This Week in Eastern Athletics: October 7 – October 13
Football resumes play on the road, Volleyball heads to Montana, Soccer aims to maintain its standing, Golf concludes home tournament, Women’s Tennis starts fall schedule
CHENEY, Wash. —
Football – at Sacramento State (Saturday, October 12 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time)
After a bye week, Eastern Washington University (EWU) football is refocused and ready to dive into the heart of its Big Sky schedule. The Eagles will face the No. 18/20 Sacramento State Hornets in Sacramento, with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. The matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+, and fans can listen to the game on 700 ESPN and the Varsity App featuring commentators Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.
Currently, the Eagles hold a record of 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Sacramento State also comes off a bye week, possessing a record of 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference.
In their previous game, the Eagles faced No. 8/9 Montana, showcasing a classic matchup in Cheney.
Chism, a standout in his senior year, is leading the Big Sky in receiving yards (513), receiving touchdowns (7), and receptions per game (9.4). He leads the FCS in receptions per game, ranking third in touchdowns and 10th in receiving yards. After an impressive performance against Montana with 8 catches for 107 yards and one touchdown, Chism now has 3,054 career receiving yards, placing him sixth on the all-time list, making him one of seven players in EWU history to surpass 3,000 receiving yards.
Visperas made headlines by accounting for six touchdowns in the game against Montana, four passing and two rushing, marking the highest total since Eric Barriere’s seven touchdowns against Idaho on October 16, 2021.
Defensively, Derek Ganter Jr. continues to shine, averaging 7.4 tackles per game, which ranks him seventh in the conference. He leads the Eagles with a total of 37 tackles, including 23 solo.
Soccer – at Northern Arizona
The Eagle soccer team (6-4-3, 1-0-2) embarks on the road for the first time this Big Sky conference season, heading to Flagstaff to battle Northern Arizona (1-5-4, 1-1-0) on Thursday, October 10th at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup against Montana (8-2-2, 2-0-0) in Missoula on Sunday, October 12th at noon. Both games will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
This will be the 28th encounter between Eastern and the Lumberjacks. Historically, the Eagles have a record of 9-16-2 against Northern Arizona, including 3-8-1 while playing on the road. The last victory for Eastern in Flagstaff occurred in 2018, when they won 1-0.
The Eagles will also face the Grizzlies for the 30th time, with Montana tied for second in the Big Sky standings. Eastern has an all-time record of 8-17-4 against Montana, with a 3-6-3 record in Missoula. The last win in Missoula was in 2021, when Eastern secured a 3-2 overtime victory. The previous two meetings ended in ties (1-1 in Cheney and 0-0 in Missoula).
Over the weekend, the Eagles played to a 2-2 draw with Idaho in a tightly contested rivalry match. Chloe Pattison opened the scoring, marking her ninth goal of the season. Moore added a goal with assistance from Pattison and Arribas, bringing her total to four goals this season. Goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby recorded a season-high 10 saves.
The Eagles currently lead the Big Sky in several statistics, including goals scored (25), total points (69), scoring average (1.923), and corner kicks (71), and have not trailed at halftime in any match this season.
In the individual rankings, Chloe Pattison is leading the conference in goals (9) and total points (21), while Riley Arribas is second with four assists.
Eagles record book watch:
Chloe Pattison has now tied for the fifth-most goals in a single season (9) and has the sixth-most points (21). Goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby has moved into sixth place on the Eagles’ all-time saves list with 197 career saves.
Volleyball – at Montana State (Thursday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time), at Montana (Saturday, October 12th at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time)
The Eastern volleyball team is looking to build on recent success after sweeping Idaho. The Eagles will challenge Montana State on Thursday, October 10, at 6 p.m. before facing off against Montana in a rivalry match on Saturday, October 12 at the same time.
Bri Gunderson shone in the match against Idaho, achieving 10 kills and an impressive .600 hitting percentage, alongside a team-high four blocks.
Eastern holds a competitive record against Montana State at 14-14 overall but is 5-9 on the road. The match against Montana is equally challenging, with Eastern holding a 13-16 overall record against the Grizzlies while having lost the last four meetings.
This week is crucial for the Eagles to improve their standings in the conference.
Golf – Tri-State Invitational (Oct. 6-7, All Day, The Creek at Qualchan in Spokane, Wash.), Portland State Fall Invite(Oct. 14-15, All Day, Portland, Ore.)
Kami Twining is performing well, currently sitting second on the individual leaderboard with an even total score of 88, just one stroke behind Idaho’s Emma Kang. Gabriella Ilardi is tied for seventh with a score of 95 (+2). The Eagles are third in the ongoing Tri-State Invitational.
Next, the Eagles will head to Portland for the Portland State Fall Invite on October 14-15 at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
Women’s Tennis – at ITA Northwest Regional
Eastern’s Women’s Tennis team will kick off its fall season with the ITA Northwest Regional in Berkeley, California, featuring returning players and two new freshmen. Head coach Dustin Hinson returns for his 13th season.
The Eagles will also compete in the Gonzaga Invitational from October 25-27 in Spokane, Washington, followed by the SDSU Fall Classic II in San Diego from November 8-10.
Tickets for the 2024 football season and volleyball season are now available for purchase through the Eastern Washington University Ticket office, and fans can also join the Eagle Athletic Fund for exclusive perks.
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