Women’s soccer season ends in overtime

For the first time since 2008, the lady Penguins reached the November NWAACC Soccer Championships tournament.

Clark ended the regular season squeezing into third place in the South Division standings, beating out the Chemeketa Storm for the spot. The Penguins finished with a 6-8-0 conference record and an overall record of 7-13-0.

Chemeketa traveled to Clark and defeated the Penguins 3-2 Nov. 2, placing both teams at 5-8-0 at the time. The final game of the season for both teams occurred Nov. 5, with the Storm losing to division-champion Clackamas and Clark defeating last-place Southwestern Oregon.

Clark's first opponent in the tournament was the 10-4-2 Highline Thunderbirds, a team that placed second in the West Division. Clark advanced to the next round with a 1-0 victory over the Thunderbirds at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.

In the quarterfinals, the Penguins were matched against the defending NWAACC champions. The Walla Walla Warriors, who finished the regular season with a conference standing of 15-0-0 and season record of 22-0-1, had defeated the lady Penguins 7-0 Sept. 24 in Walla Walla.

The Penguins returned to Walla Walla for the second round of the tournament, feeling a sense of déjà vu with a 6-0 loss that eliminated them from the 2011 championship tournament.

The Warriors continued on with a 3-1 semifinals win over North Division-champion Everett Nov. 19 and a 1-0 finals victory over West Division-champion Peninsula the next day to claim their second straight NWAACC title. Both games were played in Tukwila.

Clark head coach Stan Rodrigues, hired late in the 2010 season, is already optimistic about a Penguin return to the tournament in 2012.

"There's lots of changes here, since it's a two-year college," Rodrigues said. "But we have a good core of freshman talent returning."

Freshman defender Kaelyn Manguchei noted the playoff victory against Highline as her most memorable moment of the season.

"I had a great experience this year and believe with the majority of this year's team and a few new members, we would go even farther," she said. "Anyone looking for a great team to play for would benefit by joining the Penguin soccer world."

Rodrigues agreed and said the recruitment process for next year has already begun. He added that anyone who is interested in joining the squad next year can contact him via Clark's athletic website, or by e-mail.

Sophomore Kelsey Frasier agreed that the most memorable moment of the season was the playoff victory. With the Clark squad now in her past, she is unsure as to where to go next. Frasier is currently looking at attending either Western Oregon University or Humboldt State University.

"I love being on a team with a bunch of girls to accomplish a lot of great things together," she said.

Her love for camaraderie shone through during the NWAACC All-Star Game, in which Frasier was the only Clark respresentative and played for the South-East team.

"It was a lot of fun playing with a lot of girls that you previously wanted to beat," she said. "It was great getting to know some of the best players from the league."

Rodrigues commended Frasier and the rest of the sophomores, who he believes started a trend for the women's soccer team at Clark.

"I thank them from the bottom of my heart," Rodrigues said. "All five of the sophomores started a great legacy for the future."