Northwest Notes: Friday, April 4, 2014
Shock return from bye week
tonight at San Jose
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Returning to play from a bye week, the Spokane Shock (1-1) travel to take on the San Jose SaberCats (2-1) tonight (7:30, ESPN 700) at the SAP Center.
The Shock and SaberCats have matched up a total of six times since 2010 when the Shock joined the AFL; Spokane leads the all-time series 4-2 and won the most recent matchup between the two clubs a 75-45 win on Jun. 1, 2013.
After opening the 2014 season with a dominant 64-35 win over the Iowa Barnstormers in week one, the Shock dropped their first road game of the season in Arizona 68-49 in Week 2.
Shock quarterback Erik Meyer has 48 completions for 535 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. Meyer's pass efficiency rating of 115.2 is fourth best in the Arena Football League while his 267.5 yards per game is third best and his 7.4 yards per attempt put him at sixth.
Brandon Thompkins leads the Shock with 17 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns while Adron Tennell has added 15 catches for 128 yards and four scores. Mike Washington, a newcomer to the Shock this year, had brought in 13 receptions for 165 yards and five touchdowns.
The Shock average 56.5 points per game, for fourth best in the league through three weeks.
One of the only offenses in the AFL better than the Shock's this season belongs to the SaberCats, who have scored 60.3 points per game and accumulated 260 total yards per game through their three contests.
San Jose quarterback Nathan Stanley has completed 63.4 percent of his passes this year for 598 yards and 14 touchdowns, nine of which have gone to receiver Reggie Gray, who has hauled in 23 receptions for 305 yards.
Water polo tourney set for
Sunday at Kroc Center
COEUR d'ALENE - The Kroc Center and the North Idaho Water Polo Club are hosting a water polo tournament at the Kroc Center on Sunday.
Teams from North Idaho, Central Washington University, a combined Washington State/Idaho team and Montana Tech are expected.
The tournament is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and run through 4 p.m.
Admission is free.
Spokane native Brown to coach
Shadow men's soccer team
SPOKANE - The Spokane Shadow has appointed former player Chad Brown as head coach of the team for its debut season in the Evergreen Premier League.
The Central Valley High School product will be returning to his hometown after playing professionally and coaching amidst the collegiate ranks for the past few years.
Brown was a member of the team since its humble beginnings as a provisional member of what is now the USL PDL in 1995, and holds the distinction of being the first player to ever score a goal in a Spokane Shadow jersey.
He went on to play for the Shadow through its league runners-up finish in 1999 before moving on to the Seattle Sounders Select, a rival PDL team.