Emotions run gamut

It has been a bittersweet week for Whitworth University soccer coach Sean Bushey, who was on an emotional rollercoaster Monday when he learned the postseason fate of his men’s and women’s teams.

The Pirates men, 14-2-3 after winning their second consecutive Northwest Conference title, earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament and were rewarded with an opening-round home match against Augsburg (Minn.) College, prompting Bushey to proclaim it one of his team’s most gratifying accomplishments.

But the Pirates women were snubbed by the NCAA selection committee despite being 15-4-1, ranked No. 12 nationally, winners of nine of their final 10 regular-season games, and finishing second to the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Puget Sound, in the NWC.

That drew a much different response from Bushey, who admitted to being “extremely” disappointed.

“That was a real blow, because we had played so well at the end of the season and we had beaten some quality opponents outside of our conference,” Bushey said. “But every year in any sport in the NCAA there’s always going to be someone saying, ‘What? What kind of decision did they come to?’ That just happens to be us this year, and it’s really disheartening.”

So Bushey will marshal on with his men’s team, which hopes to make the most of the home-field advantage it will have in Thursday’s first-round showdown against Augsburg (11-3-6) that starts at 1 p.m. at Whitworth Soccer Stadium.

“You’re always a little more comfortable at home, and you don’t lose a day of practice to travel,” Bushey said. “It’s a short week, so being at home is important from a competitive standpoint – and we like playing at home.”

With such little time for preparation, Bushey and his staff have been scouring the Internet for information on Augsburg, an at-large qualifier from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference that comes in riding a five-game unbeaten streak.

“You know, soccer’s still not in the vein of basketball or football, where you exchange video,” Bushey said. “But through the wonders of technology and YouTube – yes, they have clips on YouTube – you can at least get a little bit of insight.”

Cougs women ‘deserving’

Washington State’s women are back in the NCAA Division I championship tournament for the first time in six seasons, and coach Matt Potter is convinced his Cougars belong.

“I am very proud of this group, and they deserve this moment,” Potter said after learning his team (10-5-5) earned an at-large tournament bid and is headed to Portland to face Texas (12-3-4) in a first-round match slated for 5 p.m. Friday on Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. “But there is a part of me that thinks about those that have come before them, and the work they put in.

“This moment is for them, as well.”

The Cougars earned an at-large berth during the weekend with Pacific-10 Conference wins over Arizona and Arizona State, and a 2-3-5 record against teams in this year’s NCAA field.

CCS, NIC teams play on

The Community Colleges of Spokane men and North Idaho College women have both advanced to postseason play, with CCS having the advantage of playing on its home field at Spokane Falls Community College at 1 p.m. this afternoon.

The Sasquatch (12-5-1) will face Edmonds (6-11-1) in the opening round of the NWAACC playoffs, while NIC’s women (12-5-2) wait until next week to make their first appearance in the NJCAA national tournament.

The Cardinals, who beat host Johnson County 3-1 in the District B tournament finals in Overland Park, Kan., last week, will travel to Chandler, Ariz., to play in the national tournament Nov. 20-23, against an opponent to be named.

NIC men come up short

After opening the year with a 2-1 loss to Evergreen State, North Idaho College finished its regular season on a 15-game unbeaten streak and won both the Scenic West Athletic Conference and Region 18 championships.

But NIC (11-2-4) was denied a berth in the NJCAA tournament when it lost to top-ranked and unbeaten Yavapai (Ariz.) College 6-1 in the NJCAA’s West District last week. Yavapai (23-0-0), winner of six previous national championships, has outscored its opponents 111-9 and allowed none of them more than a single goal.