2010 - A Year with a lot of Promise

The men’s Mustangs soccer team enters the fall season off of another great season in 2009. We are extremely excited to get back to the pitch and prove once again that we are one of the premier soccer programs in the Rocky Mountain region.

The Mustangs return six players from last year’s squad. Taylor Whetman from Kearns UT will be asked to mind the net again for the Mustangs. Taylor was a 2nd Team All-Region IX selection last season for WWCC. Taylor had 16 starts and 3 shutouts a year ago. Gilbert Gonzalez a local product from Rock Springs WY will return as a forward. Gilbert notched 3 goals and 2 assists his freshman year along with a 2nd Team All-Region IX selection. Logan Bailey a defender who comes to us from Casper WY will be asked to anchor the back line. Logan was also a 2nd Team All-Region IX selection from 2009. Logan started 19 matches and had 1 assist last season. Mika Goodman is another forward returning to the Mustangs. Mika is from Springville UT, he is also a very capable goal keeper. 2009 was a great year for Mika with 5 goals and 1 assist and we look towards more production from Mika. Braxton Hamilton a midfielder who graduated from Riverton WY is another returner for us this season. Braxton had a very good freshman season with 4 goals and 1 assist. WWCC expects some more hustle from Braxton this season. Cody Rall is our last returner; he is from Rock Springs WY. Cody is a defender who was the most improved a season ago. Cody is a big defender that will play a big role on this year’s squad.

Five players on the 2009 squad are currently serving LDS church missions and 4 more done with schooling at Western and looking to move onto 4 year school. With the departure of these players and others we will be welcoming a big group of new students into the Western Wyoming soccer family this fall.

Newcomers to this year’s forwards are: Miguel Angel Maca, Stefan Naylor, Edwin Sanchez and Pat Walker. Miguel played at Natrona County High in Casper, WY. Miguel led the state of WY in scoring his senior year, he helped lead his team to a 2nd place finish in state his junior season. Miguel was a 2 time All-State selection. Stefan Naylor was part of Preston High in Preston, ID, and will bring a lot of speed to our front line. Stefan also played club soccer in Utah and brings experience and savvy. Logan High in Logan, UT, is where Edwin Sanchez played before becoming a Mustang. Edwin has outstanding foot skills and a rocket of a shot. Edwin was a high school starter since his freshman year. He was named on the All- Valley Team all 4 years. Edwin received All- State recognition 2006-2009. Our last forward is Pat Walker from Rock Springs High in Rock Springs WY. Pat is a natural left footed player that had a great career with the RSHS Tigers. Pat was a 2nd Team All-Conference player as a senior. There is a load of talent in these forwards and we are looking from some individual and team records to fall this season.

The midfield has added Jorge Chacon, Mitch Christensen, Charley Lifferth, Angel Muniz, Nathaniel Sellis and Jesus Ramirez for the 2010 campaign. Jorge Chacon is from Spanish Fork, UT, and a graduate of Spanish Fork High. Jorge brings some stability and experience to the Mustangs from the midfield not to mention an offensive punch from the outside. Mitch Christensen comes to the Mustangs from Bountiful High in Bountiful, UT. Mitch has a motor that does not quit and should be able to use his speed to help find his way into the WWCC lineup. Charley Lifferth is from Lehi, UT, and Lehi High. Charley is very skillful and extremely smart on the ball. Charley is expected to have a great career as a Mustang. Angel Muniz was a Logan High graduate from Logan, UT. Angel is a very smart and steady player and could see time in both the midfield and as a forward. He possesses great vision and pinpoint accuracy passing. Nathaniel Sellis, from Taylorsville, UT, and Taylorsville High, is a versatile player who may play in the middle or as a wing. He is a hungry and hard working player we are sure that his abilities will keep him on the field as a Mustang. Jesus Ramirez is a 2010 graduate from Rock Springs High in Rock Springs WY. Jesus played as an outside midfielder and a central midfielder while in high school. He will bring size and speed to the Mustang midfield.

The Mustang’s back line has been bolstered by the additions of Wes Magagna, Spencer Molman, Zach Plitt and Riley Yerkovich. Rock Springs High and the city of Rock Springs WY brings us Wes Magagna who will help out our defense. Wes is a solid defender who was a 2nd Team All-Conference Player his junior year. Spencer Molman is a graduate of Bountiful High and is from Bountiful, UT. Spencer will bring experience in running a defense. Spencer was his high school's 2010 Team Captain and Most Valuable Midfielder. He was a 3 year starter and part of the 2008 Utah State Soccer Champions. Zach Plitt from American Fork, UT, and American Fork High is another defensive recruit. Zach was an integral part of his high school’s successes. He brings a winning attitude and superb physical abilities to an already tough WWCC defense. Riley Yerkovich is another local product from Rock Springs High. Riley is a natural leader whose passion and intelligence will help him becomes a great Mustang. Riley as a senior was named a 2nd Team All-Conference player.

At goalkeeper the Mustangs added one recruit. Todd West is from Taylorsville, UT, and Taylorsville High School. He is very talented with a great high school and club career behind him. He is a very reliable keeper and has the skills to be very successful here as a Mustang.

The 2010 Schedule for WWCC Men's Soccer

Sat August 7 - Practice Begins - Rock Springs WY - 7:00pm
Fri August 20 - Dixie State (Scrimmage) - St. George UT - L (1 - 4)
Sat August 21 - Westminster (Scrimmage) - Salt Lake City UT - W (4 - 2)
Tues August 24 - Treasure Valley (Scrimmage) - Rock Springs WY - L (1 - 2)
Sat August 28 - North Idaho - Couer d’Alene ID - W (1 - 0)* (1 - 0 - 0)
Fri September 3 - Salt Lake CC - Salt Lake City UT - L (1 - 4) (1 - 1 - 0)
Sat September 4 - University of Utah - Salt Lake City UT - L (0 - 5) (1 - 2 - 0)
Tues September 7 - Northwest College - Rock Springs WY - T (2 - 2) (1 - 2 - 1)
Sat September 11 - Idaho State - Pocatello ID - W (1 - 0) (2 - 2 - 1)
Wed September 15 - Laramie County - Cheyenne WY - L (1 - 4) (2 - 3 - 1)
Sat September 18 - Rocky Mountain Rival - Rock Springs WY - W (6 - 3) (3 - 3 - 1)
Wed September 22 - Otero Junior College - La Junta CO - L (1 - 5) (3 - 4 - 1)
Thurs September 23 - Air Force Prep - Colorado Springs CO - L (1 - 3) (3 - 5 - 1)
Fri September 24 - Laramie County - Rock Springs WY - L (2 - 5) (3 - 6 - 1)
Tues September 28 - Northwest College - Powell WY - L (1 - 3) (3 - 7 - 1)
Sat October 2 - Western Nebraska - Scottsbluff NE - L (0 - 3) (3 - 8 - 1)
Tues October 5 - Rocky Mountain Rival - Spanish Fork UT - L (0 - 3) (3 - 9 - 1)
Fri October 8 - Otero Junior College - Rock Springs WY - L (4 - 5) (3 - 10 - 1)
Sat October 9 - University of Utah - Rock Springs WY - W (1 - 0)** (4 - 10 - 1)
Fri October 15 - North Idaho - Rock Springs WY - L (0 - 2) (4 - 11 - 1)
Sat October 16 - Western Nebraska - Rock Springs WY - W (2 - 1) (5 - 11 - 1)

2010 Roster for the Mustangs

NO.	PLAYER	HT	YR	HOMETOWN
1	Taylor Whetman	5'11"	SO	Kearns, UT
2	Spencer Mohlman	6’0”	FR	Bountiful, UT
3	Stefan Naylor	5'9"	FR	Preston, ID
5	Charley Lifferth	5'10"	FR	Lehi, UT
6	Riley Yerkovich	5'8"	FR	Rock Springs, WY
7	Zach Plitt	5'8"	FR	American Fork, UT
8	Logan Bailey	5'7"	FR	Casper, WY
9	Gilbert Gonzalez	5'6"	SO	Guaymas, Mexico
10	Miguel Maca	5'7"	FR	Casper, WY
11	Todd West	6'0"	FR	Taylorsville, UT
12	Jorge Chacon	5'6"	FR	Spanish Fork, UT
14	Mika Goodman	6'0"	SO	Springville, UT
15	Angel Muniz	5'7"	FR	Logan, UT
16	Cody Rall	6'2"	FR	Rock Springs, WY
17	Nathaniel Sellis	6'0"	FR	Taylorsville, UT
19	Mitchell Christensen	5'6"	FR	Bountiful, UT
20	Pat Walker	6'0"	SO	Rock Springs, WY
21	Jesus Ramirez	6'0"	FR	Rock Springs, WY
23	Edwin Sanchez	5'6'	FR	Logan, UT
24	Braxton Hamilton	5'8"	SO	Riverton, WY
25	Wes Magagna	5'9"	FR	Rock Springs, WY

Head Coach:	Jeff Atkinson		College President:	Dr. Karla Leach
Assistant Coach:	Sean Grube		Athletic Director:	Dr. Jackie Freeze
Asst. AD/Trainer:	Lu Sweet		Student Trainer:	Jessica Martinez

2009 A Great Year

The men’s Mustangs soccer team enters the fall season coming off their best season as an intercollegiate program. We are extremely excited to get back to the playing field and prove once again that we are one of the premier soccer programs in the Rocky Mountain region.

The Mustangs return four players from last year’s squad. Omar Jaimes, from West Valley City, UT, is a midfielder who was a regular starter for the Mustangs last season, as he started 20 matches. Omar was one of the leading scorers on the squad a season ago with 6 goals and 2 assists. Kyle Howe, hails from Rock Springs, WY, will be asked to solidify the defense and may also get some looks in the midfield. Last season Kyle had 2 assists and started 12 matches. Chris Byers, who is from Bountiful, UT, is a defender who also has the skills to play midfield. Chris notched 2 goals and 2 assists in the 2008 campaign. Taylor Ford is our last returner, he is from Wallsburg, UT. Taylor is a midfielder who has a never die attitude, he was credited with 3 goals a season ago.
We had several players from the 2008 team move on after playing here. Nic Gonzalez and Chase Talbot have both signed on to play at Adams State College (CO) and Patrick Ritter has agreed to play at Dakota Wesleyan (SD) for another 2 seasons. Three players on the 2008 squad are currently serving church missions, one in Brazil and two in Argentina. With the departure of these players and others we will be welcoming a big group of new students into the Western Wyoming soccer family this fall.
Newcomers to this year’s forwards are: Brandon Bushman, Joe Lake and Gilbert Gonzalez. Brandon played at Bingham High in South Jordan, UT. Brandon is a tenacious forward who has a knack for scoring big goals. Joe Lake was part of Bountiful High in Bountiful, UT, and was twice a state champion in soccer in high school. Joe was also named to the state tournament team as a junior. Joe’s senior season was cut short by injury but we expect him to continue his stellar play and be a nightmare for defenses. Rock Springs High in Rock Springs, WY, is where Gilbert Gonzalez played before becoming a Mustang. Gilbert has outstanding foot skills and a rocket of a shot. He lead his high school team to back-to-back state tournament berths. Gilbert was a 1st team 4A All-State player for the state of Wyoming his senior year. There is a load of talent in these forwards and we are looking from some individual and team records to fall this season.
The midfield has added Josh Beck, Braxton Hamilton, Erick Mata, Michael Palacios and Kyle Seljaas for the 2009 campaign. Josh Beck is from West Valley City, UT, and is a transfer student from Salt Lake Community College. Josh brings some stability and experience to the Mustangs from the midfield not to mention an offensive punch. Braxton Hamilton comes to the Mustangs from Riverton High in Riverton, WY. Braxton has a motor that does not quit and should be contributor for WWCC from the start of the season. Erick Mata is from Rock Springs, WY, and a 2009 RSHS graduate. Erick is very skillful and extremely quick, he was a 1st Team All-Conference player. Kyle Seljaas, from Bountiful, UT, and Bountiful High, is a versatile player who may play in the midfield or as a forward. His versatility helped out his high school team his senior season and we are sure that his abilities will keep him on the field as a Mustang.
The Mustang’s back line has been bolstered by the additions of Phillip Angerhofer, Colter Miller, Cody Rall and Jordan Ross. Bingham High and the city of South Jordan bring us Phillip Angerhofer who will help out our defenses. Phillip is a solid defender who we expect to contribute a lot this fall. Colter Miller is a graduate of Campell County High and is from Upton, WY. Colter will bring physicality and experience in running a defense. Colter was named a 1st Team All-State player his senior season. Cody Rall is another local product from Rock Springs High. Cody is a natural leader who size and passion will help him becomes a great Mustang. Cody as a senior was named a 1st Team All-Conference player. Jordan Ross from Kaysville, UT, and Davis High is our final defensive recruit. Jordan is an integral part of his high school’s successes. He brings a winning attitude and superb physical abilities to an already tough WWCC defense.

Within the net at goalkeeper for the Mustangs will be Oscar Delgado, Mika Goodman or Taylor Whetman. Oscar Delgado is from Big Piney, WY, however he played his soccer at Pinedale High School. He is very talented with a great upside and potential. Oscar’s other soccer skills are high and may seem time as a keeper or as a field member. Mika Goodman is a Springville High graduate and from Springville, UT. Mika had a great career as a keeper in high school and also has the ability to use his speed to play forward. Mika has the ability to be a great keeper at WWCC. Taylor Whetman is from Kearns, UT, and Kearns High. Taylor was a four-year starter at his high school, and was a very reliable keeper for them. Taylor has the experience and skills to be very successful here as a Mustang.

The 2009 Mustangs finished with a 8 - 8 - 2 record for the season. Here was their schedule and results.
Tues August 18th - Salt Lake CC - Salt Lake City UT - 5:30pm (Scrimmage WWCC 3 - SLCC 4)
Thurs August 20th - Adams State - Alamosa CO - 2:30pm (Scrimmage WWCC 3 - ASC 2)
Sat August 22nd - Rocky Mountain Rival - Rock Springs WY - 11:00 am (Scrimmage WWCC 2 - RMR 2)
Fri August 28th - Community Colleges of Spokane - Spokane WA - Won 1 - 0 (1 - 0 - 0)
Sat August 29th - North Idaho College - Couer D' Alene ID - Lost 0 - 4 (1 - 1 - 0)
Sat September 5th - Southern Utah - Cedar City UT - Won 1 - 0 (2 - 1 - 0)
Fri September 11th - Western Nebraska - Rock Springs WY - Tie 1 - 1 (2 - 1 - 1)
Sat September 12th - Westminster - Rock Springs WY - Tie 1 - 1 (2 - 1 - 2)
Wed September 16th - LCCC - Cheyenne WY - Lost 0 - 6 (2 - 2 - 2)
Fri September 18th - University of Wyoming - Laramie WY - Lost 0 - 3 (2 - 3 - 2)
Sat September 19th - Salt Lake CC - Rock Springs WY - Won 5 - 2 (3 - 3 - 2)
Tues September 22nd - Air Force Prep - Colorado Springs CO - Won 4 - 2 (4 - 3 - 2)
Sat September 26th - Madison Dragons - Rock Springs WY - Lost 0 - 1 (OT) (4 - 4 - 2)
Sat September 26th - Central Wyoming - Rock Springs WY - Won 8 - 3 (5 - 4 - 2)
Wed September 30th - LCCC - Rock Springs WY - Lost 0 - 1 (5 - 5 - 2)
Fri October 2nd - North Idaho College - Rock Springs WY - Won 2 - 1 (6 - 5 - 2)
Wed October 7th - Rocky Mountain Rival - Provo UT - Won 2 - 0 (7 - 5 - 2)
Sat October 10th - Westminster - Salt Lake City UT - Lost 1 - 2 (7 - 6 - 2)
Tues October 13th - Madison Dragons - Rexburg ID - Lost 0 - 1 (7 - 7 - 2)
Fri October 16th - Western Nebraska - Scottsbluff NE - Won 4 - 3 OT (8 - 7 - 2)
Fri October 23rd - Region IX Semi-Final vs WNCC- Cheyenne WY - Lost 1 - 2 (8 - 8 - 2)

Here is the 2009 WWCC Mustang Roster

1	Taylor Whetman	GK	FR
2	Logan Bailey	DEF	FR
3	Brandon Bushman	FOR	FR
4	Kyle Howe - Capt	DEF	SO
5	Joe Lake	FOR	FR
6	Jordan Ross	DEF	FR
7	Oscar Delgado	GK/ F	FR
8	Kyle Seljaas	MID	FR
9	Colter Miller	DEF	FR
10	Omar Jaimes - Capt	MID	SO
11	Erick Mata	MID	FR
12	Taylor Ford	MID	SO
14	Mika Goodman	GK/ F	FR
16	Cody Rall	DEF	FR
17	Josh Beck	MID	FR
21	Gilbert Gonzalez	FOR	FR
22	Chris Byers	MID	SO
24	Phil Angerhofer	DEF	FR
25	Braxton Hamilton	MID	FR

Building a strong program - 2008

2008 WWCC Men’s Soccer Preview

The 2007 season for the men’s Mustang soccer was a success. Seeing the Mustangs finish the regular season in second place in the region and with a .500 record. The Mustangs finished the season with some great momentum and the respect of every team that they played. The team and its players broke numerous team and individual records and they will be remembered for their potent offense and superb defense.

The 2008 version of the Mustangs will need to fill a few holes from those players graduating, fulfilling church missions and transferring on to bigger programs. Two regular starters graduated, four left to fulfill church missions and one player transferred onto the Penn State soccer program. They will indeed be missed but the new recruits to the program will provide Western with the needed attitude and skill level to be a team to be reckoned with.

At the forward position there will be an entire change of the guard, with Dennis Sellis (1st team all region, transferred to Penn State) and Derek Stewart (2nd team all region, on a church mission to Finland) not returning. Franchelli Albornoz, from Hunter High School, was an all-state player from Utah, will bring incredible ball skills and great speed. Devin King, from Wasatch High in Heber City UT, is a tall forward whose ability to find the back of the net will be key for the 2008 Mustangs. Kota Kimura, an international student from Tokyo Japan, will provide the team with great speed and an engine that does not stop. Finally, Kyle Talbott from Rock Springs WY, will be our final forward. Kyle brings the ability to score and show up in big games. Needless to say these forwards will be a handful for the opposition’s backline.

In the midfield the WWCC team loses three of their best midfielders and three of the first players to sign with WWCC Tyler Cox, Eric Nieters (1st team all region) and Chad Zueck (2nd team all region). The Mustangs return 3 players who saw a lot of the field last year. Allen Deru, Colt Klements, Chase Talbot, are the three returning midfielders and all three are from Evanston High in WY. Between the three of them they had 6 goals and 22 starts last season. They were a big part of the team last year and we are expecting them to step up their game even more for their sophomore campaign. The new players in the midfield will be; Chris Byers, Kyle Howe, Taylor Ford, Omar Jaimes, Erik Stembridge and Brad Yard. Chris Byers is a versatile player who could play almost any position on the field, he brought great experience helping Bountiful High in UT to a 4A state championship his senior year. A local talent from Rock Springs High is Kyle Howe, his versatility is also a plus. Kyle was a 2008 all-state player from WY and will be used to help control the middle. Taylor Ford, was a captain on his Wasatch High team his senior year and lead them to a great season and a state tournament birth. Our second member of the team from Hunter High is Omar Jaimes. Omar has great footwork and skills and has the ability to not only control the midfield but also attack from it. Erik Stembridge is a 2008 graduate from Rock Springs High, his dedication and hard work will only be a benefit to the Mustangs. Brad Yard will come back to Rock Springs after spending a year in Las Vegas. Brad is a hard nose player who looks after the team before himself, he is a Rock Springs High graduate. We are very happy with the returnees and new players in the midfield. Their versatility will allow us to explore different attacking and defensive formations.

The defense sees three starters leave Matt Kolar (2nd team all region), Sam Taylor (2nd team all region) and Chance Trotter (2nd team all region). The Mustangs will not be without talent as they return both Nic Gonalez (1st team all region) and Patrick Ritter. The defensive recruiting class is probably the best in the team’s history. Ricardo Arreola, Mason Hall, Jeff Jewell, Cameron Lowry and Ben Owens are the new recruits and should fill in the new roles with no problems. Ricardo is a graduate from Pine View High out of St. George UT, he will bring some physicality, speed and strength. He won a state championship his junior year. Mason Hall comes to us from Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, WY. He is a very solid defender who just does not seem to make mistakes. He was a key part of his high school’s state championship his senior year. Twin Falls High in ID gives us Jeff Jewell. Jeff is a big tall defender who uses his skills and his mental ability to best his opponent. He was a red-shirt player last year at KCCC. Cameron Lowry was a 1st team all-state player from UT his senior season, he is from Wasatch High and is able to control the back line plus get into the attack on set pieces and his throw-ins. Green River High brings us a 4A all-state defender in Ben Owens. Ben was a leader on his team and uses good instincts and incredible speed to his advantage. This group of players could prove to be the best defensive unit in team history.

The keeper is the last line of defense and WWCC returns their regular starter from the 2007 season and added two other great keepers. Shawn Coryell from Evanston, WY, started the majority of our games last season and looks to build on his experience to try to keep his starting job. Tyson Day, our fourth recruit from Wasatch High, will use his experience to push his way into the starting role. He possesses great hands and the ability to communicate well with his team. Steven Sharp was an honorable mention all-state player from Grantsville High in UT. Steven not only played keeper but forward for his high school team. He has the ability to shut down the opposition and can make those spectacular game-changing saves. The competition for starting keeper will be intense but we are assured that we will have a great keeper on the field and some wonderful players backing him up.

2008 should be a wonderful year for us as we host the Region IX tournament this year and it is our goal to be able to win the championship on our home field. We would like to thanks all those that support us as we try to represent ourselves and Western Wyoming Community College to the best of our abilities.

Here is the 2008 Roster for the WWCC Men's Soccer Team

#2 - Mason Hall - Freshman - Defense

#3 - Devin King - Freshman - Forward

#4 - Kyle Howe - Freshman - Defense

#6 - Ricardo Arreola - Freshman - Midfield

#7 - Allen Deru - Sophomore - Midfield - Captain

#8 - Omar Jaimes - Freshman - Midfield

#9 - Kota Kimura - Freshman - Forward

#10 - Chris Byers - Freshman - Defense

#11 - Jeff Jewell - Freshman - Defense

#12 - Taylor Ford - Freshman - Midfield

#13 - Colt Klements - Sophomore - Midfield

#14 - Ben Owens - Freshman - Defense

#16 - Steven Sharp - Freshman - Keeper/Forward

#17 - Cameron Lowry - Freshman - Defense

#19 - Galana Eshete - Freshman - Forward

#20 - Chase Talbot - Sophomore - Midfield - Captain

#21 - Nic Gonzalez - Sophomore - Defense - Captain

#22 - Kyle Talbott - Freshman - Forward

#24 - Erik Stembridge - Freshman - Midfield

#25 - Patrick Ritter - Sophomore - Defense

#88 - Shawn Coryell - Sophomore - Keeper - Captain

Head Coach: Jeff Atkinson

Assistant Coach: Sean Grube

Trainer: Lu Sweet

Student Trainer: Jessica Martinez

College President: Dr. Karla Leach

Athletic Director: Dr. Jackie Freeze

The Results for the 2008 WWCC Mustangs were as follows;

Team Record (10 - 8 - 0)

Rocky Mountain Rival - Rock Springs WY - L 4-5 OT (0 - 1 - 0)
Colorado Mountain College - Rock Springs WY - W 3-0 (1 - 1 - 0)
WWCC vs BR Soccer Club - Rock Springs WY - W 5-1 (2 - 1 - 0)

*Western Nebraska CC - Scottsbluff NE - L 0-1 (2 - 2 - 0)

Iowa Western CC - Scottsbluff NE - L 3-4 (2 - 3 - 0)

Univeristy of Wyoming - Laramie WY - W 3 - 1 (3 - 3 - 0)

*LCCC - Rock Springs WY - L 0 - 5 (3 - 4 - 0)

North Idaho College - Salt Lake City UT - L 2 - 8 (3 - 5 - 0)

Colorado Mountain College - Glenwood Springs CO - W 4 - 2 (4 - 5 - 0)

Northwest College - Powell WY - W 6 - 2 (5 - 5 - 0)
Southern Utah University - Provo UT - W 1 - 0 (6 - 5 - 0)
Rocky Mountain Rival - Provo UT - W 1 - 0 (7 - 5 - 0)
University of Utah - Salt Lake City UT - L 1 - 4 (7 - 6 - 0)
*Western NE CC - Rock Springs WY -L 0 - 1 (7 - 7 - 0)
*Laramie County CC - Cheyenne WY - W 2 - 1 (8 - 7 - 0)

Sheridan College - Rock Springs WY - Canceled due to snow

Westminister Reserves - Salt Lake City UT - W 2 - 1 OT (9 - 7 - 0)

Region IX Semi-Final (WWCC vs Western Nebraska) - Rock Springs WY - W 1 - 0 (10 - 7 - 0)Region IX Final (WWCC vs Laramie County) - Rock Springs WY - L 0 - 3 (10 - 8 - 0) -

2007 - The Start of Something Special

After what I felt was a debacle of a year in 2006, I knew we needed new attitudes and new personnel to make Western Wyoming a legitimate contender for the Region IX title. We had a lot of local recruits, from southwest Wyoming, like Tyler Cox, Allen Deru, Colt Klements and Chase Talbot from Evanston WY, Eric Nieters and Michael "Mini" Menegassi from Green River WY and Ashby McCort, Chad Zueck, Jon Allen and Patrick Ritter from Rock Springs WY. We also got some recruits from different parts of the Cowboy state like Micah Draney from Auburn WY, Matt Fagerland and Brandon Schimelpfenig from Buffalo WY with Wyatt Thurston from Lander WY. WWCC also started to use the talent in the state of Utah to their benefit, the recruits from Utah were Dennis Sellis from Hunter High (Taylorsville UT), Sam Taylor and Alex Korth from Box Elder High (Brigham City UT) and the Fab Four from Snow Canyon High (St. George UT) Nic Gonzalez, Chance Trotter, Matt Kolar and Derek Stewart. We spent a lot of time at the beginning of the year to come together as a team. We had two slogans for the year, TEAM FIRST, TEAM ALWAYS. The other slogan was PAY THE PRICE TO LIVE THE DREAM. This team took this slogans to heart and posted a lot of firsts for the program.


Here is the 2007 Team Roster
#0 - Matt Fagerland - Freshman - Keeper
#2 - Matt Kolar - Freshman - Defense
#3 - Tyler Cox - Sophomore - Midfield
#4 - Ashby McCort - Sophomore - Midfield/Defense
#5 - Michael "Mini" Menegassi - Freshman - Defense
#7 - Allen Deru - Freshman - Midfield
#8 - Wyatt Thurston - Freshman - Forward
#9 - Sam Taylor - Freshman - Defense
#10 - Derek Stewart - Freshman - Forward
#11 - Jon Allen - Freshman - Midfield
#12 - Chas Zueck - Sophomore - Midfield
#13 - Colt Klements - Freshman - Midfield
#14 - Alex Korth - Freshman - Midfield/Defense
#15 - Brandon Schimelpfenig - Sophomore - Forward
#17 - Eric Nieters - Sophomore - Midfield
#18 - Dennis Sellis - Freshman - Forward
#19 - Chance Trotter - Freshman - Midfield/Defense
#20 - Chase Talbot - Freshman - Midfield
#21 - Nic Gonzalez - Freshman - Defense
#25 - Patrick Ritter - Freshman - Defense
#26 - Micah Draney - Freshman - Keeper
#88 - Shawn Coryell - Freshman - Keeper
Head Coach - Jeff Atkinson
Assistant Coach - Tyler Gilmore
Student Trainers - Nora Harlow and Jared Miller
Athletic Director - Jackie Freeze




2007 Schedule and Results

Team Record (8 - 9 - 2)
8/24/07 vs University of Great Falls @ Great Falls MT - L (2 - 3) OT
8/30/07 vs Rocky Mountain Xpress @ Kaysville UT - L (3 - 4)
9/1/07 vs Central Wyoming @ Rock Springs WY - W (9 - 0)
9/5/07 vs Western Nebraska @ Rock Springs WY - W (4 - 3) OT
9/6/07 vs LCCC @ Cheyenne WY - T (2 - 2) OT
9/11/07 vs Northwest College @ Powell WY - W (8 - 0)
9/14/07 vs University of Wyoming @ Laramie WY - L (0 - 2)
9/19/07 vs Central Wyoming @ Riverton WY - W (11 - 0)
9/22/07 vs Sheridan College @ Sheridan WY - W (14 - 0)
9/26/07 vs Colorado Mountain College @ Glenwood Springs CO - L (2 - 3)
9/27/07 vs Cloud County (KS) @ Glenwood Springs CO - W (3 - 1)
9/28/07 vs Air Force Prep @ Glenwood Springs CO - T (3 - 3)
10/3/07 vs Rocky Mountain Xpress @ Rock Springs WY - L (1 - 2)
10/5/07 vs LCCC @ Rock Springs WY - L (0 - 7)
10/6/07 vs Northwest College @ Rock Springs WY - W (4 - 3)
10/9/07 vs Western Nebraska @ Scottsbluff NE - L (1 - 4)
10/12/07 vs University of Great Falls @ Rock Springs WY - L (3 - 4) OT
10/13/07 vs Sheridan College @ Rock Springs WY - W (14 - 0)
10/19/07 vs Western Nebraska @ Scottsbluff NE - L (0 - 1)

2007 WWCC Year in Review

The 2007 team was a team of many firsts and many records. We finished the regular season in Region IX in second place their highest regular season finish ever. We got our first Region IX victory ever with an overtime win versus Western Nebraska and we got our first points off of LCCC in the region when we tied them in Cheyenne WY. We scored more goals than any previous year, we also had more victories than any other intercollegiate team in WWCC history.

On an individual basis we had a lot of success and a lot of recognition. Dennis Sellis was the leading scorer in the nation for NJCAA and also the leading point getters in the nation for NJCAA. Dennis was an unanimous 1st team All-Region IX Player. Due to a typo at the Region IX office he was not able to be recognized as an All-American but I am sure he would have been 1st team All-American. Another forward that got some recognition was Derek Stewart, he was 2nd team All-Region IX. Before his injury he was ranked in the top 50 in the nation for scoring. Eric Nieters was a midfielder who was WWCC's first repeat 1st team All-Region IX Player. Chad Zueck was also recognized as a 2nd team All-Region IX Player. Chance Trotter was also voted onto the 2nd team All-Region IX Team as a freshman in the midfield position. WWCC had three defenders who were placed on the All-Region teams; Nic Gonzalez has voted in the 1st team while Sam Taylor and Matt Kolar were 2nd team players.

Many of the players on the 2007 team moved on after just one year, we wish them luck and hope to have many of them back as soon as we can. Dennis Sellis - transferred to Penn State on a soccer scholarship. Derek Stewart - served an LDS mission to Finland. Chance Trotter - served an LDS mission to Mexico and Matt Kolar served an LDS mission to Puerto Rico.

2006 - The first intercollegiate year and the birth of the Mustangs

At the end of the 2005 season, we felt we had made enough of a growth to petition the school to approve the program's step up to a varsity program. At the board meeting of April 2006 the college board approved the move from a co-ed club team to a men's varsity soccer program. They also approved scholarship money to be awarded to the members of the new team. Along with the change in the status of the program the college itself made a change and renamed its athletic teams from Spartans to Mustangs.
Even with a late start to recruiting the recruits that we were able to sign on were good solid recruits. We had seven returning players from the 2005 club team and high hopes to ensure that our promotion was deserved. As a new intercollegiate program we decided to step up our schedule and drop a lot of the games versus club teams and pick up as many games as we could against other intercollegiate programs. In so doing we had to travel for a lot of our games, all in all we traveled 6,685 miles during the course of the season, this was just to get us to the games. The road trips were many, the wins too far in between but the program's growth was cemented and was here to stay. This is the first WWCC Region IX Goal (Vic Hiler vs WNCC in Rock Springs)

Here is the 2006 Team Roster
0 - Brandon Ludtke - Sophomore - Keeper
2 - Jordan Atkinson - Freshman - Forward
3 - Marcus Menegassi - Freshman - Midfield
4 - Brant Harsh - Freshman - Defense
5 - Tyler Gilmore - Sophomore - Defense
6 - Tanner Brimhall - Captain - Sophomore - Defense
7 - Zabdiel Pimental - Freshman - Midfield
8 - Seth Lancaster - Captain - Sophomore - Defense
9 - Willie Padilla - Freshman - Forward
10 - Stephen Taggart - Captain - Sophomore - Defense
11 - Tyler Cox - Freshman - Midfield
12 - Chad Zueck - Freshman - Midfield
13 - JJ Facinelli - Freshman - Midfield
14 - Lionel Sakou - Sophomore - Midfield
15 - Matt Freeman - Sophomore - Forward
17 - Eric Nieters - Freshman - Midfield
18 - Mulugeta Fitamo - Freshman - Midfield
19 - Nick Nelson - Sophomore - Defense
20 - Victor Hiler - Captain - Sophomore - Forward
24 - Brant Makowski - Freshman - Defense
25 - Ben Dietrich - Freshman - Midfield
26 - Jesse Cornejo - Freshman - Keeper
Head Coach - Jeff Atkinson
Assistant Coach - Matt Robles
Student Trainer - Jessica Marshall
Athletic Director - Jackie Freeze


2006 Schedule and Results
Team Results (4 - 13 - 3)
8/25/06 - vs North Idaho College @Coeur d'Alene ID - L (0 - 5)
8/26/06 - vs Madison Dragons @ Rexburg ID - L (1 - 7)
9/2/06 - vs Central Wyoming @ Rock Springs WY - W (9 - 0)
9/8/06 - vs Colorado Mountain College @ Glenwood Springs CO - W (5 - 2)
9/9/06 - vs Western Nebraska CC @Scottsbluff NE - L (0 - 3)
9/12/06 - vs Utah State @ Logan UT - L (0 - 6)
9/15/06 - vs Eastern Utah @ Ogden UT - W (1 - 0)
9/16/06 - vs Utah Valley State @ Ogden UT - L (0 - 3)
9/16/06 - vs Weber State "B" @ Ogden UT - L (0 - 4)
9/19/06 - vs Western Nebraska CC @ Rock Springs WY - L (1 - 5)
9/23/06 - vs LCCC @ Cheyenne WY - L (0 - 2)
9/26/06 - vs Utah State @ Rock Springs WY - L (0 - 4)
9/28/06 - vs Central Wyoming @ Riverton WY - L (1 - 2)
10/3/06 - vs Utah Valley State @ Orem UT - L (1 - 5)
10/7/06 - vs Air Force Prep @ Glenwood Springs CO - T (0 - 0)
10/7/06 - vs Western State @ Glenwood Springs CO - W (2 - 1)
10/8/06 - vs SLCC @ Glenwood Springs CO - L (0 - 5)
10/14/06 -vs Southern Utah @ Cedar City UT - T (3 - 3)
10/14/06 - vs Weber State "A" @ Cedar City UT - T (1 - 1)
10/20/06 - vs LCCC @ Cheyenne WY - L (0 - 6)


2006 WWCC Team Review
The 2006 season for the men's Mustang soccer was a learning experience for the team. As a newly approved NJCAA intercollegiate team the Mustangs faced stiffer competition and many road trips. The Mustangs finished the season with four wins, thirteen losses and 3 ties. Due to being a new team in the NJCAA ranks, the Mustangs had a hard time scheduling home games and played seventeen of their twenty games away from Rock Springs. The Mustangs scheduled and played eleven teams who are in the NJCAA and nine of their opponents were NCAA, or four year schools.
Even through the road trips and the tough opponents the Mustangs were able to find success and progressed as the year progressed. Their last five games saw the Mustangs finish with one win, two losses and two ties. The Mustangs were also able to set many new school records including goals scored in a game (9) and shots in a game (48) both set versus Central Wyoming.
The Mustangs sophomore class leaves with the first state club championship (2005) and the programs first intercollegiate win (5 - 2 versus Colorado Mountain). The Mustangs will miss the sophomore's spirit and desire to win. Finishing their Western Wyoming career are Brandon Ludtke (Keeper), Tyler Gilmore (Defense), Tanner Brimhall (Defense), Seth Lancaster (Defense), Stephen Taggart (Defense), Lionel Sakou (Midfield), Matt Freeman (Forward), Nick Nelson (Defense) and Victor Hiler (Forward). As this sophomore class moves on they leave with various Western Wyoming Soccer career records including most career goals (Victor Hiler - 27), most career offensive points (Victor Hiler - 60), most career starts (Tanner Brimhall - 34) and most career saves (Brandon Ludtke - 225).
The Mustang freshman class was also a bright spot on this year's squad. Thirteen members of the twenty-two team members were freshmen with the majority of them seeing significant playing time throughout the season. In fact, two freshmen started every game this year (Ben Dietrich and Eric Nieters) and four freshman saw action in every half that we played this season (Tyler Cox, Ben Dietrich, Marcus Menegassi and Eric Nieters). The Mustangs will return their second leading scorer (JJ Faceinelli) and seven other freshmen players who recorded offensive points (Tyler Cox, Ben Dietrich, Brant Harsh, Marcus Menegassi, Eric Nieters, Willie Padilla and Chad Zueck). Jesse Cornejo the Mustangs freshman keeper who saw some quality playing time, especially towards the end of the season, recorded 42 saves this season and should be a solid keeper for the Mustangs his sophomore year.

Notes and Memories from the 2006 Season

Our first road trip of the year we took the supposed to be 12 hour trip to North Idaho. The bus was overheating and it took us nearly three hours just to get to Evanston WY. He did get the problem fixed but after a long dinner we pulled into Butte MT very late and the drive the next day was longer that we anticipated. Needless to say we did not play our best in our first intercollegiate game, but we did look good in our road black uniforms. We picked up our first win of the season the next week as we dismantled Central Wyoming College and looked pretty good putting many passes together.

The following week was another terribly long road trip. First we went to Glenwood Springs CO and played Colorado Mountain College. It was also a great game for us, it also saw Victor Hiler score twice in the span of 10 seconds. He stole the kickoff and saw the keeper not paying attention and put in a shot from around half. I remember JJ Facinelli being really sick this trip almost on the verge of needing medical attention. The trip that night from Glenwood Springs to Denver was horrible as the bus was crowded and could not go faster than 30 mph. We got into Denver around 1:30am and we had to leave for Scottsbluff NE at 7:00am so to say the least it was a short night. We made it on time to play Western Nebraska and ended up losing to them and Matt Freeman got a red card with about 1 minute to play in the game.

The next week we were in Utah for games, we played Utah State in Logan during the week and it was really hot and humid. We did not play that great and saw them get an early lead on us. Later on that week we played in the Diadora Tournament in Ogden UT. We had to change venues because there was so much rain. Our first opponent Eastern UT did not show up to the tournament so he got a forfeit. Our second opponent was Utah Valley State. They were a good team but we played them very tough losing our chance to be victorious at the end of the match. The UVSU team ended up winning the tournament. The next day in a mud pit we played what might have been our worst game of the year and lost to Weber State's "B" team talk about a frustrating tournament and start of a season. We had so much potential but could not seem to found our strengths or any consistency.

In the next seven days we played both of our region opponents, losing big to Western Nebraska at home but scoring our first Region IX goal (Victor Hiler on a pk). We also traveled to Cheyenne to face LCCC and played them very tough losing on an early PK and a late insurance goal. Once again our consistency was a factor.

We played Utah State at home and Central Wyoming on the road during the next week. Both of these games were re-matches from earlier games. We played Utah State very tough but could not keep them off of the scoreboard enough, much better than the time before. We were told before the game that one of our team captains Stephen Taggart was in the hospital with emergency appendectomy surgery. We also lost leading scorer Victor Hiler for the next game due to a red card. We then embarrassingly lost to Central Wyoming, a team we destroyed earlier in the year, once again we were never sure what team was going to show up to which games.

Two road trips highlighted the following week, we were tied with Utah Valley at halftime in Orem UT before they pulled away in the second half. The UVSU game is were the work horse award was first discussed and awarded. We also traveled to the Colorado Mountain College Tournament in Glenwood Springs CO. Our first days opponents were Air Force Prep whom we tied zero to zero. The next opponent was Western State from CO who we defeated and we had a chance to win our group with that victory. It all depended on our next game versus Salt Lake Community College. SLCC was a quality team that used some luck with the mud and water in front of our goal to jump on us early. We also missed a handful of shots that we seemed to always hit in other games. Seth Lancaster was sent to the hospital with stitches after a collision with a SLCC player.

The final week of the regular season saw our home finale versus LCCC snowed out and a road trip to Cedar City UT to play both Southern Utah University and Weber State's "A" team. The team was finally becoming more consistent and we were confident that not only could we have defeated LCCC but that we would give the two teams from UT good games. We should have defeated both teams in UT but we just did not know how to finish off teams. We ended with two ties against pretty good teams, but as I said before we should have beaten both of those teams. I still remember Stephen Taggart's goal versus Weber State as he was fouled probably five times on his way to the goal.

The final game of the season was in the Region IX tournament in Cheyenne against LCCC. Just our luck we got to play the host school. Maybe we were overconfident but we let the LCCC team score about 4 goals in a 5-6 minute period at the start of the second half to seal our fate. Our season ended with a lot more losses than we had hoped for and a lot of miles of the old WWCC bus.

2005 - The Beginning of the WWFC and the Last of the Spartans

2005 was the start of my tenure and records for Western Wyoming Soccer Team. I was contacted and hired by the WWCC athletic office during the summer of 2005. I replaced the previous coach Mike Wilkinson (2003-2004), who had moved to Cheyenne WY. I was hired towards the end of August, about a week after the team had planned to start so we started late and with a roster of 7 recruited players. The WWCC team was still a club team at this time, but we had the hopes to move to an intercollegiate (varsity) level as quickly as possible. The players were awarded a $500 stipend for the fall semester, however the college did provide transportation, lodging and money for meals while on the road.

With only 7 recruited players we had open tryouts of anyone in the WWCC student body who was interested. We had 3 players who played with the previous regime and a handful of others that were recruited to come to WWCC. I was also encouraged by the athletics office to allow as many girls as possible on the co-ed club team so we could start a new women's club team. Through the try-outs we had 22 players stay to be a part of the team including 2 girls, 5 people who did not play soccer in high school and 5 international players.

The following is the 2005 Team Preview:
The Spartan soccer team will look to build upon the initial success of the program with more consistency and a deeper team than in years past. This year's team will boast of players from 3 different continents (North America, Africa and Asia). There will also be a very apparent southwest Wyoming flare to the team, with 15 of the 22 team members from southwest Wyoming.
This years edition of Spartan soccer will have a very talented and proven offense. We expect to be able to score goals at a great pace. Returning players captain Josh Cox and Allan Ngogolo will head the offensive attack. Newcomers Victor Hiler, John Abum, Yeon Soo Joung and Lionel Sakou will provide abundant opportunities on the offensive end. Matt Robles, a transfer student, will be an important part of the offense and one of the team's captains. Youngtae Cho, Nick Nelson, David Schultz, Matt Freeman, Adam Tricola and Eric Pasenelli will provide needed depth to the forwards and midfield positions and will be involved often in the Spartan offensive explosion.
Defensively for the Spartans: Tanner Brimhall, Tyler Gilmore, Kory Luczak, Daniel Sorensen and Stephen Taggart will be asked upon to control the Spartan back line. The Defense will be unproven at the college level for the beginning of the year but should grow into one of the strengths of the Spartan team. Kayla Grisamer, Joe Delong and Kelly Klements will provide very capable backups to the stingy Spartan defense .
Brandon Ludtke will be the goalkeeper for the Spartans this year. Many great things are expected from Brandon as he grows better and more confident each practice and game that he plays.

This was the 2005 WWCC Roster
2 - Kayla Grisamer - Freshman - Defense
3 - Josh Cox - Captain - Sophomore - Forward
4 - Joe Delong - Sophomore - Midfield
5 - Tyler Gilmore - Freshman - Defense
6 - Tanner Brimhall - Captain - Freshman - Defense
7 - Youngtae Cho - Freshman - Midfield
8 - Daniel Sorensen - Sophomore - Defense
9 - Allan Ngogolo - Sophomore - Midfield
10 - John Abum - Freshman - Midfield
11 - Yeon Soo Joung - Freshman - Midfield
12 - Eric Pasenelli - Freshman - Midfield
13 - Kelly Klements - Freshman - Defense
14 - Lionel Sakou - Freshman - Midfield
15 - Kory Luczak - Freshman - Defense
16 - Matt Robles - Captain - Sophomore - Midfield
17 - Adam Tricola - Sophomore - Midfield
19 - Nick Nelson - Freshman - Midfield
20 - Victor Hiler - Freshman - Forward
22 - David Schultz - Freshman - Forward
24 - Matt Freeman - Freshman - Forward
25 - Stephen Taggart - Freshman - Midfield
GK - Brandon Ludtke - Freshman - Keeper
Head Coach - Jeff Atkinson
Athletic Director - Jackie Freeze
Student Trainer - Jessica Marshall

Here is the 2005 Schedule and Results - Overall Team Record - (9-4-1)
9/10/05 - vs Snow College @Rock Springs WY - W (6-5)
9/10/05 - vs Central Wyoming @Rock Springs WY - W (5-0)
9/17/05 - vs Laramie County @Cheyenne WY - L (1-2)
9/24/05 - vs Central Wyoming @Riverton WY - W (4 - 2)
9/24/05 - vs Sheridan College @Riverton WY - W (6 - 1)
10/1/05 - vs Laramie County @Rock Springs WY - L (1 - 4)
10/8/05 - vs Air Force Prep @Glenwood Springs CO - W (5 - 1)
10/8/05 - vs University of Colorado "Gold" @Glenwood Springs CO - L (1 - 4)
10/9/05 - vs Weber State "B" @Glenwood Springs CO - W (3 - 1)
10/14/05 - vs Eastern Utah @Price UT - W (5 - 1)
10/15/05 - vs Southern Utah University @Ephraim UT - T (2 - 2)
10/15/05 - vs Snow College @Ephraim UT - L (4 - 5)
10/22/05 - vs Central Wyoming @Riverton WY - W (4 - 0)
10/22/05 - vs Sheridan College @Riverton WY - W (2 - 1)

This following is the 2005 Team Review
The Spartan soccer team finished the 2005 season as Wyoming College Club Soccer Champions. This marks the first state championship for the Spartan soccer program. The Spartans also finished with a winning record of 9 wins 4 loses and one draw. This years installment of the soccer team proved that they could win anywhere by finishing the season with a winning record at home, on the road and at neutral sites.
The offense for the Spartans was its strength. Scoring at least one goal in every game and averaging 3.5 goals per game. The Spartan scoring was lead by Josh Cox with 15 goals and 7 assists (37 offensive points). The second leading scorer for the Spartans was Victor Hiler with 14 goals and 6 assists (34 offensive points). Josh and Victor both ranked near the top 20 scorers for all Junior College players for the 2005 season. Other significant offensive contributors this year were: Matt Robles with 16 offensive points (5 goals, 6 assists), Stephen Taggart with 12 offensive points (5 goals, 2 assists), 11 offensive points (3 foals, 5 assists) for John Abum, 4 goals and 8 offensive points for Allan Ngogolo and 7 offensive points (2 goals and 3 assists) for David Schultz.
Defensively the Spartans allowed an average of 2.0 goals a game and recorded 2 shutouts for the season. With a group of regular starters the defense grew into a reliable and cohesive group. Tanner Brimhall played most of the year at the central defender with Kory Luczak on his left and Tyler Gilmore on his right. Daniel Sorensen proved to be an asset to the team making several starts on the back line especially towards the end of the season. Stephen Taggart's unselfishness proved to be useful as he also made several starts on the defensive side throughout the year.
Brandon Ludtke, the goalkeeper for the Spartans, had 83 saves throughout the course of the season and a save percentage of 76%. Brandon recorded 2 shutouts and in 5 games he only allowed one goal. Brandon played every minute of every game for the Spartans this year.
The 2005 season has by far been the most successful season in the Spartan soccer program, and our future goals are to build upon this season's success.

Notes and Memories from the 2005 season
The 2005 season was one of my most memorable season for me as a coach. To say the least we were a rag tag bunch of players assembled together for one purpose win a state club championship and prove to the college we were deserving of moving on to an intercollegiate level. Even with our lack of experience and some times lack of talent we bonded together as a team and played as one.
Our first game brings my first college coaching experience. We were playing Snow College in Rock Springs and we had a great lead in the game and since we were playing another game later I decided to rest the starter. All the starters were taking off their cleats and guards when the Snow College team stormed back and got within one goal. During their comeback my thoughts went from we still have a good lead to guys get your cleats on right now and get back in the game. Luckily, the starters got back in the game with about 5 minutes to go and we held on to a 6 to 5 win.
My next memory is the following week, we went to Cheyenne to play LCCC. LCCC was the only intercollegiate team in the state at the time. Josh Cox scored early in the game, and to this day I still do not know what that goalie was doing. We just did not have the depth to hang with that team that day but a 2 - 1 score line on their home field was a good result for us that day. I am still a little mad that a former Rock Springs Tiger and a soon to be Western Wyoming soccer player, Seth Lancaster, scored the winning goal for LCCC.
The following weekend we went to Riverton and played two games. In the first game we were faced with some difficulty and found ourselves down by 2 goals but unlike the teams in the past at WWCC we did not fold we came back and beat Central Wyoming 4 - 2.
Another memory is the Glenwood Springs tournament, he first played Air Force Prep and the match got a little heated. AF Prep was called for a penalty, Stephen Taggart buried the PK and then saluted the entire Air Force Prep team. Our next game was against the Colorado "Gold" team, we knew we had to beat them to advance. It was a tight 2 - 1 game when Josh Cox was called offsides on the goal that would have tied it. We went very offensive in the last five minutes of the game, only two fullbacks, and were countered and scored on twice to lose 1 - 4, by the way that team went on to win the National Club championship. And of course the next morning playing Weber State "B" and controlling the game very well, even though we seemed a little tired as if we stayed out too late the night before. And of course the game being called a few minutes early because the Weber State team was fighting amongst themselves. By the way, I am still looking for that game ball we lost there.
Our brutal road trip to UT the following week saw a good team effort out of us on Friday against CEU in Price. I believe this was the start of the Triple A formation (Africans in the front and AA members in the back). The next day in Ephraim we survived a brutal match against SUU with just two injuries that had to be addressed at the hospital; Josh Cox with a broken nose and David Schultz with a dislocated thumb. The following game we played Snow and feel behind 4 - 0 and were without our leading goal scorer. But the entire team stepped it up especially, Tanner Brimhall, Stephen Taggart, Matt Robles and Victor Hiler. We roared back and tied up the game. Then my amigos the referees played a role in the game and red carded Kory Luczak, who had been hurt and I was carrying off the field. Down a man and beat up we allowed a late goal to lose to Snow College.
Of course the last memory would be our state tournament. We demolished Central in the opening game of the tournament. We then saw Central and Sheridan tie, which meant in the tournament set up all we had to do was score one goal and the state championship was ours. We scored early on Sheridn and were tied with Sheridan for most of the game 1 - 1. I also remember asking if we wanted to win our final game to put the icing on the cake for our championship and everyone answered yes. We reorganized ourselves and put in a final effort and scored the game winning goal and won our last game of the season and also our last game with the mascot of the Spartans. If any of you have any comments, memories or pictures of this team feel free to leave them here or e-mail me at jatkinso@wwcc.wy.edu