Monday, September 12, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – A five-goal performance that led Seattle Pacific to a pair of shutouts leads the list of the week two honorees for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week.

Falcons’ forward Stephen MacDonald exploded for five goals in victories over Colorado Christian on Thursday and Metro State on Saturday to earn Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. After notching two goals in the 6-1 win over the Cougars, MacDonald scored all three goals to lead the Falcons past Metro State, 3-0. The senior enters the week leading the GNAC with six goals on 15 shots.

Montana State Billings’ Tom Lohmann picked up the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honor after he notched his fifth and sixth career shutouts in a 1-0 win over Dixie State on Friday and a 3-0 win over South Dakota Mines on Saturday in the Rimrock Classic. Lohmann was selected as the tournament’s Defensive Most Valuable Player.

Central Washington’s Kaysha Darcy was named the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after she scored the game-winner in the Wildcats’ 3-0 shutout of Dominican (Calif.) on Saturday. Simon Fraser goalkeeper Priya Sandhu was selected as the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after she posted her second and third shutouts of the season. She made three saves in a 0-0 tie at Cal State LA on Thursday and stopped four shots in a 1-0 overtime win at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.

Quarterback Justin Lane of Central Washington was selected as the Football Offensive Player of the Week after he completed 23 of 39 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats beat Western oregon on the road, 41-20. He threw for all three touchdowns in a second half that saw the Wildcats score 28 points in 20 minutes.

The football Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week are both from Azusa Pacific, who won at Humboldt State 38-27. Cornerback Lavell Thomas earned the defensive award after making two interceptions, both of which ended halves in the victory. Tyree Davis earned the special teams award after he ran a kick back 91 yards in the first quarter, which led to a Cougars’ touchdown.

Two of the eight GNAC players named to the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase All-Tournament Team earned the league’s weekly volleyball honors. Northwest Nazarene setter Hailey Cook was named Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged 10.80 assists per set in the Crusaders’ four matches. Alaska Anchorage libero Kyla Militante-Amper was named Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.94 digs per set. Both the Crusaders and Seawolves went 4-0 in the tournament.

Western Oregon’s David Ribich was named the Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the second straight week after he won the Ash Creek Invitational #1 on Friday, covering the home 6.3-kilometer course in 18:53.8. Seattle Pacific’s Mary Charleson earned Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors after she won the Humboldt Invitational in a time of 21:08.21 over 6,000 meters.

This week’s GNAC Player of the Week selections honored 11 athletes from nine member schools. Azusa Pacific and Seattle Pacific each had two selections.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 2
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Justin Lane (Central Washington, QB, 6-2, 211, Sr., Arlington, Wash. – Illinois State Univ.): Lane led Central Washington to a 41-20 win at Western Washington by completing 23 of 39 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his touchdown passes came in a second half that saw the Wildcats score 28 points in a 20-minute span. Also Nominated: Andrew Elffers (Azusa Pacific), Paul Revis (Western Oregon).

Defensive: Lavell Thomas (Azusa Pacific, CB, 5-10, 180, Jr., Riverside, Calif. – Riverside CC): Thomas had two of Azusa Pacific’s three interceptions in their 38-27 win at No. 13 Humboldt State, both of which ended the half. His last one came in the end zone with 11 seconds left, which secured the win for the Cougars. Also Nominated: Jackson Huerta (Central Washington), Bo Highburger (Western Oregon).

Special Teams: Tyree Davis (Azusa Pacific, KR, 5-11, 180, Sr., San Diego, Calif. – Mesa CC): Davis had only one kick return, but brought the kickoff back 91 yards. That run-back led to a late first quarter touchdown in Azusa Pacific’s 38-27 win over Humboldt State. Also Nominated: James Clark (Humboldt State), Jamie Cacciatore (Azusa Pacific).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Stephen MacDonald (Seattle Pacific, F, 6-2, 180, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz. – O’Connor): MacDonald exploded for five goals on six shots on goal in the Falcons’ two victories over Colorado Christian on Thursday and Metro State on Saturday. He scored two goals on three shot attempts against Colorado Christian and registered a hat trick against Metro State. Also Nominated: Kyle Witzel (Saint Martin’s), Ryan Dhillion (Simon Fraser), Keon Jones (Northwest Nazarene), Oliver Posarelli (Montana State Billings), Anthony Dean (Western Washington), Matt Paine (Concordia).

Defensive: Tom Lohmann (Montana State Billings, GK, 6-2, Sr., Berlin, Germany – Nyack Coll.): Lohmann picked up two shutouts and made 10 saves and was selected as the Defensive MVP of the Romrock Classic. Lohmann made six saves in Friday’s 1-0 victory over Dixie State and made four saves in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over South Dakota Mines. The matches were the fifth and six shutouts of his career, moving him to No. 2 on the MSUB all-time list. Also Nominated: Linus Mansson (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Kaysha Darcy (Central Washington, M, 5-6, Sr., Maple Valley, Wash. – Univ. of Idaho): Darcy scored the Wildcats’ game-winner in the 15th minute as Central Washington scored a 3-0 shutout of Dominican (Calif.) on Saturday. Darcy had three shots in the match. Also Nominated: Emily Wilkins (Northwest Nazarene), Dana Lubieniecki (Montana State Billings), Gabriela Pelogi (Western Washington), Alaina Edgerly (Concordia).

Defensive: Priya Sandhu (Simon Fraser, GK, 5-7, Jr., Surrey, BC. – Tamanawis Secondary): Sandhu recorded two shutouts in two road matches and her third in three matches this season. She made three saves on 12 shots a 0-0 tie with Cal State LA on Thursday and made four saves on six shots in the Clan’s 1-0 overtime win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday. Also Nominated: Emily Holt (Central Washington), Kayla Williams (Northwest Nazarene), Lili Delgadillo (Montana State Billings), Sierra Shugarts (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Hailey Cook (Northwest Nazarene, S, 5-10, Jr., Nampa, Idaho - Skyview): One of eight GNAC selections to the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase All-Tournament Team, Cook finished the tournament with 162 assists (10.80 assists per set), nine kills, six aces, 48 digs and three blocks as the Crusaders went 4-0. She finished with highs of 56 assists and 21 digs in the Crusaders’ five-set win over Point Loma on Friday. Also Nominated: Leah Swiss (Alaska Anchorage), Sabrina Wheelhouse (Central Washington), Gabby Oddo (Seattle Pacific), Stormy Siemion (Montana State Billings), Rachel Mitchell (Saint Martin’s), Tessa May (Simon Fraser), Abby Phelps (Western Washington), Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Brianna Hogan (Concordia).

Defensive: Kyla Militante-Amper (Alaska Anchorage, L, 5-3, So., Hillsboro, Ore. - Century): Militante-Amper was named to the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase All-Tournament Team after finishing with 5.94 digs per set in the Seawolves’ four matches in the tournament’s top pod. She finished with a career-high tying 30 digs and four aces in a four-set win over Dixie State on Friday. She had no less than 21 digs in all four matches. Also Nominated: Madi Farrell (Northwest Nazarene), Kyla Morgan (Central Washington), Shaun Crespi (Seattle Pacific), Cassidy Apo (Saint Martin’s), Alison McKay (Simon Fraser), Bryce Larson (Western Washington), Christie Colasurdo (Western Oregon).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: David Ribich (Western Oregon, Jr., Enterprise, Ore. – Enterprise): Ribich was a race winner for the second week in a row, this time on the home course as he took the 6.3-kilometer race at the Ash Creek Invitational #1 in a time of 18:53.8 (4:49 per mile pace). He had a 13-second cushion on second place Ray Schireman of Southern Oregon. Also Nominated: Jorey Egeland (Montana State Billings), Josh Boston (Central Washington), Andrew Wise (Western Washington), Jared Seckel (Concordia).

Women: Mary Charleson (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Mill Creek, Wash. – Henry M. Jackson): Charleson won the 6,000-meter women’s race at the Humboldt Invitational against the top Division II squads in the region. She ran a personal best of 21:08.21 (5:40 per mile pace) and was a three-second winner over Analicia Garcia of Sonoma State. Charleson led SPU to a second place team finish. Also Nominated: Nikki Aiken (Montana State Billings), Elena Gomez (Central Washington), Lillianna Sterling (Western Washington), Nicole Maurmann (Western Oregon), Nicole Pederson (Concordia).