Soccer teams fare OK in Thursday's scrimmages in Denver

The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's soccer teams played in the shadows of the Colorado Rapids' Dick Sporting Goods stadium Thursday evening and fared OK against Denver Elite soccer teams.

The women played one 30-minute period against three different Elite teams from around Denver and tied 1-1. WNCC's lone goal came in the first match-up as Bre Perkes, who set a school record last season with 26 goals, took a pass from freshman Tamika Smith of Greeley, Colo. for the score.

The women's team then tied the second team they played 0-0, before falling 1-0 in the third contest in the higher altitude.

The men's team also tied in their scrimmage 2-2 against the Colorado Elite Team, who just won a state title the weekend before. Most of the players on the Chiva's team range in age from 25 t0 35 with a vast knowledge of the game.

WNCC's two goals came in the second period as sophomores Eloy Matos and Stephen Estrada, both from Puerto Rico and on their countries national team who will play Cuba early next month for a spot in the Beijing Olympics, each finished with a goal.

Both teams will open the season next weekend, Aug. 25 in Great Bend, Kan. The women will open against Barton County Community College, while the men will open against pre-season ranked No. 3 San Jacinto College-South.

Clark, Harned excited to return to Cougar Palace for alumni scrimmage

B.J. Clark and Dayna Harned were teammates for the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team and come Saturday night, the two once Cougars will team up again for the alumni volleyball scrimmage at 7 p.m.

For the two, it will be a time to get re-acquainted with former players. It will also be a time to play against the current Cougar team to see just how good this year’s volleyball team will be.

“It is definitely a different feeling being on the other side of the court,” Clark said. “But it is fun to see all the new talent.”

Harned agreed. “I think it is exciting to see what the new team will be like and how good they will be,” she said. “I love that I get asked to come back and play, but the best part is that I get to see some old friends that I don’t get to see normally.”

Clark and Harned, who played for the Cougars in the 2002-03 season while winning 100 matches in two seasons and two regional titles, said playing against “the younger girls” is not so much trying to win, it is just playing volleyball again in Scottsbluff.

“Well as for the alumni team, I don’t really think it is about winning as much as it is about just getting out there and having a good time,” Clark said. “It is always fun to see my old teammates. As for other teams (opponents) this coming season, they are going to need luck (to defeat this year’s team).”

Harned said it will take plenty of skill to top this year’s Cougar team on Saturday.

“Considering that most of us don’t play a lot it, it will take a lot of heart,” she said. “We will have to pull out some of the skills that we have put away for some time.”

Other former players expected to show up Saturday for the scrimmage include Molly Tabke (2004-05), Bethany Dillman (2004-05), Leslie Reeh (2003-04), Brittany Isakson (2003-04), Missy Marsh (2002-03), Renee Ellis (2002-03), Jamie Meisner (2005) and Jennifer Pedersen (1994).

Clark is looking forward to see her old teammates once again.

“Coming back to WNCC means a lot to me,” she said. “For me, at least this was the place that I really got to play competitive ball and got the chance to really shine.”

Clark finished her career with 304 kills, 938 digs (11^th all-time), and 643 points (13^th all-time). After her two years at WNCC, Clark went on to play two years at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. She graduated this past May from the University of Wyoming, and is now working at Biolife Plasma Services. She is hoping to go back to get her master’s degree in counseling.

Harned, who will graduate in December, has found memories have playing volleyball for the Cougars and coach Green.

“I loved playing at WNCC. It was so much fun playing here,” Harned, the 5-5 libero from Brush, Colo., said. “I never played for a team that won a title or even made it anywhere like nationals, so it was a great experience for me and I would not of changed anything.”

Both agreed that their 2002-03 teams could have competed with last year’s national runner-up team. As far as winning, it is hard to judge.

“I think that we would definitely put up a really good fight,” Clark said. “I think all the previous teams for WNCC had something special about them that made them pretty unbeatable.”

Harned added, “I believe that our team could beat them back in the day. We had a lot of heart and depth to our team both years i was there.”

The one thing that Clark wishes that was different from when she attended WNCC was that it was a four-year institution.

“If there was one thing that I could change is that WNCC would have been a four year college,” she said. “I would have loved to spend my full four years of college getting my education from there and playing for coach Green.”

Deloney ready to help Cougar basketball to the top

J.D. Deloney has always had a knack for coaching. All of the teams he has coached have been successful.

Deloney is hoping to continue his streak of success at Western Nebraska Community College in the coming years as he joins first-year Cougar coach Brian Joyce’s coaching staff as an assistant coach. When Deloney isn’t coaching, he will be the residence life director of Pioneer Hall.

“I am very excited to be here. Western Nebraska has a history of success and they are the team everybody else is thriving to be,” Deloney said. “Having coach Joyce come in with the success he has had at Northeastern Junior College, we will have an opportunity to do some great things. I am very excited to see what we can come up with this season and the future.

“Like I said, the school has a history of success and coach Joyce has a history of success so putting those two things together, I am expecting a couple regional championships and national championships.”

Deloney does have a knack for bringing out the best in his players. While at Patrick Henry High School in Minnesota, Deloney took over a girl’s basketball program that won six games in four years and made them into winners. Before that head coaching position, Deloney served as the assistant coach at Patrick Henry from 1997-2003.

“(The girl’s head coaching position) was like a match in the waiting. I was on the boys staff where we won four straight state championships and I was looking for another challenge,” he said. “In the offseason I worked the girls out, and when the coach left, the administration asked me if I wanted to take over the girls program. I decided to give them the opportunity to play hard and have a chance to win.

“I took the job and the first year we finished .500, like 14-14 which is amazing because it was the same kids (from the previous year). We had all the same starters and subs and they won 14 games. It was amazing with the change of attitude and work ethic. They had an opportunity to see what it feels like to win and work hard. That is how I got into girl’s coaching and it helped me out because it gave me some experience running a program, which is totally different from being an assistant coach. It is kind of a match made in heaven so to speak.”

Deloney coached the girls team from 2003-2006 before taking over the boys head coaching job last year.

“I am competitive so we increased our schedule and competition. That is the only way to get better is to play competition,” he said. “We played seven of the top 10 teams in the state. We had a very difficult schedule and we were competitive in most of those games.”

Basketball, though, runs deep in Deloney’s family. He is a coaches’ son. Deloney also played two years at Bethel University.

“My Pop kept me surrounded around basketball. When he came home we talked about strategies and he started grooming me to be a coach without me knowing,” he said. “Then, playing is what inspired me to coach. Even as the point guard in college, I was always a coach on the floor.

“Coaching has always been a passion of mine including the impact that you could make on young men’s lives. The extended relationships you build with players is more important than coaching. Once you get done coaching them, you still are not done with them. I still have kids from 10 years ago that call me for advice or to just check up on things. It is the relationship that you build.”

Deloney is now hoping to grow even more as a coach under Joyce at WNCC. He is expecting great things and excited to get started.

“I saw a new opportunity at Western Nebraska and Joyce was looking for a quality assistant coach. He is very familiar with our program and what kind of kids we have. It was a natural fit,” he said. “That is why I am here. Brian Joyce is a great coach and I believe I can get a lot of information from him. I think this is a stepping stone to eventually where I hope to end up. My goal is to possibly be a head coach at a Division II school or an assistant coach at the D-1 level. I am definitely aspiring to get to the highest level I can.”

WNCC soccer teams ready for first pre-season test when they face CSU-Pueblo Saturday in Scrimmage

The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's soccer teams went through a mini inter-squad scrimmage Thursday evening as both teams prepare for Saturday's scrimmage against Colorado State University-Pueblo on the road. The scrimmage starts at 9:30 a.m. in Pueblo, Colo.

Both teams looked promising in the scrimmage with some nice plays and shots. The women's team, though, was playing without some of their players, who were nursing injuries, including Bre Perkes, a sophomore captain, and freshman Tamika Smith. Both are recovering from ACL injuries but are expected to be ready for the season opener.

Saturday's scrimmage will give the team an idea of what they need to work on in the next two weeks before they start the season for real Aug. 25-27 in Kansas. The team's first matches are Saturday with the women facing Barton County Community College and the men taking on San Jacinto College.

The men's team currently has 21 players on the squad include several local players including Gering's Chris Thompson; Scottsbluff's Geoff Critzer, Shayne Tower, Tanner Herian; and Alliance's Tim Iodence and Morgan Wall.

The women's team features 17 team members, including Gering's Nancy Boyack. The squad returns six players from last season.

In goal for the women's team this year will be freshman Terri Huntington of Bluffdale, Utah; while Cesar Bazana of Brazil. Bazana is the younger brother of former Cougar volleyball player Marina Bazana, who played for the Cougars in the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

The squad's first home matches at the Lander's Soccer Complex will be Sept. 1 against Colorado Mountain College for the men, and Sept. 8 against Barton County Community College for the women.

Following are photos from Thursday's mini-scrimmage in preparation for Saturday's contest.

WNCC athletic season tickets on sale now

The 2007-2008 athletic season at Western Nebraska Community College tips off Aug. 24-25 when the Cougar volleyball team hosts the South Sub-region tournament, and season tickets for the upcoming seasons are now available.

There are several season ticket levels available to purchase.

Volleyball season tickets are $55 for an adult and $29 for children, while basketball season tickets for men’s and women’s games are $75 for an adult and $40 for a child. A senior-citizen pass for basketball and volleyball games is just $35.

Family passes are also available for basketball and volleyball. Family passes cost $275, a 48 percent saving over regular admission prices, and include admission for two adults and two children.

All-sport passes are also available. These entitle the cardholder to admission into all home games of the seven Cougar sports – baseball, men’s and women basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and volleyball, excluding regional tournaments. Prices include $155 for an adult, $80 for children, $50 for senior citizens and $400 for a family pass.

For outdoor sports passes, which include baseball, softball and soccer, contact the athletic office for details.

Season tickets can be ordered at the athletic office on the WNCC campus in Scottsbluff, or by calling (308) 635-6151. For more information, e-mail athletic director Jennifer Pedersen at pedersen@wncc.net

WNCC volleyball team opens practice in defense of their Region IX title

Fundamentals were the rule of the day for the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team as begin defense of their Region IX championship last fall. And, for the Cougar volleyball team who have won eight straight Region IX titles and finished runner-up at last year’s national tournament, Monday’s fundamental sessions were just routine. In fact, this year’s team is more like reloading then rebuilding, as 12 players, including six sophomores, took to the court for the first time this morning at 6 a.m. to begin practicing for the upcoming season.

“The first day is all the basic fundamentals, making sure everyone is on the same page with the basic skills,” sophomore Stacie Meisner of Gering, said. “If you don’t have the basics down, there is no need to do the more advanced stuff. We are doing our basics of passing and serving right now.”

The biggest focus in practice during the first day of practice was passing, especially to find someone to replace all-American libero Bianca Rivera, who now is at Creighton University.

“We just did some ball control drills (Monday) and I think losing Bianca will be kind of tough, but we have some people that can step in and take over where she left off,” WNCC nine-year head coach Chris Green said. “Statistically, she was one of our best passers, but I think we have both freshmen and sophomores that can step into her roll and contribute as far as ball control. That first contact is so important in the game of volleyball. I think we have good players that will do a good job in getting the ball to the setter.”

The Cougars opened practice with 12 players -- six from last year’s 56-2 team. Returning players include 5-foot-10 setter Soriana Pacheco, 6-0 rightside hitter Jennifer Eichler, 6-0 middle blocker Shawntell Jones, 5-8 outside hitter/defensive specialist Kendra Schauermann, 5-9 setter Cassie Vrooman, and 5-9 defensive specialist/outside hitter Stacie Meisner.

The freshman class is just as talented, including 6-3 middle hitter Fatima Balza, 5-10 outside hitter Daphine da Silva, 5-6 outside hitter/defensive specialist Nayka Benitez, 5-10 Aida Bauza and 5-9 outside hitter Heather Steggs. Steggs, who started at Alliance High School a couple of years ago, joined the team this weekend after Jazmuhn Carlson of Cheyenne left the team.

Meisner said she is excited for the coming season with all the talent this team possesses. “I think it is looking really good. We are really optimistic about this season and we know we have great potential for this team,” she said. “I have been excited for the season since last season got over. I am ready to go.”

The Cougars will have two weeks of two-a-days before their first competition Aug. 18 with the Alumni Scrimmage. After that they will host the South Sub-region tournament on Aug. 24-25. After that, they will compete in the Salt Lake tourney the next weekend, which they won last season.

For Green, he has the recipe to success down to a tee in preparing teams for the regular season. Green needs just one win to notch career win number 400, and his main focus is priming his team for that first competition. And, it all begins with fundamentals.

“We want everyone on the same page, so we take it pretty slow and make sure everyone is doing those fundamental skills right,” he said. “(Monday afternoon) we will play a little bit and play some doubles, and we will continue with passing.”

Even though the team had a light workout of going over basics, Meisner said practices will start to pick up in intensity.

“So far we haven’t did a whole lot, but I think everyone is excited to get going and working hard to see what we all can do,” she said. “Today was more about just getting out on the court and playing some ball. We didn’t get to do that at all last week, it was all conditioning, so everyone is excited today to play some volleyball.”

WNCC women's soccer team brings new attitude to this season

Last year when the Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team opened pre-season practice they didn’t even have enough players to field a full team. This season is a total different story as the Cougar women opened practices for the coming year with 17 players and a much improved attitude over last year at this time.

“It is a big difference between years,” sophomore Nancy Boyack said. “We can do most of our workouts because we can do more with more players. Practices are going a lot better then it did last year. We are a lot farther a long.”

The Cougar women, along with the men’s team, are enduring three-a-day workouts in preparation for the season opener Aug. 25 in Great Bend, Kan. And, by the intense look of all the women players, they are excited for the season.

“I am ready for the season. I have been waiting for this day ever since I got the news I was going to be on the team,” freshman Tamika Smith of Greeley, Colo., said. “We have a lot of talent, but like with every team, there is room to improve. There are a lot of girls out here that have the heart and talent.”

Thursday’s three-a-day practices started with conditioning at 6 a.m. Then, the team went through some technical drills in the afternoon, which concluded with a one-on-one firing drill on freshman goalkeeper Terri Hunnington, who sparkled in net.

The first day concluded with a technical session with more ball work and drills.

Boyack, who was a three-sport star at Gering High School, this year’s team is laden with talent, making practices intense.

“We have a lot of talent and a lot of girls with great skills,” she said. “Last year we had talent about six or seven players, and then filled in with other players. This year we are surrounded with a lot of talent.”

WNCC returns just six players back, including Boyack, from last year’s team, including the all-time season goal leader Bre Perkes from Plain City, Utah. Last season Perkes had finished with 26 goals in her first season. Also returning for the Cougars are Stacy Agnew of Leicester, England; Paige Achatz of Great Bend, Kan.; Krystin Wingert of South Jordan, Utah; and Amanda Arrant of Hooper, Utah.

Perkes and Smith, though, are currently rehabbing ACL knee injuries. For Smith, it is like four-a-day workouts.

“I am ready to play even though I am currently nursing my ACL,” she said. “I am rehabbing and getting ready to play, but I am not nervous yet. In high school we did two-a-days., so three a days is definitely something new.”

Smith, who was all-conference for Northridge High, said college soccer is different in then high school, especially the running aspect.

“We run a lot more here and we didn’t run as much in high school,” she said. “There is a lot of heart and effort you need to put into it. But, I am ready for the season to start.”

So is Boyack as the team prepares for a scrimmage Aug. 11 against Colorado State University-Pueblo on the road.

“We are really excited for that scrimmage,” she said. “We might be a little bit out of shape, but that game will be good experience for us. I am excited for the season. We have a lot of good players coming in this year and we will do a lot better.”

WNCC men's, women's soccer teams open pre-season practices Wednesday

Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s soccer coach Todd Rasnic got a brief look at this year’s two teams during an abbreviated opening practice Wednesday evening.

Rasnic, so far, likes what he sees.

“The players that we have this year in what I have seen of them, seems that each one has a high work ethic, they really have embraced the team concept,” he said. “We can look forward to having a good year this year. I really think the individual success of the players will come from a group of guys that will work together and be dedicated to the team concept and hard work. I think we have those type of players this year.”

The men’s team has 21 players on the roster this season with several local products, including Geoff Critzer and Shayne Tower of Scottsbluff, Chris Thompson of Gering, Tim Iodence, Morgan Wall and Tanner Herian of Alliance.

The women have 17 on the roster and Rasnic said he has an opening for one more player on his roster of 18. The women only have one local player on the team in returning sophomore Nancy Boyack of Gering, but feature six players from last year’s team.

Rasnic the numbers of players is just right.

“We have a lot of local players and we do encourage the local players to come out and try out for the team,” Rasnic said. “A lot of times in the recruiting process I will find those players. Sometimes kids will surprise you. We have certainly developed a lot of youth in this area that can play the game. We would to keep our kids here and one good way to do that is to bring them on to our local community college, get them educated and allow them to play the game they have been playing all their life.”

Both teams will get into the full practice mode with three-a-days beginning today. The team will have conditioning at 6 a.m., followed by technical training from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then tactical sessions from 4 – 7:15 p.m.

The men made the most of the first practice with a full 1 ½ evcning session, while the women’s practice was cut short because of lightning. Both teams will also have just 10 days of practice before their first scrimmage Aug. 11 against the Colorado State University-Colorado Springs on the road.

“it is a short time., but they should have three weeks of work in after last week’s captain’s training and the players that worked on their own before this week,” he said. “We should have players that are at least ¾ in shape and ready to play. That should be a good test for us to see where we should be this year.”

Men’s Roster
Tanner Herian, 5-11freshman from Alliance; Tim Iodence, 6-4 sophomore from Alliance; Santiago Almeida, 5-8 sophomore from Quito, Ecuador; Diego Camparide, 5-4 sophomore from Quito, Ecuador; Mark Zigray, 6-0 freshman from Windsor, Colo.; Carlos Miranda, 5-9 freshman from Caguas, Puerto Rico; Edwin Enriquez, 5-6 sophomore from Quito, Ecuador; Julio Cajes, 5-9 freshman from Quito, Ecuador; Antonio Herrera-Young, 5-11 freshman from Windsor, Colo.; Lazzaro Torres, 5-6 freshman from Aurora, Colo.; Aaron Oesterle, 6-2 sophomore from Austin, Minn.; Tony Rocha, 5-5 freshman from Denver, Colo.; Nikko Ouzounis, 5-10 freshman from Aurora, Colo.; David Castillo, 5-11 freshman from Aurora, Colo.; Shayne Tower, 5-11 freshman from Scottsbluff; Chris Thompson, 6-2 freshman from Gering; Cesar Bazana, 6-2 freshman from Americana, Brazil; Renato Segalla, 6-2 sophomore from Santo Andre, Brazil; Morgan Wall, 5-10 freshman from Alliance; Geoff Critzer, 5-7 sophomore from Scottsbluff; and Eloy Matos, 5-7 sophomore from Puerto Rico.

Women’s Roster
Jessica Arreguin, 5-3 freshman from Greeley, Colo.; Lara Merkey, 5-1 freshman from Ft. Collins, Colo.; Andrea Ardito, 5-3 freshman from Sao Paulo, Brazil; LeeAnna Paxton, 5-2 freshman from Greeley, Colo.; Alisha Rapkin, 5-3 freshman from Aurora, Colo.; Claudia Gomez, 5-1 freshman from Aurora, Colo.; BreAnne Perkes, 5-4 sophomore from Plain City, Utah; Kyrstin Wingert, 5-1 sophomore from South Jordan, Utah; Paige Achatz, 5-4 sophomore from Great Bend, Kan.; Terri Huntington, 5-8 freshman from Bluffdale, Utah; Nancy Boyack, 5-3 sophomore from Gering; Maria Garcia, 5-1 freshman from Denver, Colo.; Stacey Agnew, 5-7 sophomore from Leicaster, England; Ashley Quintana, 5-5 freshman from Aurora, Colo.; Amanda Arrant, 5-4 sophomore from Hooper, Utah; Tamika Smith, 5-6 freshman from Greeley, Colo.; and Mara Crouch, 5-2 freshman from Hillsdale, Mich.