“This year it seemed that people picked up on the game faster than last,” Scott said. “It was a blast to have so many people just dive into a game so strange and new. I had a great time laughing at people having no idea what was going on.”

Missed out on gah this year? Start practicing for next year.

“It’s definitely happening again,” Scott said.

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All photos by Kenneth Mabry.

The women lost to Eastern, 80-71, while the men fought for a tight 75-73 victory.

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Emily Tsugawa takes a shot against OIT Jan. 30. Photo by Josh Millikan.

With a twelve point cushion going into the second half, Corban College woman’s basketball team could not hold off the Hustlin’ Owls of Oregon Institute of Technology Saturday night at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

“We had a great first half but we just couldn’t hang on in the second. We haven’t been playing as a team and that’s not going to cut it if we want to win games,” sophomore Katie Steigleman said.

Steigleman led the Warrior’s in scoring with ten points; however, it was not enough against fifth place Oregon Tech.

In her first collegiate start, Ashlee Jensen scored a career high of eight points, shooting 100 percent from the field. Sophomore Becky Buhler aided Steigleman’s ten points with nine.

Jennesa Miller grabbed 12 boards while Emily Tsugawa added a tying career high of six assists.

“OIT shot the lights out from the three point line and we couldn’t stop them defensively in the second half,” Jensen said.

Falling quickly behind in the first half, Corban used a 13-3 run to clutch a six-point lead against the Owls. Tied 15 all with just under ten minutes remaining in the first half, a lay-in by Lyon gave the Warrior’s the surge they needed to pull through going into half time with a score of 33-21.

Starting the second half, Corban watched as the Owls went on a 20-1 run to defeat the Warrior’s 54-60. With two minutes left in the game, OIT was up one, 55-54. A three pointer by Owls leading-scorer Lisa Busch and quick lay-in from Kelsey New was too much for the Warriors to handle.

 With Saturday night’s loss, the Warriors fall to 4-9 in conference play while Oregon Tech moves to 7-6, with only five conference games left.

Junior Jennesa Miller said, “We weren’t ready to play a full game tonight. As a team we have to move past this loss and focus on our games this coming weekend.”

Louis-Claude Nguea-Njoh

He has the biggest smile around; someone who loves life to the fullest and brings his intense personality to everything he undertakes. Louis-Claude Nguea-Njoh is a Cameroonian national who came to the U.S. to pursue soccer at the college level.

“I actually swam all the way across,” he said with a laugh.

Louis-Claude Nguea-Njoh, or “LC” as his friends and acquaintances call him, may be here in the States, but he has never forgotten his heritage. As a boy growing up in Douala, the commerce capital of Cameroon, Louis-Claude found an intense passion for the game that “is played on every street corner.” At a very young age, he was handed the proverbial “ball” and ran with it.

“The word football (soccer) is in the mouth of every member of my family regardless of their gender,” said Nguea-Njoh.

His grandfather, Enumedi Guillaume, was the original captain of the “The Indomitable Lions,” the Cameroonian national soccer team.

“I was heavily influenced, along with my family, by my grandfather’s status as captain,” said Nguea-Njoh. “It was tremendous.”

In the streets of Douala, LC, along with other children, he never stopped playing the game he loved.

“I picked up my style in the streets with the other kids,” he said. “We would dribble around aimlessly, trying new tricks that we saw our heroes and role models do.”

Another attribute Louis-Claude thanks the streets for is his toughness.

“It is true for me to say that in the streets, it’s really rough,” he said. “It’s like playing in a universe of anarchy.”

At a young age, LC made strides on club teams and started to turn heads.

“My tactics and sense of positioning I attribute to my youth teams and coaches.”

Nguea-Njoh found his niche and excelled as a member of AS Koumassi and Mbanya FC.

“I began developing and became a complete player,” he said.

As a 17-year-old, Louis-Claude found himself standing in a penalty kick area, mere feet away from stardom. In the most prestigious club soccer tournament in Douala, LC had the opportunity to send his club home with a momentous win if he beat the keeper. He approached the ball and drove it to the back of the net, sealing the win.

“I have (many) favorite soccer moments,” he said. “If I had to pick just one, it would be that.”

Not only was he the youngest player on his squad, but his efforts also garnered him the MVP award for the entire tournament.

After he graduated from high school, he sensed a need to go overseas to learn another of his passions: business.

“Now more than ever, English has become the language of business,” he said. “I knew that if I came to the United States, I would learn the English language. This would open doors for lucrative jobs in Cameroon.”

Before Corban, LC settled in the Seattle area at Skagit Community College. After spending two years in Washington, he moved south to Corban to further his education and began playing competitive soccer once more.

“I came here for my education, soccer and most importantly, my spiritual growth.”

As an accounting major, Louis-Claude has excelled in the business department. Along with business, he enjoys psychology and its facets.

On Corban’s soccer squad, Nguea-Njoh quickly infused his team with his tough mentality.

“He is a fantastic player and knows the game very well,” said senior teammate Jared Rust. “I love playing with him side-by-side.”

Standing behind Nguea-Njoh’s midfield line, sophomore defender Nolan Dempster instantly recognized Louis-Claude’s impact.

“I love playing with him; he’s the type of player every team needs,” Dempster said. “Once he steps on the field, he is a momentum shifter and will cause things to happen; he’s so much fun to play with on the field.”

LC and teammate Ayouba Moussa quickly found common ground in their shared language of French.

After Corban, Nguea-Njoh hopes to someday return to his native Cameroon.

 “I hope to go back to my home country someday,” he said. “I want to gain experience (here in the States) after I graduate (before then).”

Jared Rust (background) and Collin Box observing their Willamette Club team practicing at Willamette University’s soccer field. Photo by Mark Flores

They are on the fast track in a field that has very few openings.

Junior Collin Box and senior Jared Rust have a rare opportunity to coach at the collegiate level. Even more rare is the fact that the two former Corban soccer men are coaching their peers. Transitioning from players to managers, Box and Rust are leading Willamette University men’s soccer club team.

Box, who suffered a series of injuries, ended his competitive playing days at Corban in 2008. Since then, he has kept himself busy on the sidelines trading his soccer boots for a clipboard and whistle. A heralded player in his own right, he has given back to the community through youth soccer programs. He found an opening at the Cascade Futbol Club, which teaches the game to youngsters up to college age.

“Last fall was the first time in my entire life that I was not able to play,” he said. “I wanted to stay around the game, so I called up my old club and they gave me the job.”

Now Box is the head coach of the U-11 (11-year-old) boys’ Barcelona Club that bridges “the gap between recreational and competitive soccer” and an assistant coach for a U-13 girls’ squad.

This year, Willamette called upon Box after several Bearcat players mentioned him to university officials. After accepting the post, Box threw around ideas with Rust.

“We were shooting the breeze about how we both wanted to coach, and he offered me the assistant’s job. I accepted,” said Rust.

A senior who finished his collegiate soccer career this month, Rust hopes to keep coaching.

“I’ve always wanted to see the development of the game. There is no better way than to coach,” he said.

Willamette’s club team offers players a chance to maintain their skills when they cannot dedicate a large amount of time to the sport for a variety of reasons.

“This club gives players who can’t maintain the commitment of a collegiate season the opportunity to practice and continue to hone their skills without the time constraints,” said Rust.

And sharpen their skills they do. Willamette’s club team has faced stiff competition by playing Division I opponents Portland State and the University of Portland, among others.

Another avenue that Box and Rust recognize in coaching is the chance to spread the gospel.

“This is the most awesome thing about getting this coaching position at Willamette,” Box said. “I have felt called to reach out to students at Willamette this semester, and this definitely provides me an opportunity for friendships.”

The two coaches feed off each other in their ideology of the sport and in the central role that Christ has in every undertaking.

“I have already had chances to talk with some of my players about Jesus,” Box said. “Having Jared as my assistant is incredible. We both see the game the same way and have the same thoughts about how to coach. It’s also really cool to have another guy who loves Jesus to be able to partner with in order to share the gospel to our players,” Box said.