A Senior Moment

Pacific's three men's soccer seniors pose after their final game at Lincoln Park Stadium. From left, Brandon Porter, Danny Williams and Jared Komo.

All three were selected to the All-Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Team. Porter and Williams both received first team selections, while Komo was an honorable mention.

Porter is a junior by eligibility years, but is on track to graduate in May. Head Coach Jim Brazeau has indicated, however, that Porter may return for one more season.

Photo courtesy of Delna Komo. Do you have photos to share of our Pacific seniors in their final contests to share on the Boxer Blog? E-mail them to timmbr@pacificu.edu.

The Thrill Of The Dual Meet

When I competed in track and field in high school, the bread and butter of the season were dual meets and tri-meets. The dual meet went a long ways to building not only a healthy rivalry with other schools in your conference, but also created a true team cammaderie in a sport that is decidedly individual.

The dual meet is a lost art in collegiate track, but it is alive and well in swimming. And the true thrill and excitement of a dual meet came through on Saturday when Pacific competed against Lewis & Clark.

The excitement was on the men's side. In terms of succeeding as a team in wins & losses, the odds have been stacked against the Boxers since the team was reinstated in 2004. Pacific has only seven swimmers on the roster, and winning a dual meet is near impossible when you don't have the numbers to compete. In their four years, the Boxers had won just one dual meet, last January against Willamette.

Lewis & Clark, however, is a small squad themselves. With only 11 swimmers on their roster, the Boxers felt a chance to pull out another long-awaited win.

True to predictions, the meet was close much of the way. By the meet's second intermission, following the 500-yard freestyle, the Boxers led by just five points. It was at that point where the true excitement of the dual meet began.

The Pioneers took the lead in the 100-yard breaststroke, thanks to a strong swim by Pat Murray in the 100-yard breaststroke here he just edged Brandan Mantei for first. Lewis & Clark went 1,4 and 5 in the race, earning 12 points in the race compared to the Boxers' seven. Just like that, the Boxers were down by a score of 86-82 with the final event, the 200-yard freestyle relay, to go.

Thankfully, the Boxers are blessed with a number of strong freestyle swimmers, but nothing is a given when things are this close. The Lewis & Clark team grouped themselves at the south corner of the pool, ready to cheer their team on as they made the turn. Pacific lined up along the side of the pool in the center, near the one bleacher section where they sit for home meets.

On the first leg, the relay had all of the makings of a close contest. L&C's Shane Harris-Capuano swam a solid leadoff leg, pulling into the wall in 26.37 seconds, just ahead of the 25.66 seconds of Ben Griffin.

It wasd the second leg, however, that made all of the difference. Wyeth Yogi swma that leg for the Boxers. Yogi is not known as a sprint swimmer. He placed second earlier in the meet in the 500-yard freestyle, swimming 5:50.91. You usually don't put your distance people in sprint relay events, but with the numbers, Pacific had no choice.

And did Wyeth come through! "The Yogi" swam an incredible second leg, swimming a 26-second lap to pull in a full seven seconds ahead of the Pioneers' Erik Khazoyan. That swim was all that the Boxers needed as they turned things over to a pair of solid sprint performers, Luke Fuller and Scott Kimura, to seal the win. Thanks to Yogi's leg, the Boxers won the one-on-one race by 15 seconds and took the meet by a 93-90 score.

Pacific is not likely to win many more, if any dual meets, this season. That is purely because of the numbers and not because of the team's heart. Granted, the Boxers ony have seven swimmers on the men's roster, but they have the heart, work ethic and desire of 70 men. That will take them far, especially when it comes time for the conference meet.

A Full Weekend

As far as weekends go in the world of Boxer athletics, it does not get much more action packed.

In Forest Grove between Friday and Sunday, we had four soccer matches, two volleyball matches and a swim meet. If that weren't enough, the swim team swam on the road on Saturday, the women's wrestling team dueled out of the area and the cross country team ran at the NWC Championships. It's part of what those of us in the sports information business call the "crossover season." It keeps us on our toes...but gives us plenty to write about.

Here are some stories and observations that you didn't see in the weekend's releases...
THE SURPRISE OF THE WINTER?: I may be all wet in calling the Pacific women's swim team the surprise of the winter only week into competition, but it is already obvious that coach Alec Webster has seen his recruiting class pay off in great ways. The Boxers looked incredibly strong in Friday's NWC Sprint Pentathlon. Their third place finish is something that the team has never done (in any invitational-style meet) since the team was brought back in 2002. Even more promising is the fact that all five of the Boxers' top finishers in the meet are new to the team. That includes four freshmen.

Much of the difference can be seen in Eileen Bringman. A sophomore transfer, Eileen comes to Pacific after one year as a Division I swimmer at Cleveland State (yes, as in Ohio). She finished fourth overall. EDIT: While Eileen came close, it was Becky Hattersley who broke the Pacific record for the 50-yard freestyle. The record was one of the oldest on the books, having been set in 1984. Eileen, though, was just two-hundreths of a second behind!

I am looking forward to learning more about Eileen's story. What I do know is this...she is incredibly talented. At Cleveland State, Eileen qualified for the 2007 Horizon League Championships in two events and placed in the "B" finals in both the 200 freestyle and the 200 backstroke. What's even more impressive is, according to Webster, she had only four years of high school & club swimming under her belt before college...and was good enough to go Division I. That will yield losts of dividends for the Boxers over the next three years.

THE LONG ROAD BACK: Sunday was Senior Day for the Pacific soccer teams, and it was a fitting end for Tessa Krebs. The senior from Puyallup, Wash., had to sit out all of the 2007 season with a knee injury and much of the 2008 women's tennis season. She worked hard to get back to the courts a year later, becoming the Boxers' most successful player depsite being limited to doubles matches for much of the year.

The soccer season held a lot of unknown variables. A lot of newcomers had proven to be worthy of playing time and the knee still caused some problems early on. In the end, though Tessa proved to be a critical part of the defense. She has played in 13 matches and started nine. On Senior Day, Tessa played all 90 minutes and had a couple of good looks at the goal.

I got to know Tessa last year, when she workied for me keeping stats for the soccer teams while she rehabed. I found her quiet and unassuming, but one of the nicest and reliable people you could have on your team. I am sure Joy Boswell felt the same.

THE ROAD CUT SHORT: Things were not supposed to end this way for Brandon Porter. Instead of being able to enjoy being part of two lopsided victories for the men's soccer team over Puget Sound and Willamette, Brandon spent it on the bench. His should-have-been senior game was nixed when he tore his meniscus and LCL ligaments in last weekend's victory over Linfield. Brandon, who is junior in elegibility, is on track to graduate in May. He has not ruled out a return for the fall term, but a decision is far from made.

It was a shame to see it end for yet another one of the good guys. Like Tessa, Brandon is also one of nicest young people you could come across. He is also one of the hardest workers on the field and a key cog in a powerful Pacific defense that has allowed just 14 goals all season. I would love to see him back for the 2009 season to be a part of what could be a real special Pacific squad. We'll wait to see if we get the $15,000 decision.

Brandon's parents, Wade & Sanya Porter, made the hour trip from Canby to see the game depsite the fact that Brandon wasn't playing. They enjoyed the view from the Pacific press box as Sanya is recovering from chemotherapy and was advised to stay out of the elements. One of the best views they had ever had for a game, they commented.

SPEAKING OF PRESS BOXES: For many years, the press box for Pacific soccer games was a pop-up on the sidelines of Tom Reynolds Field. This meant many games in the rain where I prayed that the wind wouldn't blow just right and short out the computers we used for the music and stats. Needless to say, I do not take the press box at Lincoln Park Stadium for granted.

I was especially thankful for it today, when the Pacific women played through a downpour that equaled none seen before for a Boxers' soccer match. The Boxers and Bearcats spent much of the first half playing through an absolutely torrential downpour. I would guess at least an inch of rain fell during the half. At times, it pounded hard enough on the bleachers that we were left to watch the referee to see if a foul had been called. We couldn't hear the whistle.

For weather events, the downpour could equal that found in Pacific's women's lacrosse match against Oswego State on Mar. 28. That day saw the wind blow and the rain fall along with snow and hail all in the first half. And, yes, the sun showed through in the second half.

SIDELINE BANTER: Before Sunday's men's soccer team, I had a chance to talk with former Pacific standout Travis Pease, who is now an assistant coach at Willamette. Pease was part of Pacific's powerhouse teams in 1995 and 1996 and was selected as a First Team All-NWC defender in 1996. He was part of an impressive group that included Pacific Hall of Famers Zack Chown and Ean Lensch.

PARENTAL BANTER: One of the fun things this weekend was getting to meet some of the parents of our soccer players. They have been some of the most ardent supporters of our team, and a group I don't get to interact with too much. A note to all parents...if you catch me at a game, when I have a free moment when I am not running for stats or announcing lineups, please come by and introduce yourselves. I love putting faces to names.

Progress At Court

The picture above shows all that is left of Pacific's former recycling and waste management facility...a great signs for the Pacific tennis programs.

The facility, really a three-sided lean-to with trash compactors and recycling bins inside, is the most visible sign of progress on Pacific's new tenns facility. Site preparation is well under way on the former site of Tom Reynolds Soccer Field, including the removal of the last of the poplars that once ringed the field and the filling in the ball-eating gulch on the east side of the field.

Excavation for the new courts could begin as early as next week, with full fledged construction to get underway in November.

The courts will be a welcomed and long-awaited sight for the Pacific tennis teams, who have been without home courts since the summer of 2007 when the former Holce Courts were demolished to make way for the new A.C. Gilbert Residence Hall, which opened this fall. The Boxers played all of their 2008 home matches at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center, located a 30 minute drive from campus in Beaverton.

The new courts will be a step up from the former home facility. In addition to a new surface, three of the six courts will be covered, allowing for year-round play. That should eliminate a few trips to Beaverton when it rains.

Of note too is that the construction of the courts continues the use of the site at the corner of University Ave. and Cedar St. as a varsity athletic facility. The field was first used in the late 19th Century for football and track and later, as McCready Field, served as the longtime home of Pacific football. When football was discontinued after the 1991 season, the field became Tom Reynolds Field. It served as the home of the Pacific men's and women's soccer teams until moving to Lincoln Park Stadium in 2007.

"I Don't Believe What I Just Saw!"

Just like Jack Buck when he announced Kirk Gibson's improbable bomb for the Dodgers in game 1 of the 1988 World Series, there are moments we all have where we truly have not believed what we just saw.

At Pacific, I have had a few of those moments.
• Pacific at Lewis & Clark men's basketball, 1997. During their march to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, Pacific is up one with less than 10 seconds left. With a hand in his face, L&C forward Whitney Brake launches a 15-footer that hits the rim, flies straight up and drops into the net at horn. The Pacific simply sat there...stunned.

• Pacific vs. Lewis & Clark, 2005 baseball season. On a cold, drizzly March evening, Pacific starter proceeds to set a NCAA Division III record for batters hit by pitch. The inside throwing lefty plunked seven batters, yet went on to throw a complete-game four hitter and the Boxers won 4-2.

Then...there was tonight's women's soccer match against George Fox. The Boxers were looking for anything...ANYTHING...that would get them off the schnied after going scoreless for seven matches.

In the 50th minute, it looked like it had happened. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Jenny Novak scored to tie the match. The scoreless streak had ended at 680 minutes, and not a moment too soon.

But, as I had predicted to Joy Boswell earlier in the month, it would only take one goal to open the floodgates. What I didn't predict, though, is that Novak would try to do it single-handedly. The former Pleasant Hill Billy (from the city of Pleasant Hill, near Eugene...and yes, that's their mascot) buried two more to put Pacific up 3-1 with 15 minutes to go. It was Pacific's first hat trick since 2003...and I think everyone thought this one was wrapped up. (Jenny could have easily had four or five goals in this one. Two shots were well saved by GFU goalkeeper Sally Page and another apparent first half goal was waived off by an offside call.)

Everyone except George Fox's Kristen Cardwell and Jenny McKinsey. Cardwell scored a quick one in the 81st minute to make the score 3-2. No more than two minutes later, McKinsey ties it with a high lofting shot from 20 yards out. Three minutes after that, McKinsey makes it 4-3 with a chip shot from eight yards out. And she wasn't done. McKinsey got a breakaway in the final minute of action and buried it to not only secure the winning 5-3 total, but score a hat trick of her own.

Two hat tricks in one match. Wow. And the George Fox comeback...wow. It was truly one of those times when you sit there, stunned, wondering if you had really seen what just happened.

Much of what happened in the final nine minutes was a result of Pacific defensive breakdowns. Perhaps it was the defense getting a little complacent. After all, when one of your teammates scores three unanswered goals, you would get pretty confident yourself. It is the mistake a young team can make when you are trying to quickly forget the last seven matches.

Head Coach Joy Boswell took the high road after this one. She would have had a right to be upset with the lapse in the final 10 minutes. Instead, she was happy to see her team get their scoring touch back. Is there still work to do? Sure, but sometimes confidence comes in little steps instead of one big swing.

This one will sting for both Boz and the team, but it should only prove helpful for them when they go to Linfield on Saturday. They have broken through, found the back of the net and know they have that scoring touch. Just keep giving it to Jenny Novak...and all should be fine.

Young & Potent

One can look at the numbers in the win-loss column and notice how well the Pacific men's soccer team is playing. The Boxers enter the week with an 8-3-4 record and are 4-1-4 against Northwest Conference opponents.

Digging a little deeper into the numbers, however, and its not hard to see that this team is quite and good. And they have the potential to be scary good over the next few years.

Let's look at the numbers that prove the point...
• To date, Pacific has lost just one conference match. The last time the Boxers finished with just one loss was 1994. Change just two of their four ties into victories, and the Boxers are on top of the conference instead of fourth.

• Pacific has allowed just 12 goals in 15 matches and the team's 0.75 goals against average is among the best in the nation at the NCAA Division III level. That's second in the conference only to the 11 allowed by Whitman. In conference matches, the Boxers have allowed a league best seven goals, one less than Whitman, Puget Sound or Pacific Lutheran.

• For the first time since adopting a more defensive-minded approach to the game with the arrival of assistant coach and defensive guru Jim Rilatt, the Boxers are posting offensive numbers that are better than that of their opponents. The Boxers have outscored opponents 20-12, outshot opponents 207-185 and posted 101 shots on goal.

• And perhaps the mosat important part...all but four of the players on the Pacific roster are underclassmen. Upperclassmen Danny Williams and Brandon Porter accounts for eight of the Boxers' 20 goals, with a number of players waiting to step into that top scoring role.

Granted, their is plenty of seaosn left with five matches remaining and, yes, a chance at their first NWC title since 1996 will require some help from some other teams. Nonetheless, the Boxers are continuing to build towards what could become a run of strong and successful teams over the years to come.

Marathon Woman

Pacific assistant athletic trainer Alma Sproul is now among the thousand who can say they have completed one of life's most challenging physical exercises.

Sproul completed her first marathon on Sunday. She finished the Portland Marathon in a time of 4:49:16, putting a cap on six months of training. A runner since her college days, Sproul said she was inspired by seeing a picture of Andrea Stewart, the athletic department's manager of administrative services, completing the Portland Marathon in 2006.

"Andrea had a picture of herself crossing the finish line at the marathon," Sproul said. "From that point, I decided I just needed to do it."

Sproul followed the training program provided by Portland FIT, but sometimes had to balance training and her job by getting up at 4 a.m. to complete training runs. She is greatful to her colleagues, head trainer Linda McIntosh and assistants Phil Lentz and Richard Rutt, for being willing to adjust their schedules to get her runs in.

Marathon day was certainly a challenge, but in end worth it. "During the marathon I was wondering if it was worth the pain," Sproul said. "It was probably the longest five hours of my life, but as soon as I crossed the finish line I had never felt prouder of myself. I never thought I would actually run a marathon, and now that I have I may try it again."

"It gave me an accomplishement to work towards and I think it made me a better person and athletic trainer," Sproul said. "I would definitely advise training for something that is important to you, whether that be a marathon, triathlon or anything else. Just knowing that you van accomplish anything that you put your mind, body and soul into is a great feeling."

Congratulations Alma on a job well done and a great goal attained!