On tap in the wac ? Western Athletic Conference teams take the pitch again this week as Louisiana Tech kicks things off at San Jose State in a mid-day matchup on Friday, Oct. 24. The conference front-runner, Utah State, will take on Hawai?i, who is sitting in a tie for third-place, in Honolulu. Boise State and Idaho take on Fresno State and Nevada on the road, respectively, to round out Friday play.
On Sunday, Oct. 26, Idaho takes on Fresno State while Boise State travels to Reno to take on the Wolf Pack. San Jose State then hosts Utah State as Hawai?i will welcome Louisiana Tech on Sunday night.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - Hawai?i’s Taryn Fukuroku and Utah State’s Sydne Porter have been named Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for the week of Oct. 13-19.
Fukuroku, a senior forward from Wailuku, Maui (Maui HS), registered three points including her first game-winning goal of the season in overtime to beat San Jose State 2-1 on Sunday (Oct. 19). The senior assisted on the Rainbow Wahine’s first goal when she took a corner kick that found Chelsea Deptula’s head in the 47th minute to put Hawai?i up 1-0. After a SJSU goal in the 50th, the game went into overtime. Fukuroku wasted no time when she scored on a 20-yard strike just three minutes into the overtime period. It secured Hawai?i’s first conference win of the season. It marks the second time this season that Fukuroku has earned Player of the Week honors.
Porter, a junior defender from Highland, Utah (Lone Peak HS), was a part of a Utah State defense that secured its third shutout in conference play in a 1-0 win over Fresno State. She also recorded three points on the week to help the Aggies stay undefeated in WAC play. She played all 180 minutes during the week while connecting on a game-winning goal in a 4-3 win over Nevada. The junior also assisted on Lauren Hansen’s sixth goal of the season when USU took a 3-2 lead. It marks the first time in her career that she has garnered the Player of the Week award.
Other offensive nominees: Shantel Flanary of Utah State registered a goal in Utah State’s 4-3 win over Nevada to help the Aggies improve to 4-0 in conference play. Fresno State’s Nicole Gutierrez notched the game-winning in a 1-0 victory against Louisiana Tech. Rachel King of Louisiana Tech registered two goals for the Lady Techsters in a 2-2 tie at home against Nevada. Nevada’s Karen Zmirak recorded three points on a goal and an assist in a loss to Utah State becoming the Pack’s all-time leader in career points with 45.
Other defensive nominees: Fresno State’s Kaitlyn Revel has 10 saves in two games and recorded her seventh shutout of the season in a 1-0 win at Louisiana Tech. Louisiana Tech’s Amy Quintana registered an assist in the Lady Techsters 2-2 tie against Nevada.
RPI UPDATE ? After its 4-0 start in conference play, Utah State now leads the league with an Rating Percentage Index of 143. Hawai?i comes in at a close second at 160, along Boise State and Fresno State being rated 188 and 190, respectively.
UNBEATEN ? Utah State is 4-0 in conference play, with 12 points the Aggies need just one more win to qualify for the 2008 WAC championship.
HOME WOES ? For the second straight week, road teams seemed to have the advantage in WAC play. Home teams have won five matches this season in conference play so far, while visiting teams have been victorious in six.
TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (8-5-2, 1-1-1 WAC)
The Broncos finished the week with a 1-0 record, by defeating instate rival Idaho, 1-0, for the Governor’s Cup. Freshman Chelsea Robinson scored off a cross just two minutes into the game. BSU is currently in a three-way tie for third-place with four points. The team has matches on the road against Fresno State and Nevada this week.
Fresno State Bulldogs (6-8-2, 2-1-1 WAC)
The Bulldogs went 1-1 on the road. Fresno State won another overtime thriller, 1-0, against Louisiana Tech. Nicole Gutierrez scored her sixth goal of the season and Kaitlyn Revel recorded her seventh shutout. The Bulldogs continued their road trip in Logan and lost a close match, 1-0. The Bulldogs host Boise State and Idaho next weekend.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (5-5-4, 1-1-1 WAC)
Hawai?i earned its first conference win last week in a 2-1 overtime win over San Jose State. WAC Offensive Player of the Week, Taryn Fukuroku scored the game-winning goal three minutes into the first overtime. In WAC matches, Fukuroku is tied for second in shots per match (5.00). The Rainbow Wahine host league-leading Utah State (Oct. 24) and sixth-place Louisiana Tech (Oct. 26) this week.
Idaho Vandals (1-12-2, 0-2-1 WAC)
Idaho lost its only game last week, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of instate rival Boise State. The Vandals sit at 0-2-1 in the conference with their lone tie against Louisiana Tech. UI is on the road this week when it travels to Nevada and before traveling west to take on Fresno State. Goalkeeper Liz Boyden leads the league in conference play in saves per match (7.33).
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (10-3-4, 0-1-3 WAC)
The Lady Techsters went 0-1-1 on the week. It was a heartbreaking two games for Tech as the Lady Techsters were tied at 0-0 with Fresno State until 1:19 to play in the second and final overtime. Two days later, Tech led Nevada 2-1 and was on the verge of its first conference win ever until the Wolf Pack scored in the 89th minute to tie the game . Rachel King scored both goals for the Techsters against Nevada and is tied for the team lead with seven. Tech has now played three straight double overtime games. The loss to Fresno State was the first loss by Tech in 10 games (6-0-3).
Nevada Wolf Pack (1-11-3, 1-2-1 WAC)
Four different players recorded points for the Pack this weekend (Cristen Drummond, Karen Zmirak, Ellie Stott and Jill Erickson). Freshman Ellie Stott recorded her first career goal over the weekend against Utah State and her first career assist at La Tech. As a team the Pack scored five goals over the weekend while prior to this weekends matches the Pack had scored six goals in 13 games. Cristen Drummond leads the team in goals with three and Drummond and Samantha Miller (two goals and two assists) are tied for the team lead in points with six each. Seven players have started all 15 matches for the Pack this year (Drummond, Miller, Patrice Godwin, Jessica Thompson, Annabelle Allen, Devin Noe and Nikki McEachern)
San Jose State Spartans (4-8-3, 1-2 WAC)
After a 3-0 victory against non-conference foe Cal State Bakersfield, San Jose State lost a heartbreaker to Hawai?i last week, a loss that moved the Spartans to 1-2 in conference play. Both of SJSU’s WAC losses have come as a result of goals in extra time. San Jose State begins a home-stand that begins with Louisiana Tech on Friday, Oct. 24 and Utah State on the following Sunday.
Utah State Aggies (9-7-1, 4-0 WAC)
The Aggies improved to 4-0 in conference play with wins over Nevada and Fresno State at home. The Aggies need one more win to qualify for their fourth-straight WAC Tournament. USU has qualified for the WAC Tournament every year that it has been in the WAC. In WAC matches only, freshman Shantel Flanary leads the WAC in points with six. She is also first in goals scored with three.