The Main Event
Eagle Point at Thurston girls soccer
■ Game facts: Saturday, Oct. 15, 1 p.m . at the Les Schwab Sports Park, Springfield
■ What2Know: No. 4 Thurston hosts No. 15 Eagle Point in a Midwestern League matchup. The Colts have been led all year on offense by seniors Ella Dzmura and Kylie Jones and sophomore Yocelin Florido. Meanwhile on defense, the Colts have posted five shutouts thanks to senior goalkeeper Gabrielle Gilbert.
■ Pierre’s take: The Colts have one of the best teams in the state, and a win against a good Eagle Point team in a Midwestern League matchup would be big for coach Benton Canaga’s team.
VOLLEYBALL
■ Cottage Grove has its final matches of the season this week, first at the Marshfield tournament on Saturday, where it faces No. 1 Marshfield. The Lions will host No. 11 Marist on Tuesday.
■ No. 6 Creswell came into the year with three top returners – Lizabelle Osborn, Kimberlee Kelsey, and Kendyl Whitson – who have stepped up all year. The Bulldogs will need a full team effort as they travel to No. 1 Sisters. A win would put Creswell in a great spot before its last two games – at home against La Pine and Elmira.
■ No. 5 Pleasant Hill has its final two games of the year, vs. Harrisburg and at No. 8 Siuslaw, both teams that the Billies have already swept. Pleasant Hill is firmly in the playoffs, but seeding is at play.
■ SHS has a nearly impossible road to the playoffs, but the Millers could play spoiler for other teams. Springfield has two games this week, first at No. 20 Churchill tonight before hosting Thurston on Wednesday.
■ No. 11 Thurston has won three in a row, and travels to No. 14 North Eugene and rival Springfield this week. The Colts were swept at home last time against N. Eugene.
BOYS SOCCER
■ No. 13 Cottage Grove sits in a good spot for the playoffs, and should boost that ranking this week. The Lions finish their season against two of the bottom teams in their class – North Bend and Junction City – before hosting No. 19 Marist to end the season next Thursday. Senior Aldo Rea has 15 goals on the season, and could make a strong case for Sky-em player of the year.
■ Creswell, unbeaten in four of its past five games, is teetering just on the edge of the playoff bubble. The Bulldogs need wins in their last two games against Crosshill and Elmira, and if they do that, they might sneak into the postseason.
■ Pleasant Hill has an important final game this week against the team directly above them in the Mountain Valley Conference. The defending champion Billies host Central Linn in a matchup that will likely determine the second seed coming out of the MVC.
■ No. 9 Springfield starts its final stretch of the season next Wednesday at Churchill. The Millers sit in first place in the Midwestern League, but have Ashland and Crater right on their heels.
■ Thurston is on the bubble, and has two Midwestern League games this week vs. No. 20 Eagle Point on Saturday and at North Eugene on Tuesday.
GIRLS SOCCER
■ Cottage Grove has a 2-7 record, but isn’t out of the playoffs yet. It will take a near-miracle run, but the Lions have winnable games against No. 16 North Bend and Junction City before hosting No. 1 Marist next Thursday.
■ Creswell broke its four-game losing streak last week by beating Siuslaw, but the losing streak put the Bulldogs just outside the playoffs. The Bulldogs need to take care of business against Elmira and Santiam Christian before hosting Pleasant Hill.
■ No. 9 Pleasant Hill, unbeaten in its past five, finishes its season with a road trip. The Billies face No. 6 Central Linn, in a game that might crown the conference champ. The Billies then face Creswell in both teams’ final game of the season.
■ No. 6 Springfield will need to beat No. 17 Churchill in its only game this week if the Millers hope to stay in competition for the league crown.
