Wednesday, November 13, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – If the GNAC presented an award for the Comeback Player of the Year, Western Washington senior forward Karli White would surely be the front-runner. Since that’s not the case, “GNAC Player of the Year” has a nice ring to it too.

White missed the 2018 season due to injury but made a remarkable return this season to lead the selections on the 2019 GNAC Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team. She registered 59 shots, four goals and eight assists to lead the Vikings’ offensive charge. Her eight assists top the conference and rank 28th in Division II.

On the opposite side of the pitch in Bellingham, Western Washington senior defender Emily Nelson was selected as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. Nelson anchored a Viking defense that allowed just six goals this season to rack up seven GNAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Nelson also contributed on offense as she scored three goals.

Following White’s playmaking abilities and Nelson’s leadership on defense, the Vikings finished the regular season with a solid 16-2-0 record and completed a perfect 12-0-0 run in conference play to claim the GNAC regular-season title, outscoring their conference opponents 45-3 and registering nine shutouts.

In her first season as head coach of the Western Oregon women’s soccer program, Kacey Bingham earned the Coach of the Year award after guiding the Wolves to a 10-5-3 (7-3-2 GNAC) record. The record marks the first time since 2002 that the Wolves won at least 10 matches. Bingham took a program that finished seventh in the GNAC last year and turned it into the No. 3 seed in the 2019 GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships.

The Wolves also earned the Newcomer of the Year award in junior forward Danielle VanOrd. VanOrd made an immediate impact after transferring to Western Oregon from Lane Community College, starting in all 18 of the Wolves’ matches while scoring a goal and adding three assists.

Establishing herself as one of the GNAC’s fearless scorers in her first year of collegiate soccer, Seattle Pacific’s Chloe Gellhaus was named the Freshman of the Year. Gellhaus ranks third in the conference with 53 shots and scored six goals in her freshman campaign to help lead the Falcons to a second-place finish.

Of the 11 players who earned First Team All-GNAC honors, seven were unanimous selections. The Vikings led the conference with four first-team selections, including one player from each position.

Joining White and Nelson on the first team are junior midfielder Grace Eversaul and junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx. After earning a first-team nod last year, Eversaul was a unanimous selection in 2019, scoring five goals and distributing five assists. Last year’s Newcomer of the Year, Dierickx was also a unanimous selection. She led the GNAC with eight shutouts and ranks eighth in Division II with an 0.38 goals against average.

Along with Gellhaus, two other Falcons landed on the first team. Junior forward Sophia Chilczuk led the conference with 60 shots and recorded seven goals, two assists and 16 points. Senior defender Asia Cayetano led a Falcon defense that finished second in the conference in goals allowed (17), goals against average (0.93) and shutouts (seven).

After being named an honorable mention as a sophomore last year, Western Oregon junior forward Alyssa Tomasini shined in 2019. Tomasini led the GNAC with nine goals, four game-winning goals and 25 points while also ranking second to White with seven assists. Her four game-winners rank 37th in Division II. Senior defender Jacky Beristain also represented the Wolves on the first team after earning second-team honors last year.

Rounding out the First Team All-GNAC selections are Central Washington junior midfielder Sophia Keenan and Simon Fraser freshman midfielder Giuliana Zaurrini. Keenan scored two goals and dished out an assist to help guide Central Washington to the GNAC Championships while Zaurrini was the Clan’s top offensive player with five goals and an assist.

GNAC 2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Player of the Year: Karli White, Western Washington
Coach of the Year: Kacey Bingham, Western Oregon
Defensive Player of the Year: Emily Nelson, Western Washington
Freshman of the Year: Chloe Gellhaus, Seattle Pacific
Newcomer of the Year: Danielle VanOrd, Western Oregon

* - Unanimous Selection
+ - First Team Selection In 2018
# - Second Team Selection In 2018
@ - Honorable Mention Selection In 2018
! - First Team Selection In 2017
& - Second Team Selection In 2017
$ - Honorable Mention Selection In 2017
^ - Honorable Mention Selection In 2016