm with NCU playing Rocky Mountain College (Billings, MT) followed by UGF facing Warner Pacific College (Portland). The event wraps up Saturday with WPC versus RMC at 5:00 pm.

Spokane to host special collegiate challenge between Cascade and Frontier Conferences

Two Northwest NAIA Conferences have coordinated, in conjunction with sponsor Red Lion, a special event that will be hosted in Spokane pitting schools from the Cascade and Frontier Conferences against one another in a coordinated non-conference schedule for four sports. The 14 participating schools are all from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

As part of the challenge, seven different schools will meet at Dwight Merkel Sports Complex over the course of two weekends in separate men’s and women’s schedules. The University of Great Falls (Frontier) will be in Spokane for both the men’s and women’s soccer events.