Perseverance pays off
It’s a story of perseverance, resolve and belief.
That describes Eastern Washington’s surprising rise to co-Big Sky Conference women’s soccer champions. And it describes sophomore Tiera Como’s rise to good health and exceptional goalkeeping.
The Eagles, in their seventh season of NCAA Division I soccer, had never finished higher than fourth in the Big Sky until a 4-0 win over Sacramento State on Sunday left them tied at the top with Portland State. PSU beat EWU on Friday to win the tiebreaker and the right to host the Big Sky tournament this weekend. No. 2-seeded EWU (7-8-2, 4-1-1 Big Sky) will face No. 3 Montana.
“After the game we were all stunned and I’m not sure it had really set in, but today people were coming up and congratulating us,” said Como, who picked up her sixth shutout Sunday. “We believed we could do it and we stuck with it and never gave up. Even after a rough start and losing really close games to some top teams we stuck with it.”
It’s especially satisfying for fifth-year coach George Hageage.
“The year before we got here they were 1-17,” he said. “This means a lot to the kids who have been here. It’s been a long process. Our seniors have been through good and bad – more bad than good – and it’s just incredible to see them pull together.”
Como, an East Valley graduate, has endured her share of medical problems. She had knee surgery prior to her freshman year and redshirted. Just past the halfway mark last season she broke her tibia in a collision with a Northern Iowa player in the goal box.
“There were times I was like, ‘this isn’t worth all the pain,’ but the fact that I’d already come back from one injury helped me know I could get through another one,” Como said.
She was in a wheelchair for six weeks and her recovery took close to six months. More challenges remained when she returned to the team.
“We have a freshman keeper we brought in specifically (to compete) with Tiera, that’s the way Division I is,” Hageage said. “It goes back to her will and the effort she’s put in to be able to win it and that’s what she did.”
Hageage emphasizes a defensive style of play that is reflected in EWU’s statistics. The Eagles have scored 14 goals and allowed 17 in 17 matches.
“We have three seniors who start in the back (Abbie Socha, Brianna Nelson and Colleen Ferriter) and our defense has been awesome,” Hageage said. “We try to get numbers behind the ball and counter off that and it’s been really successful.”
Como is quick to credit those who make her job easier.
“Most of the shots have been outside the 18 (yard line) and it’s easy for me to go out and pick up the ball or make a small dive,” she said.
EWU and Montana tied 0-0 in early October.
Winning Whits
Whitworth wrapped up its first Northwest Conference men’s title since 2001 with a 2-1 win over Puget Sound on Sunday. The Pirates finish the regular season against Whitman on Saturday and should learn their first-round NCAA Division III tournament assignment Sunday.
Whitworth, which advanced to the round of 16 in 2001, has put in a bid to host a first-round match.
“I think we have a good chance,” coach Sean Bushey said. “For one, our conference play is pretty competitive and a good proving ground. We have a couple leading scorers in Todd (Sabrowski) and Jonathan (Carlson), but goals have come from different players at critical times. We’re a team that relies on each other. We played without Todd and won once and we played without our starting keeper and won that as well.”
Cougars state case
When it comes to NCAA tournament at-large berths for the Pac-10, the magic number appears to be five conference wins and/or possessing a national ranking. If history holds true, the Washington State women (8-6-3, 3-3-1 Pac-10) probably need to sweep Cal and Stanford at home this week to make the NCAAs.
The Cougars are tied with Washington for sixth in the Pac-10. WSU is not among the five Pac-10 teams in Soccer America’s Top 25 prior to last week’s matches. WSU was in the NCAAs in 2002 when it was 11-7-2 overall, 5-2-2 in conference, and in 2000 with 13-7, 5-4 marks.
Since 1998, the Pac-10 has been represented in the NCAAs by at least four teams every year, topping out at seven in 2000. Of those 32, only five had four Pac-10 wins and their overall win totals ranged from 11 to 14.
Chasing a crown
Spokane (11-1-1) enters the final week of the regular season in pursuit of Walla Walla (12-1-1) for first place in the NWAACC Northeast Division women’s standings.
Spokane entertains North Idaho (8-6-1) on Wednesday, Wenatchee Valley (2-11-1) on Friday and Edmonds (9-3-2) on Saturday. Walla Walla has home dates with Edmonds on Friday and Wenatchee Valley on Saturday. Spokane defeated Walla Walla 3-1 in early October.