Homestand Continues for C of I Men's Soccer
CALDWELL, Idaho -- College of Idaho's three-game homestand continues on Saturday morning for the Yotes, as they play host to Whitman at Symms Field. The Missionaries (1-0-2) were picked to finish third in the Division III Northwest Conference and have gotten off to a great start in 2008 – playing both Westminster and Northwest Nazarene to draws, while notching a 1-0 decision over Dixie State. Whitman is paced by All-NWC striker Stephen Phillips, who scored 12 goals last season, and All-NWC keeper Brett Axelrod – two of 11 seniors on the team. The Yotes defeated Whitman, 1-0, last season, and hold a 8-5-1 all-time series edge.
COYOTES OPEN SEASON WITH SPLIT: After just ten days of preseason training, The College of Idaho men’s soccer team began the 2008 season in earnest, playing a pair of matches in the Treasure Valley. A 4-3 overtime loss at Northwest Nazarene last Thursday allowed the Yotes to see which areas needed work – which were much improved on Sunday in a 1-0 victory at home against Great Falls. “We made some mistakes against NNU,” said head coach Brian Smith.” However, I felt that we were able to work on different combinations against Great Falls that will help us in the future.” It marks the second-straight season that the Yotes have opened the year 1-1.
BAUTISTA NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: College of Idaho forward Antonio Bautista (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) was named today the Cascade Conference Offensive Player of the Week, announced by the league office in Portland, Ore. The junior assisted on two of the three C of I goals in a 4-3 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, then scored the game-winning tally in a 1-0 victory over Great Falls on Sunday afternoon. It marks the second time in his career that Bautista has earned the honor.
MURATA SOLID: Two-time All-Cascade Conference selection Kazuki Murata (Tokyo, Japan / International Secondary Inst.) opened up his season in style – scoring a goal and an assist in the loss at NNU, followed up with an assist in the win over Great Falls. “I thought that Kazuki was the best player on the field on Thursday,” said Smith. “He really played a great game, and added a key assist to help us to the win on Sunday.”
REYNOLDS STELLAR IN SHUTOUT: After a couple of mistakes against NNU, freshman goalkeeper Aaron Reynolds (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) showed why he was tabbed the starter in 2008 in the 1-0 victory over Great Falls. Reynolds made a pair of leaping saves against UGF, including a point-blank shot early in the second half to preserve the shutout.
NEW PLAYERS MAKE DEBUT: Along with Aaron Reynolds, five other C of I players made their Coyote debuts last week –Travis Newbold (Meridian, Idaho / Meridian HS), James Collet (Pocatello, Idaho / Pocatello HS), and Brian Griffiths (Boise, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) each played in both matches, while Spencer Ward (Kent, Wash. / Kentwood HS) and Brad Byers (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) each played in one.
CCC PRESEASON POLLS: The C of I was the unanimous selection to win the South Division as the 2008 Cascade Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll was released in August. The Coyotes, coming off a third-place finish last season and an 11-6-1 overall record, claimed the all nine first-place votes in their division - as the CCC splits into a North-South arrangement for the first time this season. Joining The C of I in the South Division are second-place Corban, followed by Cascade, Northwest Christian, and Oregon Tech. The North was led by defending loop champion, Concordia, followed by Warner Pacific, Northwest, and Evergreen State. The first official Cascade Conference rater ranking was released as well, with Concordia taking the top spot, followed by Warner Pacific, the Yotes, Northwest, and Evergreen State – with Concordia ranked No. 24 in the initial NAIA poll and Warner Pacific receiving votes.
GAME RECAP – NORTHWEST NAZARENE 4, C OF I 3: Jose Oregon headed home an Alex Mangeac cross in the first minute of overtime, as the Northwest Nazarene men's soccer team made a triumphant return to intercollegiate play with a 4-3 victory over The C of I last Thursday in Nampa. The Crusaders, who disbanded their team following the 2002 season, rallied in the final two minutes of regulation to tie the game - as Mangeac bent a free kick from 25-yards out around the Coyote wall and into the right corner of the net. The Yotes, who lost for the first time against their Canyon County rivals in ten years, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, getting an Emir Kobic (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) goal off a nice combination from Kazuki Murata and Antonio Bautista in the 30th minute, with Bautista feeding Murata for a goal in the 35th minute to give the visitors a two-goal advantage. However, The C of I ran out of gas in the final three minutes of the period, as Oregon flicked home a goal in the 43rd minute, followed by a Theron Fereday goal off a deflection a minute later to tie the score. The Coyotes took a 3-2 advantage early in the second half on a Garga Caserta (Aracatuba, Brazil / North Idaho CC) unassisted goal, setting up the NNU heroics. Though corner kicks were even at 4-4, NNU had a 22-12 edge in total shots.
GAME RECAP – C OF I 1, GREAT FALLS 0: Antonio Bautista scored the lone goal in the 18th minute, as The C of I opened their home season with a 1-0 victory over the University of Great Falls Sunday at Symms Field. Bautista took a long through-ball from Kazuki Murata and blasted a right-footed shot to the far post, beating keeper Zach Johnson for the winner. UGF held a 13-8 edge in shots, including eight on goal, but C of I keeper Aaron Reynolds was up to the task, including a point-blank save of a Kantey Locoh shot inside the six-yard mark in the 51st minute and a diving stop of a Chris Worthen drive in the 69th. The Yotes had their chances as well, as a first half free kick by Mauricio Both (Cacheoira de Sul, Brazil / Nampa HS) clanged off the crossbar, a Murata drive in the second half was cleared off the goal line by the Argonauts defense midway through the second half, and Garga Caserta hit the right post late in the contest.
ABOUT THE COACH: Brian Smith (5th year, 42-26-3) is in his fifth season as head coach of The C of I men's soccer team. In his first season two seasons, the Coyotes narrowly missed a spot in the NAIA Region I Tournament, despite a second and third-place finish in the Cascade Conference standings. In 2006, however, the Yotes claimed their first CCC title since 2001 and advanced to the regional semifinals. For his efforts, the Coyote skipper was named CCC Coach of the Year. Last season, the Yotes missed out on the postseason by one game. Smith, who helped the Coyotes to a 35-21-1 record as a player for longtime coach, John Calpin, from 1990-93, returned to his alma mater in 2004 after a successful high school coaching career in the Treasure Valley. He coached the Timberline High School boys’ team for three years, before taking over the THS girls’ program in 2002 – earning Idaho State Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2001 and Southern Idaho Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2003. After earning All-District honors as a player and graduating from The C of I with a degree in political science in 1994, Smith has assisted the Coyote program along with serving as a coach with the Boise National Soccer Club during the past decade.