Tuesday, November 3, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – The past two GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships have ended in dramatic fashion, with Seattle Pacific defeating Western Washington in a penalty-kick shootout. For the Vikings, they enter the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed for the third straight year, hoping that the third time is the charm, while the Falcons look to become three-time tournament champions.

After a wild finish to the regular season, the 2015 GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships seeding is now set. Hosted by Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. on Terry Fox Field, the seminfinal round begins Thurs. Nov. 5, with No. 2 seed Concordia playing No. 3 Seattle Pacific at 4 p.m. Pacific time. No. 1 seed Western Washington will face No. 4 Montana State Billings in the second match of the evening at 7 p.m. Pacific time.

Despite losing the conference tournament last season, the Vikings reached the NCAA Division II West Region Championships as the No. 1 seed, while Seattle Pacific received the GNAC’s automatic bid to the tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Vikings, ranked No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II West Region Poll, looking to make their fourth straight national tournament.

This year, Western Washington cruised through the regular season, finishing with an 11-0-1 conference record and 16-1-1 overall record and enter the tournament on a 15-match unbeaten streak.. The Vikings only tie came in their final regular season match against Concordia. Western Washington also ranks No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division II Top-25 Poll.

The Vikings lead the GNAC in both goals scored (30) and goals allowed (5) in conference play. First Team All-GNAC forward Catherine Miles led the team with 24 points this season. She is joined by three other first team selections including midfielders Savanna Moorehouse (17 pts.) and Emily Webster and GNAC Defensive Player of the Year Delanee Nilles. Along with Nilles, Second Team All-GNAC defender Sierra Shugarts helped hold opposing teams to 8.1 shots per match.

The Cavaliers finished their first season in the GNAC with an 8-2-2 conference record and 11-3-3 overall record, earning second place in the standings. Concordia tied Western Washington in their lone matchup of the season. Led by a stingy defense, the Cavaliers allowed the second least amount of goals (7) in GNAC play this season, behind Western Washington.

First Team All-GNAC goalkeeper Olivia Brock led the conference in save percentage (.905) and shutouts (8). In front of Brock, the Cavaliers also have First Team All-GNAC defender Shannon McMahon, who was a dominant force on both sides of the ball. She not only led the team’s shutdown defense, but also led the team in points (11).

Seattle Pacific enters the week on a three-match winning streak. The Falcons locked up the No. 3 seed before the final week of the regular season and finished with a 7-3-2 conference record and 12-3-2 overall record. In their lone match with Concordia this season, the Falcons knocked off the Cavaliers 3-1. Seattle Pacific ranked No. 5 in the latest NCAA Division II West Region Poll with a chance to make the national tournament as one of the top-six teams in the region. The Falcons have won the last two GNAC women’s soccer championships.

The GNAC’s Player of the Year and leading scorer Hannah Huesers leads the Falcons’ attack. Along with First Team All-GNAC midfielders Laura Moore and Isabel Farrell, the Falcons boast arguably the GNAC’s most dynamic trio. Huesers paced the conference in goals (14) and points (30), while Moore was one of the top clutch performers with a conference-high four game-winning goals. Farrell was the GNAC Player of the Year in 2014 and remains a threat to opponents on both sides of the ball.

Montana State Billings reached the conference tournament for the third time in four years after an exciting finish to the regular season. Entering the final match, MSUB was locked in a three-way tie for fourth place with Simon Fraser and Central Washington. The Yellowjackets knocked off Central Washington 1-0 and were gifted with a Simon Fraser loss to reach the GNAC tournament once again. Montana State Billings will likely need a tournament victory to reach the national tournament. They finished the regular season with a 6-5-1 conference record and 8-6-2 overall record.

First Team All-GNAC defender Katlyn Lokay and honorable mention Kari Kastelic played every minute of the season for the Yellowjackets. The duo helped hold GNAC opponents to nine goals in 12 matches. Honorable mention forward Jessica Spang led MSUB in points (15) while Alycia Wright paced the team in goals (6).

The winner of this year’s tournament will receive an automatic bid to the national tournament with the exception of Concordia. The Cavaliers are in the second year of a three-year transition period to the NCAA Division II, and are ineligible for NCAA postseason competition.