Brooks Hatch: Thursday update Comments
Big weekend in Arizona coming up for the OSU women’s soccer team, which has made quite a turnaround this fall under second-year coach Linus Rhode.
The Beavers can qualify for the NCAAs with a win; they’re RPI is 19 and they’ve got some nice wins. They haven’t played in the NCAAs since 1994, back when the games were still played on the Women’s Building Field and the incomparable Val Williams, a true goal-scoring machine, was their star.
Here’s a preview; the complete story will be on the web tonight and in Friday’s print edition.
A weekend in the desert will determine if the Oregon State women’s soccer program’s lengthy NCAA tournament drought will be slaked.
The Beavers (11-6-1, 3-4 Pac-10) are 19th in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index and can clinch an at-large postseason berth with a victory against Arizona State (7-7-3, 0-6-1) at 6 tonight or at Arizona (1-6-0, 4-13-1) at 10 a.m. Sunday. OSU’s last NCAA berth was in 1994.
“It’s a huge weekend for the program and we are going to go down there and give it everything we have,” coach Linus Rhode said. “We’ve done a good job of sticking with our game plan in recent weeks and have come away with some positive results.
“We need to do the same thing this weekend against a pair of good teams.”
The NCAA Selection Committee will meet in Indianapolis over the weekend and will announce the 64-team field on Monday.
The tournament begins on Nov. 13 at 16 regional sites and as many as six Pac-10 teams could be selected, as the Pac-10 is No. 1 in league RPI.
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And speaking of OSU women’s soccer (isn’t everyone?), senior goalie Ashley Wood, a Corvallis High graduate and a Friend O’ the Blog since her days at Adams Elementary, has been named second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced on Thursday.
Wood has a 3.80 cumulative GPA in exercise science. She’s a two-time academic all-conference selection and is the first OSU player to be named to the all-district squad since 2007, when Jodie Taylor earned second-team honors.
Nominations and voting for the Academic All-America® programs are conducted by members of CoSIDA.
To be nominated for all-district honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution.
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More soccer news (!!!), this about OSU commit Brandi Dawson of Forest Grove High, who has 20 goals and 15 assists this season.The Beavers have several key in-state commits among their 2010 recruiting class, which is announced in February.
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The Washington Redskins expect to sign former OSU punter Sam Paulescu to replace their injured starter, according to The Washington Post. He’s bounced around with several teams in the NFL and CFL since leaving OSU after the 2005 season.
Here’s the same info from the Washington Times.
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Former OSU volleyball coach Jeff Mozzochi, now at Portland State, will be honored for his lengthy service with the Vikings on Friday night.
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Many Pac-10 football fans have complained for years about the league’s bowl tie-ins.
Well, they got better several months ago when the league announced a tie-in with the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, which now gets first choice after the Rose Bowl, and they got better Thursday with the Sun Bowl’s announcement that the ACC’s second- or third-place team would play against the Pac-10s No. 4 at the Sun Bowl.
Lots of people criticize the Sun Bowl and El Paso. Most of them, I’d bet, have never actually been there for the game. The Blog was there for the 2006 thriller against Missouri, we had a great time, the city goes all-out for the game, the locals are very involved, and from all accounts the players are treated royally.
Here’s the official announcement from the Pac-10, the Sun Bowl and the ACC.
EL PASO, Texas (November 5, 2009) – The Brut Sun Bowl officially announced today it has extended its partnership with the Pac-10 Conference through 2013 and aligned with the Atlantic Coast Conference from 2010-2013.
The new alignment will feature the third selection after the Bowl Championship Series from the Pac-10 against either the runner-up of the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game or the third selection after the BCS from the ACC.
“We are extremely excited to forge this new partnership,” said Frank Bates, president of the Sun Bowl Association. “We have had such a strong and long-standing relationship with the Pac-10. Having the opportunity to pair the Pac-10 with the Atlantic Coast Conference could really prove to be some exciting matchups.”
The Brut Sun Bowl has the second longest current relationship with the Pac-10, hosting a league school for 14 consecutive years. Nine of the league’s 10 schools have participated in the Brut Sun Bowl 25 times, with California as the lone school to have never played in the Sun Bowl.
“The Pac-10 is very happy to extend its longtime relationship with the Brut Sun Bowl,” said Commissioner Larry Scott. “The Sun Bowl has been a good and loyal partner over the years and through its New Year’s Eve positioning on CBS provides an excellent showcase for the Pac-10 teams. We look forward to many more years of partnership.”
The Atlantic Coast Conference is also no stranger to the Brut Sun Bowl, but has not sent a team to El Paso since 1994. In all, ACC schools have made 10 appearances, with North Carolina appearing four times – 1972, 1974, 1982 and 1994.
The 1994 Sun Bowl between Texas and North Carolina was named the greatest Sun Bowl ever played at last year’s 75th Brut Sun Bowl.
“As someone who has been to the Sun Bowl, I can tell you that it was one of the best bowl trips that I have ever experienced,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We are looking forward to having a compelling match-up with the Pac-10, while also being part of the storied bowl history and tradition. This partnership will provide special and memorable experiences for our student-athletes and fans.”
The Pac-10 Conference consists of Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State. The Atlantic Coast Conference includes Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
The 76th Brut Sun Bowl is slated for Thursday, Dec. 31 at Noon (MT) at Sun Bowl Stadium. This year’s game features the Pac-10 Conference against the Big 12 Conference. Tickets are available by calling 915-533-4416 or online at www.sunbowl.org.
That’s probably enough for now.
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