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Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

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Events and Results

O'Donnell vs EOU '24
Finn Rolseth

Rocky Men’s and Women’s Soccer Picked Sixth in the CCC Preseason Polls

8/14/2025 4:02:00 PM

By: Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator
BILLINGS, Mont.- The Cascade Collegiate Conference released its Men's and Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Polls on Thursday, with the Battlin' Bears picked to finish sixth in both. 

Rocky Women's Soccer Picked Sixth
The Battlin' Bear women totaled a 9-6-2 overall record in 2024, including a 6-4-2 record in conference. They were particularly strong at home a season ago, compiling a 6-1 record, with their lone home loss coming to the eventual conference regular-season and tournament champion, the College of Idaho.  The Yotes were picked as the preseason favorites, receiving all 13 first-place votes. 

The Rocky women qualified for the 2024 CCC Tournament as a fifth seed and defeated fourth-seeded Carroll College in double overtime to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2019. 

The Battlin' Bears return a strong group of forwards, as their top four goal scorers from last season are back for 2025, led by First Team All-CCC honoree Emma Lensing, who totaled a career high 11 goals last season, tied for sixth most in a single season in program history. Running mates Charlize Davis and Mya Maack also return offensively, highlighting one of the most dangerous offenses in the CCC. Davis was a Second Team All-CCC honoree last season, totaling seven assists and three goals in 2024, while Maack was the second-leading goal scorer for the Battlin' Bears last season, scoring six times. 

Other returners include sophomore Georgia Dean in the midfield, along with senior Ashley Donahue and sophomore Ellen Gaudry defensively. 

Senior Anna Cole returns as the only goalkeeper who appeared in a game last season, competing alongside sophomore Paige Whalin and incoming freshmen Raelynn Wagner (Laurel, Mont.) and Matea Vernon (Gaston, Ore.) for the starting spot. 

After kicking their season off with a home scrimmage on Wednesday, the Battlin' Bears hit the road for another scrimmage against Northwest College on Sunday, before one more exhibition matchup with MSU Billings on Saturday, August 23rd. Their non-conference schedule concludes with a trip to Arizona for three NAIA contests, followed by their conference opener at home against Carroll College on September 19th. 

The complete 2025 CCC Women's Soccer Coaches Poll can be viewed below. 

Team (First-Place Votes)

Points

1. College of Idaho (13)

169

2. Oregon Tech

140

3. Eastern Oregon University

137

4. Carroll College

132

5. Southern Oregon University

107

6. Rocky Mountain College

101

7. Corban University

87

7. Northwest University

87

9. Bushnell University

73

10. The Evergreen State College

53

11. Warner Pacific University

43

12. University of Providence

32

13. Walla Walla University

22

Rocky Men's Soccer Voted Sixth in Coaches Poll
The Rocky men finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 8-7-2, including a conference record of 7-4-2, which earned them the sixth seed in the CCC Tournament. They bowed out in the quarterfinals to Warner Pacific. 

It was a season of unknown expectations in 2024, as the Rocky men featured a roster of 22 freshmen, but the Battlin' Bears excelled against strong competition throughout the season. Now, entering with a core group of returners under first-year head coach Milo Downey, the Rocky men will look to exceed their production from 2024. 

Leading the returners are two back-end All-CCC players in senior captain Ryan Daniel and sophomore Henry Chalkley. Daniel was a Second Team All-CCC honoree in 2024, with Chalkley being an honorable mention. Sophomore Rory O'Donnell also returns as a defender in the starting lineup after a strong freshman campaign. 

In the midfield, Kayne White and Luke Tooze return after starting a majority of the season in 2024. A total of six players who started at least eight matches in 2024 and 9 players who played in at least one match in 2024 all return to this year's roster. 

Sophomore Anton Wilms returns after allowing just three goals in four games played in 2024 as the backup goalkeeper. Sophomore Riley Phillips also returns after his first year with the Battlin' Bears, and is joined by transfers Gino Burioni (Senior - Gillette College) and Biruk Paulos-Negatu (Indiana Tech), along with incoming freshman Erik Villanueva (San Diego, Calif.), rounding out the goalkeepers for 2025 vying for a starting spot.  

With two scrimmages under their belt, the Rocky men head to Powell, Wyoming, for an exhibition versus Northwest College on Sunday, before kicking off their NAIA competition for the season with three matches in Kansas. Their CCC conference schedule begins on September 19th with a home game against Carroll College. 

The complete 2025 CCC Men's Soccer Coaches Poll can be viewed below. 
 

Team (First-Place Votes)

Points

1. Carroll College (9)

158

2. Southern Oregon University (1)

148

3. Eastern Oregon University (1)

141

4. Warner Pacific University (1)

128

5. College of Idaho (1)

126

6. Rocky Mountain College

104

7. Oregon Tech

91

8. Corban University

68

9. Northwest University

59

10. Bushnell University

56

11. The Evergreen State College

46

12. University of Providence

40

13. Walla Walla University

13
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