The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: HSU Lumberjacks

  • HSU Basketball bounces back after COVID-19

    HSU Basketball bounces back after COVID-19

    Basketball season is speeding up this month with both the men’s and women’s teams heading on to away games.

    The women’s team continued their competitive season with a game that resulted in double overtime and a loss for Humboldt State.

    “This (week) will be a tough stretch for us,” Coach Michelle Bento-Jackson said. “It’s a road trip that involves both a northern and southern team so the travel, in general, will be more gruesome than normal road trips.”

    The team will travel to play against East Bay and Dominguez Hill. East Bay is currently undefeated and, similar to HSU has a strong defense.

    “We had an outbreak of COVID within our team,” Coach Bento-Jackson said. “Since we came back from break we only had two practices under our belt.”

    With the team recovered and back to regular practice they have their spirits high and are keeping up with COVID-19 protocol to have safe games throughout the season.

    The men’s team is continuing their competitive season which has been a struggle with more COVID-19 outbreaks.

    “I’m always worried about one of my guys getting COVID,” Coach Tae Norwood said. “We test frequently. We test before we play our opponents.”

    The players are also very responsible for their personal safety against COVID-19 with social distancing, wearing their masks, and avoiding large gatherings. The players have a 100% vaccination rate and a 95% booster rate.

    “I really focus on the effort from my guys,” Coach Norwood said. “They play hard but we gotta do a better job of executing it.”

    The basketball players will be continuing to practice and work on their defense before their games against East Bay and Dominguez Hill this week. AJ Sims is back and continuing as the leadership of the team and the best shooter. With more players stepping up, the team is hopeful about the rest of the season.

    • #23 Thomas Melonja in the Saturday game against the Cal Poly Pamona Broncos Jan. 15
    • #20 Jaden Edwards against the Cal Poly Pamona Broncos on Saturday Jan. 15
    Photos by Morgan Hancock
  • Overtime Goal Sends Jacks Past Gators

    Overtime Goal Sends Jacks Past Gators

    Humboldt State women’s soccer beat San Francisco State in overtime

    After experiencing a rough patch in last weekend’s Southern California matches, the Jacks focused on rejuvenating their strategies against San Francisco State.

    In the first half, SF State fought hard for ball possession, creating shot opportunities that were met with resistance from Jacks’ goalkeeper Katelin Talbert.

    Midfielder Lindsey Stoner broke through and took a shot on goal, but a slide save by San Francisco player Illiana Gallegos deflected the effort. Shortly after, the Jacks were presented with a second shot attempt by midfielder Sabine Postma, but the crossbar above the net deflected the ball.

    The pressure put on SF’s offense forced them to shoot the ball during untimely situations. Although HSU had fewer shots during the first half, the up-close-and-personal tactics from the Jacks created an uneasy atmosphere that made it difficult for SF to focus.

    Lindsay Stoner battles the SF State defender at the edge of the penalty area. | Photo by Liam Warner

    The first period concluded with an impressive show of speed as both teams made a final push to add a point on the board. The second period saw a shift in strategy for SF as they began the period with an immediate shot on goal, which was quickly met with a save by Talbert.

    The Jacks found themselves in another overtime scenario, and the team gathered around Head Coach Paul Karver to discuss their strategy. After the time-out, Stoner was back on possession and broke through for a scoring chance. She was thwarted, but moments later would return with the help of Pikake Hix to score the game-winning goal.

    After the excitement settled down and players cleared the field, Talbert spoke on the team’s ability to remain calm and play steady.

    “When they play the ball back to me the other team doesn’t press as hard,” Talbert said. “It helps since our players are already on edge and need some time to focus.”

    Lindsay Stoner reflected on her teams’ effective offense strategies, which helped the Jacks secure a much-needed overtime win over SF.

    • #7 Rose Harman shields the SF State defender from the ball. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • Pikake Hix chases after the ball during the game against SF State. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • Kelsey Bess tries to draw the foul from #5 Kelsie Bozart. | Photo by Liam Warner

    “We made them nervous,” Stoner said. “We kept attacking them and kept them on their toes because we knew we needed this goal and we were inspired to win it.”

    Stoner produced six shots against SF and stayed consistent with keeping the rhythm going.

    The focus for now is the upcoming weekend as HSU squares off against Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. Karver expects the opponents to be resilient towards the Jacks as their quest to secure points continues.

    “These are teams with two very polarizing styles of play, not the prettiest of football since there will be a lot of fouls and awkward emotion afterwards,” Karver said. “We got the points we needed today, and now we gotta get six more next weekend, but it’s one game at a time, and we’re really excited to have the opportunity.”

    Two games remain and the Jacks look forward to getting more points before the end of the season. This weekend the Jacks will host Dominguez Hills and Cal-State LA for afternoon games at College Creek Field.

    • Lindsay Stoner brings the ball up the field with an SF State player trailing. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • Jacks’ midfielder Kelsey Bess is fouled from behind by an SF State player. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • Kelsey Bess goes stride-for-stride with #19 Katelyn Patterson of SF State. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • Kelsey Bess corrals the ball at her feet during the game against SF State. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • #4 Kendal Spencer holds off SF State defender #7 Kylie Schneider. | Photo by Liam Warner
    • #22 Pikake Hix celebrates with her teammates after the overtime victory. | Photo by Liam Warner
  • Rivals Clash on the Volleyball Court

    Rivals Clash on the Volleyball Court

    Jacks play constant back and forth match against Chico, but drop final set

    The Humboldt State volleyball team rallied late in their Friday match against Chico State, but came up short in the final set.

    After dropping the first two sets to Chico, Humboldt battled to take the next pair of sets. The final set resulted in their second 2-3 loss in 10 days.

    Summer Hansen led the Jacks with 15 kills, followed by Lenox Loving with 11 and teammates Lexi Riggs and Emma Flewell, who both recorded six kills.

    • Emma Flewell serves the ball during the Jacks’ match against Chico State at Lumberjack Arena on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Summer Hansen shows her appreciation for the home crowd’s support after the Jacks’ match against Chico State at Lumberjack Arena on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt’s outside hitter Lenox Loving fights to keep the play alive during the Jacks’ match against Chico State at Lumberjack Arena on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    The first set started off well for the Jacks as Juliana Bertolucci opened up scoring with a service ace, meaning that Chico didn’t have a chance to touch the ball.

    The middle stages of the set were a constant back-and-forth with neither side able to find the definitive edge. During the closing minutes of the set, the Jacks found a five-point run to tie the set but conceded the next six to lose by 19-25.

    The second set was similar to the first as the Jacks scored before trading scoring runs with the Wildcats. Chico grabbed an advantage and took the set by a score of 21-25.

    Humboldt seemed to find another gear in their offensive strategy. From scoring the first point of the set to closing out the frame with a score of 25-16.

    Humboldt State’s Mailai Coyle jups up to hit the ball as her teammates on the sideline watch on during the Jacks’ match against Chico State at Lumberjack Arena on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    Head Coach Kelly Wood attributed the turn around to well-executed play and a few changes made between sets.

    “We mixed it up a little bit with Lenox,” Wood said. “They were keying on her early and we just changed up the set location for her. It was working, so that allowed her to get going a little bit. And then Summer started going.”

    It wasn’t just the offensive side of the game that saw improvement for the Jacks. Wood was quick to point out how the strong defensive effort helped the shift in momentum from the team through the third and fourth sets.

    “Our defense was good,” Wood said. “Everything just tightened up a little bit, and it just shifted. The momentum shifted our way.”

    • Kelly Wood talks to her team in a timeout during the Jacks’ match against Chico State at Lumberjack Arena on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • HSU freshman Riley Tishlarich battles against Chico State’s players during the Jacks’ match on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Odelia Ryan makes a diving effort to keep the play alive during the Jacks’ match against Chico State on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • HSU’s Summer Hansen jumps up to hit the ball during the Jacks’ match against Chico State on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt State’s other athletes showed up loud and proud to support the volleyball team as they rallied back to take Chico State to the fifth set during their match at Lumberjack Arena on Nov. 1. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    The Jacks rounded out the set putting together a seven-point run to finish off the set 25-17.

    The match culminated in the fifth and final set with Humboldt scoring first. Yet, Chico came back, pushing through a 13 point rally in a set that is only contested to 15. The Jacks came up short in another set loss of 4-15.

    Wood acknowledged that it was difficult to go through another loss but that there were still positives to be taken away from the team’s play. Wood said that is where the focus is for the remainder of the season.

    “It’s hard to have a lot of confidence in yourself when you’re having a losing season,” Wood said. “But we know that we can play well at times. We just have to believe in ourselves a little bit more and have that confidence when it gets down to crunch time.”

  • HSU Shuts Out Stanislaus State

    HSU Shuts Out Stanislaus State

    Humboldt State capitalizes on strong offense and outstanding defense to defeat Warriors

    Coming into Sunday’s match, the men’s soccer team had dropped an agonizing match to Chico State, setting the stage for a dominant game against the visiting Stanislaus State Warriors.

    Humboldt showed up strong for the home crowd, exhibiting their goal-scoring prowess by netting three. Meanwhile, Stanislaus was unable to make a mark on the scoresheet. With 24 goals on the season, the Jacks now average three goals a game and play with the defense to back up the scoring.

    The first half of the match saw fairly even play between the two teams, with both sides rushing forward to test the defenses. The Jacks’ defense allowed six shots in the first half but goalkeeper Robert Quintero stood tall in net, making three saves early on to hold the Warriors scoreless. On the offensive end of things, the Jacks failed to capitalize on a few free and seemed unable to sustain pressure in Stanislaus’ defensive zone putting just 5 shots on the board with all sailing wide of the mark.

    • Freshman midfielder Nicolas Falco leaps into his waiting teammates as he celebrates his first goal in CCAA competetion for Humboldt State against Stanislaus to make the score 2-0 during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt State midfielder/forward Angel Rodriguez (14) and mid fielder Israel Gonzalez (10) go to work on a set play from the corner kick during their match against Stanislaus on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • HSU midfielder Dylan Tovani throws the ball in during the team’s match against Stanislaus on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field as the home crowd watches on. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    The second half of the contest saw a much more aggressive start from Humboldt State, who were immediately making deep runs into the Stanislaus side of the pitch. It wasn’t just the offense who came out looking assertive however, with Quintero coming out of the net to make a perfectly-timed tackle in the middle of the Warrior’s attack. With confidence in the defense’s ability, Jacks’ forward, Isaiah Dairo, found the back of the goal just 10 minutes into the half to score his team-leading sixth goal of the season and put Humboldt up 1-0.

    The scoring would not stop there. Freshman midfielder, Nicolas Falco, buried the first goal of his college career into the top of the Warrior’s net only 15 minutes later. Following his goal, Falco made a beeline to the Jacks’ sideline jumping into a sea of his teammates all clearly ecstatic to him get on the board.

    With a 2-0 score in their favor, Humboldt State eased back just a bit on the offensive front, focusing on making safe plays in the interest of protecting the lead. Even with a more defensive approach for the final stages of the game, Jacks’ midfielder/forward Devin Hauenstein chipped the ball over Stanislaus goalkeeper Justin Motzkus to score the home team’s third and final goal of the match.

    • Humboldt State forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein gestures to the hear the crowd cheer louder after scoring the Jacks’ third and final goal of their 3-0 shutout against Stanislaus on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt State forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein watches as his shot that cleared Stanislaus goalkeeper Justin Motzkus’ head goes into the goal during the second half to score the final goal of the day for the Jacks in a 3-0 shutout on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field.
    • Humboldt State sophomore Devin Hauenstein is fouled by Stanislaus defenseman Carlos Amaya during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Forward Isaiah Dairo challenges Stanislaus goalkeeper Justin Motzkus during the second half as Motzkus tries to clear the ball during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt State forward Isaiah Dairo squares up to the net before scoring the Jacks’ first goal of the game on the way to a 3-0 shutout against Stanislaus during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    Following his shutout performance for the Jacks, Quintero was very positive, noting that it was a strong overall performance from the team which led to their success.

    “The last few games we really stepped up defensively,” Quintero said. “Today we just put it all together. Everyone stepped up, we had each other’s back on the defensive end. No goals, so that’s always good to get a shutout.”

    Head Coach Fred Jungemann was also impressed with Quintero’s performance in goal and the confidence that it brought to the whole defensive line.

    “Rob’s a senior leader for us and he’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Jungemann said. “When he plays like he did today, he gives the defense so much confidence and self-belief. He’s a big part of everything we’re doing back there, and I’m really happy for them to get the shutout the way they played and, obviously, Rob was a big part of that.”

    Humboldt State forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein battles for the ball with Stanislaus defenseman Adolfo Maldonado during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | | Photo by Thomas Lal

    With the win on Sunday, the Jacks moved to 5-3 this season and were able to put Friday’s loss behind them in resounding fashion. Jungemann was happy to have picked up the second game but still saw room for improvement from the weekend as a whole.

    “I don’t think we can ever get past losing some points,” Jungemann said. “But certainly winning points today will give us a good taste in our mouths and hopefully give us something to build towards for next weekend.”

  • Fall’s 1st Athletic Press Conference

    Fall’s 1st Athletic Press Conference

    Coaches and players from HSU’s volleyball, cross country and soccer teams spoke about the upcoming season

    The fall sports season is almost underway here on the North Coast and head coaches and select players from Humboldt State’s volleyball, cross-country and soccer teams were in the press room at Lumberjack Arena to discuss their upcoming season.

    They talked about their previous season of play, along with their expectations and strategy against their opponents. The mood in the room was hopeful and optimistic as each sport has its entire upcoming season around the corner.

    Volleyball

    Lumberjack volleyball started their 2019 season on September 6th at the Toro Classic in Carson, CA on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills. After a winless 2018 conference play season, the volleyball team finished with an overall record of 3-23. Head Coach Kelly Wood is determined to change the dynamic going into this season.

    “We don’t want to go through that again, we don’t want to end on another losing streak,” Wood said. “They worked really hard on the basics again, serving and passing and all that, but also are having a lot of tough and difficult conversations.”

    Despite past struggles, Wood seemed hopeful with the group of players that she has going into the 2019 season.

    “I just think we’re all on the same page, and we all have a little more faith and a little more trust in one another,” Wood said.

    Cross-Country

    While all other sports start out on the road, the men’s and women’s cross country teams start their season at home. The Humboldt Invitational was on September 6th Baywood Golf and Country Club in Arcata.

    Head Coach Jamey Harris talked about the advantage of being at home and knowing the course better than the visiting competitors.

    “Knowing how to run fast on some of the more difficult parts and how to measure your effort through it should be helpful both this weekend and through the season,” Harris said. “We love getting out there and knowing our first meet is going to be at home on our own course,”

    “We’re looking forward to showcasing what we’ve got, and hopefully the Arcata running community will get excited,” Harris said.

    Senior runner Joseph Shanahan also went up to the podium and talked about his experience running the Baywood course.

    “For me, it was a relatively difficult course,” Shanahan said. “There’s a big hill and a pretty gradual uphill, and you’re either going up or going down.”

    Women’s Soccer

    The HSU women’s soccer team finished with a record of 6-9-2 last season, but the record was mostly attributed to playing in the very competitive CCAA conference. Head Coach Paul Karver knows what the team needs to do to win, but he also understands what the team is up against in CCAA play.

    “They’re really dedicated to making that push, and we have the players that can get it done,” Karver said. “Unfortunately, everyone else in the conference does, and we play in the best conference in the country.”

    Karver talked about the preseason practices being very competitive, and with a smaller roster than usual more players will get a chance to play during the season.

    “We have a lot of high soccer-IQ kids, and that’s going to allow us to move things around,” Karver said. “It has made training every single day competitive, it made it really fun and it’s a really fun group to be around.”

    Men’s Soccer

    The HSU men’s soccer team came off a 2018 season finishing 7-8-2, but the good news is they return with a good core group of players from last year, along with some bright new prospects. One of the experienced returners, senior goalkeeper Robert Quintero, mentioned how a skilled and fast team made him hopeful.

    “I think we’re strong both offensively and defensively,” Quintero said. “Offensively we have some of the fastest guys on top, and they can put the ball in the back of the net.”

    Head Coach Fred Jungemann talked about the team’s goals. For example, trying to make the CCAA conference tournament and win more games than last year. Building a strong culture for HSU soccer and having guys who mesh well together was another big emphasis.

    “There’s a really good group of guys, not just on the field but their personalities fit together very well,” Jungemann said. “One of our biggest strengths is that we have a close-knit group of guys that enjoy being together, not just on the field but off the field.”

  • Forever dedicated to the game

    Forever dedicated to the game

    Lumberjacks football player named GNAC Player of the Week

    Editor’s Note: For transparency, Skye Kimya is the Lumberjack Sports Editor

    Humboldt State University’s sophomore safety Adam Herrera was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference special teams player of the week after an outstanding performance in Lumberjack football’s game against Central Washington on Oct. 27.

    The following week Herrera continued to hold down the defense as he intercepted the ball against Azusa Pacific in their second to last game of program history. Herrera talks about how he predicted his opponents play, and just like that he was able to outsmart them and regain possession of the ball for the Lumberjacks.

    “I saw the play happening right in front of me,” Herrera said. “And I just opened up right away towards the post. He threw the ball, so I ran up under it.”

    Herrera had a successful 2018 football season. He finished with 23 tackles and 19 assisted tackles for a total of 42, two interceptions for a total of 76 yards and a touchdown and 562 return yards with a game high of 193 total yards against Central Washington.

    IMG_0309.JPG Adam Herrera side peddles as he waits for the offense to make a move in a home game against Central Washington on October 27. Photo credit: Walter Hackett

    Football has been one of Herrera’s greatest passions for a majority of his life. Starting at a young age in elementary school, he knew football was something he would continue to pursue. Getting more serious about the sport, he knew he wanted to play for his local high school team in Los Banos, Calif.

    Playing both offense and defense for the Los Banos High School Tigers, Herrera hustled hard to earn his accolades, including MVP and offensive player of the year multiple times.

    As he took on unfamiliar positions such as quarterback, high school football challenged Herrera to become a well rounded athlete, as well as a versatile player on the football field.

    “He was a phenomenal player and a great teammate,” Head coach of Los Banos High School football Dustin Caropreso said. “He was a leader. Adam showed up to practice everyday and never complained.”

    Not only did Herrera join varsity as a sophomore but he was captain of the Los Banos Tigers both his junior and senior year.

    “When I found out he won GNAC player of the week it was pretty special,” Caropreso said. “He’s worked really hard to get to where he’s at, and it couldn’t have happened to a better person than Adam.”

    Though Herrera is known as a football player, he is also a son, big brother, and student. Family and friends have always been important to him and his daily life. His parents and grandparents had always been some of his biggest supporters as they watched him play growing up.

    “It had been a while since he received any recognition for all of his hard work,” Adam’s mother Cynthia Gonzalez said. “So it was nice to hear him receive the GNAC award in college.”

    His girlfriend Skye and closest friends Ereon, Watts, and Mark continuously inspire him to be the best he can be. Ereon Nash and Demetrick Watts play right beside Herrera on the defensive side of the Lumberjacks.

    IMG_7742.jpg Ereon Nash, Demetrick Watts, and Adam Herrera gather for photos after their 2018 homecoming game against Simon Fraser. Photo credit: Skye Kimya

    As a brother to four younger siblings, Herrera has been a huge role model and support system within his family. His only brother Moses is following in his footsteps as he too plays football and is already a recognized all-star on his Pop Warner League team.

    “Every time before a football game he calls me and pumps me up,” Moses Herrera said. “He tells me how to play the game, and he is always encouraging me.”

    As HSU’s football team completed their final season, Herrera accomplished a lot within his football career, but he’s not done yet. He has already been contacted by outside coaches and is looking to play at another university for the last two years of his collegiate career. Herrera hasn’t made any decisions yet in regards to football next fall but awaits opportunities.

    “I don’t want this to be my last year,” Herrera said. “I’ll continue to do what I need to do to keep playing football and if everything goes well for me I hope to continue on to the next level.”