Recruiting fans to show up for homecoming football games at Northwest Missouri State is easy. But head coach Mel Tjeerdsma felt the need to “coach up” those recruits a little bit in comments Tuesday.

“We’ll have a great crowd, but we need to have a crowd that’s in the game because our crowds make a difference in those kind of games,” Tjeerdsma said, referring to the Bearcats’ 1:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday against No. 16 Washburn.

Washburn has everything to lose.

Clinging to a potential playoff spot for now, the Ichabods could find themselves on the outside looking in should they suffer a third loss Saturday. Washburn lost at Missouri Western 37-34 on a last-second field goal on Sept. 19 and on Oct. 10 at Nebraska-Omaha, 31-21.

It’s that type of desperation that has Tjeerdsma calling for a loud and vocal home crowd.

“I look at it kind of like our playoff games that we have here,” Tjeerdsma said. “That’s the kind of atmosphere we need.”

Washburn is already in playoff mode, Tjeerdsma noted.

“That started already last week with Pitt State. They beat them 55-3 so this is going to be a big game for us,” he said.

Northwest will be generally healthy for the game with a couple of exceptions.

All-America defensive end Sean Paddock began workouts in a pool and seems to be progressing well from foot surgery, but the senior is expected to be out at least another week.

In addition, backup wide receiver John Hinchey received a slight concussion during last Saturday’s game against Emporia State. He is expected to return to practice this afternoon and be available for the Washburn game.

No rest for the weary

The stretch run of the soccer

season hasn’t been kind to

Northwest.

With games at Emporia on Thursday and at home against Nebraska-Omaha at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Bearcats will have played four games in eight days. And of those four games, two of them will have been against the top two teams in the MIAA.

“It was a tough week for us,” coach Tracy Hoza said, explaining that it got off to a difficult start with a 1-0 overtime loss to Washburn. “That was a tough game for the players. Then to turn around and play Truman (Monday), we looked a little tired.”

MIAA-leading Truman, which had not played in nearly a week, took advantage of fresh legs for a 3-0 victory against the Bearcats.

Hoza said the Bearcats (9-5, 5-5-1 MIAA) enter Thursday’s game looking to reach one of their goals — having a number of wins on the season in double digits.

Aiming for Emporia

The cross country team has had Saturday’s date in Emporia circled on its calendar for quite some time. It even made a special trip there earlier this season just to get ready for it.

When the MIAA Championships roll around on Saturday, the Bearcats will have some familiarity with the course after competing in the Emporia State Invitational on Oct. 2.

“Part of the reason for going there and putting that on our schedule was knowing that we were coming back for conference,” graduate assistant coach Matt Pohren said. “We know the course; we know the layout.”

Now, it’s just a matter of getting the team to finish what it started, Pohren said. The team has been working during training at going hard at the beginning of the run, then pouring it on in the last 800 meters to a mile.

“In conference, that’s where big things happen,” Pohren said.

Pohren often runs with the men and occasionally runs with the women, and he said he can vouch for the work ethic of each member this year.

“I’m tired every day. If I’m tired, I know they’re tired. That’s a good sign,” he said.

Victory No. 1

Allison Rogers got her first victory as a college head coach, but it wasn’t without a week-long struggle.

“Last week was a little rough on us,” admitted Rogers, who was named interim head volleyball coach following the sudden resignation of Anna Tool last week.

Rogers debuted at home against Missouri Western on Wednesday with the Bearcats losing in five games. Then nationally ranked Truman swept her charges in three on Friday.

“We didn’t come ready to play, but we’ll see (Truman) again, so that’s a good thing,” she said.

Northwest got back on the wining track on Saturday, beating Missouri Southern 3-2.