Spurr, Harlow Named Red Lion CCC Players of the Week

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Freshman forward Willie Spurr (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) and junior goalkeeper Collin Harlow (Kirkland, Wash./Shoreline CC) were both named Red Lion Cascade Conference Players of the Week following an outstanding weekend on the pitch as the Geoducks earned a pair of conference wins.

Spurr earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring three goals and assisting on two others to vault himself to the top of numerous conference statistical categories.  The freshman leads the conference in points (8), points per game (1.60), goals (3), and goals per game (0.60).  He scored the equalizer and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over College of Idaho on Friday and then scored the first two goals and assisted on another in a 5-0 win over Oregon Tech on Saturday.

Harlow was named Defensive Player of the Week after allowing just one goal in 180 minutes for the Geoducks.  Making his Evergreen debut, the lone goal allowed came on a penalty kick in the 2-1 win over College of Idaho and then the 6-3 junior made five saves to secure the shutout on Saturday in the 5-0 win over Oregon Tech. His 0.50 GAA and .857 save percentage are both tops in the CCC this season.

The Geoducks will look to improve to 3-0 in Cascade Conference play for the first time since 2005 when they play host to Corban on Wednesday, beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Evergreen Pitch in Olympia, Wash.

Geoducks Ground Owls, 5-0

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Freshman Willie Spurr (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) and senior Mirza Memic (Bellevue, Wash./Whatcom CC) each scored twice as the Evergreen Geoducks picked up their second win in as many tries with a 5-0 victory over the Oregon Tech Owls in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer match on Saturday afternoon at Evergreen Pitch in Olympia, Wash.

Spurr scored his first goal of the game in the 12th minute after a deflection from OIT keeper Loren Jessen gave the freshman a chance to try out his bicycle kick and the fancy attempt was successful as Evergreen took the 1-0 lead.

In the 27th minute, Spurr secured the brace, and his third goal of the weekend, following a save on a shot by Kevin Flavin (Oak Harbor, Wash./Shoreline CC), gathering the rebound and finishing open net.  The Geoducks made it 3-0 heading into halftime in the 40th minute when Flavin scored one of his one, using the cross from Brady Espinoza (Pasco, Wash./Walla Walla CC) to finish on the left post.

In the second half, the Owls kept a strong defense for the first 20 minutes but a pair of goals by Mirza within a two-minute span proved to be the nail in the coffin.  Mirza collected his first goal on a great cross from Spurr that allowed the senior to head the ball in for his first score of the season.  Just 1:58 later, Mirza scored again, this time following the pass form Albert Anabtawi (Yakima, Wash./Eisenhower HS).

The Geoducks outshot the Owls, 29-6, on the match.  Evergreen keeper Collin Harlow (Kirkland, Wash./Shoreline CC) made five saves to collect his first shutout as a Geoduck.  Jessen finished with six saves for the Owls before being replaced by Tanner Lee in the 69th minute.  Lee added five saves in the final 21 minutes of play.

Evergreen remains at home on Wednesday evening when they host Corban in a Cascade Conference match.  Kick with the Warriors is set for 5pm on Evergreen Pitch in Olympia.  Oregon Tech will also be in action on Wednesday, playing host to Warner Pacific, beginning at 6pm in Klamath Falls, Ore.

Box Score

Beacons Bounce Geoducks, 3-0

EUGENE, Ore. – Northwest Christian put up nine blocks and hit .247 as the Beacons swept the Evergreen Geoducks, 25-9, 25-19, 25-21, in a Cascade Conference volleyball match on Friday evening at Morse Event Center in Eugene, Ore.

After the Geoducks kept things close early in the first set, the Beacons scored 11 straight points en route to a 25-9 game one win as NCU took the early lead.

Evergreen was much more competitive in the second frame but Northwest Christian was just a little bit better, putting down 13 kills with five errors on 30 attacks for a .267 hitting percentage.

The Beacons had their worst hitting set of the match in the third frame, attacking at just a .171 clip but it was still enough to hold off Evergreen as the Beacons earned a 25-21 win to clinch the match at three sets to none.

The Geoducks were led by six kills from Brittany Covert (Chino Hills, Calif./Northern Michigan Univ.), who also added three aces on the night.  Cassidy Watkins (Tucson, Ariz./Trevecca Nazarene Univ.) put up five kills to go with three aces of her own.

Northwest Christian was led by 12 kills from Tami Brown, the only player on either side of the net with double-digit kills.  The Beacons finished with 32 kills and 13 errors on 77 total attacks.

Evergreen will be back in action next Friday when they play host to Oregon Tech.  The match with the Owls is set for 7 p.m. at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

Box Score

Geoducks Spurred To Win Over ‘Yotes

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Freshman Willie Spurr (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt HS) scored the equalizer in the 72nd minute and then sent in the cross that led to the winning goal in the 86th minute as the Evergreen Geoducks broke into the win column with a 2-1 victory over the College of Idaho Coyotes in a Cascade Conference men’s soccer game on Friday afternoon at Evergreen Pitch in Olympia, Wash.

After a scoreless first half in which Evergreen (1-3-0, 1-0-0 CCC) outshot College of Idaho (0-3-2, 0-1-0 CCC) by a total of 9-1, it was the ‘Yotes getting on the board first.  Yan Gioseffi converted on a penalty kick in the 56th minute, going left to beat Collin Harlow (Kirkland, Wash./Shoreline CC) for the 1-0 lead.

The Geoducks finally tied things up in the 72nd minute when Dyson Fowler (North Bend, Wash./Mt. Si HS) fed in a cross to Spurr, who careened the ball off the right post and past CI keeper Colin Benham-Marin to even things up at 1-1.

Spurr had another great play at the 86 minute mark when the freshman floated in a cross towards the left post and senior midfielder Brandon Wood (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho/North Idaho College) came flying in, heading the ball into the back of the net for the 2-1 win.

Evergreen finished the game with a 16-9 advantage on shots. Harlow had to make just one save for the Geoducks while Benham-Marin finished with three saves for the ‘Yotes.

The Geoducks will look to go 2-0 in conference play on Saturday afternoon when they host Oregon Tech, beginning at 1 p.m. on Evergreen Pitch. College of Idaho will also be in action Saturday, traveling up to Kirkland, Wash. to take on Northwest in a match set to begin at 3 p.m.

Box Score

Warriors Battle Past Geoducks, 3-0

SALEM, Ore. – Playing their first official road game of 2012, the Evergreen Geoducks fell to the Corban Warriors in straight sets, 25-10, 25-17, 25-12, in a Cascade Conference volleyball match on Thursday night at C.E. Jeffers Sports Center in Salem, Ore.

Corban took the early lead, cruising to a 25-10 set one win.  The Warriors came out swinging, putting down 12 kills with just two errors on 21 attacks for a clip of .476.

The home court advantage continued to help Corban in the second set as the Warriors took the second frame, 25-17.  Evergreen had their top hitting set of the night, picking up seven kills with six errors on 27 attacks for a .037 hitting percentage.

The Warriors wrapped things up in the third set as Corban earned a 25-12 victory to earn their first conference win of the season in straight sets.

Evergreen was led by 11 kills from Cassidy Watkins (Tucson, Ariz./Trevecca Nazarene Univ.).  Sasha Nash (Sandy, Utah/Skyline HS) had 20 assists while Sonja Arrassi-Nash (Sandy, Utah/Westminster) dug out 14 balls on the night.

Corban was led by 12 kills from Olivia Shropshire, who had just one attack error on 17 attacks for an incredible .647 hitting percentage.  Katherine Salness had 27 assists to go with 10 digs while Chandra Teague also dug out 10 balls on the match.

Evergreen will look to bounce back on Friday night when they continue the road trip to Eugene and a match with Northwest Christian.  First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.

Box Score