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Wildcats take third after a tough weekend

Posted by :jprokop On : November 13, 2010
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The women’s soccer team ended the season with a 2-2 tie at George Fox University Nov. 5 and an upsetting 0-2 loss at home to University of Puget Sound on Nov. 6.
The Wildcats placed third in the Northwest Conference.
“We just seemed a bit off in the game against George Fox and then against Puget Sound,” freshman forward Emily Fellows said. “We had 5 minutes of let down, and they capitalized on it.”
Although the ’Cats had a rough weekend, they achieved an accomplishment this year in taking third place — a spot higher than last year.
“I think we could all say we were a little disappointed in our finish,” senior midfielder Sara Blake said. “But we realize that this year, we’ve done so many great things that have never been done before.”
Senior forward Brittany Willis agreed.
“We were disappointed in our finish only because we felt we should have been at the top, but we know we were a great team, and we are proud of the work we did,” she said.
According to the Linfield Athletics website, the loss to the Loggers prevented the ’Cats from setting a new school record for the women’s soccer team with the most wins in one season.
The women had 13 wins this season, tying with the 2001 and 2002 teams.
Although the season had a not-so-happy ending, there were a few players on the team that earned high honors. Fellows earned the NWC offensive player of the year award. Fellows had quite the season with 26 total goals, which landed her third in the nation for most goals scored in a Division III season. She also earned NWC student athlete of the week four times, which was more than anyone else in the conference this season.
“It feels amazing. I have all my teammates to thank [for the award], though, because without them, it would have never happened,” Fellows said.
Senior midfielder Rennika Doty earned a spot on the all-conference selection for the first time in the NWC. Senior goalkeeper Kelsey Hasselblad earned a spot on the second-team selection, while freshman defender Christine Tamamoto and sophomore midfielder Anna Sours earned honorable mentions.
“This year, I think we were all a family and cared for each other. Not only that, but we all got along together so well and shared the same goals,” Blake said. “I think we all lived up to our saying of ‘heart.’”

Corrina Crocker/Sports editor
Corrina Crocker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Soccer could steal top spot

Posted by :jprokop On : November 5, 2010
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Wildcat freshman keeper Apololine Martinez drop kicks the ball during the Oct. 17 game at home against Pacific University. The ’Cats won 5-0. Victor Zhu/Freelancer

The women’s soccer team is still battling for the No. 1 spot in the Northwest Conference despite a loss to Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash., on Oct. 31.
The Wildcats traveled to eastern Washington on Oct. 30 to play Whitman College and then to the home of the Pirates on Oct. 31.
The ’Cats won 3-2 against Whitman but suffered a tough loss against Whitworth as the game ended in 0-1 shutout.
“We are definitely a bit frustrated with the overall outcome of the weekend,” senior midfielder Rennika Doty said. “We had high expectations of coming out with two wins.”
Senior forward Brittany Willis agreed.
“We were obviously upset with the result on Sunday,” she said. “We are the better team, but there will always be some games that just don’t fall in your favor.”
Sophomore midfielder Anna Sours led the Wildcats in goals scoring two on Saturday.
Freshman forward Emily Fellows was second with one goal, tallying her season total to 25 goals. She is nationally ranked fourth in Division III women’s soccer.
Although the women did not win both of the games, they still have the opportunity to win the conference title and go to the playoffs.
If the women win both games this weekend against George Fox University and the University of Puget Sound, and then UPS loses or ties with Pacific University on Nov. 5, the title will be theirs.
“We are confident we can still get first,” Willis said. “We are focusing on what we can control, and that’s winning both our games.”
If the weekend does not go their way, it could be the last weekend for the ’Cats.
“We have made such huge strides from last year, which is really encouraging for the years to come. We’re only going to get better from here,” sophomore midfielder Bridget Grant said.
“I think we are all really proud of what we have done. Everyone has worked really hard this season, and because of that, we have done what no Linfield women’s soccer team has ever come close to doing,” Willis said.
This season will be the ’Cats’ second-winning season in a row since 2002, even if the women do not win this weekend.
“Dom [Doty] asked us at the beginning of the season, ‘How do you want to be remembered as a team?’ And looking back at our season, I feel, as a whole we can all say we will be remembered as a team that left a mark,” Willis said.
The next game is at noon on Nov. 5 against George Fox in Newberg, Ore. The team also plays at noon Nov. 6 against UPS for its final home game.

Corrina Crocker/Sports editor
Corrina Crocker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

’Cats can’t shake their losing streak

Posted by :jprokop On : November 5, 2010
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Freshman forward Tyler Repic kicks the ball during a chilly Oct. 24 game at home against the University of Puget Sound. The Wildcats won 2-0, their only win in five matches. Victor Zhu/Freelancer

Men’s soccer endured rough road games during the weekend, losing matches to Whitman College and Whitworth University on Oct. 30 and 31, respectively.
The ’Cats squared off with Whitman in Walla Walla, Wash., where the Whitman Missionaries took control of the game early, scoring in the 6th minute of play.
Sophomore forward Leland Matthaeus assisted on the early goal by junior midfielder Sam Freedman to put Whitman ahead 1-0.
Missionaries senior midfielder Connor Bottomly scored in the 38th minute and again during the second period to give Whitman a commanding 3-0 lead.
Freshman midfielder Abel DeVos scored in the 88th minute for the ’Cats off of an assist from senior midfielder Kevin Donato. DeVos’ score trimmed the lead to 3-1, but the ’Cats would get no closer.
The ’Cats had a chance to bounce back against the Whitworth Pirates on Oct. 31, but lost a heartbreaker 0-1.
Pirates junior midfielder Cameron Bushey was ejected from the game in the 42nd minute after getting a red card. The loss of Bushey forced Whitworth to play shorthanded for the remainder of the game.
Both teams attempted 12 shots within the first 90 minutes of play, but none found the net.
The match was decided on a game-winning goal by Pirate senior midfielder Travis Gutierrez in the 99th minute.
The Whitworth defense held strong throughout the game, helped by solid play from junior goalkeeper Brian Sherpe, who finished the game with four saves. Despite holding a 15-14 advantage in shot attempts, the ’Cats failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.
Senior midfielder Carter Elhabbassi said he thought the team played well, but it also hurt to lose such a close game.
“We played with a lot of heart but just couldn’t get a goal,” he said. “It was tough, especially when we had our chances to score. Just
tough — just hard to swallow.”
Head coach Ian Lefebvre said it’s been particularly difficult to win on Whitworth’s field.
“It was tough, especially with their place. I haven’t won there in the four years I’ve been here,” he said. “But we had our opportunities to win that game, and we weren’t able to do it.”
The two losses dropped Linfield to a 7-9-1 record overall and 6-7 in the conference.
The ’Cats have tumbled down the standings during the past two weeks.
Linfield has lost four of its last five games and now sits above only Willamette and George Fox universities —
teams that have combined for a 1-22-3 record on the season.
But the ’Cats are at the heels of the University of Puget Sound, trailing by only three points in the conference standings. Five points separate the third and sixth place teams in the conference.
The ’Cats were in the middle of the pack before their skid, holding a 6-5 overall record and 5-3 conference record on Oct. 16. As of Nov. 4, the men hold a 7-9-1 overall record and a 6-7 conference record.
Despite tough late season losses, Elhabbassi said this season has turned out better than past seasons.
“I feel like this was a better season. We have a great group of guys and we were right in the mix all season,” he said. “And in the past, we didn’t really compete for the title, but this year I feel like we actually had a chance.”
Lefebvre said the team has improved since last season.
“I feel like we took a step forward from last year. I think we’re going to lose a couple of our core guys this year,” he said.“After Saturday, we have to move forward, and I like our core group that is coming back next year.”
The ’Cats match up against Willamette for their final game of the conference season on Nov. 6. Willamette has struggled this year, only managing one victory all season.
Elhabbassi said that the team will need to be focused to finish the season on a winning note.
“We just need to play our game — just play how we play,” he said. “We need to possess the ball and make the most of our opportunities. And we need to avoid costly mistakes.”
Lefebvre agreed with Elhabbassi, stressing the importance of execution.
“We’re going to have to do the things we’ve been preaching all year. We don’t go away from the game plan,” he said. “If we connect on our
passes, play simple, finish our chances and defend as a unit, then good things will come.

Matt Bayley/Staff reporter
Matt Bayley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Team has crucial games ahead

Posted by :jprokop On : October 30, 2010
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Sophomore Harper Taylor heads the ball as senior Colin Bebee pushes off University of Puget Sound senior Peter Russell on Oct. 24. The ’Cats won 2-0 against the Loggers. Victor Zhu/Freelancer

Men’s soccer lost to Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 23 before defeating the University of Puget Sound on Oct. 24.
The ’Cats’ rainy battle against a strong PLU team concluded with a 1-2 defeat.
Senior midfielder Carter Elhabbassi scored early for the ’Cats, lacing in a goal off of an assist from senior midfielder Kevin Donato — his seventh assist of the season.
But the Lutes held the ’Cats scoreless in the final 70 minutes of play.
Junior forward Spencer Augustin scored for the Lutes in the 25th minute. Pacific Lutheran outshot the ’Cats 9-4 in the first half.
In the second half junior, PLU forward Surafel Wodajo set up sophomore midfielder Mark Lee for a goal, giving Pacific Lutheran a 2-1 lead. The Lutes held on to the victory behind solid play from freshman goalkeeper Joe Rayburn.
Rayburn finished the game with four saves.
Sophomore goalkeeper Cody Tipton finished with six saves for the ’Cats, who were outshot 15-7.
Linfield regrouped to edge out Puget Sound 2-0 the next day.
Sophomore forward Harper Taylor drew first blood for Linfield, scoring his second goal of the season in the 35th minute.
Senior midfielder Kevin Donato laced a pass into the box, where senior midfielder Colin Bebee fed Harper for the score.
Freshman forward Tyler Repic added to the lead in the second half, striking the ball past Loggers sophomore goalkeeper Chris McDonald and into the net.
Tipton earned his second shutout of the year, finishing the game with three saves. He said he was satisfied with how the team played against its rivals.
“I feel we played with more heart than I have seen so far this season,” he said.
With the win, the ’Cats hold a 7-7-1 overall record and a 6-5 conference record.
The ’Cats face stiff competition in the coming weeks, as the season nears its end.
Tipton said the final games are important to the team, and he pointed to conference standings implications.
“These last three games are huge for us,” he said. “Everyone is so close to each other in points that one game could be the difference between second and sixth.”
Taylor agreed with Tipton. He said he expects the coming games against Whitman College and Whitworth University will be challenging but crucial to win.
“We have our toughest road trip of the season this weekend, and we are playing a couple of the top teams in our league,” he said.“For us to win both games this weekend, we need to show up both mentally and physically. Whitman and Whitworth aren’t just going to hand us the victory; it’s going to be a battle that all 11 players on the field have to acknowledge.”
Elhabbassi stressed the importance of the final games as well.
“It is all about pride now,” he said. “We don’t want to look back at the season and see that we finished sixth when we really can still theoretically finish in first.”
Elhabbassi is looking forward to the future of the team. He said winning will draw new players to the school.
“Winning also helps the program for the future with recruits because they would rather go to a school that finished higher in the standings,” he said.
Tipton echoed the sentiments of Elhabbassi, claiming success can help bring in talent.
“The better we play now, the easier it will be to win next year,” he said.
While the team races to the finish line and fatigue sets in, Taylor said the team draws motivation from its seniors.
“The real motivation factor, much like it is every year, comes from our seniors,” he said. “Their drive and determination help motivate us all, because we not only want to win for ourselves, but we want to win for them too.”
The ’Cats begin their late-season push against Whitman on Oct. 30.

Matt Bayley/Staff reporter
Matt Bayley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Freshmen assist team’s climb to top

Posted by :jprokop On : October 30, 2010
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Junior Julia Vaughn dribbles the ball at home against Pacific University. Linfield shut out the Boxers 5-0 on Oct. 17. Victor Zhu/Freelancer

The Wildcats are on their way to a conference title, although the weekend ahead looks daunting. The women’s soccer team will make the trip to Eastern Washington, competing against Whitman College and Whitworth University on Oct. 30 and 31.
The ’Cats are second place in the Northwest Conference — only one point behind first-place University of Puget Sound, a team that beat the ’Cats when they made the trip to Tacoma, Wash.
But the women’s team is well prepared with another win under its belt as they beat Pacific Lutheran University 5-0 on Oct. 23. The win was the fifth in a row for the team and also the fifth shutout.
Freshman forward Emily Fellows had two of the five goals for Linfield.
Freshman forward Christine Tamamoto began the streak with an early goal in the game 5 minutes into the first half. Fellows had the second goal shortly after.
The second half began with a bang as the Wildcats started 2-0. Freshman midfielder Stephanie Socotch scored the third goal for the ’Cats. Senior Emily Grachek helped keep the lead with her second goal of the season.
Fellows wrapped up the game with the 5th goal of the afternoon.
“We came out, played and got the job done,” senior forward Emily Schulte said. “We come out each game like we are playing the best team.”
The women’s soccer team has never won a conference title on the trip to Eastern Washington.
“I feel everyone is taking this weekend more seriously,” senior forward Brittany Willis said. “Everyone is holding themselves accountable. Everyone wants to be a success this year.”
This week was the fourth time Fellows received the honor of Northwest Conference Women’s Soccer Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week. Fellows ranked second in the nation with goals scored in Division-III women’s soccer as of Oct. 24.
Fellows agreed with Willis about preparation for this weekend.
“This week in practice, we all came out with the mindset that we needed to play quickly and smart as well as be physical with each other in order to prepare for the weekend,” Fellows said.
The Wildcats will face Whitman at noon on Oct. 30 in Walla Walla, Wash., and then play Whitworth at noon on Oct. 31 in Spokane, Wash.
“Everyone has that belief that we can do it,” Willis said.

Corrina Crocker/Sports editor
Corrina Crocker can be reached at /linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

’Cats claw up to first place in conference

Posted by :jprokop On : October 22, 2010
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Freshman Emily Fellows dribbles past Pacific University junior Shelyce Ichimura during an Oct. 17 game at home. The Wildcats won 5-0. Victor Zhu/Freelancer

Linfield dominated its Northwest Conference opponents, Lewis & Clark College and Pacific University, Oct. 16 and 17.
The Wildcats brought two wins home and left their opponents scoreless in each game. The team now holds a 9-2 standing in the NWC, which puts the team one loss behind the top-ranked University of Puget Sound
Loggers (9-1).
Lewis & Clark holds a last-place ranking among the NWC teams, but going into Saturday’s game, the ’Cats didn’t look past their opponents.
“We try to take it one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves,” freshman Emily Fellows said.
Before the half, Linfield made nine unsuccessful goal attempts, which resulted in a 0-0 halftime score.
Minutes into the second half, Fellows scored off of a penalty kick to put the team up 1-0.
Near the end of the game, freshman Lindsay Dahl scored a second goal, sealing the 2-0 win for the Wildcats.
Throughout the game, the team held the Pioneers to only two goal attempts and left them with a 0-9 overall NWC record.
“We really capitalized on the scoring opportunities,” Fellows said. “We moved the ball around really well, too.”
The home game against Pacific on Oct. 17 saw many scoring opportunities. Fellows scored Linfield’s first goal after 15 minutes of play off a well-timed pass from senior Rachel Miles.
Sophomore Anna Sours scored 1 minute before halftime to put the Wildcats up 2-0.
The second half brought three more goals for the team. Freshman Stephanie Socotch scored in the 55th minute, and Fellows scored her second goal of the game 6 minutes later. Junior Emily Schulte scored the last goal in the 76th that finished the game.
Pacific ended the game scoreless and now holds a 5-4-1 NWC standing.
Linfield’s goalie, senior Kelsey Hasselblad, made four saves during the weekend and now has 426 total saves, which makes her Linfield’s No. 1 goal-saver.
With Linfield in the running for first place in the NWC, the team is looking forward to the rest of the
victorious season.
“It’s really exciting,” Fellows said. “We have lived up to our potential; we just need to keep playing hard and show up to play.”
The Wildcat’s next game is at home against Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 23. Kick-off is at 11 a.m.

Katey Barger/Staff reporter
Katey Barger can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Winning streak over, ends for No. 4 ’Cats

Posted by :jprokop On : October 22, 2010
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Men’s soccer defeated George Fox University on Oct. 16, but the team’s three-game winning streak was snapped after a tough loss to Pacific University on Oct. 17.
Senior midfielder Michel Camacho scored Linfield’s lone goal in the 1-0 win against George Fox. The ’Cats shut out the Bruins, not allowing a single goal in 90 minutes of play.
The ’Cats took the lead in the first half following Camacho’s score. Senior midfielder Kevin Donato set up the goal with his fifth assist of the season.
Donato and Camacho lead the team in assists and goals, respectively, for the season.
Linfield outshot George Fox 22-13. The Bruins hold an 0-8 conference record following the loss, and an 0-10-1 record overall.
The ’Cats moved on to Pacific, losing the game 0-4. It was the second time the Boxers held the ’Cats scoreless this season.
Pacific held a large advantage in shot attempts, finishing the game with 19 compared with Linfield’s two.
Senior Boxer defender Avery Neal scored a goal late in the first half. Junior midfielder Patrick Murray scored shortly after to give Pacific a 2-0 lead.
The ’Cats were outshot 11-1 in the first half.
Linfield continued to struggle in the second half, managing only a single shot to Pacific’s eight attempts. Senior midfielder Colin Bebee attempted Linfield’s only shot on the goal.
Senior Boxer midfielder Kizamu Tsutakawa put the game out of reach with two goals in the second half. Tsutakawa leads the Boxers with seven goals this season.
Pacific is now 11-1-2 overall and hold a 7-1-1 conference record.
Despite another tough loss to Pacific, sophomore forward Danny Snelgrow remains confident in the team’s abilities.
“I feel our team can match up very well with the tougher teams if we play focused and on key,” he said. “I don’t want to take any credit away from Pacific and their defense, but we definitely weren’t in sync.”
Snelgrow also stressed the importance of execution.
“Our mental preparation needs to be a little better, but a lot of it is just trusting our teammates,” he said. “When we start getting on our teammates about making mistakes, they make more mistakes, so we need to just let it go and play.”
Head coach Ian Lefebvre said that missing players decreased the team’s offensive abilities against Pacific.
“We were missing two guys: Danny [Snelgrow] and Michel [Camacho]. We had to make an adjustment and pull Colin Bebee into the back line,” he said. “So we had two guys up front who hadn’t put much time in up front, and that kind of took away our offensive firepower with our two leading goal
scorers on the bench.”
Next up for the ’Cats is a meeting with Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 23. The Lutes hold a 7-6-1 overall record and a 6-3 conference record.
The ’Cats are 6-6-1 this season with a 5-4 conference record. The match will present the ’Cats with a chance to tie Pacific Lutheran’s conference record.
Linfield is currently fourth in conference standings, but a win on Oct. 23 would tie them with Pacific Lutheran for second.
The ’Cats play the University of Puget Sound on Oct. 24. The teams last met Sept. 18, when the ’Cats were defeated 2-1 in Tacoma, Wash.
Snelgrow said the coming game is important to the team.
“It’s going to be a big game for us, and if we can come out with the ‘W,’ it’s going to help us out a lot more,” he said. “We just need to play focused and together.”
Lefebvre agreed with Snelgrow, saying he’s looking for a strong finish to the season.
“I hope to finish it on a positive note. I feel like we still have a chance to finish in the top three. That’s where I would like to finish, and we have the ability,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work and strong leadership toward the end of the season.”
Kickoff for both Oct. 23 and 24 is at 2:30 p.m. at home.

Matt Bayley/Staff reporter
Matt Bayley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Heckling Hooligans

Posted by :jprokop On : October 22, 2010
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Soccer hecklers (left to right) Jr. John Frank, Jr. Josh Bott, Sr. Stephen Dennis, Jr. Dan Harmon & Jr. Greg Larson show off their attitude. Katie Paysinger/Senior Photographer

They come in all shapes and sizes. They sport the colored wig and the painted chests, and they rocked the retro Goodwill clothes that scream team spirit two sizes too small. They are the fans. They are dedicated and can be found at all sporting events, but at Linfield, they tend to turn up at soccer games.
The die-hard fans can also be identified as hecklers. The Dictionary.com definition of the word heckle is “to harass (a public speaker, performer, etc.) with impertinent questions, gibes or the like; badger.”
The leader of the Linfield hecklers, senior Stephen Dennis, said they only use intelligent, classy and ad hominem attacks.
“We don’t settle for ‘Hey Rick, you suck,’” Dennis said.
At the soccer games, the hecklers help the Wildcats by badgering the other team.
“We make fun of their haircut, shorts, hometown — anything we can. But obscenities cross the line. We keep it pretty PG; it is a family event,” Dennis said.
The Linfield soccer hecklers show up and sit in the front row, yelling at the opponents when they make mistakes or when they miss the ball. They shout out names or cheer when the Wildcats win tackles or dribble past a player, senior men’s soccer player Michel Camacho explained.
The Linfield soccer hecklers consist of a core group that varies in size depending on the game and the weather. The principal students behind the madness are Dennis and juniors Greg Larson, Josh Bott, Dan Harmon and John Frank. These fans support teams that don’t attract the same size crowd that sports such as football or basketball do.
“Soccer is the most conducive sport for heckling,” Dennis said. “You are just a couple of feet removed from the game. You have great proximity to the game. It is also a quieter sport compared to a sport like football. You get the most bang for your buck.”
Heckler Harmon agreed with Dennis.
“Soccer is not as enthusiastic as basketball. When you start yelling and heckling, it brings the fans into the game,” Harmon said.
The main idea behind heckling is not to be cruel or rude to the opposing team but to take its focus from the game and to frustrated the players.
Dennis explained that he is in a sports class in which he learned that an athlete only has so much attention he or she can give to spectators. He said he came together with the other hecklers to try and dominate that attention.
Although heckling can be a burden on the opposing team, one thing the group has to worry about is distracting the team it is there to support. Luckily, the Wildcat soccer players are in full support of the heckling of the other team.
“It is not distracting at all,” Camacho said. “It’s awesome when the crowd gets into it. It gives you a little extra motivation and fuel, especially in close games when you are fighting to keep a lead or fighting to get that goal in the end.”
Senior Carter Elhabbassi, also on the men’s soccer team, agreed with Camacho.
“It does not distract me at all. I’m usually focused on the game, so all the extra stuff gets zoned out,” he said. “If the ball goes out or randomly I hear them, it is funny.”
He thought the Heckling has a negative affect on opponents, Elhabbassi said.
“I like them doing that [heckling the other team] because sometimes you can tell that it gets to the players on the other team and it messes them up,” he said.
Dennis said the hecklers are a constant factor for our players. The other team is simply not accustomed to the heckling.
“It is a novel thing for the opponents,” he said.
The hecklers are often at the men’s games, although they show up to the women’s soccer games also on occasion.
“[The heckling] does not distract me,” senior women’s soccer player Sara Blake said. “I block everything out and focus on the game.”
Dennis will play for the men’s basketball team during the winter, so heckling in that sport is not an option for him, although he would love to see it continue in the students’ section.
“I can see it continuing into basketball when we get back from January Term, since some of us are going abroad,” Harmon, who will travel to Australia in January, said.
The hecklers would love company with intelligent, inventive and creative ideas, so join them on the soccer field Oct. 23 against Pacific Lutheran University and Oct. 24 against University of Puget Sound for the men’s games and on Oct. 23 against Pacific Lutheran for the women’s game.

by Corrina Crocker/Sports editor
Corrina Crocker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Wildcats balance NWC record

Posted by :jprokop On : October 17, 2010
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Freshman Tyler Repic (center) dribbles the ball as senior Carter Elhabbassi runs for the pass as Whitman College senior Connor Bottomly defends on Oct. 3. Linfield won at home 2-1. Victor Zhu/ Freelancer

Men’s soccer evened its overall record to 5-5 last weekend, defeating Willamette University 2-1 on Oct. 9.
After an early goal by Bearcat freshman midfielder Brandon Shiluk, Linfield’s defense took over, holding Willamette scoreless during the final 86 minutes of play.
Freshman midfielder Michael Swain scored the first of his two goals on a pass from senior midfielder Kevin Donato, tying the score at 1-1.
Swain’s second goal — his third of the season — came during the 21st minute off of an assist from freshman forward Harper Taylor. Swain’s goal was the game-winner, putting Linfield ahead 2-1.
The ’Cats held off the Bearcats despite being outshot 12-8.
Sophomore goalkeeper Cody Tipton finished the game with two saves. Tipton relieved senior goalkeeper Joe Locascio, who finished with six saves in the first 64 minutes of play.
Tipton said he was satisfied with the win but knew the team could have played better.
“I felt like we were a little slow to begin with, and that’s how they got their goal,” Tipton said. “I think right now it is all about fine-tuning what we do to limit mistakes.”
The game was plagued with fouls; 35 were called. In the second period, the ’Cats committed 19 fouls, a number which Donato was not pleased with.
“I don’t feel we played well at all, especially in the second half,” he said. “Our performance just wasn’t there, and we just made it difficult on ourselves.”
Swain agreed with Donato.
“In the second half, we kind of fell apart and had a lot of fouls in a short period of time, which is not what we want to do,” he said.
With the win, the ’Cats hold a 4-3 conference record going into next week’s game against George Fox University on Oct. 16. Linfield defeated the Bruins 7-0 on Sept. 26.
George Fox has endured a rough season, holding an 0-9 overall record with an 0-7 conference record.
But Tipton said the team can’t expect an easy game, and he drew a comparison from last season.
“We beat Willamette 5-1 in our first game last year and lost to them in our second. We don’t want that to happen this year with George Fox,” he said.
Swain agreed with Tipton, advising that the team not relax against a motivated George Fox.
“They are definitely looking to come back at us because of our win last time,” Swain said.
The ’Cats will square off with Pacific University for a second time this season Oct. 17. The game will allow Linfield a shot at redemption, after losing its first game to Pacific 1-0.
The Boxers hold a 9-1-2 overall record and a 5-1-1 conference record.
The ’Cats have a chance to win their third game in a row and climb up the conference standings this weekend. The opportunity is not lost on Swain.
“We’re trying to get some momentum going,” he said. “These games this weekend are super
important to win, to keep the streak going.”
With the ’Cats entering the second half of the season, Donato said that, compared with last year, this season was going well so far.
“It definitely feels a lot better. It’s been more enjoyable, and we’re seeing better results,” he said.
The Wildcats’ next game at George Fox on Oct. 16 and at home Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m.

Matt Bayley/Staff reporter
Matt Bayley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Freshman has her head in the game

Posted by :jprokop On : October 17, 2010
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She’s the freshman that could. With a record total of goals in a season so far, she seems to have it all figured out.
Emily Fellows is in her rookie year at Linfield and is rapidly making a name for herself on the women’s soccer team.
She has earned the Northwest Conference Women’s Soccer Student-Athlete of the Week for the third time this year.
“I feel really good about all the success we have been having this season,” Fellows said. “It shows how we have prepared ourselves up to this point.”
The women’s soccer team stands in third place in the Northwest Conference after the
women defeated Willamette University on Bearcat turf Oct. 13. The Wildcats won 4-0, and Fellows scored two of the goals, which brought her 17-goal record up to 19.
She comes from Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Ore., where she earned varsity letters in soccer all four years there. While at Jesuit, Fellows was a two-time second team all-metro league selection, and she was on the first team all-metro league honors. She also earned second team all-state honors.
Fellows played for the Lake Oswego Soccer Club on the Dynasty throughout the off-season in high school.
“I have basically been playing my entire life,” Fellows said. “I can’t even remember a time when I wasn’t playing.”
She has earned the starting position as a freshman.
She said she began playing club soccer when she was 10 years old. She started at defense, but then she moved up to the midfield. Since seventh grade, she has been in the forward position.
“I have learned a lot about the game and other aspects of playing [since being at Linfield],” she said.
“The next three years, I just hope that we can become more successful each year and hopefully make it to playoffs,” she said about her ambitions for the team in the future.
For someone who has the game all figured out, she has yet to decide on a major.
“I am deciding between athletic training or education,” Fellows said.
Corrina Crocker
Sports editor
Corrina Crocker can be reached at
linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.