Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Two weeks of conference play in women's soccer are in the books as all nine teams have now played at least two league matches. The league still has a pair of teams (Concordia and Western Washington) inside the top-20 of the United Soccer Coaches Division II rankings, along with one more representative (Seattle Pacific) in the United Soccer Coaches West Region rankings. 

It's the No. 10 Cavaliers (6-0-1, 3-0 GNAC) who own both the best overall record and top record in GNAC play. Grant Landy's team will return to the pitch for a single match this week, closing out the first month of the season with a trip to Lacey on Saturday afternoon to face Saint Martin's. 

Elsewhere in the GNAC this week, the No. 17 Vikings will hit the road for a pair of matches, traveling to Saint Martin's on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday. And over in Seattle, the second-place Falcons will host both Simon Fraser and Central Washington this week.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSE
Dayana Diaz (Western Washington, F, 5-7, Fr., Granite Falls, Wash.)

The freshman scored both game-winners for the Vikings last week as Western Washington improved to 6-2-0 overall. Diaz netted what became the game-winner in the 75th minute on a penalty kick as the Vikings beat No. 7 Colorado Mines, 2-1, on Wednesday. Diaz then tallied the match’s only goal unassisted in the 82nd minute in a 1-0 win over Simon Fraser on Saturday.

Also Nominated: Gabrielle Ewing (Concordia), Alyssa Tomasini (Western Oregon).

DEFENSE
Natalie Dierickx(Western Washington, GK, 5-7, So., Kirkland, Wash.)

Dierickx made nine saves as Western Washington scored two victories. Dierickx made six saves and did not allow a goal until the 83rd minute in the Vikings 2-1 victory over No. 7 Colorado Mines. She then posted her second shutout of the season in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Simon Fraser, making three saves.

Also Nominated: Karlie Hurley (Concordia), Riley Travis (Seattle Pacific), Jacky Beristain (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington lost its only match last week, dropping its home GNAC opener to Seattle Pacific.
• The Wildcats remained level with the Falcons for 17 minutes before the visitors from Seattle ultimately broke through. Seattle Pacific ultimately prevailed for a 2-0 victory.
• The team currently ranks third in the GNAC in saves per match at 4.14, just a few points behind first-place Saint Martin’s (4.43). Goalkeepers Emily Thomson and Kelsey Bechtholdt have combined to make 28 saves this season.  
• The Wildcats will face both Western Oregon and Simon Fraser this week.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia finished its second week of conference with another impressive showing, going 2-0 in a pair of matches to remain unbeaten on the season.
• The highlight was a 1-0 road victory against a previously-undefeated Northwest Nazarene team on Thursday afternoon. It was forward Alaina Edgerly who netted the winning-goal, taking advantage of a scramble in the box before catching the keeper out of position in the match’s 26th minute.
• In the latest edition of the United Soccer Coaches Division II Coaches Poll, Concordia comes in ranked at No. 10. The Cavaliers are slotted second in the West Region Poll.
• The Cavaliers will return to the pitch for a single match this week, traveling to Lacey on Saturday to face Saint Martin’s. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in that one.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings went 0-2 last week, suffering a pair of road defeats against Western Oregon and Concordia on its Oregon swing.
• The Yellowjackets best shot at a win came against the Wolves, where they were level for 89 minutes before a 90th minute goal did the team in. The team was unable to find an equalizer in the final seconds, allowing Western Oregon to escape with the 1-0 victory.
• Montana State Billings recorded positive results in four of its first five matches before its recent slide. Its last win came on Sept. 11, rallying from a three-goal deficit to top Providence (Mont.) on the road in a 4-3 decision.
• The Yellowjackets return to the field on Thursday afternoon in Billings. They will take on Northwest Nazarene in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene finished the fourth week of competition with a pair of losses, the team’s only defeats to date.
• After seeing their best start in school history through six matches, the Nighthawks found themselves on the wrong end of a pair of 1-0 scorelines.
• In the most anticipated match of the week, No. 10 Concordia came into Nampa and topped NNU with a 26th minute goal. The home team received a few good looks at evening the match late but was unable to find the back of the net.
• Midfielder Madi Taylor leads Northwest Nazarene with 11 points in eight matches. The senior has tallied a team-high five goals.
•  The club closes out the month of September this week with a pair of road tests. First up is a trip to Montana State Billings on Thursday afternoon, followed by a date with Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN'S
• Saint Martin’s fell in its lone match of the week, a 4-0 decision against Seattle Pacific.
• The Saints now sit at 4-3-0 overall. Their non-conference record of 4-1-0 was a program best for a mark heading into conference play.  
• Midfielder Kiersten Madsen leads SMU through seven matches. The sophomore has tallied 12 points with five goals thus far.
• Saint Martin’s 4.43 saves per match leads the GNAC in that category. Goalkeepers Ali Koehler and Sara Christensen have combined to make 31 saves this year.
• The Saints will stay home for two matches this week, starting Thursday against No. 17 Western Washington at 3:30 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific finished its first week of conference action with a perfect 2-0 record on the road against GNAC opponents.
• Both victories were shutouts, with the highlight coming in a 4-0 win in Lacey against Saint Martin’s. Forward Sophia Chilczuk recorded the match’s first two goals for the Falcons.
• In the latest edition of the United Soccer Coaches Division II Coaches West Region Poll, SPU comes in ranked No. 6.
• Chilczuk leads the team in goals (6) while sophomore Megan Moore has paced the club in assists (5). Those two lead the Falcons in points, with senior Kasey Reeve following closely behind at five.
• Seattle Pacific returns home now, hosting Simon Fraser and Northwest Nazarene to end the month of September.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser went 0-1 last week, dropping a tight 1-0 decision on the road against a top-20 Western Washington club.
• Goalkeeper Nicole Anderson and a strong Clan defense kept a potent Vikings attack at bay for most of the match, but WWU eventually broke through for the game-winning goal in the match’s 82nd minute.
• Senior Jenna-lee Baxter leads the team with 12 points after six matches, while forward Emma Pringle tops the club in goals (5).
• The Clan return to the pitch for a pair of matches this week, starting on Thursday at Seattle Pacific before hosting Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon posted a 2-0 mark in its fourth week of action. The Wolves worked a pair of 1-0 victories, first against Montana State Billings and then on the road against Northwest Nazarene.
• The biggest win came against the Nighthawks, who entered the week undefeated. A second minute goal from sophomore Alexie Morris would ultimately hold up in the 1-0 win.  
• Morris’ six points is tied for first on the club with forward Alyssa Tomasini.
• A pair of matches are on tap for Western Oregon this week, starting in Ellensburg against Central Washington on Thursday. The club will then return home for a showdown with No. 17 Western Washington Saturday morning.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington finished the fourth week of play with a 2-0 record.
• The highlight came in the team’s non-conference finale, as the Vikings welcomed No. 7 Colorado Mines to Bellingham and sent the Orediggers packing with a 2-1 defeat. Forwards Gabriella Pelogi and Dayana Diaz tallied the team’s pair of goals.
• Diaz received GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, while WWU goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. Dierickx is second in the conference with saves (30) and is just one behind the league leader (Alex Qualls, Western Oregon).
• In the latest edition of the United Soccer Coaches Division II Coaches Poll, Western Washington comes in ranked at No. 17 (and No. 3 in the West Region).
• The Vikings will hit the road this week, facing Saint Martin’s in Lacey on Thursday afternoon and Western Oregon in Monmouth on Saturday.