Tournament title gives Eagles a boost

Eastern Washington University’s women’s soccer team is fresh off an unexpected title run in last weekend’s South Dakota State University Invitational in Brookings, and in the midst of a 12-day layoff prior to its Sept. 26 home match against Idaho.

The Eagles (1-4-2), went into the four-team SDSU Invitational looking for their first win, and got it by knocking off the host team 2-1 on Friday. They came back on Sunday to earn a 1-1 tie against North Dakota State to claim the tournament title.

The championship, according to head coach George Hageage, gave his inexperienced team a much-needed confident boost.

“We only have six returning starters, which means we’re dealing with a lot of new players,” Hageage said of his team’s slow start. “So it’s taken us a little bit longer than we thought to integrate everybody into our system.

“But to put together two weekend games likes we did and come back home with a title should give our players a lot of confidence.”

That makes the timing of the Eagles’ long layoff a bit of a concern.

“On one hand, we’re banged up, so it comes at a great time as far as us getting healthy, again,” Hageage said of the layoff. “But maybe it’s not such a great time as far as riding the momentum of last weekend’s effort and building on the confidence it gave us are concerned.”

Still, Hageage seems to find more positives than negatives in being idle for nearly two weeks.

“We’ve got a lot of players with some injuries that need rest,” he explained. “The time off should definitely help.”

Whits ranked No. 2

Whitworth University’s unbeaten women’s team vaulted to second in this week’s NSCAA/adidas Division III national poll, giving the Pirates their highest ranking since 1996, when they reached No. 2 in the NAIA poll after upsetting top-ranked Simon Fraser.

The Bucs (4-0) trail only No. 1-ranked College of New Jersey and seem to have been rewarded for playing a tough early-season schedule that included three opponents – Chapman, UC Santa Cruz and Cal State East Bay – that are still ranked in the top 10 of the NCAA D-III West Region poll.

Zags add assistants

Gonzaga University has announced the hiring of goalkeeper coaches for both its men’s and women’s teams.

Vito Higgins, who completed an outstanding career in goal last season for the Bulldogs, has been added to the staff of men’s head coach Einar Thorarinsson, while C.J. Cooper, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, has hired on as an aide to women’s head coach Shannon Stiles.

Cougs finally home

Washington State University (2-2-3) will play its first home match of the season when it entertains Seattle University (3-1-2) at 2 this afternoon.

The Cougars played their first seven matches either on the road or at neutral sites, which was their longest stretch without a home game since 2001, when they played eight straight.