by Mariah Morgan
Horizon Reporter
After earning second in the Northwest Athletic Association Community of Colleges conference, Whatcom Community College’s men’s soccer team competed in the playoffs against Columbia Basin on a crisp sunny day Wednesday, Nov. 9, a match that brought them one step closer to the quarterfinals. This was an accomplishment to be proud about.
As the whistle blew, the audience was on the edge of their seats as the ball traveled back and forth from one end of the field to the other. During the last half of the game, forward Andrew Mihovilovich, number 9, scored a goal, ending the game 1-0.
“It was a great first year experience,” said head coach Joel Grossman. “I was really proud of the team.”
During the quarterfinals against Chemeketa Community College in Oregon, on Saturday, Nov. 12, the game went well up until the opposing team scored their second goal, said Grossman. Whatcom was defending hard, but in the last 20 minutes Chemeketa scored, ending the game 3-1, and ending the season for the Orcas.
“They believed they could beat any team,” said Grossman. “It’s not like they regretted anything about that game.”
The team started out with a few injuries, said Grossman, but work ethic and perseverance turned the season around. They evolved and fully believed to be the top team, he said. “It’s because they are.”
As each week passed, the team was able to grind out games, score late and work hard in practice, he said.
The most exciting game was against Shoreline, said Grossman. Within the last couple minutes, midfielder Mitch Stevenson, number 2, scored a goal that went off the post after a great combination of passes, he said.
“We really had to improve to get where we were,” said Grossman. “And we did just that.”
SIDE BAR:
Women’s soccer: Seven wins, five losses, and six ties. They scored a total of 33 goals, with Tia Brogna scoring eight and Mackenzie Garrett scoring five with seven assists. Their defense team allowed only 1.27 goals per game, said coach Claire Morgan via email, “which was really great for having first-year goal keepers in Allie Holterman and Bree Park.”
Women’s Volleyball: Six wins and four losses with a total of nine players. The team qualified to play in the NWAACC tournament; they are one out of three or four teams in the region that made it, which took place Thursday Nov. 17 through Sunday Nov. 20. Kayla McDonnell, Kaitie Brush, Nina Holbrooks and Emily Jovanovich earned the All Star award; they compete at the end of the NWAACC tournament. Emily Jovanovich and Kaitie Brush are on the Northern Region 1st, and Nina Holbrooks is on the Northern Region 2nd.
GREAT JOB ORCAS!