Monday, October 3, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Washington women’s soccer continued its march through the 2016 season and two of their prime movers have been honored as GNAC Players of the Week.

Sierra Shugarts was selected as the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for her part in the Vikings’ two wins last week. She anchored a WWU defense that allowed just four shots on goal in wins over Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday. She also scored her first career goal to give the Vikings an insurance goal against the Cavaliers.

Caitlyn Jobanek was recognized as the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after she scored three goals in the two matches, including two in the win over Saint Martin’s and the game-winner in the 2-1 win over Concordia. Jobanek shared the award with Simon Fraser’s Monpreet Heer, who scored two goals and had two assists in the Clan’s 6-0 shutout of Western Oregon on Saturday. Her six points was the best single-match performance in the GNAC this season.

The Clan’s Riley Pang earned the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week award after he came up with two goals and an assist in Simon Fraser’s 5-1 win over Concordia on Thursday. Seattle Pacific’s Jeffrey Collings earned the Defensive Player of the Week award after he anchored a Falcons’ defense that played to a pair of ties with Montana State Billings and Northwest Nazarene. Collings played in all 220 minutes of the matches.

On the gridiron, Azusa Pacific quarterback Andrew Elffers was named the Football Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Cougars to a 31-2 win at Western Oregon. Elffers completed 12 of 19 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown and also rushed nine times for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Central Washington picked up the remaining two football awards. Linebacker Kevin Haynes was named Defensive Player of the Week after he finished with seven tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack in the Wildcats’ 55-6 win at Simon Fraser. Jesse Zalk earned the Special Teams Player of the Week honor after he finished with 80 yards on three punt returns against the Clan, including a 56-yard return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Western Washington’s Abby Phelps and Simon Fraser’s Alison McKay earned this week’s volleyball awards. Phelps won the Offensive Player of the Week award led the Vikings with 27 kills, 29 digs and five blocks in two wins, including 15 kills, 15 digs and four blocks in a five-set win at Western Oregon on Saturday. McKay was named the Defensive Player of the Week after she finished with 74 digs in a pair of road wins, including 39 digs in Saturday’s four-set win at Concordia.

Saint Martin’s Shannon Porter was named the Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the third time after she won the women’s cardinal race at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational. Porter covered the 5,000-meter course in 17:06.7 against Division I competition and beat the field by 25 seconds. Concordia’s Judd Lewis earned the men’s honor after he finished seventh in the men’s cardinal race, clocking a time of 25:08.4 over 8,000 meters.

Simon Fraser’s Chris Crisologo was selected as the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he earned medalist honors at the Western Washington Invitational. Crisologo, the reigning GNAC Player of the Year, carded a three-round score of 5-under-par 211 to finish one stroke ahead of four other competitors.

This week’s GNAC Players of the Week recognize 13 student-athletes from seven conference schools. Simon Fraser led the way with four selections while Western Washington finished with three selections.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 5
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Andrew Elffers (Azusa Pacific, QB, 6-3, 220, Jr., Arcadia, Calif. - Maranatha): Elffers completed 12 of 19 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown and also rushed nine times for 38 yards and a score in the Cougars’ 31-2 win at Western Oregon. He finished with 221 yards of total offense as APU improved to 5-0 on the year. Also Nominated: Blair Zerr (Humboldt State), JoJo Hillel (Central Washington).

Defensive: Kevin Haynes (Central Washington, LB, 6-1, 228, Jr., Battle Ground, Wash. – Battle Ground): Haynes led Central Washington with seven tackles, four tackles for loss for 28 yards and a sack in the Wildcats’ 55-6 win at Simon Fraser. He paced a Central Washington defense that limited the Clan to 239 yards of total offense. Also Nominated: Mykal Walker (Azusa Pacific).

Special Teams: Jesse Zalk (Central Washington, WR/KR, 5-8, 162, Sr., Battle Ground, Wash. - Prairie): Zalk finished with three punt returns for 80 yards and opened his day with a 56-yard return for a touchdown in the Wildcats’ 55-6 win at Simon Fraser. In addition, Zalk finished with four catches at wide receiver for 89 yards and a touchdown to finish with 169 all-purpose yards. Also Nominated: Willie Fair (Azusa Pacific).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Riley Pang (Simon Fraser, F, 6-3, Fr., Richmond, B.C. – Steveston-London): Pang scored two goals and added an assist in the Clan’s 5-1 win over Concordia on Thursday. He scored his two goals on just three shots on goal. Also Nominated: Kaleb Strawn (Saint Martin’s), Julien Dragomir (Montana State Billings), Anthony Dean (Western Washington), Matt Paine (Concordia), Alex Mitrovic (Northwest Nazarene).

Defensive: Jeffrey Collings (Seattle Pacific, D, 5-9, Sr., Seattle, Wash. - Ballard) Collings played all 220 minutes in a pair of ties against Montana State Billings and Northwest Nazarene as the Falcons allowed just one goal against 26 shots. Collings was responsible for a save in the 108th minute against the Crusaders. Also Nominated: McKray Kohn (Saint Martin’s), Joe Scott (Montana State Billings), Colton Ronk (Western Washington), Magnus Kristensen (Simon Fraser), Jason Hines (Concordia), Ryan Foo (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Caitlyn Jobanek (Western Washington, F/M, 5-2, Sr., Springfield, Ore. - Thurston): Jobanek registered three goals in two matches last week as the Vikings improved to 9-0-1 on the season. She scored two goals in Thursday’s 4-1 win over Saint Martin’s and netted the game-winner in the Vikings’ 2-1 victory over Concordia.

Monpreet Heer (Simon Fraser, F, 5-7, Fr., Surrey, B.C. – Ecole Panorama Ridge): In the Clan’s lone match of the week, a 6-0 rout of Western Oregon on Saturday, Heer finished with two goals and two assists for a GNAC season-best six points. Also Nominated: Allie Bohnett (Central Washington), Alycia Wright (Montana State Billings), Bobbi Eckler (Concordia), Hannah Holm (Northwest Nazarene).

Defensive: Sierra Shugarts (Western Washington, D, 5-9, Jr., Federal Way, Wash. - Decatur): Shugarts led a Western Washington defense that allowed Saint Martin’s and Concordia to a total of four shots on goal. Shugarts also contributed her first career goal in the Vikings’ 2-1 win over Concordia on Saturday. Also Nominated: Emily Holt (Central Washington), Kari Kastelic (Montana State Billings), Ana Delgadillo (Concordia), Daniele Ortiz (Northwest Nazarene).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Abby Phelps (Western Washington, 5-10, So., Manson, Wash. – Chelan): Phelps finished with 27 kills, 29 digs and five blocks in two matches as the Vikings scored road wins at Concordia and Western Oregon. She finished with 12 kills and 14 digs in the three-set win over Concordia on Thursday and added 15 kills, 15 digs and four blocks in Saturday’s five-set win at WOU. Also Nominated: Sabrina Wheelhouse (Central Washington), Mataia Robinson (Montana State Billings), Michele Brown (Concordia), Hannah Lautenbach (Seattle Pacific), Morgan Hooe (Alaska Anchorage), Hailey Cook (Northwest Nazarene).

Defensive: Alison McKay (Simon Fraser, L/DS, 5-6, Sr., Port Moody, B.C. – Heritage Woods): McKay finished with 74 digs in a pair of road wins. She finished with 35 digs and eight assists in Thursday’s four-set win at Western Oregon and then registered 39 digs in Saturday’s four-set win at Concordia. Also Nominated: Kyla Morgan (Central Washington), Kylee Cornelio (Montana State Billings), Kayleigh Harper (Western Washington), Colby Barnette (Concordia), Shaun Crespi (Seattle Pacific), Kyla Militante-Amper (Alaska Anchorage), Shayli Siegfreid (Northwest Nazarene).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: Judd Lewis (Concordia, Jr., Wenatchee, Wash. – Spokane CC): Lewis was the top Division II finisher at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, placing seventh with a time of 25:08.4 over 8,000 meters. He was beat by five Division I runners and led three GNAC runners grouped within four seconds of each other. Also Nominated: Josiah Shelman (Saint Martin’s).

Women: Shannon Porter (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Vancouver, Wash. – Treasure Valley CC): Porter blistered the field at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, winning the 5,000-meter race in a time of 17:06.7. She beat Mathilde Sagnes of Division I Portland by 25 seconds and was 51 seconds ahead of the next nearest GNAC finisher. Also Nominated: Rebecca Bassett (Simon Fraser).

GOLF
Men: Chris Crisologo (Simon Fraser, 5-9, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – Vancouver Coll.): Crisologo was the medalist at Western Washington Invitational, carding a three-round score of 5-under-par 211 to finish one stroke ahead of four other competitors. He shot low rounds of 3-under-par 69 in both the first and second rounds. Also Nominated: Ryan Pickthorn (Saint Martin’s), Caleb Stetzner (Montana State Billings), Brett Johnson (Western Washington), Ryan Melnychuk (Concordia), Justin Higgins (Northwest Nazarene).