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The Clackamas Print
sportsed@clackamas.edu
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
Balance of power shifting in
NWAACC womens soccer
Club teams Qnetouchables (left) and. South VN, o f the greater Portland Soccer District
face o ff against one another on Sunday Nov. 13. Both teams are classified as Division-4.
Club sports make use of CCC fields
because many of these schools don’t have an
area large enough for cross country. Recently
the West Linn and Milwaukie High School
teams have used the course.
Many high schools have used Clackamas
W ho are these strange people who are
taking over our campus? All over Clackamas not only to hold meets, matches and games
Community College there are sports teams but also to use the colleges facilities for practice
made up o f youth students that look, like purposes. “We have used the tennis courts for
they’re six. These teams that you have seen practice many times and sometimes we use
are just a portion of the groups that use our the gym for basketball practice in November,”
said Bruce Reece, Oregon City High School
campus.
“We have tons o f groups who use Our Athletic Director.
Other sports like tennis, youth soccer and
facilities,” said Jim Martineau, CCC athletic
director, organizations alike that are using the various adult leagues will most often hap
the campus facilities for many events ranging pen on the weekends. “[These events happen]
from gymnastics or the Relay For Life to adult all though the year and summer, a lot [of
the events] occur on weekends as well,” said
softball leagues.
You may have seen many of these teams Martineau.
The college often offers the facilities for use
playing softball or other sports on the back
fields by Clairmont or a mens socccer team "by other, organizations as a way to be more:
practicing by Dejardin. Maybe you’ve even involved in the community and as a great
seen a youth sports game going on during a recruiting opportunity.
“We get huge benefits [from] having several
Saturday morning.
Some students wonder, “how do. I get on to thousand high school athletes on our campus
that team, does the college even have a men’s each year at different events. It definitely helps
soccer team?” or “man the college must be des out with recruiting,” said Martineau.
Recruiting and public involvement isn’t the
perate for new enrollees.” A few o f those groups
are C CC Associated Student Government, the only plus that Clackamas gets out of its athletic
Three Rivers and Pacific high school leagues, facilities. Many o f the groups using C C C pay
North Clackamas Christian HS, O C Youth for the gymnasium, field or court they use.
“We do charge for most events mostly to
Soccer, along with several soccer leagues, the
Portland Baseball Club, E O T Girls Basketball cover the cost associated,” said Martineau.
Tournaments, Oregon City Chapter o f Relay “The rates for rental vary depending on sev
For Life, dance competitions, wrestling clubs, eral factors: Which facility is needed? Does
an adult softball league and Clackamas County the event require [overtime] for custodial or
campus safety? Does the event require a super
milesfour mile walk/run.
In order for these teams to be able to use the visor from the college? We don’t charge the
campus, they have to go through the athletic youth soccer league to use the fields. If it is a
department and Assistant Athletic Director charity event, we generally don’t charge. If we
do charge it would be just to cover the cost of
Kayla Steen.
“They contact Kayla, she lets them know the staff.”
The benefits to the college run beyond
what space is available and what the prices are
to rent them,” said Dotty Cobum, athletic money and recruiting, they’re also a service
department secretary. Cobum also mentioned to the students. You can’t join the high school
that Steen is in charge o f scheduling for all the teams (ydu could try, but ydur chances are
probably pretty slim) but there are adult sports
organizations.
During the fell, there are many high school leagues and youth sports clubs that can be
cross country teams that use Clackamas found online. You’re already at CCC, why not
because o f the colleges central location and take advantage o f it?
B y M a tt S en n
T he C lackam as P rin t
and an impressive 2-0 defeat o f the
East's num ber three seeded Yakima
Valley. T he South is having a down
year, coming in second to last in
non-league play just above the pitiful
western region.
Part o f that shift comes from a
switch that the NW AACC made a
few seasons ago. It used to be that
the South would play the N orth
By John W illiam Howard
and the East would play the West.
Sports Editor
It wasn’t uncom m on to see a 10-0
win for a southern or Eastern team
arid both divisions dom inated until
N ormally a- fledgling program region play began. N ow the South
takes time to build, a legacy. They and East face off and the north
struggle for years in futility until and West face off. This pitches the
they finally strike gold and begin two strong conferences against one
to. gain traction., O ther times, die. another and the two weak confer
complete opposite is true. Some ences against one another.
T hat creates a problem. Squads
teams hit the ground running and
find immediate success.. O n e o f from the power regions that would
those teams is the still rather recent normally roll to easy victories in
ly formed Clackamas C om m unity non-league games are starting to lose
more often when rnatched up against
College womeri’s soccer program'.
Started up in 2002, Cougar’s soc Better competition and teams that
cer finished the season an impres would normally get steamrolled are
sive 15-5-2, taking second in the able to make headway when playing
powerhouse Southern Region in just m uch weaker competition. T hat can
their first season o f play. Since then, create the illusion that the south has
the Cougars have made even more faltered and the N orth has taken its
progress, w inning an impressive six place, if the casual fen isn't careful.
But is it really incorrect? Could
on tides and three NWAACC
s from 2004-2011. Clackamas th e perceived success in the
has made it to the final four every N orthern region turn the tables on
year except 2006, when they lost to the NW AACC and create a new
the eventual NW AACC champion power conference? I think so.
People tend to look at wins and
Spokane C C in the first round and
losses rather than the strength o f
in 2009.
This year Clackamas has again schedule, so a team's attractiveness
w on their region tide and will be to recruits will be based on that
hosting a quarterfinal m atch but team 's record, regardless o f who
there are some questions as to the they play. A n Everett C C team that
strength o f thé southern region ver- normally would have finished 0-3
sris years past. Yes, three teams from against the powerful East now fin-
S
the ' N W A A C C south, Clackam as,
ishes a t a resp ectab le 2 -^ , A ll o f th e
Lane and Clark have all advanced
past the first round b u t the days
o f complete dominance seem to
be behind us. T h e East and South
aren’t alone in women's, soccer any
more.
T hat’s n ot to say that the N orth
and West haven’t been there. T he
two conferences have seen plenty
o f appearances in the final four and
championship games but neither
conference has w on a tide since 2003.
T h at was before the NW AACC split
into four divisions and the team that
won, N orthern Idaho, is no longer a
member o f the league.
T he balance o f power seems to
be shifting. T he South and East are
still dom inant, accounting for five
o f the eight teams still alive b u t the
N orthern region is beginning to rear
it’s head w ith two representatives
sudden, soccer players from around
the area take a second look at the
team that won the "strong" N orth
division and back away from teams
in the South and West. W hat started
artificially now begins to gain some
substance as the north continues to
improve and work toward its first
NW AACC title in eight seasons.
Tim e will tell. It could be that
the south will bounce back and the
N orth and west will fall into medi
ocrity again but now all eyes turn to
the last three rounds o f the playoffs.
T hat's when the true test o f superi
ority will be taken. Will the N orth
finally rise to the top? Will the South
reclaim the NW AACC title for the
first tim e since Clackamas w on in
2007? O r will the East continue it's
reign? We'll just have to wait and see.
2011 NWAACC Women’s Soccer Non-League Play
Division
East
North
South
West
Record
13-7-2
11-6-5
4-10-4
3-11-2
Points
41
38
16
11
Upcoming Events
O
Volleyball .
NWAACC Championships
Q fllR m a s vs. Tacoma
@ Mt. Hood CC
ghg Women’s Soccer
O
_
Time/date
9 a.m. Thursday Nov. 17
Time/date
Final Four Game 1
Final Four Game 2
' 1 0 : 3 0 Saturday Noy. 19
1 p.m. Saturday Nov. 19
Men’s Basketball
Time/date
Clackamas vs, Linfield JV
7 p.m. Friday Nov. 18