NWAC East Playoff Update - NIC women, Walla Walla men advance to quarters

TheNorthwest Athletic Conference soccer playoffs kicked off in earnest Wednesday with the majority of the opening round of playoff games. Four teams from the East were in action while the champions at CC Spokane were awaiting results elsewhere to learn their opposition for Saturday in the quarterfinal round.

NWAC EAST UPDATE - MEN #############

The Warriors of Walla Walla CC moved on with a 2-0 victory against Southwest Oregon while Columbia Basin came up short, dropping a 2-1 decision to Chemeketa.

Jose Anguiano (Kennewick, WA) put the Warriors on the board in the 25th minute on a ball from Emilio Meraz-Rodriguez (Pasco, WA) and Alex Saldana (Milton-Freewater, OR) added some insurance a minute before the break. Walla Walla controlled the contest with the visitors only eliciting one save from goalkeeper Francisco Flores (Milton-Freewater, OR). Walla Walla now travels to take on powerhouse Peninsula Saturday.

Host Chemeketa took the lead against Columbia Basin in the 20th minute and doubled the advantage a minute into the second half. The Hawks attempted to come back, but a goal with six minutes remaining from Jason Rodriguez (Othello, WA) was all they could muster as their season came to a close.

Traveling to Spokane Saturday will be Whatcom, which advanced with a victory over visiting Bellevue led by a goal and assist from Uriel Herrera.

Playoff Results 

Wednesday, November 4

Southwest Oregon 0 :: 2 Walla Walla
Columbia Basin 1 :: 2 Chemeketa
Bellevue 1 :: 2 Whatcom
Edmonds 1 :: 3 Tacoma

Upcoming Games 

Saturday, November 7
Whatcom @ Spokane 2:15
Walla Walla @ Peninsula 2:00
Chemeketa @ Highline 7:00

NWAC EAST UPDATE - WOMEN #############

The North Idaho College ladies advanced with a 2-1 victory against visiting Chemeketa while Treasure Valley came up short in a narrow 1-0 decision on the road against Clark.

Former high school teammates combined to put NIC in front 19 minutes into the contest Wednesday evening when Haley White (La Grande, OR) fed Jasmine Smith (La Grande, OR) for the go-ahead goal. The visitors pulled even in the 38th minute, but ten minutes into the second half NIC reclaimed the lead for good when Emily Aspen scored on a ball from Megan Lowery (Hayden, ID). The Cardinals will now travel to face perennial power Peninsula on Saturday.

Fernanda Rogel made six saves for the Chukars, but the one that got by her in the 63rd minute was all Clark needed as Treasure Valley was unable to produce any goals at the other end.

Spokane will play host to Everett, which posted a dominant 4-0 victory over Tacoma Wednesday evening in which they scored twice in each half - Claire Nelson and Lauren Allison each tallying two goals and an assist - and forcing the Tacoma keeper to make 12 saves as well.

Playoff Results

Tuesday, November 3
Shoreline (5) 1 :: PK :: 1 (3) Bellevue

Wednesday, November 4
Chemeketa 1 :: 2 North Idaho
Treasure Valley 0 :: 1 Clark
Tacoma 0 :: 4 Everett

Upcoming Games 

Saturday, November 7
Everett @ Spokane 12:00
North Idaho @ Peninsula 12:00
Clark @ Highline 4:30

-- INWsn --

Sasquatch sweep Treasure Valley in convincing fashion

Full INWsn photo galleries - MEN :: WOMEN

The CC Spokane women and men posted a pair of big wins over their opposition from the south. The men cruised to a 5-0 victory in the afternoon contest, but the things did not go as smoothly for the ladies, who needed to rally from an early deficit for a 3-1 win.

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.

Peninsula Pirates snare NWAACC titles from grasps of Spokane, Walla Walla for rare double

Both defenses were difficult to beat for Spokane and Peninsula in title game | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (gallery)

Sunday just was not a good day for the NWAACC East Division. Both of the East-West All-Star teams fell to the North-South in the first half of the day’s action at the Starfire Sports Complex, and then the CC Spokane women were edged via penalties, 3-2, after a 1-1 draw for the championship by the Peninsula Pirates, who also saw the men win, 1-0, against Walla Walla on an 87th minute tally.

The double was the league’s first since 1999 when Columbia Basin won both titles in a showdown with current East Division rival Spokane in both the men’s and women’s finals.

All-Star laden Sasquatch headed to Tukwila for NWAACC Final Four

It was a cold afternoon with temperatures just above freezing after the season's first snowfall a few days before

NWAACC Semifinals set for men & women; All-Stars & honors announced

The record-setting CC Spokane women affirmed their status as a top seed Saturday by clinching a ticket to the league’s Final Four with a fairly easy 3-1 victory over Whatcom CC, the second seed from the North. They join the trio of Peninsula, Everett and Clackamas, who are all returning from last year’s quartet.

Bigfoot look to take another big step forward Saturday in playoff opener

CC Spokane Bigfoot celebrate winning the East Division | Photos: Gerald Barnhart (gallery)

On Saturday, the NWAACC’s second-best team on paper begins its playoff campaign in the league quarterfinals when the CC Spokane Bigfoot play host to Whatcom CC, the second-place side from the North Division, at Spokane Falls Community College. The winner advances to the NWAACC Final Four the following weekend in Tukwila, WA at 1:30 pm.