Wednesday, September 13, 2017

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Alyssa Tomasini, Western Oregon
F • 5-8 • Freshman • Camas, Wash.
The freshman netted two goals and an assist to lead the Wolves to a 1-1-0 record week in Hawaii. She assisted on WOU’s lone goal in the 3-1 loss at Hawaii Pacific on Thursday and then netted her first two collegiate goals in a 2-0 win over Chaminade on Saturday. It was Western Oregon’s first win of the season.

Also Nominated: Whitney Lowe (Central Washington), Quinn Williams (Concordia), Alycia Wright (Montana State Billings), Kylee Sarchett (Saint Martin’s), Emma Pringle (Simon Fraser), Sophie Butterfield (Western Washington).

DEFENSE
Ashley Homer, Western Washington
GK • 5-9 • Senior • Puyallup, Wash.
The senior posted her first shutout of the season and made three saves as the No. 1 ranked Vikings improved to 3-0-0 on the season with a 1-0 victory at Metro State. The shutout lowered Homer’s goals against average to 0.67 on the season.

Also Nominated: Ali Koehler (Saint Martin’s), Dana Jacobs (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Lost at Northwest (Wash.) 2-1. Lost vs. Stanislaus State 2-1 (at Seattle, Wash.).
THIS WEEK: Sept. 14 vs. Fresno Pacific, Noon. Sept. 17 vs. Concordia, 1 p.m.*
• On Sept. 7, Lexsi Manning and Whitney Lowe notched second half goals to lead a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Northwest University, achieving Central Washington’s first win of the year.
• Three days later, the Wildcats fell 3-1 to Stanislaus State despite an early 1-0 lead in the first half.
 • Throughout both games last week, Lowe recorded a team-high eight shots and five on target. The forward also tallied a goal and assist.
• Mackenzie Nolte leads all GNAC players with 15 shots this season, averaging 3.75 per game.
• Emily Holt paces the GNAC with 22 saves, averaging 5.50 saves per match. Holt has played all four matches this season, allowing seven goals in 360 minutes of play.
• All five of Central Washington’s goals have been scored by different players. The team’s four assists have also come via four separate Wildcats.
• CWU takes on Fresno Pacific in their final non-conference match on Thursday, Sept. 14.

CONCORDIA
LAST WEEK: Won at Hawaii Pacific 2-1. Lost at Hawaii Hilo 4-1.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 13 vs. Cal Baptist, 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at Central Washington, 1 p.m.*
• After a two-match road trip in Hawaii, Concordia returns home to host Cal Baptist in their final non-conference match of 2017.
• The Cavaliers went 1-1 in their two matches last week, starting with a 2-1 win at Hawaii Pacific on Wednesday. Sydney Van Steenberge scored the Cavaliers’ first goal and Quinn Williams connected on a cross from Jennifer Aguirre for the game-winner in double overtime. Anna Miller recorded three saves in goal.
• Concordia finished its trip to Hawaii with a 4-1 loss to Hawaii-Hilo, despite outshooting the Vulcans 22-10. Williams factored in Concordia’s first goal, after her cross found Gabrielle Ewing to cut the Vulcans’ lead 2-1. Shannon Peth recorded two saves n the first half while Miller recorded one in second half action.
• At 2-2, the Cavaliers are averaging 1.25 goals per game while giving up 2.00 goals per game. Concordia also leads all GNAC teams with 75 shots this season, averaging 18.75 shots per game.
• Concordia, Seattle Pacific and Simon Fraser were the three GNAC teams to record overtime victories this past week.
• The Cavaliers will also begin their conference season this Sunday at Central Washington.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
LAST WEEK: Won vs. Black Hills State 4-1. Lost vs. Colorado Christian 2-1.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 14 at Carroll (Mont.), 3 p.m. Sept. 16 at Northwest Nazarene, 1 p.m.*
• Montana State Billings picked up its first win of the season by defeating Black Hills State University 4-1 on Friday.
• Striker Alycia Wright paced MSUB with two goals in their highest-scoring affair of the season.
• The ‘Jackets followed with a narrow 2-1 defeat against Colorado Christian on Sunday, splitting their two matches at last week’s Rimrock Classic.
• Sophomore midfielder Alexa Iacolucci has found the back of the net during the first three games of the Yellowjackets’ season. All three of her goals this year have come on free kick opportunities.
• All-conference center back Amanda Hemmen made her season debut last week, as the sophomore took the pitch in both matches off the bench. After playing every minute of the 2016 season as a true freshman, Hemmen has been hampered with an early-season injury.
• MSUB plays in its final non-conference match tomorrow at Carroll (Mont.) at 3 p.m. The Yellowjackets then head to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday to take on the Crusaders in both team’s opening GNAC matchup.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
LAST WEEK: Lost at San Francisco State 3-1. Won at Holy Names 2-0.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 16 vs. Montana State Billings, 1 p.m.*
• Two late goals lifted San Francisco State to a 3-1 victory over the Northwest Nazarene Thursday afternoon.
• SFSU scored the opening goal 26 minutes into the contest. The Crusaders battled back however, evening the score in the 58th minute through Ashley Cook-Cox’s first goal of the season.
• Northwest Nazarene bounced back however, with a 2-0 win at Holy Names on Saturday.
• NNU’s Emily Wilkins scored her second goal of the season in the 34th minute.  Crusader goalkeeper Danielle Ortiz made five saves and earned her second clean sheet of the year.
• Northwest Nazarene is tied for first with Western Washington among GNAC teams with nine assists. They have also given up the second-fewest goals this season at just 0.67 a game.
• The Crusaders also rank tied for first with WWU in goals with 11, recording 2.20 per game.
• NNU completes its non-conference season 3-2 overall and will begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference at home against Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN'S
LAST WEEK: Lost vs. Westminster (Utah) 2-0. Lost at Pacific Lutheran 2-0.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 16 vs. Cal Baptist, 1 p.m.
•Two goals conceeded in the final ten minutes against Westminster (Utah) handed Saint Martin’s a  2-0 defeat in its home opener last Friday.
•  Starting goalkeeper Ali Koehler recorded three saves on eight shots to preserve a first half shutout. Sara Christensen played the final 45 minutes of the match, allowing two goals on 13 shots with four saves.
• In their 2-0 loss at Pacific Lutheran on Sunday, Kylee Sarchett recorded the lone shot on goal for the Saints while Koehler recorded seven saves.
• SMU leads the GNAC with 35 saves, averaging 8.75 per contest. Koehler is second in the GNAC with 21 saves and owns a .808 save percentage. She leads all conference goalkeepers with 7.00 saves per game.
• The Saints host Cal Baptist at home this Saturday at 1 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Won at Metro State 2-1. Lost at UC Colorado Springs 2-1. Lost at Cal Poly Pomona 2-1.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 16 at Simon Fraser, 5 p.m.*
• Seattle Pacific was the only GNAC team to play in three matches last week.
• Down 2-0 at halftime against Metro State on Thursday, SPU stormed back to score three unanswered goals to secure its first win of the year. A Kasey Reeve goal with 2:28 remaining in regulation handed the junior her first career game-winning goal.
• SPU picked up its first loss at UC Colorado Springs last Saturday, falling to the Mountain Lions 2-1.
• Featuring as the lone GNAC team in action yesterday, the Falcons fell in a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime thriller at Cal Poly Pomona. Julia DeVere netted SPU’s only goal.
• The Falcons are one of four GNAC teams to record a shutout this season.
• Seattle Pacific travels to Burnaby, B.C., to take on Simon Fraser in both teams’ first conference match of the year.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Lost vs. Stanislaus State 3-1. Lost vs. Westminster (Utah) 2-1.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 16 vs. Seattle Pacific, 5 p.m.*
• Despite a first half goal by Emma Pringle, Stanislaus State tallied three second half goals for a 3-1 win against Simon Fraser last Friday.
• Just two days later, Pringle scored her fourth goal of the season in her side’s 2-1 loss to Westminster (Utah) at Terry Fox Field.
•  SFU’s lone goal in the match came two minutes from full-time when Christina Dickson’s through ball found Pringle in the box, where she chipped the ball over a diving Westminster keeper.
• Pringle ranks second among GNAC players with nine points and is tied with Western Washington’s Gabrielle Pelogi with four goals this season.  
• In four starts this year, Priya Sandhu has made 20 saves, recording a 1.44 goals against average.
• SFU will complete their four-game homestand with a GNAC match against Seattle Pacific this Saturday, before traveling to the Evergreen State in a week’s time to take on Central Washington and Western Washington.

WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Lost at Hawaii Pacific 3-1. Won at Chaminade 2-0.
THIS WEEK: Sept. 16 at No. 1 Western Washington, 4 p.m.*
• After a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hawaii Pacific on Friday, Western Oregon bounced back with its first shutout of the season two days later, winning 2-0 at Chaminade.
• Alyssa Tomasini notched her first goals of the year in the win, as she factored in both scores to guide the Wolves to their first win of the season.
• In addition to her two-goal effort, Tomasini was selected as this week’s GNAC Soccer Women’s Offensive Player of the Week.
• Goalkeeper Caitlin Kastelic has recorded 17 saves in four games. The Wolves have also recorded three more saves than its opponents (17-14) this season.
• Kaili Brundage, Dana Jacobs and Kennedy Clay each have a goal this season.  
• The Wolves begin conference play with a trip to Bellingham, Wash., on Sept. 16 to take on defending NCAA champion Western Washington at 4 p.m.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Won at Metro State 1-0.
THIS WEEK: Won at CSU Pueblo 1-0. Sept. 16 vs. Western Oregon, 4 p.m.*
• The Viklings netted a 1-0 victory at Metro State on Sunday. Sophie Butterfield recorded her first collegiate goal after scoring the lone strike of the game in the first half.
• Ashley Homer made three saves to record her 15th WWU shutout, handing her this week’s GNAC Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Year award.
• WWU is ranked No. 1 in the latest edition of the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Poll.The Vikings are also listed No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches West Region rankings.
• Western Washington has been ranked No. 1 in the last 12 NCAA Division II polls.
• Dating back to the start of last season, the Vikings have won their last 28 games and are undefeated in their last 29 games. Their 28-game winning streak is the 4th-longest winning streak in NCAA II history. The 28-game unbeaten streak is tied for the 9th-longest in NCAA Division II history.
• Gabriela Pelogi has recorded 12 points in the Vikings first four games of the season.  She leads all GNAC players in points (14), goals (5) and game-winning goals (3).
• The Vikings lead all GNAC teams in points, goals, goals allowed and assists.
• Western Washington opens it conference slate this Saturday, hosting Western Oregon. WWU was victorious against the Wolves on both occasions last season.