Sports
ON THE SLATE
Wednesday, March 16
PREP SOFTBALL
La Grande at Hermiston, 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 17
Eastern Oregon women’s lacrosse team continues to build up program
PREP BASEBALL
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
PREP TRACK & FIELD
A GRANDE —
Building an ath-
letics program
involves much more
than wins and losses.
In the Eastern Oregon
University women’s
lacrosse team’s second
year as an offi cial pro-
gram, things are trending
up as the Mountaineers
continue to build their
identity. While Eastern is
still looking to improve
its record, the Mountain-
eers have made signifi cant
progress under head coach
Monica Plut.
“We’ve defi nitely made
strides. We’ve recruited
some great players and
really have a great foun-
dation of what we’re
building,” Plut said. “That
was the most important
thing for me coming into
this year, building that
foundation for years to
come and making sure it’s
stable.”
The Mountaineers
started off the season
right, achieving a historic
feat. Despite capturing
one exhibition victory last
season, Eastern entered
this season without an
offi cial win. That all
changed in a 8-6 victory
over Whitworth in the
team’s season opener on
Saturday, Feb. 12.
Eastern’s two-point
victory on the road was
achieved in dramatic
fashion, as the Moun-
taineers fought back
after falling behind early
on. Whitworth gained
a 3-1 lead to start off
the match, but Eastern
strung together a resilient
defensive eff ort moving
forward.
The Mountaineers
fought back in the next
two periods to head into
the fourth frame tied at
6-all. Goals from sopho-
more Samantha Buckley
and freshman Claire Bever
put Eastern in the driver’s
seat on the way to the pro-
gram’s fi rst offi cial win.
Buckley was excep-
tional in the win, scoring a
team-high four goals. She
is one of four returners on
this year’s roster looking
to lay the foundation of the
program.
Goalie Brooklyn
Wright, another freshman,
recorded 17 saves in the
PREP BOYS TENNIS
La Grande at Vale, 3 p.m.
Friday, March 18
PREP SOFTBALL
Union/Cove at Toledo
Tournament, TBA
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Cove, Imbler, Union at Diana
Thurmond Invitational 2022,
11 a.m.
Cove at Lewiston Invitational,
noon
Saturday, March 19
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech,
11 a.m.
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech,
2 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon at Southern
Oregon, 2 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Southern
Oregon, 4 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S
LACROSSE
Multnomah at Eastern Oregon,
1 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
La Grande at Philomath, 10 a.m.
La Grande vs. Gladstone,
Philomath High School, noon
Union/Cove at Toledo
Tournament, TBA
Sunday, March 20
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech,
11 a.m.
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech,
2 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon at Southern
Oregon, 11 a.m.
Eastern Oregon at Southern
Oregon, 1 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S
LACROSSE
Whitman at Eastern Oregon,
1 p.m.
Monday, March 21
PREP BASEBALL
La Grande vs. Canby, Surprise,
Arizona, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, March 22
PREP BASEBALL
La Grande vs. Shadow Ridge,
Surprise, Arizona, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23
PREP BASEBALL
La Grande vs. Dakota Ridge,
Surprise, Arizona, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Setting the foundation
La Grande at Hermiston, 4 p.m.
La Grande at Hermiston, 6 p.m.
Powder Valley, La Grande at
Ontario Ice Breaker, 3:30 p.m.
A7
L
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Madisson Hoyt (2) approaches the Bearcat goal during the match between Eastern Oregon University and Willamette
University at Community Stadium, La Grande, on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Claire Bever (14) drives down the fi eld with the ball during the match between Eastern Oregon
University and Willamette University at Community Stadium, La Grande, on Saturday,
Feb. 19, 2022.
team’s fi rst win of the
season. Wright joined
the program after a prep
career at Ankeny High
School in Iowa.
“I was very impressed
with our girls that we
pulled it off ,” Plut said.
“Our goalie played amaz-
ingly in that game. It was
defi nitely an improved
eff ort and it was really
exciting.”
The Mountaineers
have a large freshman
class contributing this
year, with nine of the
13 players participating
in their fi rst collegiate
season. Eastern has leaned
on the likes of Wright
in goal, Kate McAfee in
midfi eld, Sydney Vopat
in midfi eld and Bever in
defense. Buckley, a sopho-
more, has been an anchor
on off ense for Eastern.
Through six games,
Buckley and McAfee lead
the team with nine goals
each.
“All of our freshmen
have so much drive and
athleticism and can play
all over the fi eld, which
defi nitely helps,” Plut said.
“Every class that we’re
bringing in is more and
more talented and more
and more dedicated.”
With a young team
looking to improve every
day, the Mountaineers
measure their success by
meeting goals on a short-
er-term basis.
“For us the last two
years, it’s really been
week-to-week,” Plut said.
“We meet every week
and talk about what our
top four goals are for the
week. Every day at prac-
tice we talk about indi-
vidual and team goals.”
As the Eastern
lacrosse program grows,
so too does the sport in
the Pacifi c Northwest.
Most popular on the East
Coast, lacrosse is still a
foreign sport to many
in Eastern Oregon —
this idea presents a chal-
lenge in recruiting for the
Mountaineers.
“Recruiting can be
tough,” Plut said. “We
live in a small town and
lacrosse is a suburb or city
sport. I push the adventure
side of it. I love living here
because of the mountains,
snowboarding, the views. I
focus a lot on that part and
the team bonding”
Plut is a USA lacrosse
coaching development
trainer, traveling across
the country for conven-
tions and recruiting trips,
taking every opportunity
to spread the word about
the program and EOU.
She also visits local middle
schools and high schools
to teach lacrosse in phys-
ical education classes.
“There’s defi nitely a
push with me to get the
sport growing locally,
that’s what I love to do,”
Plut said.
The Mountaineers
offi cially stand at 1-5 at
the midway point in the
season, following two
scrimmages at the Boise
State Tournament this past
weekend. Eastern is set to
play fi ve more games on
the season, including two
against Multnomah and
one against Corban. EOU,
Multnomah and Corban
are the only three schools
with women’s lacrosse
programs in the Cascade
Collegiate Conference.
While Eastern is still
working toward improving
the team’s win total, the
journey toward success is
a day-by-day process.
“We’ve talked a lot
about what success looks
like this year. Right now,
it’s just to have fun and
enjoy being around each
other while playing our
sport,” Plut said. “We’ve
really been focusing on
making small tweaks
and have fun while
doing it. Everyone plays
better when they’re pas-
sionate about it and
having a blast.”
SPORTS SHORT
Legendary Blazers broadcaster Bill Schonely retires
Schonely has been
with the team since
its beginning in 1970
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Jack Smith/The Associated Press, File
Bill Schonely makes the call at the start of his 2,500th NBA broadcast
in Portland in 1998. Schonely is retiring in April 2022. He has been
a signature voice for the Blazers for over 50 years as a play-by-play
broadcaster. He’s known for coining popular catchphrases like the
Portland nickname “Rip City.”
PORTLAND — It’s the end of
an era in Rip City — the Portland
Trail Blazers’ founding broadcaster
Bill Schonely has announced his
retirement.
Schonely, 92, has been a signa-
ture voice for the Blazers for over
50 years as a play-by-play broad-
caster. He’s known for coining
popular catchphrases like the Port-
land nickname “Rip City.”
In a Saturday, March 12, press
release, the Blazers said Schonely
will be honored at the last home
game of the season on Sunday,
April 10, against the Utah Jazz.
Schonely was hired in 1970 by
team founder Harry Glickman. He
became a Blazers ambassador in
2003, making public appearances
as part of the team’s community
outreach.
“Bill has been a fi xture of the
Trail Blazers organization since
its inception and will continue
to be forever ingrained in this
city,” Dewayne Hankins, presi-
dent of business operations, said in
the press release. “We thank Bill
immensely for his 50-plus years of
hard work and everything he has
given to our organization, the city
of Portland and the entire NBA
community.”
Schonely was the sixth
employee hired to work for the
Blazers. Over his career, he called
more than 2,500 games, including
the team’s NBA championship run
in 1977.
During his many decades as
a team broadcaster, Schonely
stepped away from the desk only
once, in the 1980s when he was
recovering from heart surgery.
Schonely was inducted into
the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
for broadcasting in 1999. He also
earned the Curt Gowdy Media
Award from the Naismith Memo-
rial Basketball Hall of Fame
in 2012.