In only its first season playing women's soccer, Lassen College already has won the Golden Valley Conference with several games left in the regular season. Lassen, led by Douglas High grad Amber Gwinn and a host of other Northern Nevada players, is 20-3-0 heading into today's game in Susanville, Calif.
Gwinn, the team's captain, has scored 18 goals and has 19 assists, which puts her 12th among California junior college players. Carson High's Erin Stieber is also playing at Lassen but has missed the season with a torn ACL. The team's starting goalie is Winnemucca's Tia Pilikian.
"She is the backbone of our team, which says a lot," said coach Benjamin Wade about Gwinn. "Erin Stieber will have a major impact on our program next year when she returns from the DL. I am definitely looking to recruit more players from Nevada, a great often overlooked hotbed of soccer."
Lassen is ranked No. 6 in Northern California and has won 14-straight games. It is undefeated in the Golden Valley Conference at 8-0 and has 16 shutouts this season. Lassen plays its first ever playoff game on Nov. 19.
KOP, SULPRIZIO UPDATES
Carson High graduate Allison Kop will finish an impressive freshman year on Saturday when Saint Mary's College plays Loyola Marymount University on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Kop, who helped lead the Senators to the Northern 4A championship last season, is one of only five players to have started all 19 games this season for the Gaels. Saint Mary's takes a 9-9-1 overall record and a 3-3 mark in West Coast Conference play going into its match with the Lions.
Douglas High grad and Nebraska transfer Ashley Sulprizio will most likely see her sophomore season at Cal continue a bit longer after a a pair of games this week against Arizona State University and UCLA. Sulprizio was splitting time with Sani Post earlier this season for the Golden Bears, but Post has pretty much earned the starting role since then.
Cal, which is currently ranked No. 15 in the latest NSCAA poll and coming off a 2-1 loss to No. 1 Stanford, will look for its name to be called on Monday when the NCAA Tournament selects is field of 48. The Golden Bears, who are 9-7-1 overall and 2-5 in the Pac-10, have qualified for the NCAA Tournament the past four years.
ROSER PART OF WINNINGEST SEASON AT BIOLA
Carson High graduate Landon Roser and Biola University men's soccer team finished a successful regular season with a 1-0 overtime win over Fresno Pacific last week.
The Eagles went 14-5-1 this season, the most wins ever in the 43-year history of the program. They finished in second place in the Golden State Athletic Conference behind Westmont College, which is ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA national poll. Biola is still waiting for the last GSAC games to be played before finding out its seeding for the postseason.
Roser, two-year starter for the Senators, has played in five games and has scored one goal.
ROUGH FINISHES CAREER AT LIU
Carson High graduate Rosette Rough finished her senior year at Long Island University as the women's soccer team leading scorer. Rough scored six goals and had two assists (14 pts) for the Blackbirds, who finished the season 6-13 overall and 3-7 in the Northeastern Conference. LIU didn't qualify for the NEC Tournament.