Thursday, November 3, 2022

LAST WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE

Owen Gortner, Seattle Pacific
F • 6-1 • Senior • Bellevue, Wash. 

Gortner’s pair of goals lifted Seattle Pacific to a 2-1 win over Western Washington on Saturday in Seattle. The senior forward is only the second player this season to score multiple goals against the Vikings in the same match.

Also Nominated: Callum Bryan (MSUB), Jake Levine (NNU), Andrew Rotter (WWU)

DEFENSIVE

Ed Weise, Seattle Pacific
D • 6-1 • Senior • Redmond, Wash.

Weise anchored the back line for the Seattle Pacific defense for 85 minutes in the Falcon’s 2-1 win over Western Washington on Saturday. The SPU defense limited the potent Vikings offense to just six shots including none in the first half.

Also Nominated: Guillermo Gonzalez (MSUB)

AROUND THE GNAC

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings split its week at home, taking a 2-0 loss to Western Washington on Thursday before bouncing back with a 5-1 victory over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• The Yellowjackets’ offense ran rampant on Saturday, outshooting the Wolves 28-7 with 17 of those shots on goal. Western Oregon put itself on the board in the sixth minute but it was MSUB that dominated from there on. Jeremie Briquet, Trey Draayer, Kamden Beck, Callum Bryan and Pascal Pisarek all scored for the Yellowjackets.

• Briquet enters the final week of the regular season tied for the conference lead with six assists and ranks 39th in Division II.

• Montana State Billings will hit the road for its last regular season matches, facing Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene took a 3-1 win over Saint Martin’s on the road in Lacey on Thursday in its only match of the week.

• The Nighthawks were unable to find the back of the net in the first half and were forced to come from behind to win after surrendering a goal in the 28h minute. Lukas Juodkunatis leveled the score at 1-1 in the 51st minute while Jonathan Cardona netted the game-winner just five minutes later.

• Senior forward Jake Levine’s insurance goal against the Saints was the 29th of his career and puts him at the top of NNU’s Division II-era goals and points list.

• Northwest Nazarene will go head to head with rivals Western Washington on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday in Nampa. The Nighthawks enter the last week of the regular season just one point ahead of WWU and four points clear of SPU.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped a pair of matches at home last week, falling 3-1 to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and 3-2 to Simon Fraser on Saturday. The Saints also fell to 9-0 at Seattle Pacific in a rescheduled match on Monday.

• Ethan Jud put the Saints on the board first on Thursday. He scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season in the 28th minute to give SMU the lead heading into halftime. The Saints were level on shots with NNU 11-11.

• On Saturday, Saint Martin’s started strong once again, scoring the first two goals of the match but couldn’t hold up against a three-goal Simon Fraser barrage in the second half.

• Saint Martin’s will play its final regular season match of the season on Saturday  in Burnaby when it faces Simon Fraser.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific took a 2-1 victory over Western Washington on Saturday at home ahead of a 9-0 win over Saint Martin’s on Monday in Seattle.

• The Falcons defense was able to stifle the WWU attack on Saturday, not allowing a shot through the first 52 minutes while the offense outshot the Vikings 18-6. Senior forward Owen Gortner became only the second player this season to score multiple goals against WWU with a pair in the 56th and 77th minutes. His scoring effort earned him GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

• Senior Defender Ed Weise was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for his role in anchoring the defense on Saturday.

• The Falcons erupted for nine goals on Monday against Saint Martins and received goals from seven different players. Andrew Tran led the charge for SPU with two goals and two assists.

• Seattle Pacific will play its final matches of the regular season on the road against Western Oregon on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser hit the road and picked up a 2-0 win over Western Oregon on Thursday and 3-2 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• The Red Leafs fired six shots on goal Thursday against the Wolves, breaking through with the game-winner on a penalty kick from Mark Talisuna in the 69th minute. Alan Soto added an insurance goal just two minutes later.

• On Saturday, SFU was forced to come from behind to win after surrendering the first two goals of the match to the Saints. Defender Niko Papakyriakopoulos proved to be a major factor in the comeback, leading the team with a goal and two assists.

• Simon Fraser will return home for the final week of the regular season to face Montana State Billings on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon dropped a pair of matches last week, falling 2-0 to Simon Fraser at home on Thursday before a 5-1 loss at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Junior defender Ben Mitcheson scored the lone goal of the week for the Wolves with his first of the season to give WOU the initial lead in Billings on Saturday.

• Western Oregon will play its final match of the regular season on Thursday in Monmouth against Seattle Pacific.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington split  its week with a 2-0 win over Montana State Billings on Thursday before falling 2-1 to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• The Vikings received goals from Andrew Rotter and Alessandro Tomasi on Thursday behind Patrick Restum’s eighth shutout of the season.

• On Saturday, WWU couldn’t find the back of the net until after the Falcons had already struck twice. Johan Espinoza netted the lone goal of the day for the Vikings in the 89th minute.

• The Vikings enter the final week of the regular season just one point back from Northwest Nazarene in the GNAC standings and level on points with Simon Fraser.

 • Western Washington will face Northwest Nazarene on Thursday in Nampa before returning home to take on Montana State Billings on Saturday.