PSU hockey: Live blogging to earn our keep

Sometimes we here at the Vanguard are forced to earn our cheap plastic media credentials by doing some crazy thing called reporting. Personally, I find it rather presumptuous and demanding, but I really like the pass. It's shiny, and I'm easily amused.

So, tonight we're at the Valley Ice Arena in Beaverton, bringing you, our dear readers, a live-blog glimpse of the second in a two-game series between the Portland State hockey club and the team from the University of Oregon.

Last night's match-up ended in favor of the Ducks, who ran away with the game early with a 5-2 lead after two periods. Halfway into the third, two PSU goals in under a minute made it an interesting 5-4 game, but the Viks couldn't get the puck into the net to tie it up and Oregon skated off the ice with a 6-4 win after an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left.

Read more after the jump!

Next stop: Soccer championship

Call them hard working. Call them efficient. But whatever you do, call them the regular season conference champions.

That's the title the Portland State women's soccer team earned after closing the season out with a 4-1-2 conference record, and 10-6-3 overall. The Vikings continue into the postseason as conference champs for the second time in school history this weekend, when they will host the Big Sky Championship at PCC-Rock Creek.

The first semifinal match will feature Idaho State against Eastern Washington at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. The first-placed Vikings will then square off against fourth-seeded Northern Arizona at 4 p.m. in a rematch of last year's semifinal. In that meeting, Northern Arizona trumped the Viks with a 1-0 victory.

The winners of each semifinal will have a day to rest before facing off in the championship match on Sunday at 11:00 a.m., with the winner earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

This marks the third consecutive postseason appearance by the Vikings' soccer squad--a first in school history. In both 2007 and 2008, the Viks fell in the semifinals. The last time Portland State won the conference title was in 2004 with a record of 4-1-1. That year they lost to Weber State, 2-0, also in the semifinals.

Hockey Fight Friday

We're going to keep this going. Why, you ask. Because we can, that's why.

This Week in Big Sky Football

The weekly audio from the conference call with the media and Portland State football's head coach Jerry Glanville is up and ready for a listen. 

Sacramento State's head coach starts off the file, and after Glanville is Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton.

Glanville, who's birthday was today, also appears on this week's edition of "This Week in Big Sky Football." 

Joining him on the bill are Sacramento State offensive lineman Clint Lessard and David Coulson, executive director of FCS football for the Sports Network.

Enjoy, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERRY! Can I call you Jerry? Coach? J.G.?

 

Thoughts on the Northern Colorado football game

by Allison Whited, Vanguard staff

I'm going to continue my new tradition of providing personal commentary about the week's football game in a very relaxed way. I apologize for missing last week, but it was a hectic weekend with family coming in.

At the two practices I was able to attend this week, there was a different tone than that of weeks past. It was as if everyone had a chip on his shoulder, which I suppose they really should.

Offensive coordinator Jim Craft was ripping into his guys for a variety of reasons, mostly I think, because of some poor execution and failed follow-through.

One of the more interesting things I saw was a skirmish between receiver Ray Fry and defensive back Daniel Kinney. Fry was angry about a hit Kinney put on a receiver along the sidelines, and he definitely let Kinney know about it. 

In the end, they had to be separated and I noticed Fry missing from practice the next day.

Click below to read more after the jump

Hockey Fight Friday

Sometimes weekends just need a good kick-start to get them going. Other times, they need vintage footage of one of the best parts of hockey--the fights.

So, to help start your weekend off with a BANG, POW and a KA-BLAM-O, here's a classic brawl from the 1989 NHL playoffs between goalie Ron Hextall and Chris Chelios.

And remember kids, goalies are to be feared! There is something inherently wrong with a person that allows others to shoot hard rubber pucks at them for 60 minutes.

"This Week in Big Sky Football" and coaches conference call podcast, Oct. 7

The weekly conference call with Portland State football's head coach Jerry Glanville is available. This week he's the third coach on the podcast after the head's of Eastern Washington and Sacramento State.

The newest installment of "This Week in Big Sky Football" is also up. The guests this week are Northern Arizona's coach Jerome Souers, Montana State safety Kevin Retoriano and David Coulson, the executive director for the Sports Network.

Enjoy!