NAIA SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

The Daktronics-NAIA 2008 Soccer Scholar Athletes have been announced. The NAIA website states:

In order to be a recipient of the NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athlete award,
one must fulfill these requirements: the recipient must be a junior or above in
academic standing; has been in attendance at the nominating institution a
minimum of one full year of attendance; has a minimum grade point average (GPA)
of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of nomination at the nominating
institution; has been certified as eligible.

Sterling College Men's Soccer Scholar-Athletes for 2008 are:

Jorge Bueso of La Lima, Honduras
Jordan Miller of Hutchinson Kansas
Shawn Sajjadi of Arlington Texas

Congratulations!

McPHERSON TO REPRESENT KCAC

McPHERSON COLLEGE BULLDOGS ADVANCE TO

NAIA MEN'S SOCCER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Mon, Nov 17, 2008 - WICHITA, KS - The McPherson College Men's Soccer team will represent the KCAC in the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Tournament after claiming the conference's automatic bid on Saturday night.

McPherson College will travel to Oklahoma City next Saturday, Nov. 22, to open play in the 50th Annual NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship tournament against #4 nationally ranked Oklahoma City University.

"This is what we've been playing for," said McPherson coach Doug Quint. ""This has been a long time coming! I'm so proud of our guys and this program. This win (over Kansas Wesleyan) was for everyone that has been involved or apart of the McPherson College soccer over the years. We have worked hard for this moment. This program has improved every year and finally the pieces have fallen into place! What a great and well deserved feeling!"

Game time will be announced Tuesday following a conference call among the NAIA Site Supervisor, head coaches, and athletic directors.

The winner of the OCU-McPherson match will advance to the NAIA National Championship second round on December 1st in Fresno, Calif., against the host school Fresno Pacific.

McPherson earned its spot in the national tournament field with its 3-2 win over Kansas Wesleyan University in the finals of the KCAC post-season tournament played Saturday at Ottawa University.

[This story was provided courtesy of Carol Swenson, Sports Information Director at McPherson College, to KCACSports.com].

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FINAL

The score is in from the KCAC conference tournament championship game played Saturday night in Ottawa KS.

McPherson College 3
Kansas Wesleyan 2

This is the scoring summary from DakStats:

# - Time - Team - Scorer - Assist
1 - 22:17 - MCP - J. Reyes - A. Baldi
2 - 26:14 - KWU - A. Luna
3 - 31:31 - MCP - C. Strong - J. Reyes, A. Rodriguez
4 - 42:05 - MCP - S. Torres - J. Reyes
5 - 54:33 - KWU - A. Guizar - A. Luna

The KCAC tournament website reports that:

The tournament champion will be the only team to advance from the Kansas
Conference advancing to nationals. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 2008 men's soccer 50th national championship opening round will be held November 22 at sites to be determined, and the subsequent championship rounds will be December 1-6 at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, California.

The KCAC all conference team, including Sterling's Jorge Bueso, Justin Martens and Ryan Covey, was introduced at half time of the women's final, which preceded the men's game.
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CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS

Scores from the KCAC conference tournament semi-finals in Ottawa KS:

Kansas Wesleyan Univ. 3
Friends University 2
(2OT)


Tabor College 0
McPherson College 2

The conference tournament championship game will be Kansas Wesleyan versus McPherson on November 15th.
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STERLING'S ALL CONFERENCE PLAYERS

STERLING MEN'S SOCCER PLACES THREE ON KCAC FIRST TEAM

11/13/2008 - The Sterling Men's soccer team had three nominees for the All-Conference men's soccer team, and all three earned First Team honors. Sterling perennially places several players on the all conference team, but it is rare to have three guys selected to the First Team. Seniors Ryan Covey and Jorge Bueso, along with junior, Justin Martens were the players honored for their outstanding play on the season.

Forward Ryan Covey of Edmond, Oklahoma scored 16 goals for the season and added 5 assists. In the second game of the season, Covey surpassed Brandon Winn as the all-time leading goal-scorer in Sterling soccer history, and finished with 53 goals for his career. Covey was also named NAIA National Player of the Week for week five.

Jorge Bueso of LaLima, Honduras finished the year with 7 goals and 3 assists. Bueso proved to be a versatile player, seeing time at both forward and midfield throughout the season.

Justin Martens was recognized for his outstanding play as a defender, holding down defensive responsibilities in both the midfield and in the back throughout the course of the season. The Wichita product tallied 7 goals and 1 assist from his defensive position.

Sterling soccer coach, Dave Underwood said, "It is a great honor to have three guys named to the first team. All three deserve the accolades as they had outstanding seasons, and it's nice to see that other coaches in the conference recognize that as well." All three players will be recognized at half-time of the conference championship match in Ottawa on Saturday, November 15th.

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2008 KCAC ALL CONFERENCE TEAM

The 2008 KCAC All-Conference soccer team has been released. To see the original article, with photos of some players, go to the official KCAC soccer webpage at http://www.kcacsports.com/article/653.php:

2008 MEN'S SOCCER FIRST TEAM ALL KCAC ANNOUNCED

Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 12:15 PM - WICHITA, KS - The 2008 Men's Soccer All Conference first team has been announced. Players were voted upon by all Conference Head Coaches.

Jorge Bueso, a senior midfielder from La Lima, Honduras helped Sterling College win 10 games on the season.

Robert Carrillo, a senior goalkeeper from Los Angeles, California helped Kansas Wesleyan University go undefeated in conference this year. Carrillo was KCAC Player of the Week two times during the season.

Ryan Covey, a senior forward from Edmond, Oklahoma helped Sterling College win 10 games on the season. Covey was KCAC Player of the week one time during the season.

Derek Dodrill, a sophomore Midfielder from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, helped Kansas
Wesleyan University go undefeated in conference this year.

Yenikah Fon, a senior defender from Hyattsville, Maryland helped Bethel College end in the regular season 5-4 in conference.

Jose Garay, a junior forward from Palmdale, California helped Kansas Wesleyan University go undefeated in conference this year. Garya was KCAC Player of the week and also Co-Player of the week during the season.

Justin Martens, a junior defender from Wichita, Kansas helped Sterling College win 10 games on the season.

Liam McLean, a freshman midfielder from Newcastle, England helped Tabor College finish the regular season 4-4-1 in conference.

Juan Mundo, a senior defender from Sun Valley, California helped Kansas Wesleyan University go undefeated in conference this year. Mundo was KCAC Player of the Week two times during the season.

Armando Rodriguez, a junior forward from Dallas, Texas helped McPherson College finish 6-2-1 in conference this year. Rodriguez was KCAC Co-Player of the Week one time during the season.

Tyler Tank, a freshman defender from Austin, Texas helped McPherson College finish 6-2-1 in conference this year.

Kevin Ten Eyck, a senior forward from Wichita, Kansas helped Friends University finish 6-3 in conference this year.

Colin Wylie, a junior midfielder from Edinburgh, Scotland helped Ottawa University end the regular season 6-3 in conference.

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NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

The NAIA released the names of the national Players of the Week for Week 10. Included at the bottom is a list of the players of the week for each week of the season.

SIMMONS AND WILLIAMS NAMED MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Jason Williams - KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The tenth and final installment of the NAIA Men's Soccer national weekly honors have been announced today (Nov. 11). Jason Williams of Mobile (Ala.) was announced as National Defensive Player of the Week while John Simmons of King (Tenn.) was named National Offensive Player of the Week, for the week of Nov. 3- Nov. 9.

Williams, a 6-1 sophomore goalkeeper from Asheboro, N.C., posted back-to-back shutouts in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament over the past week. Williams recorded five saves in a 2-0 win against Belhaven (Miss.). He followed that with a two-save shutout in a 2-0 win over then-No. 14 William Carey (Miss.) in the GCAC Tournament championship game. Mobile will take on Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament winner Mountain State (W.V.) later in the week. The winner receives an automatic berth in the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Tournament.

Simmons, a 5-8 midfielder from Essex, England, scored back-to-back game-winning goals for King in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament. Against Montreat (N.C.), the sophomore scored two goals and added an assist in a 6-3 win. He followed that up with another goal against Covenant (Ga.) in the AAC championship game. For the week, Simmons had 3 goals, an assists and 7 total points. King has earned an automatic berth in the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Tournament.

2008 COMPOSITE AWARD WINNERS:

WEEK 1:
Offense: Ben Stropes (Central Christian) – Sr., F
Defense: Elliott Purdom (Viterbo) – So., GK

WEEK 2:
Offense: Robert Whitnell (Shorter) – Sr., F
Defense: Howard Fisher (Montreat) - Jr., GK

WEEK 3:
Offense: Joel Trainer (Indiana Wesleyan) – Sr., F
Defense: Alex Stout (Mount Vernon Nazarene) – Jr., GK

WEEK 4:
Offense: Tazou Ali Tagba (Park) – Jr., F
Defense: Jeff Jelinek (Hannibal-LaGrange) – So., GK

WEEK 5:
Offense: Adam Worrall (Mount Vernon Nazarene) – Sr., F
Defense: Zack Schultze (Reinhardt) - Fr., GK

WEEK 6:
Offense: Ryan Covey (Sterling) - Sr., F
Defense: Ross Gordon (King) - Sr., Def.

WEEK 7:
Offense: Lyall Menzies (Grand View) - Sr., F
Defense: Brion Ehman (Roberts Wesleyan) - Jr., GK

WEEK 8:
Offense: Antonio Bautista (College of Idaho) – Sr., MF
Defense: Michael Smith (Lindsey Wilson) – Fr., GK

WEEK 9:
Offense: Mustafa Celik (Holy Names) – Jr., F
Defense: Jonathan Shaw (Union) – So., GK

WEEK 10:
Offense: John Simmons (King) – So., MF
Defense: Jason Williams (Mobile) – So., GK
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CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: QUARTERFINALS

Scores from the KCAC tournament first round/quarterfinals, which were played at the home of the higher seeded teams:

# 6 Tabor College 3
# 3 Ottawa Univ. 2

# 5 Bethel College 2
# 4 Friends Univ. 3 (OT)

On Friday, November 14th, Tabor will take on # 2 McPherson College and Friends will play # 1 Kansas Wesleyan University. Both games will be played at host Ottawa University.

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ALL CONFERENCE TEAM

I haven't been able to find the All-Conference soccer team on the KCAC Sports website, but the Kansan.com posted the following article on November 4th.

ALL KCAC SOCCER SELECTIONS

Posted Nov 04, 2008 @ 11:28 AM - LINDSBORG

Below are the 2008 All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference teams as selected by the conference coaches:

MEN - FIRST TEAM

GK Robert Carrillo, Kansas Wesleyan, sr.
B Juan Mundo, Kansas Wesleyan, sr.
B Tyler Tank, McPherson, fr.,
B Justin Martens, Sterling, jr.
B Yenikah Fon, Bethel, sr.
MF Derek Dodrill, Kansas Wesleyan, so.
MF Jorge Bueso, Sterling, sr.
MF Liam McLean, Tabor, fr.
MF Colin Wylie, Ottawa, jr.
F Armando Rodriguez, McPherson, jr.
F Kevin TenEyck, Friends, sr.
F Jose Garay, Kansas Wesleyan, jr.
F Ryan Covey, Sterling, sr.

By finishing 7th in the conference, Sterling was awarded a total of only three honored players, according to conference soccer guidelines. All three players made the first team, whch means no Sterling players were selected to the second team or honorable mention list, including Mladen Bjelica (who finished tied for 1st in most assists and tied for 2nd in assists per game average) and Shawn Sajjadi (who finished tied for 5th in assists per game).
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CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS - 1ST ROUND

After Friends defeated Tabor 5-3 yesterday, the pairings for the first round of the KCAC conference playoffs are set.

Ottawa and Friends tied for 3rd and 4th, but Ottawa received the higher seed as a result of its 2-0 victory at Friends on October 11th.

Therefore, #3 seed Ottawa (6-3) hosts # 6 seed Tabor (4-4-1) and # 4 seed Friends (6-3) hosts # 5 seed Bethel (5-4) on November 8th.

Winners of those games advance to the conference semi-finals to be held at Tabor on November 14th, where # 1 seed Kansas Wesleyan (9-0) will play the winner of the Friends/Bethel game and # 2 seed McPherson (6-2-1) will play the winner of Ottawa/Tabor.

The conference final will be played at Tabor on November 15th, with the winner advancing to the national tournament.
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NAIA TOP 25

The Week 9 edition of the NAIA's Top 25 was announced today. As most schools have completed conference play and are heading into conference tournaments, I have included the NAIA's online article and entire Top 25 list.

LINDSEY WILSON HOLDS ON TO THE TOP SPOT
BLUE RAIDERS RECEIVE 22 FIRST-PLACE VOTES

Nov. 4, 2008 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) remains No. 1 in this week’s National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Soccer Top 25 Coaches Poll, announced this afternoon (Nov. 4). The Blue Raiders defeated Georgetown (Ky.) and No. 19 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) over the past week to improve their record to 14-1-1 on the year. Lindsey Wilson now has an 11 game unbeaten streak. Lindsey Wilson receives 22 first-place votes and 653 total points in this week’s poll.

Coming in at No. 2 are the Stars of Oklahoma City who collect one first-place vote and 625 total points. Notre Dame (Ohio) moves up a spot to No. 3 after receiving 612 total points. Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) checks in at No. 4 in the poll after collecting 576 total points. Rounding out the Top 5 is Rio Grande (Ohio.). The Red Storm earns 565 total points.

Oklahoma Baptist and Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) enter the Top 25 this week after receiving votes in last week’s poll. This is the first time in program history that Mount Vernon Nazarene is in the Top 25. Head coach Paul Furey has guided the Cougars to a 13-3-2 record this year. Oklahoma Baptist comes in at No. 17 this week.

The next regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 11.


2008 NAIA MEN’S SOCCER TOP 25 COACHES POLL – Nov. 4

1 Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
2 Oklahoma City University
3 Notre Dame College (Ohio)
4 Hannibal-LaGrange College (Mo.)
5 University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
6 Simon Fraser University (B.C.)
7 Concordia University (Calif.)
8 Bellevue University (Neb.)
9 Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
10 Park University (Mo.)
11 University of Maine at Fort Kent
12 MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.)
13 McKendree University (Ill.)
14 William Carey University (Miss.)
15 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)
16 Benedictine College (Kan.)
17 Oklahoma Baptist University
18 Hastings College (Neb.)
19 Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
20 Vanguard University (Calif.)
21 Warner Southern College (Fla.)
22 University of Mobile (Ala.)
23 Graceland University (Iowa)
24 Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)
25 Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio)

Others receiving votes: Lambuth (Tenn.); Northwood (Fla.); Madonna (Mich.); Martin Methodist (Tenn.); Illinois Tech; College of Idaho; Southern Polytechnic (Ga.); Lindenwood (Mo.); Bryan (Tenn.); Belhaven (Miss.); Texas-Brownsville; Science and Arts (Okla.); Grand View (Iowa); Bethel (Tenn.); The Master’s (Calif.); Holy Names (Calif.); Concordia (Ore.); Kansas Wesleyan; Shorter (Ga.); Baker (Kan.); Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
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NAIA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

The NAIA National Players of the Week were announced for Week 9:

SHAW AND CELIK NAMED MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Jonathan Shaw - KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The ninth installment of the NAIA Men's
Soccer national weekly honors have been announced today (Nov. 4). Jonathan Shaw of Union (Ky.) was announced as National Defensive Player of the Week while
Mustafa Celik of Holy Names (Calif.) was named National Offensive Player of the
Week, for the week of Oct. 27- Nov. 2.

Shaw, a 6-7 sophomore goalkeeper from Merseyside, England, posted back-to-back overtime shutouts over the past week. Both shutouts came against Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Montreat (N.C.). Shaw recorded five saves in a 0-0 tie in the final game of the regular season. Union and Montreat met again later in the week, this time in the first round of the AAC Tournament. Shaw posted a 10-save shutout performance in another 0-0 tie overtime tie, a game that Montreat eventually won in a shootout. The shutouts give Shaw five on the season, and this was the second time he posted back-to-back shutouts.

Celik, a 5-10 forward from Germany, had an unbelievable week for the Hawks. Against Menlo (Calif.), the junior had three goals in a 5-1 Holy Names win. He followed that up with a seven-goal, three-assist performance against California State-Maritime. For the week, Celik had 10 goals, three assists and 23 total points.

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CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

The KCAC soccer players of the week for Week 8-November 3rd have been announced.

WICHITA, KS - Jose Rodriguez of McPherson College, Juan Mundo of Kansas
Wesleyan University, and Brady Coffman of Bethel College honored as KCAC Men's
Soccer Players of the Week.

KCAC Men's Offensive Player of the Week:

Jose Rodriguez, McPHERSON COLLEGE, Forward, 5-7, Senior, Dallas, TX. He had 3 goals in two matches of the week: #1 at Sterling College (KS), W-2-1, he had 1 goal. #2 at Bethany College (KS), W-3-1, he had 2 goals. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 9-7-1. NOTES: McPherson College now has won 5 consecutive
games.

KCAC Men's Defensive Co-Players of the Week (including Goalkeepers):

(1.) Juan Mundo, KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (KS), Defender, 5-8, Senior,
Sun Valley, CA. In two matches of the week, he anchored the KWU defense from the center back position. TEAM MATCHES of week: #1 vs. Tabor College (KS), W-4-0; #2 at Southwestern College (KS), W-6-0. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 11-6-1. NOTES: KWU has recorded 8 shutouts in KCAC Conference competition, and has allowed only 1 goal all season (coming on a PK against Ottawa). KWU finished KCAC season 9-0 for their second straight KCAC championship.

(2.) Brady Coffman, BETHEL COLLEGE (KS), Goalkeeper, 6-0, Sophomore,
Newton, KS. In two matches of the week, he had 10 saves with no shots on
goal and allowed only 1 goal in 180 minutes. TEAM MATCHES of week: #1 vs.
University of Saint Mary (KS), W-5-1, he had 4 saves with no shots on goal and 1
goal allowed in 90 minutes; #2 vs. Tabor College (KS), W-4-0, he had 6 saves with no shots on goal and no goals allowed in 90 minutes. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 5-11-0. NOTES: The Bethel Threshers have won 5 of their last 6 matches, in large part to Brady Coffman's play in goal.

KHC's Notes: Brady Coffman is a very deserving choice as defender of the week. I just want to know how a GK makes 4 saves in one game and 6 in another, when there were NO SHOTS ON GOAL!

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11-1-08: STERLING @ FRIENDS

Sterling's review of the November 1st season-ending match at Friends in Wichita KS.

STERLING FALLS TO FRIENDS IN OT

11/03/2008 - The Sterling men's soccer team needed just one more win to guarantee a spot in the post-season, and came up empty with a 3-2 loss in OT at Friends University on Saturday night. The Warriors found themselves down to
Friends 2-0 at half-time after the Falcons were able to score two first half goals. Early in the second half, at the 56th minute, the Warriors were able to notch their first goal of the night when Justin Martens slammed a shot into the back of the net after a Jordan Miller throw-in ricocheted off the crossbar. Late in the game, with about 4 minutes left in the match, Sterling back, Henry Sanabria collided with a Friends player resulting in both players going to the hospital for repairs to their split heads. Unfortunately for Sanabria and the Warriors, the official added insult to injury by showing Sanabria a red card as he walked off the field with a bloodied head. Now with a man down, it appeared the result of 2-1 would stand. With seconds left in the
game, Sterling was awarded a direct free kick on the right side of the Falcon's
penalty box. The Warriors took their time to get all players, including GK Zach
Hallen into the box. Shawn Sajjadi drove a perfect ball into the box that Hallen
brought down off his chest and poked to the back post for Sterling's Jordan Miller to bang in the equalizer with :06 remaining on the game clock. The Falcons were not to be denied, however, as Rusty Shannon buried the game winner off of a corner kick in the 8th minute of the first OT period.

The Warriors entered the final week of the season needing just one win in their final three games to advance to the post-season tournament; however, Sterling was not able to pull through with the necessary victory, ending on a three game losing streak and a premature ending to the season. "Obviously, we are disappointed to have the season end this early," said Sterling coach, David Underwood. "This doesn't change the fact that we had a solid season with a 10-7 record. We did a lot of great things and we have plenty to build on."

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CONFERENCE RATINGS

The NAIA's "ratings" for the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference as of 11/3/08.

1. Kansas Wesleyan University (9-0 / 11-6-1)
2. McPherson College (Kan.) (6-2-1 / 9-7-1)
3. Ottawa University (Kan.) (6-3 / 9-8-1)
4. Friends University (Kan.) (5-3 / 10-6-1)
5. Bethel College (Kan.) (5-4 / 5-11)

The ratings seem to differ somewhat from the actual conference "standings" but really don't. Shown are the conference standings with my calculation of points in parentheses.

1. Kansas Wesleyan University (27 points)
2. McPherson College (19 points)
3. Ottawa University (18 points)
4. Friends University (15 points)
5. Tabor College (13 points)
6. Bethel College (15 points)

As you can see, the KCAC doesn't have its own standings correct. The soccer guidelines state 3 points for a win, 1 for a loss, so actually Bethel is 5th and Tabor 6th.

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THE FOUR SENIORS

(Left to right: Shawn Sajjadi, Ryan Covey, Jordan Miller, Jorge Bueso)
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* * * BREAKING NEWS * * *

Just arrived home from the game at Friends in Wichita. More tomorrow (actually later today, and the time on my computer just jumped back an hour) but here is the scoring line on Saturday night's game.

Sterling 0 2 0 - 2
Friends 2 0 1 - 3

Sterling scored with 8 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, but Friends scored the golden goal game winner in the first OT.

Sterling's season comes to an end just short of the conference playoffs.

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CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

Here are some excerpts from an article in the October 30th Leavenworth Times which discusses the upcoming conference tournament.

. . . Bethel kept its KCAC Tournament hopes alive by improving to 4-4 in conference play and moving into a tie for sixth place with Sterling College, although Sterling has the head-to-head tie-breaker with a win over the Threshers.

Only the top six teams advance to the KCAC Tournament, so Bethel will have to pass either Sterling, Friends University or Tabor College. They are currently half a game behind Friends and one game behind Tabor.

. . . With only four at-large teams being awarded spots in the NAIA’s national tournament this year, the automatic bid that goes with winning the conference tournament will likely provide the only spot for any KCAC team.

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PREVIEW: STERLING @ FRIENDS

Saturday night, November 1st, Sterling plays the final conference game of the season at Friends in Wichita KS. The game is not truly a "must win" game as (I believe) Sterling qualifies for the conference tournament with a loss if Bethel also loses. But, if Bethel defeats Tabor, then Sterling "must win" to make the playoffs.

Bethel stood 0-10 after losing to Sterling, but since then has won 4 of 5 games, including a victory at McPherson. Tabor is coming off a loss to Kansas Wesleyan. Tabor's quality results include a victory over Sterling and a tie with McPherson.

Friends has an additional game to play after this weekend. So, if Sterling defeats Friends on Saturday, the Falcons could still tie Sterling in the standings with a win over Tabor, but Sterling would hold the tiebreaker over Friends.

Sterling has lost consecutive games to Tabor (0-1) and McPherson (1-2). Injuries are beginning to mount (two or three starters may not play) and there will be a red card suspension from the last game.

History: In 2005, Sterling beat Friends 3-1 as Mark Palmer, Maximus Ameachi and DR Smith netted goals for Sterling. In 2006, Friends defeated Sterling in a regular season game 2-0, then beat Sterling again 3-0 in the conference tournament. However, the teams were paired up again in the NAIA Region IV playoffs (at Friends) and this time, Sterling won 4-3 in one of the squad's biggest victories, with Ryan Covey (2), Carl Gerken and "team" being credited with goals. The victory advanced Sterling to the Region IV playoffs in Omaha NE, where Sterling lost 1-0 in overtime to Park University. Last year, Friends overwhelmed Sterling 5-0.

Game time is 8:00 p.m. tomorrow in Wichita. We plan to attend and meet up with a college buddy from OK State, who teaches in Wichita. The game could be the final match for Sterling's four seniors but I think they will survive and advance to the conference tournament.

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PROFILE: RYAN COVEY

RYAN COVEY # 14

Position: Forward

Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma

High School: Bishop McGuinness

Club Team: North Oklahoma City Azzurri

Coach's Comments: With 37 goals in his career, Covey is second on the list of all-time goal scorers at Sterling College. We would anticipate that Covey will surpass Brandon Winn (39) as the top goal-scorer in Sterling history sometime early in the season. Ryan is a pure finisher, looking to turn every touch into a goal-scoring opportunity. Covey has worked incredibly hard in the off-season to become probably our most fit player, which should translate into an increase in goals later in matches.

Major: Business

Class: Senior



KHC'S Note's: Covey broke Coach Winn's career scoring record on September 6th, and was named KCAC conference player of the week and NAIA national player of the week on October 14th.

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CONFERENCE STATISTICS

The KCAC individual statistical leaders as of 10/29/08, include the following Sterling Warriors:

Points per game: 2nd-Ryan Covey, tied 9th-Jorge Bueso and Mladen Bjelica, 15th-Justin Martens, 18th-Shawn Sajjadi

Goals per game: tied 1st-Ryan Covey, 10th-Jorge Bueso, 13th-Justin Martens

Assists per game: 1st-Mladen Bjelica, 6th-Shawn Sajjadi, 9th-Ryan Covey, tied 10th-Jordan Miller, tied 14th-Aaron Baker, tied 17th-Jorge Bueso

Game Winning Goals: 3rd-Jorge Bueso, tied 5th-Ryan Covey, tied 8th-Shawn
Sajjadi

Saves Per Game: 5th-Zach Hallen

Goals Against Average: 6th-Zach Hallen

In the team statistics lists, Sterling ranks:

2nd in the conference in goals
1st in assists
5th in shots
3rd in shots on goal
7th in goalkeeper saves
6th in fewest goals allowed
9th in most shutouts (with 1, but this is an error as Sterling has 3 shutouts).

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NAIA STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Through games of October 29th, Sterling players rank nationally as follows:

Ryan Covey Ranks Number 13 in Goals per Game (1.000)
Ryan Covey Ranks Number 13 in Shots on Goal per Game (2.560)
Ryan Covey Ranks Number 18 in Points per Game (2.310)
Mladen Bjelica Ranks Number 24 in Assists per Game (0.560)

As a team, Sterling ranks:

Ranks Number 18 in Assists per Game (2.250)
Ranks Number 29 in Goals per Game (2.630)

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10-29-08: McPHERSON @ STERLING

It can be interesting reading to compare two different school's reporting on the circumstances and details of how one team won and the other team lost. Since I wasn't in attendance, I can't comment on what really happened, but here are the reports of the 10-29-08 game between McPherson Bulldogs and Sterling Warriors.

First, here is Sterling's report on their loss to McPherson:

DEFENSIVE GAFFS LEAD TO BULLDOG WIN

10/30/2008 - When McPherson and Sterling get together for a soccer match, it is
rarely a "typical game"; often crazy things happen. Wednesday night at Sterling
was no different. The first half was relatively uneventful until the 42nd minute
when McPherson's Armando Rodriguez scored on a direct kick from a nearly
impossible angle. Rodriguez served the ball into the box that simply bounced in
just inside the near post, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at the half. "I think
everyone in the park was shocked that the ball went into the net. It was an
incredibly awkward goal," commented Sterling coach, Dave Underwood. The Bulldogs returned the favor in the 59th minute when a Ryan Covey cross was mis-hit by a McPherson defender that went into the back of the net. In the 66th minute
Sterling's Aaron Baker received his second yellow card of the match when he
fouled a McPherson attacker just outside of Sterling's box. Not only did Sterling lose Baker for the rest of the match, but the Bulldogs scored on the ensuing direct free kick that Warrior GK, Jordan Cabrera, was unable to collect and Jose Rodriguez scored on the follow-up. After several botched chances by Sterling combined with three fantastic saves by Bulldog GK, Chris Plooster, the 2-1 score held up for the McPherson win. Sterling now finds themselves in what is effectively a "must win" situation to make the KCAC playoffs, as they travel to Wichita to take on the Falcons of Friends University on Saturday night. The loss drops Sterling to 10-6 on the season and 4-4 in the conference.

And now, here is McPherson's version of the game:

MEN'S SOCCER WINS 2-1

Jose Rodriguez came up with the game winning goal 11 minutes into the second half Wednesday afternoon as McPherson held on for a 2-1 win at Sterling. The win was the fourth straight for the Bulldogs and moved McPherson into sole possession of third place in the conference. McPherson had entered the match tied with Tabor for third in the conference race, with Sterling a half-game back.Three minutes before halftime, Armando Rodriguez broke away for a solo shot on goal, to give McPherson a 1-0 halftime lead.

The McPherson men saw their streak of scoreless defensive minutes ended
Wednesday afternoon at Sterling, but it wasn’t their opponents that scored the
streak breaking goal.

As McPherson attempted to clear a Warrior attempt 14 minutes into the second half, the ball took a funny bounce on the rough Sterling pitch and into the McPherson goal, tying the match at 1-1.

Seven and a half minutes later, the Bulldogs to regained the advantage as Jose Rodriguez drove the ball into the Warrior net.

This was a rough and tumble, evenly matched affair as Sterling actually outshot McPherson, 13 to 12, six to five on shots on goal, and led in corner kicks, six and five.

“We dodged some bullets today and came away with a big win at a tough place to play,” said Doug Quint, McPherson men’s head coach. “This wasn’t our best
performance, by far!”

“I have to give credit to our team though. We found a way to win. Sterling has some good players and really challenged us today in many ways.”

On Saturday, McPherson (5-2-1, 8-7-1)will travel to Lindsborg for their KCAC regular season finale with the Swedes of Bethany College (0-8-0, 4-12-1). Match time will be 8:00 p.m., the concluding event of a “split” doubleheader since the women’s teams will play at 11:00 a.m.

This is Sterling's scoring summary, and probably because they were the home team, the summary that can be found at the NAIA's Dakstats3000WebSync site:

Goal - Time - Team - Goal Scorer - Description
1. 42:06 - MCP - Rodriguez, Armando
2. 59:11 - SC - COVEY, Ryan - Deflection off Defender
3. 66:48 - MCP - Rodriguez, Jose

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CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Heading into the final (ninth) game for most teams, here are the current conference standings. Although the KCACsports.com website has the teams arranged by winning percentage, the conference soccer guidelines state that teams are awarded 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie.

Kansas Wesleyan 8-0, 24 points
Ottawa 6-2, 18 points
McPherson 5-2-1, 16 points
Tabor 4-2-1, 13 points
Friends 4-3, 12 points
Sterling 4-4, 12 points
Bethel 4-4, 12 points
St. Mary 2-6, 6 points
Southwestern 1-7, 3 points
Bethany 0-8, 0 points

Of the 10 teams, 3 teams are in the playoffs (KW, Ottawa and McPherson) and 3 have been eliminated (St Mary, SW and Bethany). That leaves 4 teams fighting for three spots.

Tabor plays Bethel and Friends; Friends plays Sterling and Tabor; Sterling plays Friends; Bethel plays Tabor. One thing known at this point is that if Sterling and Bethel tie for the 6th spot, Sterling goes to the playoffs on the basis of their head-to-head win over Bethel.
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* * * BREAKING NEWS * * *

KCACsports.com and McPherson's website report that the Bulldogs defeated Sterling by a score of 2-1.

NAIA/Dakstats3000 show the following scoreline and indicate Ryan Covey scored the Sterling goal:

Team 1 - 2 - TOTAL

McP - 1 - 1 - 2
Ster - 0 - 1 - 1
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PREVIEW: McPHERSON @ STERLING

This afternoon, Sterling hosts the McPherson Bulldogs in a game that is crucial to both team's efforts to secure a spot in the upcoming conference playoffs.

Entering today's conference games, Ottawa has 5 wins, McPherson, Tabor and Sterling have 4 wins each, and Friends and Bethel have 3 wins. I favor Ottawa to pick up win 6, Tabor lost yesterday and Friends and Bethel are favored to get their 4th wins. If the games go as predicted, the winner of McPherson/Sterling will move into third place with a 5th win, while the loser will drop down into an expected four-way tie with Tabor, Friends and Bethel. That would mean four teams tied for three playoff spots with only one game remaining for Tabor, Bethel and Sterling, and two games for Friends.

Last year, Sterling and McPherson tied in the regular season 1-1 in 2 OTs. Mladen Bjelica scored from a Wes Tom assist. The teams met a week later in the playoffs and again were tied 1-1 after 2 OTs. Again, Sterling scored early on a Justin Martens goal from Jordan Miller, but McPherson equalized in the second half and then won a shootout 4-2 to advance in the conference playoffs. In both 2005 and 2006, McPherson won 2-0.

In non-conference play, the two schools have similar results: both lost to Mid America Christian (although Sterling also defeated MACU), and both beat Southwest Assemblies of God, Manhattan Christian and Central Christian.

No current player on Sterling's roster has been involved in defeating McPherson, although the matchups have gone from two 2-0 losses to two 1-1 ties last year. This would be a great time for Sterling to break through with a win over McPherson.
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NAIA TOP 25

The NAIA's Top 25 for October 28th are:

1. Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
2. Oklahoma City University
3. Simon Fraser University (B.C.)
4. Notre Dame College (Ohio)
5. Hannibal-LaGrange College (Mo.)
6. University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
7. Concordia University (Calif.)
8. McKendree University (Ill.)
9. Bellevue University (Neb.)
10. University of Maine at Fort Kent
11. Park University (Mo.)
12. Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
13. MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.)
14. William Carey University (Miss.)
15. Vanguard University (Calif.)
16. University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)
17. Benedictine College (Kan.)
18. Warner Southern College (Fla.)
19. Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
20. Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)
21. Hastings College (Neb.)
22. Belhaven College (Miss.)
23. University of Mobile (Ala.)
24. Shorter College (Ga.)
25. Graceland University (Iowa)

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PROFILE: AARON BAKER

AARON BAKER # 23

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Searcy, Arkansas

High School: Searcy High School

Club Team: Memphis FC and Little Rock FC

Previous School: Coffeyville CC

Coach's Comments: After playing at the University of Alabama-Huntsville and Coffeyville, Baker has found a home at Sterling College. He plays with great energy and pace and is a very capable outside midfielder. He serves a great ball and is adept at gathering up loose balls inthe penalty box. We anticipate that Aaron will be a great contributor at Sterling.

Class: Junior

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NAIA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

BAUTISTA AND SMITH NAMED MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Oct. 28, 2008 -KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The eighth installment of the NAIA Men's Soccer national weekly honors have been announced today (Oct. 28). Michael Smith of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) was announced as National Defensive Player of the Week while Antonio Bautista of The College of Idaho was named National Offensive Player of the Week, for the week of Oct. 20-26.

Smith, a 6-1 freshman goalkeeper from Oldham, England, has been unbelievable in goal this season. He posted a shutout in Lindsey Wilson’s 1-0 win over West Virginia Tech. Smith followed that with a three-save performance in the Blue Raiders’ 2-0 victory over then-No. 23 Embry-Riddle (Fla.). Those shutouts extend his scoreless streak to 615 minutes. In fact, Smith has not allowed a goal this year.

Bautista, a 6-0 midfielder from Homedale, Idaho, came up big for the Coyotes this past week. In their 4-2 upset of then-No. 24 Concordia (Ore.), the senior netted two goals and assisted with another. Bautista added two more goals later in the week in a 2-1 over Cascade (Ore.). With that win, the Coyotes became the first Cascade Collegiate Conference team to complete a no-loss, no-tie league campaign since George Fox went 5-0 in 1994. Bautista now has nine game-winning goals, the most in the NAIA.

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CONFERENCE STANDINGS

The KCAC reports the conference soccer standings as if they were baseball or football standings (ie: wins, losses and games behind), although its "Soccer Guidelines" states that teams are awarded 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie. Based on these guidelines, the standings change somewhat.

1. Kansas Wesleyan 21
2. Ottawa 15
3. Tabor 13
3. McPherson 13
5. Sterling 12
6. Friends 9
7. Bethel 9
8. St. Mary 6
9. Southwestern 3
10. Bethany 0

Tabor has a game in hand on McPherson for third and Friends has a game in hand on Bethel for sixth. A lot can change in the final two or three games before the playoffs, but based on these standings, KW and Ottawa get byes, Tabor would host Friends and McPherson would host Sterling. The winner of Tabor / Friends would play Ottawa and the winner of McPherson / Sterling would play KW.

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10-25-08: STERLING @ TABOR

Here is how Tabor described their victory over Sterling on Saturday October 25th:

TABOR COLLEGE MEN'S SOCCER SHUTS OUT STERLING

10.27.2008 - The Tabor College Men's Soccer team earned its fourth conference victory Saturday in Hillsboro, shutting out Sterling College, 1-0.

Freshman Liam Mclean (Newcastle, England) scored the games only goal in the 21st minute of the game, as Tabor defense along with goalkeeper junior Aaron Schmucker (Inman, Kan.) shut down Sterling.

Schmucker recorded nine saves on the night for his third shutout of the season.

Tabor (4-1-1 KCAC, 7-7-1 Overall) will travel to Salina, Kan. to play Kansas Wesleyan University Tuesday, Oct. 28th, at 9 p.m.

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KCAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

The KCAC Week 7 soccer players of the week have been announced:

Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 1:54 PM - WICHITA, KS - Jose Garay of Kansas Wesleyan University and Juan Mundo of Kansas Wesleyan University named as Week 7 Men's Soccer Players of the Week.

KCAC Men's Offensive Player of the Week:

Jose Garay, KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, Mid-Fielder, 5-10, Junior,
Palmdale, CA. He had 4 goals in two matches of the week: #1 at Ottawa
University (KS), W-2-1, he had no goals. #2 at Bethany College (KS), W-9-0, he had 4 goals. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 9-6-1.

KCAC Men's Defensive Player of the Week (including Goalkeepers):

Juan Mundo, KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (KS), Defender, 5-8, Senior, Sun
Valley, CA. In two matches of the week, he helped defeat both Ottawa and Bethany to stay undefeated in KCAC Conference play. TEAM MATCHES of week: #1 at Ottawa University (KS), W-2-1; #2 at Bethany College (KS), W-9-0. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 9-6-1. NOTES: On the year KWU has given up only one goal in KCAC competition.
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CONFERENCE RATINGS

The NAIA's ratings for the KCAC for 10-27-08:

1. Kansas Wesleyan University (7-0 / 9-6-1)
2. Tabor College (Kan.) (4-1-1 / 7-7-1)
3. Ottawa University (Kan.) (5-2 / 8-7-1)
4. McPherson College (Kan.) (4-2-1 / 7-7-1)
5. Sterling College (Kan.) (4-3 / 10-5)

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PROFILE: MLADEN BJELICA

MLADEN BJELICA # 21

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Garland, Texas

High School: Garland High School

Coach's Comments: Mladen returns for what should be a promising sophomore season. His explosiveness and ability to strike a clean ball make him a tough assignment for opposing defenses. Mladen is very versatile and will see minutes at both forward and midfield for us this year. He played in 16 games as a freshman, staring in 11 of those, and led the team with 9 goals in 2007.

Class: Sophomore

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PROFILE: GODFREY MIHESO

GODFREY MIHESO # 20

Position: Forward

Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

Class: Sophomore

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10-25-08: STERLING @ TABOR

Here is how Sterling described today's game at Tabor:

TABOR OUTLASTS WARRIORS FOR 1-0 WIN

10/26/2008 - The Sterling men's soccer team fell to the Tabor Bluejays 1-0 on a
penalty kick in the 69th minute. Both teams had ample opportunities for goals,
but due to poor finishing, combined with good goalkeeping from Sterling's Zach
Hallen and Tabor's Aaron Schmucker, the one goal was it, but that was all Tabor
needed. Tabor had 10 shots on goal to Sterling's 9, with both keepers recording
9 saves. The loss drops the Warriors to 10-5 on the season and 4-3 in conference
play. Sterling's next match is Wednesday at home vs. McPherson at 4 pm.

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* * * BREAKING NEWS * * *

My sources report that Sterling lost at Tabor 1-0 with the lone score coming on a penalty kick. Sterling was playing without center midfielder Shawn Sajjadi due to injury and early in the game Sterling defenders Pedraam Abrar and Wes Tom struck heads together, badly bruising Abrar and knocking Tom from the balance of the game. Sterling had chances to tie, but failed to convert, including a shot off the post. Sterling is now 5th in the conference standings at 4-3 and is facing a tough battle to qualify for the playoffs, with upcoming games at home against McPherson and on the road at Friends.

This is the second week in a row that Sterling has had to play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, due to weather conditions. Apparently, other schools that had weather-delayed games this week were able to move games either to Sunday or next week to avoid playing on consecutive days.
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PROFILE: JUSTIN MARTENS

JUSTIN MARTENS # 19

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Wichita, KS

High School: Campus High School

Club Team: Wichita Spirit

Coach's Comments: Justin earned valuable experience as asophomore, playing in 16 matches, including 6 starts. At 6'4" Martens is a formidable presence in the middle of the field. We anticipate that we will be able to move him forward in the attack and he has proven to have the ability to capitalize on his scoring chances.

Major: Athletic Training

Class: Junior

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10-24-08: STERLING @ ST. MARY

Kansascity.com, the online site of the "Kansas City Star" newspaper, had a brief summary of the game at St. Mary. I'm not sure of its accuracy since Wes Tom hasn't previously played GK this season, but here it is:

Sterling 3, Saint Mary 0. Sterling (Mladen Bjelica, Justin Martens, Ryan Covey;
shutout by Zach Hallen and Wes Tom).

[KHC: 10/25/08 - Sources report that Jordan Cabrera played a half
at GK, not Wes Tom as reported by the KC Star.]

And here is an article including photographs I found in the online site for the "Leavenworth Times":

SPIRE MEN SHUT OUT BY STERLING IN KCAC CONTEST

By Sara Mettlen -Leavenworth Times - Sat Oct 25, 2008, 12:09 AM CDT -
Leavenworth, Kan.

Although it was the Saint Mary men who started the game with the momentum, it swung Sterling’s way late in the first half and stayed there the rest of Friday’s game as the Spires fell 3-0 to the Warriors.

Nick Stevenson gave the Spires perhaps their best chance of the first half with 22 minutes remaining, crossing the ball to Alex Nowasell for a header just in front of the goal. Nowasell’s shot was tipped over the crossbar by the Sterling goalkeeper though, leaving the game knotted at 0. It wasn’t until there was just over 11 minutes to go in the first half when Sterling finally got on the board, Mladen Bjelica broke past the Saint Mary defense and put his shot into the far corner of the goal. That goal was all that would be scored in the entire first half, but it was enough, said Spire coach Derek Mazeitis, to shake the USM mens’ confidence.

“I felt like we came out for the first 25 or 30 minutes and dominated the game. We really took it to them and created chances and opportunities a lot, had them on their heels a bit,” Mazeitis said. “Then when they scored that goal it seemed like it put us on our heels and kind of changed the face of the game.”

In the second half the Spires were slow to start, but came alive with 20 minutes remaining in the game. In a four-minute span the Saint Mary men unloaded several shots on goal, including three off a corner kick with just under 18 minutes to play.

“The second half we came out a little flat. I think we certainly had two or three real good chances to score, especially on that flurry in front of the goal,” Mazeitis said. “That changes the face of the game if we poke one of those in.”

But the Spires couldn’t and the Warriors were right there to take advantage. Sterling had scored with 30 minutes left in the game on a penalty kick. The penalty was a questionable one and that goal, Mazeitis said, was a blow to his squad’s morale.

“That penalty kick really deflated us. It was not a very good call ... when you have the coach of the other team coming up telling you that was a bogus (you know it’s bad),” Mazeitis said. “That really took the wind out of our sails. If it’s 1-0 going into the second half of the second half, we were playing confident enough that we probably could have created more to get in there.”

Sterling tacked another goal on with nine minutes to play to bring the score to its final 3-0. Despite the loss, Mazeitis said his boys really didn’t play too bad for a large portion of Friday’s game.

“I think that game was much closer than the 3-0 score,” Mazeitis said.

The Spires get just one day’s rest before hitting the field again, playing McPherson on Sunday at 4 p.m.

All photographs by Sara Mettlen.

Saint Mary’s Nolan Bohannon, a sophomore from Lansing, advances the ball for the Spires near midfield in the first half of Friday’s game against Sterling.

Alex Perica heads the ball to gain control for the Spires in the first half of Friday's match up with Sterling. The Spires fell 3-0 in the game.

Lansing native Drew Reynolds moves the ball down the far sideline for Saint Mary in their conference loss to Sterling on Friday afternoon. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed due to rain.

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PREVIEW: STERLING AT TABOR

Today, Sterling hits the road again for an important conference game against the Tabor Bluejays in Hillsboro KS. Tabor currently sits in second place in the conference at 3-1-1, while Sterling is tied for third (with Ottawa) at 4-2. Tabor has a game in hand as their game this week with Friends was rained out and rescheduled for November 5th. Sterling's game against St. Mary was also rained out, but was played yesterday.

Today's game could go a long way toward deciding conference position and therefore home field advantage and first round byes in the upcoming playoffs. Tabor still has to play K-Dub (6-0 in conference), Bethel (3-3) and Friends (2-3). Sterling faces McPherson (3-2-1) and Friends (2-3).

Tabor and Sterling have five common opponents to date and the scores have been very similar.

Central Christian College lost to Tabor 2-0 and to Sterling 3-0. Tabor beat St. Mary 7-3, Sterling won 3-0. Bethany was defeated 3-1 by Tabor, 4-1 by Sterling. Southwestern lost 5-2 to Tabor and 6-2 to Sterling. Tabor's lone conference loss to date was to Ottawa 2-1, while Sterling was defeated 2-0.

Last year, Sterling prevailed over Tabor when Ryan Covey scored at the 87 minute mark. In 2006, Covey notched a hat trick in Sterling's 3-0 victory and in 2005, Mark Palmer and Charlie Sewell scored as Sterling won 2-0.

Tabor's leading scorers this season are Andy Adrian (8 goals, 1 assist) and Silas Hibbs (7 goals, 4 assists).

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10-24-08: STERLING @ ST. MARY

WARRIORS TOP SPIRES 3-0

10/25/2008 - The Sterling men's soccer team traveled to the University of St. Mary on Friday and turned in a 3-0 win against the Spires, lifting the Warriors to 10-4 on the season and 4-2 in conference play. Sterling got on the board in the 34th minute when Godfrey Miheso slipped a header to Mladen Bjelica who burried a shot into the low left corner of the net. That proved to be the lone goal of the first half. Fifteen minutes into the second frame, the Warriors were awarded a PK that Justin Martens converted for a 2-0 lead. Ryan Covey rounded out the scoring when he found the back of the net in the 81st minute on an assist from Bjelica. The Warriors travel to Hillsboro, KS on Saturday to take on the Bluejays of Tabor College.

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* * * BREAKING NEWS * * *

KCACsports.com is reporting that Sterling defeated the University of St. Mary by a score of 3 - 0. I do not yet know who scored/assisted the goals or played keeper. Stay tuned for updates.

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PROFILE: THOMAS CALVERT

THOMAS CALVERT # 18

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

High School: Maize High School

Coach's Comments: A Maize High School product, Calvert has proven to have a great understanding of the game and a continued desire to learn. He should earn some valuable minutes this year as a freshman wich will enable him to continue to grow as a player and be a major contributor for years to come at Sterling.


Class: Freshman


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NATIONAL STATISTICS LEADERS

The following Sterling players are included in the NAIA national statistics, as of 10/22/08:

Ryan Covey Ranks Number 10 in Shots on Goal per Game (2.690)
Ryan Covey Ranks Number 12 in Goals per Game (1.080)
Ryan Covey Ranks Number 13 in Points per Game (2.540)
Mladen Bjelica Ranks Number 20 in Assists per Game (0.620)
Jorge Bueso Ranks Number 30 in Game Winning Goals per Game (0.230)
Ryan Covey Ranks Number 31 in Shots per Game (3.920)

In the team statistics, Sterling is ranked:

Number 10 in Assists per Game (2.620)
Number 20 in Goals per Game (2.850)

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CONFERENCE STATISTICS LEADERS

The KCAC individual statistical leaders as of 10/22/08, include the following Sterling Warriors:

Points per game: 1st-Ryan Covey, 5th-Jorge Bueso, 10th-Mladen Bjelica, 14th-Justin Martens, 16th-Shawn Sajjadi

Goals per game: 1st-Ryan Covey, 5th-Jorge Bueso, 11th-Justin Martens

Assists per game: 1st-Mladen Bjelica, 6th-Shawn Sajjadi, 8th-Ryan Covey, 9th-Jordan Miller, 12th-Aaron Baker, 14th-Jorge Bueso

Game Winning Goals: 2nd-Jorge Bueso, 5th-Ryan Covey, tied 10th-Shawn
Sajjadi

Saves Per Game: 7th-Zach Hallen

Goals Against Average: 6th-Zach Hallen

In the team statistics lists, Sterling ranks:

1st in the conference in goals
1st in assists
3rd in shots
3rd in shots on goal
7th in goalkeeper saves
6th in fewest goals allowed
8th in most shutouts

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PROFILE: IVAN SANABRIA

IVAN SANABRIA # 17

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

High School: Bowie High School

Club Team: Dallas Texans

Coach's Comments: Though smaller in stature, Ivan is not afraid to challenge any ball against any opponent. As a flank player in the midfield he will provide solid support in our attack. Ivan also possesses the ability to strike a great ball when given the chance.

Major: Business

Class: Sophomore
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STERLING @ ST. MARY

The University of St. Mary website page for their men's soccer schedule (http://www.gospires.com/soccer_men/schedules-scores.asp) indicates that the game postponed on 10/22 will be played Friday, October 24th at 3 pm.
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* * * BREAKING NEWS * * *

KCACsports.com reports that today's men's and women's games versus St. Mary's in Leavenworth KS were postponed, as were the Friends at Tabor games in Hillsboro KS. Women's games between KWU/Ottawa and Bethel/Bethany were played, so probably the men's games for those schools will also be played.

This may explain why the games in Leavenworth and Hillsboro were not played:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 402 PM CDT WED OCT 22 2008 . . . MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEASTERN KANSAS AND NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI TONIGHT .... A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE WESTERN PLAINS TODAY AND HAS SENT A COLD FRONT EAST WHICH STALLED ALONG THE KANSAS MISSOURI BORDER. ALONG THIS FRONT A LARGE AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL HAS DEVELOPED. THESE STORMS WILL BE ORIENTED PARALLEL TO THE FRONT AND ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUALLY REGENERATE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLOODING ACROSS THE WATCH AREA.

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF KANSAS AND MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS ... IN KANSAS ... ATCHISON KS ... DONIPHAN ... JOHNSON KS ... LEAVENWORTH AND WYANDOTTE. IN MISSOURI ... BUCHANAN ... CLAY ... CLINTON ... JACKSON AND PLATTE.*
THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
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PREVIEW: STERLING @ ST MARY'S

Today, the Sterling College Warriors play the University of Saint Mary Spires in Leavenworth KS at 4 pm. Sterling currently stands at 9 wins, 4 losses overall with 3 wins, 2 losses in the conference. USM has 2 wins, 10 losses, 1 tie overall, but has 2 wins, 3 losses in the conference.

Last year, Sterling defeated USM 4-2 in Sterling with goals by Justin Martens, Mladen Bjelica (2) and Ryan Covey. In 2006, Sterling won 1-0 on a Charlie Sewell goal in the second overtime and in 2005, Sterling was awarded a 1-0 win when USM forfeited after the game was originally called due to lightning, then rescheduled to a later date.

Sterling and USM have two common non-conference opponents. Sterling defeated York NE 2-1, USM lost 0-1; Sterling beat Central Christian KS 3-0, USM lost 0-3. USM's two conference victories have been shutouts against teams that have scored on Sterling. Although USM had a rough non-conference stretch of games, both victories have been achieved in the conference at home.

It looks like weather could be a factor, at least at the time I am writing this, according to the weather map on the right side.

PROFILE: DARIO VILLATORO

DARIO VILLATORO # 13

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Guatemala City, Guatemala

Previous School: Universidad Francisco Marroquin

High School: American School of Guatemala

Club Team: Camp Elite

Coach's Comments: As an international student, Dario brings great passion for the game of soccer. Dario is working hard to understand the differences in the US style of play and improve himself as a player. He will be assigned to midfield duties this year. He is a second generation Sterling College student in his family, as his father ran track at Sterling in the 1960's.

Class: Sophomore
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NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK RYAN COVEY

I have found the following additional stories regarding Sterling forward Ryan Covey being named NAIA National Offensive Soccer Player of the Week on October 14th.


This article is from the "Victory Sports Network"
(http://soccer.victorysportsnetwork.com/article.php?articleID=7942):

THIS WEEK IN NAIA SOCCER BY JASON DANNELLY

The NAIA Men's Soccer national weekly honors were announced Tuesday and Ross Gordon of King (Tenn.) was announced as National Defensive Player of the Week while Ryan Covey of Sterling (Kan.) was named National Offensive Player of the Week.

Gordon, a 5-9 senior defender from Newcastle, England, led the team defensively in two wins against nationally ranked opponents last week. He helped the Tornado post a 2-1 win over No. 17 Lincoln Memorial (NCAA DII) at home and then knock off No. 14 Montreat (N.C.) 4-2 on the road.

Covey, a 6-2 forward from Edmond, Okla., scored six goals in two wins last week. In a home win against Southwestern (Kan.), the senior scored three goals and assisted on two more for eight points. He recorded his second hat trick on the week with three more goals in a road win against Bethel (Kan.). On the season Covey leads the team in goals and is tied for first in assists.

I found this on "Sunflower Slate-Sports at Kansas' Small Colleges"
(http://blogs.kansas.com/statecolleges/2008/10/15/braden-dragomir-and-ryan-covey/):

BRADEN DRAGOMIR AND RYAN COVEY

Big props to Bethel football player Braden Dragomir and Sterling soccer player Ryan Covey for their national awards this week — Dragomir was named the NAIA special teams player of the week and Covey was the NAIA men’s soccer player of the week. Not bad work, fellas.

Dragomir made one field-goal attempt (52 yards), made 5 of 5 PAT attempts, and had 6 kickoffs for 310 yards (long 70 yards). The 52-yard field goal set a new school record for the longest field goal made, breaking a nine-year-old record set back in 1999.

Covey recorded a hat trick and two assists in Sterling’s 6-2 victory over Southwestern on Tuesday. Covey then again scored three goals in their 4-0 shutout over Bethel on Saturday. He now has scored thirteen goals and has five assists so far this season.

I got an e-mail about Dragomir earlier this week and let me say this . . . dude is a mini-media mogul in the making. He interns at KWCH for their morning newscast and is the sports editor for the campus newspaper. Good stuff. I suppose we’ll have to flip it on him and have him on here to do a Q&A.

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PROFILE: JORDAN MILLER

JORDAN MILLER # 11

Position: Defender

Hometown: Hutchinson KS

High School: Buhler High School

Coach's Comments: Jordan has a great work-ethic and is a great athlete. He will provide much needed leadership on our back line as the lone senior. His athleticism and tenacity enables him to mark any player we will face. Miller is one of our three captains.

Major: Business

Class: Senior
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TOP 25

2008 NAIA MEN’S SOCCER TOP 25 COACHES POLL – OCT. 21

1. Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
2. Oklahoma City University
3. Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
4. University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
5. Hannibal-LaGrange College (Mo.)
6. Belhaven College (Miss.)
7. Simon Fraser University (B.C.)
8. Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)
9. McKendree University (Ill.)
10. University of Maine at Fort Kent
11. Notre Dame College (Ohio)
12. William Carey University (Miss.)
13. Benedictine College (Kan.)
14. Vanguard University (Calif.)
15. Bellevue University (Neb.)
16. Park University (Mo.)
17. Shorter College (Ga.)
18. Warner Southern College (Fla.)
19. Concordia University (Calif.)
20. University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)
21. Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
22. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
23. Hastings College (Neb.)
24. Concordia University (Ore.)
25. University of Mobile (Ala.)

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NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

MENZIES AND EHMAN NAMED MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Oct. 21, 2008 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The NAIA Men's Soccer national weekly honors have been announced and Brion Ehman of Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) was announced as National Defensive Player of the Week while Lyall Menzies of Grand View (Iowa) was named National Offensive Player of the Week, for the week of Oct. 13-19.

Ehman, a 6-0 junior goalkeeper from Salamanca, N.Y., had a big week in goal for Roberts Wesleyan. Against West Virginia Tech, he had two saves in a 3-1 victory. He followed that with a seven-save performance as the Raiders upset then-No. 1 Rio Grande (Ohio) 1-0. In the team's third and final game of the week, Ehman was in goal for 80 minutes of Roberts Wesleyan's 5-1 win over Shawnee State (Ohio). For the week, Ehman had nine saves in 260 minutes and his team went 3-0.

Menzies, a 5-11 forward from Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, was a force for Grand View last week. The senior netted three goals and added an assist in the Vikings' 4-2 win over St. Ambrose (Iowa). The hat trick was his third of the season. Menzies added a goal and assist later in the week, as Grand View downed Mount Mercy (Iowa) 2-1. For the week, Menzies had four goals, two assists and ten total points.

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CONFERENCE RATINGS

The NAIA's ratings for the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference for October 20th:

1. Kansas Wesleyan University (5-0 / 7-6-1)
2. Ottawa University (Kan.) (4-1 / 7-6-1)
3. Tabor College (Kan.) (3-1-1 / 6-7-1)
4. Sterling College (Kan.) (3-2 / 9-4)
5. McPherson College (Kan.) (2-2-1 / 5-7-1)

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KCAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

KCAC Players of the Week for Week 6 have been announced.

WEEK 6 - KCAC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 5:05 PM - WICHITA, KS - Jose Garay of Kansas Wesleyan University and Brady Coffman of Bethel College recognized as the Week 6 KCAC Men's Soccer Players of the Week.

KCAC Offensive Player of the Week: Jose Garay, KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, Mid-Fielder, 5-10, Junior, Palmdale, CA. He had 3 goals in two matches of the week: #1 at Friends University (KS), W-1-0, he had 1 goal. #2 vs. University of Saint Mary (KS), W-10-0, he had 2 goals. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 7-6-1. NOTES: He scored the game-winner against Friends, and against USM he played only 34 minutes.

KCAC Defensive Player of the Week (including Goalkeepers): Brady Coffman, BETHEL COLLEGE (KS), Goalkeeper, 6-0, Sophomore, Newton, KS. In two matches of the week, he had 6 saves with no shots on goal and allowed no goals in 180 minutes. TEAM MATCHES of week: #1 at McPherson College (KS), W-1-0, he had 5 saves with no shots on goal and no goals allowed in 90 minutes; #2 at Southwestern College (KS), W-3-0, he had 1 save with no shots on goal and no goals allowed in 90 minutes. TEAM RECORDS: Week 2-0-0, Season overall 2-10-0. NOTES: He recorded his first two shutouts of the season, as the Bethel Threshers had their first winning streak of the season.

NOTE BY KHC: Brady Coffman is a worthy candidate to be conference defender of the week. He led his team to its first two victories of the season--both shutouts, one over perennial power McPherson and one over Southwestern. The point of this note is how do you make 1 save in a game and 5 saves in another, without a shot on goal in either game?

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10-18-08: BETHANY @ STERLING

Here is Sterling's summary of the homecoming game against Bethany:

10/20/2008 - On Homecoming Saturday, the Sterling men's soccer team had plenty
of offensive punch, resulting in a 4-1 win. The Warriors spent much of the afternoon in the Bethany back third, tallying 35 shots total, with 20 on goal; however, Sterling wasn't able to break through until the 31st minute. Jorge Bueso got to the Bethany goal line and slotted a perfect ball to a charging Mladen Bjelica who blistered a shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Bueso got into the scoring action himself moments later when he chipped a ball just under the Bethany cross-bar for the second goal of the match. Ivan Sanbria pinged a shot off the post for the third goal of the day just before the break, giving the Warriors a 3-0 lead. Early in the second half, Sterling GK Jordan Cabrera made his only mistake of the day, having played nearly perfect in the goal, when a Bethany shot slid between his hands and into the goal. The Warriors still held a firm grip on the match, eventually adding another goal in the 64th minute when Ryan Covey found the back of the net. The win moves Sterling to 9-4 on the seaon and 3-2 in the KCAC. Sterling will travel to Leavenworth, KS to
take on the University of St. Mary at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Here's how Bethany described their loss to Sterling:

The Bethany College men's soccer team looked for things to turn around as they entered week six of their season. The squad traveled to Central Christian on Monday before traveling to the University of Saint Mary on Friday and Sterling College on Saturday.

Aiming to bounce back after a tough loss the day before, the team came out with high hopes against Sterling Saturday afternoon. After being down 3-0 at the half, Bethany got on the board as junior Nnaemeka Obiagwu scored unassisted. Unfortunately, the Warriors added another goal less than ten minutes later and the Swedes fell 4-1.

This is the Scoring Summary:

Goal - Time - Team - Goal Scorer - Assists
1. 30:50 - SC - BJELICA, Mladen - BUESO, Jorge
2. 39:09 - SC - BUESO, Jorge
3. 40:27 - SC - SANABRIA, Ivan - BJELICA, Mladen, BAKER, Aaron
4. 58:07 - BC - Obiagwu, Nnaemeka
5. 65:29 - SC - COVEY, Ryan - BUESO, Jorge

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10-17-08: OTTAWA @ STERLING

Sterling has not posted an article about the Ottawa game, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th, but was moved to Friday the 17th due to wet grounds. Here is Ottawa's summary of the game.

STERLING, Kan. - The OU men's soccer team defeated Sterling College, 2-0 on Friday afternoon for its third straight conference victory. It is also OU's third straight shutout.The first half was played to a 0-0 tie and it stayed that way just two minutes into the second half when OU's Colin Wylie scored a goal to put OU up 1-0. Not more than 30 seconds later, Sergio Alcala put another ball through the net for OU to take a 2-0 victory over Sterling.

Sterling was shut out for only the second time this season. Here is the scoring summary:

Goal - Time - Team - Goal Scorer - Assists
1. 47:44 - OU - Wylie, Colin
2. 48:19 - OU - Alcala, Sergio

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PROFILE: JORGE BUESO

JORGE BUESO # 10

Position: Forward

Hometown: La Lima, Honduras

High School: E.I.S.

Coach's Comments: Jorge is a naturally gifted player, but he has worked hard in the off-season to increase his fitness level and strength. As a forward, he will prove to be a handful for any opposing defenders.

Major: Business

Class: Senior

KHC's Notes: Jorge has played both forward and midfield this season and of his 7 goals to date--3 have been "game-winners."

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PROFILE: SHAWN SAJJADI

SHAWN SAJJADI # 9

Position: Midfield

Hometown: Arlington TX

High School: Martin High School

Club Team: Dallas Texans

Coach's Comments: After sitting out the majority of the 2007 season with a knee injury, we are looking forward to the return of Sajjadi. Shawn will anchor our attack from the central midfield position with his outstanding touch and field vision. He earned All-KCAC honors as a freshman and sophomore. Sajjadi will serve as a captain this year, and has proven to be a great leader on and off the field.

Major: Business / Pre-Law

Class: Senior

KHC's Notes: Shawn's honors include 2005 KCAC 1st team All Conference, 2006 KCAC 1st team All Conference, 2006 NAIA Honorable Mention All American and 2007 NAIA Scholar Athlete.
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10-18-08: BETHANY @ STERLING

Homecoming/Senior Day in Sterling

Final Score:
Sterling 4
Bethany 1

Sterling goals by Mladen, Jorge, Ivan and Ryan

PROFILE: HENRY SANABRIA

HENRY SANABRIA # 7

Position: Defender

Hometown: Arlington TX

High School: Bowie High School

Club Team: Dallas Texans

Coach's Comments: After sitting out last year as a red-shirt, we are anticipating great things from Henry this year. He will see significant minutes as an outside back. He has great marking ability and has proven to be effective in joining our attack as well.

Major: Business

Class: Sophomore

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PROFILE: WES TOM

WES TOM # 6


Position: Defender

Hometown: Omaha NE

High School: Millard North High School

Club Team: NFC Blitzkrieg

Coach's Comments: Wes has found a home as a center back, and at 6'5 he will make any type of aerial attack a difficulty for any opponent. With his size, he is able to cover a lot of ground and has proven to be very comfortable with the ball at his feet as well as a capable distributor out of the back. As a freshman last year, Wes played in every match, starting in 16 games, and consequently plays with greater maturity than his years.

Major: Pre-Med

Class: Sophomore

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10-17-08: OTTAWA @ STERLING

Final Score:
Ottawa 2
Sterling 0

PROFILE: JORDAN CABRERA

JORDAN CABRERA # 4

Position: Goalkeeper

Hometown: Channanhon IL

High School: Manooka High School

Club Team: Juventus SC

Coach's Comments: As a high school senior, Jordan led Minooka High School to its best season, including an appearance in the super-sectional finals, as the starting goalkeeper. Jordan brings a tireless work rate and plays with great courage. He is an accomplished field player as well, making him useful to us both in the goal and on the field.

Class: freshman

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* GAMES DELAYED *

Sterling.edu today issued this notice:

SOCCER MATCH WITH OTTAWA MOVED TO FRIDAY

10/15/2008-The men's and women's soccer game versus Ottawa University that was supposed to take place today in Sterling has been postponed until Friday, Oct. 17th. Game times have changed to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Sterling will now play back-to-back games on homecoming weekend: Friday against Ottawa University and Saturday against Bethany. I plan to attend both games and should get some photos of Homecoming festivities and the soccer games.
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PROFILE: ZDRAVKO GERGANOFF

ZDRAVKO GERGANOFF # 3


Position: Midfield

Hometown: Westminster CO

School: Maranatha Christian Center

Club Team: Colorado Edge

Coach's Comments: Zdravko is another product of the Colorado Edge. He has outstanding talent and we anticipate that he will be a major contributor for us immediately as he begins his playing career at Sterling College. He is extremely versatile, making him a potential starter for a number of positions.

Class: freshman

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NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK ( ! ! )

Sterling College Warrior Ryan Covey was named the NAIA Men's Soccer National Offensive Player of the Week on October 14 !


Here's the NAIA press release on PoW, which included Ryan's photo:

GORDON AND COVEY NAMED MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Oct. 14, 2008 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The NAIA Men's Soccer national weekly honors have been announced and Ross Gordon of King (Tenn.) was announced
as National Defensive Player of the Week while Ryan Covey of Sterling (Kan.) was
named National Offensive Player of the Week, for the week of Oct. 6-12.

Gordon, a 5-9 senior defender from Newcastle, England, led the team defensively in two wins against nationally ranked opponents last week. He helped the Tornado post a 2-1 win over No. 17 Lincoln Memorial (NCAA DII) at home and then knock off No. 14 Montreat (N.C.) 4-2 on the road.

Covey, a 6-2 forward from Edmond, Okla., scored six goals in two wins last week. In a home win against Southwestern (Kan.), the senior scored three goals and assisted on two more for eight points. He recorded his second hat trick on the week with three more goals in a road win against Bethel (Kan.). On the season Covey leads the team in goals and is tied for first in assists.

The KCAC Sports website included the following article about Ryan's accomplishment:

RYAN COVEY OF STERLING COLLEGE AWARDED NAIA MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 8:35 PM - KANSAS CITY, MO - The NAIA Men's Soccer national weekly honors have been announced. Ryan Covey of Sterling College was named National Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 6-12.

Covey, a 6-2 forward from Edmond, OK, scored six goals in two wins last week. In a home win against Southwestern College, the senior scored three goals and assisted on two more for eight points.

He recorded his second hat trick on the week with three more goals in a road win against Bethel College.

On the season, Covey leads the team in goals and is tied for first in assists.

"What a great week for Covey," said Sterling College Head Soccer Coach Dave
Underwood. "Ryan has been a big part of our offensive success this season, not only scoring but setting up goals as well. This is a great honor for him and our program."

The Warriors are currently 8-3 overall and 2-1 in the KCAC.

And, Sterling's website added this article:

RYAN COVEY TABBED NAIA MEN’S SOCCER “OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK”

10/15/2008-Sterling College senior Ryan Covey has been named NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), Men’s Soccer “Offensive Player of the Week” after his two stellar performances in Sterling’s victories last week.

Covey led Sterling to a 2-0 record last week, scoring six of his team’s ten goals last week and tallied 2 assists.

The forward from Edmond, Oklahoma, recorded a hat trick and two assists in
Sterling’s 6-2 victory over Southwestern College (Kan.) on Tuesday. Covey then again scored three goals in their 4-0 shutout over Bethel College on Saturday. He now has scored thriteen goals and has five assists so far this season.

“What a great week for Covey,” said Sterling College Head Soccer Coach Dave Underwood. “Ryan has been a big part of our offensive success this season, not only scoring but setting up goals as well. This is a great honor for him and our program.”

The Warriors current record is 8-3 overall and 2-1 in KCAC play.

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