Tuesday, December 20, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Behind every great team is a great coaching staff and the Western Washington women’s soccer staff is being recognized as one of the best in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

The Vikings coaching staff, led by head coach Travis Connell, was named as the Division II Women’s National Staff of the Year by the coaches organization. The award, which replaces the NSCAA Coach of the Year Award, will be presented on Jan. 13 at the NSCAA’s annual convention in Los Angeles. The National Staff of the Year award recognizes one coaching staff from both men’s and women’s soccer in each NCAA division.

Joining Connell in the recognition is assistant coaches Claire Morgan and Jamie Arthurs and volunteer assistant coach Joana Houplin.

The coaching staff led Western Washington to an undefeated season, which was capped with the program’s first NCAA Division II national championship. The Vikings finished the season 24-0-1 and will enter the 2017 season with a 24-match win streak and a 25-match win streak on their home pitch, Harrington Field.

Connell, who finished his 14th season as head coach, saw four his players selected as All-Americans (Sierra Shugarts, Emily Webster, Caitlyn Jobanek and Ashley Homer) and saw Shugarts named as the Division II women’s soccer finalist for the 2017 Division II Honda Athlete of the Year award.

The 2016 season is the latest step in a great rise for the Western Washington women’s soccer program. The Vikings boast a 100-9-7 record over the last five seasons, have won five consecutive GNAC regular season titles, have won three GNAC championships and advanced to at least the NCAA Division II quarterfinals three times. Connell has a 202-64-26 overall record as WWU’s women’s head coach.