Peninsula women sweep top rankings for 2012

These rankings are the opinion of just one man, and do not reflect the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges or any of their sponsors. If you have a question or comment on this or any story for John Howard, send him an email , contact him via twitter , or leave a comment below. 

NWAACC Women's Soccer

As expected, Peninsula finished the season with flying colors, falling just once, and in a closely fought game to another spectacular soccer powerhouse. Now as the second round begins, we are reduced to eight teams, which will soon be pared down to just four. Those four squads will head to Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. for the NWAACC final four from Nov. 17-18. These will be the final rankings for the season, and therefore I thank you for your readership and support these past few months. I will be at the final four taking photos, sending out live tweets, getting interviews and writing game stories. Be sure to check www.nwaacc.org/soccer for the game recaps.

Of note: A set of rankings was released on Oct. 31, but were not released with the coaches poll as usual. Those rankings can be found by clicking on the link above.

Here are a few quick and easy factoids to get you caught up:

Soaring team of the week: Shoreline - Lone road playoff win

Freefall team of the week: Highline - Lone upset of the week, disappointing end to their comeback

Score of the week: Shoreline 1, Highline 0 

Bore of the week*: Walla Walla 4, Clark 0

*The worst of the round one blowouts.

For news and notes on NWAACC soccer throughout the rest of the playoffs, follow @JowardHoward on twitter or search #nwaaccsoccer. View the coaches rankings here.

                                                                                                                         

1. Peninsula (18-1-0) (13-1-0 West)

No. 1 Coaches

 Previously ranked: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

What more can be said about Peninsula that hasn't already been covered. Leading the league in goals scored, shutouts and wins, they're now 37-4-3 in their last two seasons. Their 2011 run ended with a loss in the final to Walla Walla, and Peninsula returned this year with a clear goal in mind. They won their region yet again, and proceeded to wreak havoc on the rest of the league all season long, but this is where it really starts to matter. They will face Lane, who makes the trip up to Port Angeles, Wash. after finishing as one of the better defensive teams in the league. That being said, Peninsula will be a tough, tough match up. 

                                                                                                                         

2. Spokane (12-1-3) (11-1-2 East)

No. 2 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 2, No. 2 Coaches

Spokane now hasn't tasted defeat in over a month, last falling to No. 1 Peninsula on September 29th, and it was a close one at that. The Sasquatch answered the first Peninsula goal, but fell behind 3-1 in the second half before scoring a goal in the 67th minute to bring themselves back to within striking distance. Outside of that loss, Spokane has only two other blemishes - a pair of draws with No. 4 Walla Walla. Behind a relentless 89 goals (second in league), Spokane won the region title from the Warriors for the first time in... uhh... oh yeah, more than 10 seasons. That's a huge accomplishment. Their second round opponent is Whatcom, a team tied for third in least goals allowed with 10, but can Whatcom keep up with Walla Walla's attack?

                                                                                                                         

3. Walla Walla (11-2-3) (10-1-3 East)

No. 3 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 4, No. 3 Coaches

Its not every year that a team can go 14-2-3, finish with a 76-9 goal advantage and 11 shutouts and NOT win their region. That's a testament to exactly how much of a challenge the NWAACC East is, that a team like Walla Walla, who has won the last 10 region titles and last three league titles, would take second place in a head to head battle with Spokane. The series has been evenly matched all season long - with draws in both meetings. While Walla Walla has put up good numbers in many of their matches, it was ultimately their inability to score that sealed their pair of defeats. On both occasions, the Warriors gave up a goal right around halftime and were unable to equalize or fight back for the win. Everett, the next hurdle for Walla Walla, is nearly identical defensively on paper. They've allowed 10 goals, and Walla Walla nine, and both teams have 11 shutouts. However, the North where Everett plays lacks the same firepower that the top of the East-West has shown all season long.

                                                                                                                         

4. Clackamas (12-3-0) (11-2-0 South)

No. 5 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 3, No. 5 Coaches

While the Cougars have played well of late, winners of their last six matches with five shutouts, their lack of quality wins against good teams is beginning to bite them. They have a pair of victories over No. 8 Lane, but outside of those, Clackamas has only the victory over No. 5 Everett in the months of September and October to really be proud of. The win before that was over Walla Walla, and while that was very impressive, the luster of that early season victory has begun to fade, especially after the Oct. 5 loss to No 6 Whatcom. Now, that is being fairly picky. Those blemishes - losses to Shoreline, Whatcom and Peninsula aren't too much to be ashamed of, as all are good, solid teams. Clackamas hasn't been strong offensively outside of forward Tayler Ficek, but their defense is as good as or better than any defense in the league. They will rematch with Shoreline in the second round, which is a chance for Shoreline to silence the doubters, and a chance at redemption for Clackamas. Keep an eye on this one: last year's quarterfinal match at Clackamas ended with an inswinging header in double overtime with less than a minute left before penalty kicks. 

                                                                                                                        

5. Everett (9-4-3) (9-2-2 North)

No. 4 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 7, No. 8 Coaches

Ever since drawing with Whatcom on Oct. 17, Everett has won five in a row, including games against No. 8 Shoreline and a rematch against No. 6 Whatcom to end the season. It took nearly all of those five consecutive victories to take the region title, for which Everett beat out region rival Whatcom 35-28. In that last match, Everett finally took the lead in the North in goals scored with 40, but they lag far behind the leaders offensively, coming in fifth among playoff teams in total goals. Defensively, however, they've let in just 10 scores all season, good for third in the league. Their offensive leader is Riley Henderson, who paces the Trojans with 12 goals on the season.

                                                                                                                         

6. Shoreline

No. 8 Coaches

Previously ranked: NR, NR Coaches

The second half of the season, few teams had made a turnaround like Highline. They caught fire at the right time, and charged back to take the 2nd seed in the West... before promptly losing to Shoreline. The Dolphins, by contrast, started out well, but fell into trouble mid-season. However, the finish is what matters. Shoreline went undefeated in their final four games of the season, carried their momentum with them to the playoffs, and were the only women's team to win on the road in the first round. That kind of play speaks volumes about the heart and resiliency of a team. Among teams in the 2nd round, SHCC is last in shutouts, last in goals allowed and seventh in goals scored, but they have something that none of the other teams do: a playoff win on the road. That said, their next opponent is Clackamas, a team that has only let in one goal in the last six matches.

                                                                                                                         

7. Whatcom (10-1-4) (8-1-4 North)

No. 6 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 5, No. 6 Coaches

In comparison to some of their Northern Region compatriots, Whatcom stumbled into the playoffs. Still in the hunt for the region title, the Orcas lost their final two matches to Edmonds and Everett, and were forced to settle for second place by a decently wide margin. Whatcom was also held scoreless in those two matches, which caused them to lose their grip on the region scoring lead, and while they scored three in their first round victory, it was against a very beat down Bellevue team that had squandered away it's 2nd seed in the last half of the season. They now travel to face Spokane, a team that went undefeated in their last 10 games, with nine wins and one draw. Spokane's powerful attack and stifling defense will be an extremely difficult challenge. 

                                                                                                                         

8. Lane

NR Coaches

Previously ranked: NR, No. 8 Coaches

The Lane Titans started out strong, falling just once in their first nine games, with six of the first five matches against teams who made it to the playoffs. Lane defeated Everett, Whatcom and drew with Spokane and Highline. Through the month of September, Lane allowed just four goals - one of the best in the league up until that point. That's when things went horribly wrong. The Titans finished the season winning just two of their final 10 games, with both victories coming over lowly SW Oregon. Lane did win their first round match up, but it was against Treasure Valley, a team that finished dead last among playoff teams in goals allowed with 62. Now they have to travel to Port Angeles to face Peninsula, who now has well over 100 goals and has only lost once.

                                                                                                                         

Teams added: Highline

Teams dropped: Shoreline

One last shoutout: Props to Jeff for his support and sports banter regarding Highline. It is fans like you, Jeff, that make what I do that much more enjoyable. For all the other fans, don't feel bashful about following Jeff's example! I love to hear your opinions, and I'll always answer back. 

Nationally ranked Lady Pirates make No. 1 again

These rankings are the opinion of just one man, and do not reflect the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges or any of their sponsors. If you have a question or comment on this or any story for John Howard, send him an email , contact him via twitter , or leave a comment below. 

NWAACC Women's Soccer

With just a few games remaining in the NWAACC regular season, two teams have come out and dominated their regions. Peninsula and Clackamas, both nationally ranked at 11 and 16 respectively, have easily taken the region title in the West and South. The East and West, however, aren't quite finished yet. Two fantastic races for first place are in effect, with Spokane and Walla Walla separated by just two points and Whatcom and Everett apart by only one. Also, in all four regions, there is still one open playoff spot, meaning that some teams won't know if they'll be attending the post season until all the games are finished. As these rankings and insight are only released every other week, be sure to look for The Week Ahead (view: last week, Nov. 7), a weekly preview of matches with a few tasty tidbits mixed in. Here are a few quick and easy factoids to get you caught up:

Soaring team of the week: Everett (3-0-1) 7-1 Goal Advantage, +2 in rankings

Freefall team of the week: Wenatchee Valley (0-4-1) 3-32 Goal Advantage, one forfeit due to injury 

Score of the week: Spokane 13, Wenatchee Valley 0

Bore of the week*: Edmonds 0, Shoreline 0

* One of five scoreless matches, but the only one with two unranked teams

For news and notes on NWAACC soccer throughout the season, follow @JowardHoward on twitter or search #nwaaccsoccer. View the coaches rankings here (when available).

                                                                                                                         

1. Peninsula (18-1-0) (13-1-0 West)

No. 1 Coaches

 Previously ranked: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

Peninsula's four goals in their Oct. 27 match against Tacoma were enough to push them past the elusive 100 goal mark into an exclusive club of some truly impressive teams. In fact, every team since 2007 that has scored 90+ goals has either won the NWAACC title or advanced to the finals. As of Oct. 30th, they sit at 101, and they can move up into second place all-time* in single season goals with just eight more in their final two games of the season. Taking first place is a longshot, as Walla Walla's 2007 mark of 129 goals is a little too much to ask for. Whoever gets Peninsula in the second round better look out. 

                                                                                                                         

2. Spokane (12-1-3) (11-1-2 East)

No. 2 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 2, No. 2 Coaches

Spokane is doing everything they can to dearly hold on to the top seed in the NWAACC East. Still leading Walla Walla by just two points, they dominated Yakima Valley 8-1 and Wenatchee Valley 13-0, and held Walla Walla to a 0-0 draw on Oct. 24th. If the Sasquatch can win out, they'll claim their first Eastern title in more than 10 years, and finish in the top two in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2005-06. Spokane's potent offense is currently 2nd in goals scored with 76, but their next two matches are against teams fighting to make the playoffs: at Columbia Basin, and at home against Treasure Valley to end the season.

                                                                                                                         

3. Clackamas (12-3-0) (11-2-0 South)

No. 5 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 3, No. 3 Coaches

The Cougars have now won five in a row since their loss at home to Whatcom on Oct. 10th. More significant is that  the last four victories have come against the other four teams in their region, and all five of the wins in the current streak have been shutouts. While not the flashiest team on offense (39 goals, 6th NWAACC) they are among the league's best defensively. They're tied for least goals at six with Walla Walla, and tied for most shutouts with Peninsula, and while one could argue that Walla Walla and Peninsula are more impressive because of their record and greater amount of games played, you can't ignore Clackamas' defensive prowess. They have now claimed their third consecutive Southern Region title, and their 7th since the program's inception in 2003. 

                                                                                                                         

4. Walla Walla (11-2-3) (10-1-3 East)

No. 3 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 4, No. 3 Coaches

The entire month of October has been one that clearly sent the message of "we will not be ignored" from the three time defending champion Walla Walla Warriors. They haven't lost all month, going 7-0-1 and picking up a victory over  No. 1 Peninsula and a draw with No. 2 Spokane. They are now fast on the heels of Spokane for the Eastern Region title following a draw with Spokane on Oct. 24. They sit a fair distance behind the Sasquatch in scoring, but in third place nonetheless with 51 goals, and they are tied with Clackamas for least goals allowed. The Warrior's path to the title would require Spokane to lose, but Walla Walla's schedule going out isn't very rough: their opponents have been outscored 39-212 so far this season, and 34 of those goals belong to Yakima Valley. 

                                                                                                                        

5. Everett (9-4-3) (9-2-2 North)

No. 6 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 7, No. 8 Coaches

Another team fighting for the top spot in their region, Everett has surged past Whatcom to sit in first place, but only by one point. They've drawn once already this season, but Everett hasn't tripped up much lately. The month of October has been productive, with Everett going 6-1-1 in that time span, falling only to No. 3 Clackamas on Oct. 13th. Everett is about as on top of it's game as it can be, making for an intriguing way to end the season: should both Whatcom and Everett get the same result their next match, they will face one another in the last game of the season for the region championship. Can you say Game of the Week? No, really. Say it. 

                                                                                                                         

6. Whatcom (10-1-4) (8-1-4 North)

No. 6 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 5, No. 6 Coaches

Somehow, Whatcom mysteriously leads the North in both goals scored (36) and least goals allowed (7). They're tied for most shutouts with nine. It's a mystery because Whatcom doesn't lead the North in points, something that is most likely the product of how the Orcas handled the middle of October. They were ranked second coming in to the game against Edmonds on Oct. 10th, having just knocked off a very good Clackamas team on the road. The luck, however, didn't continue, and Whatcom ended the game with a pair of goose eggs. The next outing produced another pair, and then another, as Whatcom played to three consecutive scoreless draws to lose their footing in the race for the top spot in the North. That said, there's a chance at redemption: that game at home on November 3rd against No. 5 Everett is for aaaallll the marbles.

                                                                                                                         

7. Highline (8-5-5) (6-4-4 West)

No. 8 Coaches

Previously ranked: NR, NR Coaches

Highline definitely hasn't been perfect of late, but they've done what good teams try for at the end of the season: make the most of every opportunity, and fight tooth and nail until the whistle blows. Late in the season, a door opened with the implosion of Bellevue, and Highline stepped through it. Wins against Yakima Valley and Olympic and a draw with the aforementioned Bellevue, and Highline now finds themselves in 3rd place in the West, just a few weeks removed from wondering if they'd make the playoffs or not. They have a solid lead on 4th place Tacoma, and can ice their berth with just one more win or a loss from the Titans. 

                                                                                                                         

8. Bellevue (9-5-3) (7-4-3 West)

NR Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 6, No. 6 Coaches

Somewhere in the middle of October, something went horribly wrong for the Bellevue Bulldogs. They've only scored two goals since Oct. 10th when they defeated Lower Columbia 4-1, and the only win that they've had since then was the result of a forfeit. All together, they've gone 1-3-2 in the last few weeks, and have Highline breathing down their necks for the 2nd spot in the West. They have Olympic on Oct. 31st, but they finish the season with a real challenge: on the road at Peninsula. Leading by just two points, they will have to win out to ensure the 2nd seed. 

                                                                                                                         

Teams added: Highline

Teams dropped: Shoreline

NWAACC Soccer Week 9 Preview

By John William Howard, NWAACC.org

These previews are the opinion of just one man, and do not reflect the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges or any of their sponsors. If you have a question or comment on this or any story for John Howard, send him an email, contact him via twitter , or leave a comment below. 

NWAACC Men:
Current Rankings

Both Walla Walla and Clark can wrap up a region title with one more win, as they lead their regions by seven and five points respectively. Then begins the debate: do you rest your players to get back to full strength and stave off injury, or do you keep your regular rotation on the field to keep up momentum going into the post season? Keeping in mind that region champions get a first round bi with the current playoff format, how would you as coach handle that situation? Answer on twitter or below in the comments!

Men's Matches of the Week:

Oct. 24th - No. 5 Edmonds at Everett

This match up is critical for both teams, and the stakes are high, while different, for each squad. Edmonds, who leads the NWAACC North by four points over Everett, looks to further pull away in the race for the division title and cement their claim to the crown. For Everett, things could go either way. They lead Whatcom by just one point, and if they lose or draw and Whatcom wins on Wednesday, Everett could find themselves in third place. However, a win for Everett would make them a legitimate title contender as well as  clinch a berth in post season play with just two games remaining.

Final result: Edmonds 2, Everett 0.

Oct. 24th - No. 7 Spokane at No. 3 Walla Walla

For the last few weeks, Spokane seemed as though they suddenly woke up. They were on fire, winning four matches in a row and allowing only two goals. Then they ran in to No. 6 Treasure Valley and allowed two scores in that match alone, which ended in a draw. The Sasquatch will look to get back on track, as well as move out of a tie for third place with the aforementioned Treasure Valley Chuckars. An interesting note about the East: should TVCC and Spokane both win on Wednesday, there will be a three way tie for second place in the division. Spokane will place both Columbia Basin (2nd) and Treasure Valley once more before the season concludes.

Final result: 4-0 victory for Walla Walla. Read the full game recap.

*          *          *

NWAACC Women:
Current Rankings

By the end of the day on October 24th, the North could either be shaken out or even more of a mess. Four teams are within five points, and all four teams are playing one another on the same day. No. 7 Everett (1st) and Edmonds (3rd) face off, and No. 5 Whatcom and No. 8 Shoreline will play. If Everett and Whatcom win, there will be a clear 1-2 race and a clear 3-4 race. However, if things go the other way, all four teams will be within three points leading into the final week of the season. Hold your breath.

Women's Matches of the Week:


Oct. 24th - No. 2 Spokane at No. 4 Walla Walla

Two teams ranked in the top four. Two teams already qualified for the post season. Two teams separated by just one point, and two teams fighting tooth and nail for the Eastern Region championship. That sets up one heck of a game in Walla Walla. It sets up Spokane's (ironically) high powered offense against Walla Walla's stingy defense. Spokane has scored at least four goals in their last six contests, while Walla Walla's nine shutouts is tied for best in the league. The last time these two teams faced one another the game ended in a 1-1 draw, something that might not be quite as likely to happen this time around.

Final result: 0-0 draw. Read the full game recap.



Oct. 27th - Highline at No. 6 Bellevue

After suffering through a rocky early mid-season patch, Highline has come back with a vengeance  looking to unseat Bellevue from their 2nd place position in the NWAACC West. Bellevue hasn't done much to hold their own, losing their last three games to No. 2 Spokane, No. 1 Peninsula and unranked Olympic, and now find themselves leading Highline by just one point in the Western Region standings. A win definitely wouldn't guarantee Bellevue the spot, but it would give them some ground, as they have No. 1 Peninsula looming ominously to end the season while Highline plays a relatively soft schedule.


The next set of JOWARD Power Rankings will be out on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 17. Look for them on twitter or facebook.

Peninsula women slip, but remain No. 1

These rankings are the opinion of just one man, and do not reflect the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges or any of their sponsors. If you have a question or comment on this or any story for John Howard, send him an email , contact him via twitter , or leave a comment below. 

NWAACC Women's Soccer

As covered in last week's The Week Ahead (view this week), this period saw the fall of the mighty Peninsula women who have looked so dominant all year long. They still top the rankings, but the loss showed that they are human, they are vulnerable, and that they can bounce back from adversity. Just ask Wenatchee Valley. Only two regions really have any question left as to who will take the title. Clackamas is all but crowned in the South, and Peninsula has run away and hid in the West, leaving an exciting race between Spokane and Walla Walla for honors in the East, and a four-way in the North with no solid front runner. 

Soaring team of the week: Walla Walla (5-0-0) 22-0 Goal Advantage, +4 in rankings

Freefall team of the week: Lane (0-4-0) 0-7 Goal Advantage, dropped from rankings

Score of the week: Peninsula 15, Wenatchee Valley 1

Bore of the week: Whatcom 0, Edmonds 0
Bore of the week II, the bad sequel: Whatcom 0, Everett 0

For news and notes on NWAACC soccer throughout the season, follow @JowardHoward on twitter or search #nwaaccsoccer. View the coaches rankings here.

                                                                                                                         

1. Peninsula (15-1-0) (10-1-0 West)
No. 1 Coaches

 Previously ranked: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

Following Peninsula's one and only loss on October 6th to No. 8 Walla Walla, some questions surfaced: how would the Pirates bounce back from the match? Would one loss turn into several? The answer is a most emphatic no. Peninsula jumped on Olympic for a measly 5-0 shutout to regain traction, and then took Wenatchee Valley behind the woodshed for not ten, not eleven, not twelve (I sound like LeBraun) but 15-count-em fifteen goals to none. It's safe to say that Peninsula is back on their game. Feast on this coincidence: 90 goals scored, 9 goals allowed, 9 shutouts. and boom goes the dynamite.

                                                                                                                         

2. Spokane (10-1-2) (9-1-1 East)
No. 2 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 4, No. 8 Coaches

Spokane was highlighted in October 10th issue of The Week Ahead, pointing them out as a team to watch for a smash into the top two with a good performance against Bellevue. The Sasquatch lived up to the prediction, and here they are with a 4-1 victory over No. 5 Bellevue in hand, they're atop the Eastern Region standings, and they haven't lost since September. However, they have their work cut out for them to stay ahead of a streaking Walla Walla team that finally put the first blemish on the seemingly unbeatable Peninsula Pirates. 

                                                                                                                         

3. Clackamas (9-3-0) (8-2-0 South)
No. 5 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 3, No. 3 Coaches

In the last two weeks, Clackamas has allowed only two goals in four matches. Unfortunately for the Cougars, those two goals came in a tough loss to then No. 2 Whatcom, tying their opponent high in goals allowed for the season. All things considered that's not too much to complain about. They're fresh off of a 3-0 shutout (story) over a quicky fading Lane team that, with another loss or a win by Clackamas, has almost no chance of catching the Cougars for first place in the South. Tayler Ficek still maintains a stubborn lead on the rest of the NWAACC with 15 goals scored, which is over half of the goals scored by the entire Clackamas offense.

                                                                                                                         

4. Walla Walla (9-2-2) (8-1-2 East)
No. 3 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 8, No. 4 Coaches

Welcome back, Walla Walla. The few messy weeks are past, and the Warriors have come to town with a mission. They've become the first team to take down No. 1 Peninsula, they're now just two points behind No. 2 Spokane for the lead in the East, and they have to this point allowed fewer goals than any other team in the league. Their last five matches have been impressive shutouts. 1-0 over Columbia Basin and Peninsula, 8-0 over Yakima Valley, 2-0 over Tacoma, and 10-0 over Wenatchee Valley. Lookout, world. 

                                                                                                                        

5. Whatcom (8-1-3) (6-1-3 North)
No. 6 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 2, No. 6 Coaches

Whatcom's stock was riding high following their 2-0 defeat of Clackamas on October 5th. Not only did they shut down one of the league's best scorers, but they also put up a season opponent high on an extremely stingy defense that is tied for second best in the league with 6 scores allowed. However, Whatcom turned around and laid a pair of eggs - failing to score in two matches in a row, ending in a pair of nil-nil draws with No. 7 Everett and unranked Edmonds. And with the draw with Everett, the Orca's are looking over their shoulders at Everett, who sits at just one point behind them for the Northern Region lead.

                                                                                                                         

6. Bellevue (8-4-1) (6-3-1 West)
No. 6 Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 5, No. 7 Coaches

Bellevue hasn't had the easiest of schedules the past two weeks. They drew with Highline, missing out on an important chance to widen the gap between second and third. They shut out Columbia Basin and Lower Columbia, but then had to play No. 2 Spokane and No. 1 Peninsula back to back. While they dropped both games, Bellevue didn't do too badly against the Pirates, holding Peninsula to just two points in a 2-0 loss. The Bulldogs will get another shot at Highline to give themselves security late in the season, which is something that they might need. They close the 2012 campaign on the road at Peninsula.

                                                                                                                         

7. Everett (6-2-2) (3-1-1 North)
No. 8 Coaches

Previously ranked: NR, No. 8 Coaches

Before falling to Clackamas by a score of 2-0 on October 13th, Everett hadn't lost since early September. A few days later, they had a scoreless draw with Whatcom, but their early season scoring issues seem to be a thing of the past for the most part. 6 scores on Green River and 10 on SW Oregon can do a lot for a team's offensive numbers, and they've also emerged as one of the better defensive teams in the league, tied for fourth in total goals allowed and shutouts. However, Everett definitely can't get comfortable where they're at. One point separates them from first place Whatcom, two points from Shoreline in third, and four points from fourth place Edmonds. Everett could find themselves in a completely different spot with a run one way or the other.

                                                                                                                         

8. Shoreline (6-3-3) (5-1-3 North)
NR Coaches

Previously ranked: No. 7, NR Coaches

Shoreline had slowly been on the decline, sputtering and slipping on their way out of the rankings until they faced Chemeketa on October 6th. Their 5-0 victory tied the best all season, and they followed it up with an even more impressive 3-0 shutout of Lane. That game more or less served as the knockout punch for Lane's place in the rankings, and stood as the worst Lane had suffered up until that point. Shortly afterwards, though, Shoreline missed out on an important opportunity to grab three points from Skagit Valley and tie Everett for second in the North. They now sit two points behind EVCC and two ahead of Edmonds, making for an exciting final few weeks before the playoffs.

                                                                                                                         

Teams added: Everett

Teams dropped: Lane

NWAACC Soccer Week 7 Preview

By John William Howard, NWAACC.org

These previews are the opinion of just one man, and do not reflect the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges or any of their sponsors. If you have a question or comment on this or any story for John Howard, send him an email, contact him via twitter , or leave a comment below. 

NWAACC Men:
Current Rankings

Before getting their second draw of the year with Walla Walla University (non-league), Chemeketa had just finished off a successful week, outscoring their two opponents by a combined score of 14-1. This week, they visit 0-11-1 S. Puget Sound, which looks to be another blowout. After a lackluster kickoff to their season, the 2011 champions have come roaring back, and with a top eight match up in teams above them, Chemeketa could jump one or more spots in next week's rankings.

Men's Matches of the Week:

Oct. 10th - No. 6 Tacoma at No. 4 Highline

This pivotal match pits the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from the NWAACC west against one another, with just one game in the win column separating the two. A win from Tacoma would tie up the two teams at 12 points each, and because it doesn't look like either team will be able to catch Peninsula in playoff position (6-0-0, 18 points West), the difference between a six point lead and a tie in the standings is a huge difference. For Tacoma, they face No. 3 Walla Walla next week, adding to the pressure for this game. Should they win, second place in the West is within their grasp. If they drop the game against Highline, that No. 2 spot begins to slip away.

Oct. 10th - No. 8 Edmonds at Whatcom

In another important match as far as playoff position is concerned, whichever team wins this game will take the lead in points in the NWAACC North. For now, Edmonds holds a slight edge with 16 points, while Whatcom is in a close second with 15, but Everett is close on their heels with 13 points. That means that should Edmonds fall this afternoon, they could possibly find themselves in a tie for second place facing a tough game against No. 2 Clark on Oct. 13th. Whatcom's schedule flattens out somewhat, as they won't face another top ranked team until they visit Edmonds on Halloween, making today's match extremely important for Edmonds to maintain a lead in the region.

*          *          *

NWAACC Women:
Current Rankings

Ever since last week's rankings where Spokane was criticized for their lack of consistency in scoring, the Sasquatch have been on an offensive tear. They outscored Wenatchee Valley 13-0, and then Olympic College 5-0 a few days later. If Spokane can keep up that kind of performance against No. 5 Bellevue, they make make an appearance in the top two next week.

Women's Matches of the Week:


Oct. 10th - Olympic at No. 1 Peninsula

Last week, the mighty Peninsula Pirates finally tasted defeat, and not just defeat, but a frustrating 1-0 loss to Walla Walla in their first shutout of the year. And for a team that has been scoring an average of over 5 goals a match, a shutout is the next thing to the sky falling. Now, Peninsula gets their first chance at redemption, taking the field for the first time since their first loss. They could go two different ways from  this point. Either they use the loss to the Warriors as a stepping stone and get back to creaming people, or they could get caught up in the loss and let it turn in to two or three. This first game against Olympic (1-4-3 West) won't be a huge test, but it will be good to see what Peninsula does following a loss.


Oct. 13th - No. 3 Clackamas at Everett

Like Peninsula, Clackamas is also coming off a loss, this time to No. 2 Whatcom. While Whatcom was ranked slightly ahead of Clackamas, the Cougars were badly outplayed in their 3-0 home loss to the Orcas on Oct. 5th, letting in an easy goal in the 6th minute and not exerting the same pressure that they had during other games this season. Clackamas plays only one game this week, meaning that if they don't bounce back and take care of Everett, they could lose their spot at the top of the South to Lane, who plays twice. The road game against Everett shouldn't be overlooked, either. While Everett didn't make last week's rankings, they did get enough points from the coaches to garner a No. 8 ranking in the polls and they sit just three points behind No. 2 Whatcom for the lead in the North.



The next set of JOWARD Power Rankings will be out on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 17. Look for them on twitter or facebook.