TCP; Timbers win Cascadia Cup

This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.

David Beasley, Associate Sports Editor
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012
Volume 46, Issue 3
Arts & Culture

Triumphantly taking home a well-deserved Cascadia Cup trophy on Sunday, the Portland Timbers celebrated a hard fought battle to a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver, British Columbia Whitecaps.

Sunday’s game marks the third time in the last four seasons that the Timbers have captured the Cascadia Cup. Last year’s title holder was the Seattle Sounders, but Portland topped the three city championship, showing their ability to be top team in the Northwest.

Supporters of the team, known as the Timbers Army, brought big energy to the game atmosphere from start to finish, erupting in a massive explosion of cheers, chants, flag waving, and just plain hooliganry.

It was an all-out war in the stands and on the field. The Timbers wanted more than just It was an all-out war in the stands and on the field. The Timbers wanted more than just their first away-game victory of the MLS season; they wanted to again hold the title of the best team in the Northwest.

Captain Jack Jewsbury’s soaring 30-yard goal would be the winning goal of the match, careening over the Whitecaps goalkeeper’s head neatly in the upper right corner of the goal.

The Timbers defended excellently during the back and forth battle for possession of the ball, in which solid shots on goal taken by Vancouver, but the Timbers defended with urgent effectiveness.

The Cascadia Cup victory comes on the heels of a mediocre season which saw the Timbers fall in the standings early in the year, eventually leading to the dismissal of head coach John Spencer.

His interim replacement, general manager Gavin Wilkinson, has coached the team since. Wilkinson has been at the helm during each year the Portland Timbers have won the Cascadia Cup.

The Timbers win brought a much needed sense of victory to the team and Timbers Army alike. Hoisting the huge cup of a trophy high, the men of Portland soccer returned home victorious!

TCP; X-Country women run X-odus through rain

This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.

David Beasley, Associate Sports Editor
Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012
Volume 46, Issue 2
Arts & Culture

Wet and wild was the name of the game Friday afternoon, as Clackamas Community Collegehosted the Mike Hodges Invitational. Chains of runners strewn about the trail, appeared to advance effortlessly through the deluge of mist and rain.

Onlookers and passersby adorned rain gear and umbrellas. There was a playful mood in the air, with excitement for the first rain of fall and the opportunity to run in the rain. The countrycrossers stormed the trail, taking on the elements and traversing the terrain, in a dazzling display of skill, willpower and stamina.

“Runners set!” the orders from the megaphone declared, and the race literally began with a bang as the starter pistol was fired. A stampede of athletes sped down the open field, disappearing around a corner of trees and bushes to continue along the uneven course. The women’s 5,000-meter race around the cross country path began with some runners battling the cold weather while keeping up with the pack.

As the race wore on, many who had been chilly, started to warm up and enjoy the run in the rain.

“I like running in the rain,” said Clackamas’ Randi Chance as she smiled and looked up toward the misty sky.

“I run better in the rain,” said Grace Viuhkola, Clackamas’ top runner. “I don’t sweat, so it’s nice, the rain cools me down.”

This year, the ladies of Clackamas have a strong team bond. “We had a team camp at the beginning of the season that really broke the ice and helped the team feel more like a family,” said Chance.

“We have a really close-knit team this year,” said Viuhkola. “Everyone cheers each other on and it makes us a stronger team.”

The women had to overcome the obstacle of having their most successful runner, Cia Bywater, sitting out due to a foot injury. The girls shined in true Cougar cross country fashion. Viuhkola finished 12th overall with a time of 20:58, despite battling a chest cold.

“It was hard for us as a team without Cia running,” said Viuhkola. “We are looking at this race and the next at Lane, as good preparation for NWAACC Championships in a month.”

“Grace has really stepped up in the last couple weeks and shown she can be a leader on this team,” said head coach Jarret Mantalas. “She battled really hard and fought during the race.”

Chance finished second for Clackamas with a great time of 22 minutes even. “I thought I could have run faster,” Chance admitted. “I ran the course yesterday and ran it faster.”

Mantalas seemed pleased with her progress.

“Randi ran almost the same time here on a significantly harder course as she did at the Willamette Invite,” said Mantalas.

Joanna Feeney was CCC’s next finisher in 28th with a time of 22:28. Zaira Sanchez ran the firstcross country race of her life, finishing 38th in 24:20.

“It was a little bit of a shocker for her,” said Mantalas. “But, she battled and fought tough. She’s a hurdler at heart, not really a true cross country runner, but she’s starting to show it.”

Running long distances, nonstop, for extended periods of time, is no small feat. Friday was a stunning display of willpower. With excitement building for this season’s upcoming NWAACC championships on Nov. 10, there’s no better time to be paying attention to the fantastic runners of team Clackamas.

TCP; Cougars kick it up against top teams

This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.

David Beasley, Associate Sports Editor
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012
Volume 46, Issue 1
Sports

Cougar soccer is kicking in gear this fall, with six league wins out of eight games played, the girls of Clackamas hold the No. 1 rank in the NWAACC Southern Region. Pre-league games were eventful as well; the team was challenged for their first game of the year by currently undefeated, No. 1 ranked in league, Peninsula Community College Pirates. The 0-2 loss fueled the fire for a solid 1-0 win against another very successful team, Walla Walla.

Here's the current rundown for league games this season: The beginning of September brought a 0-1 loss to Shoreline Community College followed by a month-long winning streak including a 5-1 win vs Edmonds in which forward Tayler Ficek, scored four goals. The freshman forward from North Eugene High School has led the Cougars with an incredible scoring outburst so far this season. Ficek leads the NWAACC in scoring with 13 goals, only failing to score in CCC's three losses.

Two 2-0 wins against Lane Community College and Green River Community College led up to another high scoring game for the Cougars, as they dominated Southwestern Oregon CommunityCollege 5-0.

A home game against Skagit Valley Community College at the end of September produced a convincing 3-0 win with what coach Janine Szpara praised as a game with "good defense." The winning streak stretched into October, as the Cougars outplayed Clark Community College in another 3-0 home win. Melanie Trumbull, another freshman from North Eugene, has been a stalwart in goal for the Cougars, running off a streak of four straight shutouts in September. The trend of success was halted Friday by Whatcom Community College in a frustrating 0-2 loss.

Friday's home game against Whatcom was frustrating for the team because they had three solid shots on goal, one of which bounced off the goalpost in devastating geometrical defiance, signifying the last chance Clackamas had of turning things around from an awkward 0-2 score. The two goals scored by Whatcom were nothing to write home about, but were nonetheless scored. The first goal penetrated the Cougars' defense within five minutes of kickoff; as the girls from Whatcom saw an early opening and took advantage of Clackamas' slow start. The second goal came from a controversial referee call just outside the Cougars' penalty box, as a free kick was given to Whatcom and they were able to take advantage of the close proximity to score a goal.

Assistant coach Miriam Coto commented that the game was "Frustrating, and we need to step it up."

The Cougars are on the road again, and will soon be tested by two of the better league teams. If they pick up a couple wins, they should have the momentum as a team to bulldoze the remaining competition leading up to playoffs. They will have played every current No. 1 and 2 ranked team in the NWAACC, which gives them excellent experience in preparation for this year's upcoming playoffs.

The ladies of Clackamas Cougars soccer deserve support and appreciation. They are continuing the tradition of being one of the top teams in the league and are well on their way to making a good run at the NWAACC Championship this year. Join the hooligans and fans rooting for the Cougars at their next home game: Friday, Oct. 26 vs SW Oregon at 1 p.m. at OCHS Pioneer Stadium. The first round of NWAACC playoffs is Wednesday, Nov. 7.