With the first weekend of the 2017 season behind and the first two matches at home on the horizon (this Thursday and Saturday), Chico State women's soccer coach Kim Sutton had plenty on her plate this week. But when an email for help came from a former California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) coaching colleague, Sutton made her response a priority.
Diego Bocanegra, who coached at Cal State San Bernardino for two seasons, is the new women's soccer head coach at the University of Houston. The devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey compelled him to reach out to others in the profession for donations of clothing.
Wednesday, Sutton sent two large boxes of shoes, sweats, shirts, and care packages from the soccer program and many of the other department's teams off to Houston.
"When people are losing their homes, and going without basic necessities, it puts things in perspective," said Sutton. "I'm grateful to Diego for opening a door for us to help in some small way."
Chico State Softball Head Coach Angel Shamblin also got her team involved in the giving. In all, five boxes were shipped to Houston from the Chico State Athletics Department.
Sutton's Wildcats opened season by splitting a challenging Pacific Northwest road trip against two of the top teams from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They lost 3–2 at Seattle Pacific before bouncing back for a 2–0 win at Concordia-Portland. Wildcat of the Week Erin Woods led the way with a goal and assist in each match. Defender Korie Bozart and true freshman forward Lia Kilgore also found the back of the net. Two more true freshmen, Kylie Martinez and Lauren Madero, logged assists.
The Wildcats face another strong program, Azusa Pacific, in their home opener Thursday night at 7 p.m. The defending PacWest Champion Cougars opened the season as favorites to win it again before dropping their season opener at Cal State LA 1–0.
Dominican (1-1) comes to town Saturday for a 4 p.m. kickoff. That is Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer Night. Chico State's Student Athlete Advisory Committee purchased shoelaces for both Chico State soccer teams (the men play at 7 p.m.) Saturday.
The gold shoelaces will also be available for sale at the match. The money from the shoelaces purchased for the teams and sales at the match will benefit local children battling cancer, along with their families.
