Sunday Locals: EWU women’s hockey team in finale
The Eastern Washington University women’s club hockey team will look to close its second season on a six-game winning streak when it entertains a team from the Spokane women’s league at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the University Recreation Center in Cheney.
There is no admission charge.
The Eagles ran their streak to five with four victories in winning a 14-team tournament in Wenatchee last weekend, outscoring their opponents 15-4. Eastern beat the host Wenatchee Banshees 2-1 for the championship.
Becky Fullerton had five goals and four assists and Alexandra Gellhaus scored five goals during the weekend. Allison Burke of Spokane and Miranda Spencer from Coeur d’Alene shared goaltending duties.
After a struggling start, Eastern has improved its record to 6-15-1, going 5-6-1 since Jan. 1, highlighted by the five-game streak.
Pat Hanlon coaches the team that has six players with area ties – Hannah Peterson, Edwall; Tonya Gaddy, Spokane; Erin Barber, Spokane; and Misty Spencer, Spokane, besides Burke and Spencer.
College scene
Shana Lim, an Idaho freshman from Singapore, has been selected to compete in the NCAA Swimming Championships March 17-19 in Austin, Texas.
Lim will swim the 100 backstroke, which she won at the Western Athletic Conference meet in a record 53 seconds, and the 200 back, in which she set a school record of 1 minute, 58.64 seconds at the meet. She ranks 21st in the country in the 100 back.
• Captains Catherine Cullen, Sheridan Jones and Elle Sweeney collected individual awards at the Gonzaga women’s soccer team’s annual team celebration dinner last weekend.
Cullen, a senior, was voted most valuable player by her teammates; Jones, also a senior, was voted offensive player of the year; and Sweeney, a junior, was the defensive player of the year. Freshman Cassie Geerdts was named newcomer of the year. All received West Coast Conference recognition – Jones named to the All-WCC second team, the others earning honorable mention.
Volleyball
Samantha Buratto of Sandpoint, the 2010 player of the year in Idaho, has committed to play at Carroll College in Helena, Saints coach Moe Boyle announced.
Buratto, an All-North Idaho selection and named to the state all-tournament team, has deep roots at Carroll. Her mother played volleyball at the school; her father not only played football for the Saints, but was an assistant football coach from 1986-90; and older brother Stefan is a redshirt freshman on the men’s basketball team. She has a 3.3 grade-point average.