Snow Keeping Rams Off Own Territory

Thu., March 9, 2000

By Janie McCauley janiem@spokesman.com

GNL

The Riverside boys soccer team hasn’t been able to practice on its own field for initial practices.

There’s been too much snow. So the Rams have been working out at Farwell Elementary. Coach Kevin Moon hoped the defending Great Northern League champions would be back on their field by today.

The Rams again are the favorite to win the league, and Pullman always challenges for the top spot as Riverside’s main rival. The Greyhounds could be down this year, Moon said.

Medical Lake, Deer Park and Lakeside also look to be tough, Moon said.

At Deer Park, Rob Champoux replaces Rio ThreeStars after serving as an assistant coach for two years.

Riverside returns big scorer

Junior Jake Moug scored 35 goals last year and was the league’s offensive MVP. And the Rams have plenty of talent around him.

Three seniors are in their fourth varsity season - midfielders Winston Hodgson and Nathaniel Calamia and forward Kevin Hersom. There are six other seniors, five juniors and a sophomore who played varsity last season.

Moug and junior forward Brett Baker both were first-team all-league.

“We’re going to be tough that’s for sure,” Moon said.

The Rams open their season at Shadle Park at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“That’ll be our test,” said Moon, whose team also has two non-league games with Cheney and one with Rogers.

Stags are young

Deer Park has 12 freshmen and nine returners. Senior forwards Jay Recchia and Chris Dowers should be the leading scorers for a team that tied for third in the GNL with Medical Lake last season.

Like Riverside, Deer Park was dealing with snow during the first week of practice. Champoux is enjoying being head coach so far.

“We have a lot of freshman and lost a lot of senior starters, so we’re a young team,” he said. “But we’re having a lot of fun out there.”

The Stags open at Riverside at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Eagles keep building

Lakeside begins its second season with soccer under coach Yosef Afenegus, who guided the Eagles girls to the playoffs last fall. Joining Afenegus this season as an assistant coach is Tim Seely. The two coaches were teammates at North Central High School, and Seely plays for the Spokane Shadow.

Afenegus expects senior defender Jake Turner to be a key leader for a team that finished last in the league in its first year.

Justin Parker and Gabe Hensold are the team’s other two seniors, and both are defenders so the Eagles’ backfield looks to be a strength.

“We are just building the soccer program at Lakeside,” Afenegus said. “We are a very young team.”

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