Wednesday, October 19, 2022

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE

Jimmy Koufidakis, Northwest Nazarene
F • 6-0 • Sophomore • Mesa, Ariz.

Koufidakis scored a key insurance goal against Western Washington on Saturday to help secure a 2-0 victory that lifted the Nighthawks to the top of the standings. He was one of the leaders for the team last week with four shots between both matches.

Also Nominated: Callum Bryan (MSUB), Connor Tollan (SPU), Christian Comuzzi (SFU), Alessandro Tomasi (WOU)

DEFENSIVE

Sawyer Price, Northwest Nazarene
GK • 6-3• Junior • Olympia, Wash.

Price earned two more shutouts this week with a draw against SPU on Thursday and a win over WWU on Saturday. He made seven saves between both matches, including four against a Vikings team that averages 1.71 goals per match. He is tied for the lead in the GNAC and ranks sixth in Division II with seven shutouts.

AROUND THE GNAC

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings scored its first win of the conference season with a 2-0 victory over Saint Martin’s on Thursday before falling 3-0 to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• The Yellowjackets' offense took full control of the match on Thursday, outshooting the Saints 23-8 and firing 13 shots on goal. Bryan Callum broke through with the game-winner late in the first half, scoring in the 43rd minute off an assist from Kamden Bleck. It wasn’t until the 84th minute that MSUB earned some breathing room when Ryan Hanley netted his fourth goal of the season. Goalkeeper Jeremi Campagnolo earned his second shutout of the season with a four-save performance.

• On Saturday, the Yellowjackets held SPU scoreless until the second half and matched the Falcons with four shots apiece in the opening frame.

• Montana State Billings will be back at home for its only match of the week against No. 22 Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene battled to a 0-0 draw at Seattle Pacific on Thursday before taking a critical 2-0 victory over then-No. 24 Western Washington on Saturday in Bellingham.

• On Thursday, the Nighthawks were unable to find their usual offensive form but goalkeeper Sawyer Price and the defense stayed steady to maintain the shutout.

• In a battle for the top of the standings in Bellingham, NNU came out swinging, netting the eventual game-winner in the 19th minute via a header from defender Braeden Anderson. The Nighthawks shut down the usually potent Vikings offense and outshot them 12-10, ensuring the victory when Jimmy Koufidakis scored in the 41st minute.

• After defeating WWU and taking the top spot in the conference, NNU ranks No. 22 in the United Soccer coaches poll and fourth in the West Region. Northwest Nazarene also swept the weekly conference awards with Koufidakis the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week and Price the Defensive Player of the Week.

• Northwest Nazarene will face Western Oregon at home on Thursday and travel to take on Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped its only match of the week at home, 2-0, to Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• The Saints’ offense has been up and down this season, scoring in impressive fashion at times but couldn’t get fired up on Thursday against the Yellowjackets.

• Saint Martin’s was held to just eight shots by the MSUB defense but didn’t concede a goal until the 43rd minute. Goalkeeper Nick Mueller’s 11-save performance in net kept the Saints within reach of the match until the 84th minute when the Yellowjackets netted an insurance goal.

• Saint Martin’s will be back on the road this week, facing Seattle Pacific on Thursday before a rare Sunday matinee match against Western Oregon.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific played a pair of home matches last week, earning a 0-0 tie against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before picking up a 3-0 win over Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• On Thursday, the Falcons outshot the Nighthawks 14-10, including three shots on goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net against a hot goalkeeper and defensive corps.

• On Friday, SPU was forced to wait until the second half when the dam finally burst for the Falcons’ offense. Cameron Yriondo scored the first of three goals for Seattle Pacific in a nine-minute span, followed by Connor Tollan and Ed Weise. Goalkeeper Lars Helleren locked down the net for a third straight match for his seventh shutout of the season. He is tied for the lead in the conference in shutouts and ranks sixth in Division II.

• The Falcons are level at 12 points with third-place Simon Fraser and one of four teams in the GNAC with a .500 or better overall record.

• Seattle Pacific will continue its longest homestand of the season when Saint Martin’s comes to town on Thursday and Simon Fraser makes the trip on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser won its only match of the week, 1-0, over Western Oregon at home on Saturday.

• The Red Leafs' offense was dominant on Saturday, outshooting the Wolves 19-3, but wasn’t able to solve WOU goalkeeper Juan Suarez until the second half. Sophomore defender Christian Comuzzi broke the deadlock in the 69th minute, heading the ball in off a corner kick by Ali Zohar.

• Simon Fraser is third in the GNAC standings and level at 12 points with SPU.

• Red Leafs goalkeeper Justyn Sandhu has put together a solid 2022 campaign, leading the conference with a .821 save percentage that ranks 17th in Division II. He also leads the GNAC and ranks 39th in Division II with a .91 goals against average.

• Simon Fraser will hit the road this week to face Western Washington on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon battled hard but dropped both of its matches 1-0 against Western Washington at home on Thursday and Simon Fraser on the road on Saturday.

• On Thursday, the Wolves held the Vikings’ conference-leading offense scoreless until the final five minutes of the match. Goalkeeper Juan Suarez led the way for the defense in net with a 10-save performance to keep WOU in the match until the final whistle blew. Freshman forward/midfielders Alex Grignon and Abraham Villalobos led the way offensively for the Wolves with three shots each.

• Suarez put together a seven-save effort on Saturday in Burnaby to keep the match close with the Red Leafs. He leads the GNAC and ranks ninth in Division II with 75 saves. He also leads the conference and ranks second in Division II with 6.25 saves per match. He ranks fourth in the GNAC with a .765 save percentage.

• Western Oregon will travel to face Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before hosting a rare Sunday afternoon match against Saint Martin’s on Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington’s split its week with a 1-0 win on the road over Western Oregon on Thursday before dropping its home match to Northwest Nazarene, 2-0, on Saturday.

• Thursday’s match came down to the wire against the Wolves with senior forward Alessandro Tomasi netting the game-winner with only five minutes left to play. Goalkeeper Patrick Restum kept the Vikings in the match with a career-high eight-save performance.

• The Vikings’ offense missed GNAC-leading goal scorer Albin Jonsson on Saturday as they fell 2-0 to rivals Northwest Nazarene. Western Washington was narrowly outshot 12-10. It was the only the fifth time this season that the team has surrendered multiple goals.

• Western Washington will look to reclaim the top spot in the conference standings as it plays its only match of the week against Simon Fraser at home on Thursday.