Jason Walker, UP Sports Information Director
Great Falls, Mont. - The University of Providence men and women head west again this weekend for night matches at Eastern Oregon (Friday) and College of Idaho (Saturday). Both teams are looking to pick up points be it draws or wins against their Cascade Conference opponents. For the women, they will start Friday in La Grande, Ore., trying to match up with the Mountaineers who sit tied for fifth with Southern Oregon at 3-1-1 in CCC (Cascade Collegiate Conference) play. Eastern Oregon is ranked 24th in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll and is 6-2-2 overall and led by Erika Skindlov who has tallied a team high four goals and 10 points this season. In all, 13 different Mounties have found the back of the net in 2022 and the team has outscored its opponents 21-6. In goal, Madeline Barker is the main stopper with 10 starts making 25 saves along the way.
The College of Idaho is also ranked in the Top 25 coming in this week at number 22. The Yote women are 8-1-1 overall and sit in a three-way tie atop the Cascade standings with Northwest (Wash.) and Carroll College. All three teams have 13 points with the College of Idaho 4-0-1 in league play. The Yotes have outscored their opponents 30-8 and have a staggering 178-81 advantage in total shots over the opposition. Gianna Yslava has scored five goals to go along with three assists for a team high of 13 points. Goalkeeper Hannah McFadden has stopped 28 shots and has a .778 save percentage.
Providence looks to find more balance and more pressure. The Argos have been outscored 24-4 on the year with Tihanee Freitas breaking through for a goal last week in a loss at Oregon Tech. Providence enters the match Friday 1-6-1, 1-3-1 on the season and currently sits eight in the Cascade standings. Head Coach Heather Blandford says this is a good opportunity for her squad this weekend, "This is a quick turnaround as we hit the road for the second week in a row against two top level opponents. It is always exciting to have the chance to compete against some of the best in the NAIA, which is what we will see this weekend. Our focus will continue to be on applying the things we have been working on in trainings and having confidence and composure on the ball when under pressure."
The Providence women play Eastern Oregon Friday at 5:30 PM MDT and at the College of Idaho Saturday at 5 PM.
The Argo men are also looking to pick up points this weekend and trying for that first win of the year. Providence is 0-5-1 overall, 0-4-1 in the Cascade. Last weekend the Argos were outscored 11-0 as the offense struggled to keep pace. That could change this weekend against Eastern Oregon and the College of Idaho. The Mountaineers have scored the same number of goals as they have given up this fall (13) and have been outshot 120-106. Max Rose leads EOU with four goals with Dalton Mauzay allowing all 13 goals against. Eastern Oregon is 5-4-1 overall, 2-3 in the CCC.
The College of Idaho sits fourth in the league with a 3-2 record and is 5-3-1 overall. COI has outpaced its opponents 23-11 led by Joao Bastos and Eric Hornung who each have four goals. The Argos have allowed 24 goals through six matches while scoring four of their own. The Providence-Eastern Oregon match starts at 6:30 PM MDT Friday with Saturday's match at COI starting at 8 PM.
All four matches for the men and women can be watched with live stats also available at www.upargos.com.
