Monday, October 10, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – It was sweeps week for Northwest Nazarene, Alaska Anchorage and Montana State Billings as the three schools pulled off sweeps of the GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Northwest Nazarene captured all four soccer weekly awards after both the men and women won in a week that saw the Nighthawks allow just one goal across four matches. Senior Jake Levine was tabbed as the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he connected for the game-winning goal in Thursday’s 2-0 win over Montana State Billings and the opening goal in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Simon Fraser.

Senior defender Braeden Anderson netted the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week award after he played all 180 minutes and anchored an NNU defense that allowed just six shots in two matches.

Senior forward Ashley Parton picked up the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honor after scoring both game-winners and three total goals in two wins. She scored both NNU goals within a three-minute span in Thursday’s 2-0 win over Montana State Billings before netting the game-winner in the 27th minute of Saturday’s 4-0 win over Central Washington.

Senior goalkeeper Alexis Montoya was named the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for her role in the team’s sixth and seventh shutouts of the season. She went the distance against Montana State Billings on Thursday, making six saves on seven shots. Montoya then made two saves in 68 minutes of action against Central Washington.

Alaska Anchorage swept the volleyball weekly awards after scoring road wins over Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene to complete the first half of the conference season with an undefeated record. Senior setter Ellen Floyd earned the offensive award after she averaged 9.57 assists, 1.29 kills and 3.43 digs per set in the two victories. She put together 25 assists, eight digs, five kills and a block in Thursday’s sweep of the Wildcats before adding 42 assists, 16 digs, four kills and three blocks in Saturday’s four-set win over the Nighthawks.

Senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens added the defensive honor to her tally after averaging 4.14 digs, 1.71 blocks and 3.86 kills per set. She opened with 10 digs, six blocks and 11 kills against Central Washington on Thursday before adding totals of 19 digs, six blocks, six kills and an ace in the win over Northwest Nazarene.

Montana State Billings was the winner of both golf weekly awards thanks to a pair of solid finishes at its own Yellowjacket Fall Classic. Senior Dawson Strobel was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he won with a three-round score of 5-under-par 211. The effort helped lead MSUB to the team title by 14 strokes.

Junior Brennan Larson was selected as the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she finished fifth with a two-round score of 161. She posted a career-low round of 80 in the first round to lead MSUB to a second-place team finish.

Simon Fraser sophomore Charlie Dannatt and Western Washington sophomore Kevin McDermott shared the Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honor after a pair of fast performances against quality Division II competition. Dannatt won the San Francisco State Invitational in a time of 24:42.7 over 8,000 meters. He led the Red Leafs to a perfect 15-point score to win the team title. McDermott placed seventh at the Lewis Crossover, turning in a time of 24:18 over 8,000 meters to lead the Vikings to a third-place finish.

Saint Martin’s freshman Alauna Carstens repeated as the Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after she placed fifth at the San Francisco State Invitational. The top GNAC placer, Carstens ran a time of 21:48.4 over 6,000 meters and led the Saints to a fourth-place team finish.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 8
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Jake Levine (Northwest Nazarene, F, 6-0, Sr., Spokane, Wash. – Central Valley): Levine scored goals in both matches last week as the Nighthawks pulled into a tie for first place in the conference standings. Levine scored the game-winner in the 67th minute of Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Montana State Billings. He then contributed the opening goal in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Simon Fraser. Levine now has 28 career goals, adding to his NNU record. Also Nominated: Devin O’Hea (Simon Fraser), Enrique Gomez (Western Oregon).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Braeden Anderson (Northwest Nazarene, D, 5-10, Sr., Redondo Beach, Calif. – Redondo Union): Anderson played all 180 minutes and anchored a defense that allowed a grand total of six shots in two victories. The Nighthawks allowed Montana State Billings just two shots in Thursday’s 2-0 shutout and just four shots to Simon Fraser in a 2-1 victory. Also Nominated: Bryan Maxwell (Montana State Billings), Lars Helleren (Seattle Pacific), Niko Papakyriakopoulos (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Ashley Parton (Northwest Nazarene, F, 5-6, Sr., Leavenworth, Wash. – Cascade): Parton finished with three goals, including two game-winners, as the Nighthawks kept pace in the conference regular-season championship chase. Parton scored both goals in Thursday’s 2-0 shutout of Montana State Billings. Both games came just over two minutes apart. She then scored the game-winning goal in the 27th minute of Saturday’s 4-0 shutout of Central Washington. Also Nominated: Maria Pagnotta (Saint Martin’s), Sophie Beadle (Seattle Pacific).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Alexis Montoya (Northwest Nazarene, GK, 5-6, Sr., West Jordan, Utah – Northern State Univ.): Montoya earned her sixth shutout of the season on Thursday, making six saves on seven shots in Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Montana State Billings. She then made two saves in 68 minutes of action in Saturday’s 4-0 blanking of Central Washington. Also Nominated: Clare Keenan (Montana State Billings), Kathryn Nyone (Seattle Pacific), Sarah Loewen (Simon Fraser), Claire Henninger (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage, S, 5-10, Sr., Pensacola, Fla. – Pensacola Catholic): Floyd averaged 9.57 assists, 1.29 kills and 3.43 digs per set as UAA went 2-0 on the road and closed the first half of the GNAC season undefeated. Floyd compiled 25 assists, eight digs, five kills and a block in Thursday’s three-set sweep at Central Washington. She then added totals of 42 assists, 16 digs, four kills and three blocks in Saturday’s four-set win at Northwest Nazarene. Also Nominated: Rilee White (Alaska), Emma Daoud-Hebert (Central Washington), Olivia Wright (Northwest Nazarene), Hannah Hair (Central Washington), Jocelyn Sherman (Simon Fraser), Sarah Crowell (Western Oregon), Malia Aleaga (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Eve Stephens (Alaska Anchorage, RS, 6-1, Sr., Palmer, Alaska – Colony): Stephens averaged 4.14 digs, 1.71 blocks and 3.86 kills per set in two road victories. She opened with 10 digs, six blocks and 11 kills to go with two assists and two aces in Thursday’s three-set sweep at Central Washington. On Saturday, Stephens led the way with 19 digs, six blocks, 16 kills and an ace in a four-set win over Northwest Nazarene.  Also Nominated: Jessa Long (Alaska), Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene), Kalissa Beltran (Simon Fraser), Calley Heilborn (Western Washington).

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Charlie Dannatt (Simon Fraser, So., North Vancouver, B.C. – Univ. of British Columbia): Dannatt won the San Francisco State Invitational on Friday, covering the 8,000-meter course in a time of 24:42.7. He led a top-five sweep for the Red Leafs as they won the meet with a perfect score of 15 points.

Kevin McDermott (Western Washington, So., Port Orchard, Wash. – South Kitsap): McDermott led the Vikings at the high-powered Lewis Crossover in Illinois on Saturday. He placed seventh in a time of 24:18 and led Western Washington to a third-place finish out of 22 teams in the meet. Also Nominated: Ty Savely (Central Washington), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Alauna Carstens (Saint Martin’s, Fr., Shelton, Wash. – Shelton): Carstens was the top GNAC finisher at Friday’s SF State Invitational. Carstens placed fifth as she covered the 6,000-meter course in 21:48.4, finishing just over a second ahead of Simon Fraser’s Megan Roxby. She led the Saints to a fourth-place team finish. Also Nominated: Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser), Sophie Wright (Western Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Dawson Strobel (Montana State Billings, Sr., Tekoa, Wash. – North Idaho JC): Strobel collected his second victory of the fall season, winning the Yellowjacket Invitation with a three-round score of 5-under-par 211. He beat South Dakota Mines’ Joseph Vincent by one stroke and led the Yellowjackets to a 14-stroke team victory.

WOMEN’S GOLF
Brennan Larson (Montana State Billings, Jr., Roundup, Mont. – Roundup): Larson tied for fifth at the Yellowjacket Fall Invite, turning in a two-round score of 161. She posted a career-low round of 80 in the first round to lead the Yellowjackets to a second-place team finish.