WOMEN'S SOCCER: NOW IS THE FOCUS

Coach Michael Farrand's teams have improved every year during his 10-year tenure as the CWU soccer coach, culminating with last year's 10-7-3 finish and a regional ranking. The next step in the soccer team's progression is to make the NCAA Division II playoffs and the task at hand for Farrand and his 2009 squad is to do it "NOW."

"For the last few years, the words around our program have been, 'what could have been' or 'when we get this, we'll be able to do that,'" Farrand explained. "And this year our mantra is to quit using those words and to simply say 'NOW,' meaning let's accomplish our goals now."

Two seniors who have helped Farrand establish a vastly improved foundation and are primed to help reach the 'NOW' are goalkeeper Amber Easterbrook (Kent, Washington/Kentwood High School) and defender Jessica Andrews (Spanaway, Washington/Bethel High School).

"Both Amber and Jess typify who we are. They're great leaders, fast, demanding, and they're willing to learn," Farrand said. "They're great girls; I love these girls."

Easterbrook and Andrews are from the same recruiting class, though neither was heavily recruited out of high school. "Jess was on a poor club team, but she ended up leading that team to the club championship," Farrand recalled. "And Amber wasn't heavily recruited, but she was a consistent goalkeeper."

Turns out that Easterbrook's consistency and Andrews' hard work helped CWU develop one of the strongest defensive units in the conference last season. Easterbrook set Central school records for shutouts in a season (7) and in a career (15), and she gave up less than one goal per game.

She's quick to share the credit with Andrews and her other defenders. "Jess takes care of things in front of me, so the ball never comes to me," Easterbrook explained. "She made a diving header last year that was amazing. I made a save, but the ball rebounded to one of the opponents who went to shoot at the goal again and Jess dove at the ball and knocked it out of the way with her head."

And Andrews is just as complimentary of her teammate. "Our defense requires a lot of communication and Amber's always back there telling us where to go and what to watch out for," she said.

The duo was so effecti ve that CWU's defense reached the regional rankings in different defensive statistical categories last season, and CWU as a team enjoyed its first above-.500 conference record in eight seasons as a league member.

"People need to understand that we compete in the toughest conference and region in the country," Farrand claimed. "Last year, two teams from our conference made it to the Final 16 and Seattle Pacific won the National Championship. There are no 'gimme' games in this conference."

CWU has been improving every year it's been in the GNAC, but one major goal has eluded the Wildcats and that's the NCAA playoffs. This year's team, under the direction of Farrand and the leadership of Easterbrook and Andrews, is looking to achieve that next step and make the playoffs NOW.

Seniors Amber Easterbrook (left ) and Jessica Andrews (right) are the backbones of a Wildcat defense that allowed less than one goal per game in 2009.