Friday, December 1, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Representing the GNAC at the Division II postseason in early November, Western Washington and Concordia had three of its players named All-Americans as six GNAC women’s soccer athletes have received recognition on the 2017 Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) and United Soccer Coaches Division II All-America teams.

A pair of Vikings receive D2CCA Third Team All-America honors in senior midfielder Emily Webster and 2016 NSCAA Player of the Year, senior defender Sierra Shugarts.

Western Washington junior forward Gabriela Pelogi received D2CCA Honorable Mention All-America recognition while Concordia sophomore goalkeeper Anna Miller and 2017 GNAC Player of the Year, junior midfielder Gabrielle Ewing, also earned honorable-mention honors.

Joining Pelogi as the only other GNAC player on the United Soccer Coaches Division II All-America list is Concordia senior Ana Delgadillo. Both student-athletes were third-team selections. All six GNAC All-America players were 2017 D2CCA First Team All-West Region selections.

Webster, a four-time all-GNAC selection, played in all 20 contests this season. Along with her goal and six assists (fourth best in the league), her stability in the midfield aided a high-flying Vikings’ attack that netted a league-high 55 goals. The senior earned All-West Region accolades for the third consecutive season and is a three-time First Team All-GNAC honoree, including the 2016 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year.

A three-time All-GNAC selection, Shugarts led Western Washington to a league-high 14 shutouts. The senior overcame an early-season injury to anchor a defense that allowed just eight goals, helping the Vikings to a 0.40 goals against average and a .700 shutout percentage, good for sixth in the nation. Shugarts added a goal and an assist to go along with her defensive efforts.

Leading the league with 15 goals, Pelogi was a goal-scoring machine up top. She started in all 20 games for the Vikings this season, adding six assists for a league-best 36 points. Her golden goal against Concordia in the 2017 GNAC Championships lifted the Vikings to their third straight conference title with a 1-0 win. Pelogi had at least one point in 13 games this season, including a league-best six game-winning goals.

Ewing took her game to another level this season as she led Concordia with 23 points (eight goals and seven assists). She was tied for second in the GNAC with five game-winning goals and led Concordia to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The junior was one of three Cavaliers to start all 21 contests this season.

Miller rounds out Concordia’s representatives on the United Soccer Coaches All-America Team after a breakout season between the sticks. She ranked first in the GNAC with a .864 save percentage and allowed just nine goals including 10 shutouts in 18 appearances. Miller earned GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season.

Appearing in over 1,500 minutes this season, Delgadillo anchored a Cavaliers’ backline that allowed just 0.65 goals per game and scored the game-winning goal in Concordia’s 6-1 win over Central Washington on October 26. The defender played a key role in the Cavs 12 shutouts and added two goals and two assists to reinforce her value.

This year’s NCAA Division II All-Americans will be formally acknowledged for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Luncheon on January 20, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in conjunction with the 2018 United Soccer Coaches Convention in downtown Philadelphia.