Friday, October 28, 2016

PORTLAND – For the second year in a row, the GNAC is represented by 10 men’s and women’s soccer athletes on the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 teams, including seven women’s soccer selections, tying the GNAC record for most set in 2007.

The women were led by Seattle Pacific’s Hannah Huesers, who became the fifth women’s soccer player in GNAC history to be selected to the honor three times in her career. The reigning GNAC Player of the Year has a 3.43 grade point average as a business administration major and was a GNAC All-Academic Team selection. Huesers has scored 41 career goals, which is the third most in conference history, including nine this season, which is tied for most in the conference.

The men were led by the GNAC’s new all-time shutouts leader from Simon Fraser Brandon Watson, who earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team for a second year. The Clan’s goalkeeper maintained a 3.86 GPA as a kinesiology major. This year, Watson leads the conference in both shutouts (7) and goals against average (0.55).

Seattle Pacific’s men’s soccer team had the best team GPA in the conference in 2015-16 and was represented by two players on the list. Seniors Davis Karaica and Jordan Kollars are both on the list for the second year in a row. As an engineering major, Kollars had the second-best GPA in the district at 3.88, while Karaica maintained a 3.74 GPA in exercise science.

The only 4.00 GPA in women’s soccer for the district came from Saint Martin’s Taylor Gersch, who studies business administration. Montana State Billings’ Lili Delgadillo was the lone sophomore selected in the district. The goalkeeper had a 3.89 GPA in health and human performance. Her teammate Kari Kastelic had a 3.93 GPA in finance.

Concordia’s junior defender, Ana Delgadillo, had a 3.88 GPA as a psychology student. She has led a Concordia defense that has the second-best goals against average in the conference at 0.66. French major Elise Aylward represented Western Washington with a 3.84 GPA. Aylward has tallied seven goals and three assists this season.

Central Washington’s Keilin Farrand put up an impressive 3.79 GPA as a biology major, while playing an important role in the Wildcats’ offense. Farrand has scored five goals and registered five assists, ranking seventh in the GNAC in points.

Nominated by and voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Academic All-District program recognizes student-athletes of sophomore standing or better who are starters or significant reserves for their team with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better. Athletes selected to the Academic All-District team will be considered for election to the Division II Academic All-America soccer teams, which will be announced on Mon., Nov. 21.