Monday, December 9, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – As Western Washington prepares for its NCAA Division II Semifinal match against Flagler in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Vikings lead the GNAC with five selections to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches Division II All-West Region Team.

Four players represent the Vikings on the All-West Region First Team, including senior forward Karli White, the 2019 GNAC Player of the Year. White was sidelined in 2018 due to injury but returned to become the primary playmaker for the Vikings this season, scoring six goals and ranking second in the conference with eight assists and 20 points.

Joining White on the first team from the Vikings are junior midfielder Grace Eversaul, junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx and senior defender Emily Nelson, the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year.

A two-time First Team All-GNAC selection, Eversaul scored the golden goal for the Vikings in their 1-0 double-overtime victory over Cal State LA in the second round of the West Regionals then scored the third goal in a 3-0 rout of Dixie State in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals. She is tied for fifth in the conference with seven goals and also ranks tied for fourth with 19 points.

Dierickx and Nelson are the heart and soul of the Viking defense. Dierickx leads the GNAC with 12 shutouts, an .852 save percentage and a 0.36 goals against average, which ranks third in Division II. Nelson anchored a Western Washington defense that allowed just eight goals and registered 17 shutouts as the Vikings return to the NCAA Division II Semifinals for the fourth time in seven years.

One of the conference’s top offensive threats in 2019, Seattle Pacific freshman midfielder Chloe Gellhaus also landed on the first team after a breakout campaign that earned her selection as the GNAC Freshman of the Year. Gellhaus ranks tied for second in the conference with eight goals while also ranking third with 58 shots as she led the Falcons to a second-place finish.

Three GNAC players earned Second Team All-West Region honors, including Western Washington senior defender Annaliese Laurila, Seattle Pacific senior defender Asia Cayetano and Falcons’ junior forward Sophia Chilczuk. Cayetano and Chilczuk were both unanimous First Team All-GNAC selections while Laurila earned second-team honors.

Rounding out the conference’s selections to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team are Seattle Pacific junior forward Claire Neder, Central Washington junior midfielder Sophia Keenan, Western Oregon senior defender Jacky Beristain and Wolves’ junior forward Alyssa Tomasini, who led the conference with nine goals and 25 points.

The United Soccer Coaches All-Region teams are selected through voting by member coaches in their respective divisions. The conference’s five first-team selections will move forward for consideration for the 2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II All-America Team, which will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 11.