Monday, October 18, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – It was quite the week for Simon Fraser’s football and men’s soccer teams with both squads sweeping their respective GNAC Player of the Week awards after winning performances.

Simon Fraser earned all three football weekly honors on the heels of a 30-3 victory at Montana State Northern. Sophomore wide receiver Riley Morrison was honored after he made five catches for 77 yards and scored SFU’s first touchdown of the game on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Justin Sieber.

Senior linebacker Griffin Barrett took home Defensive Player of the Week honors after he finished with 13 tackles, including seven solo tackles, as Simon Fraser limited MSUN to 266 yards of total offense and 0 for 7 on fourth-down conversions. Junior linebacker Isaac Muckian collected Special Teams Player of the Week honors after he recovered a blocked punt in the second quarter for SFU’s second touchdown of the game.

Senior goalkeeper Aidan Bain was selected as the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for his fourth and fifth shutouts of the season. Bain finished with nine saves in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Montana State Billings and needed just two saves in a 1-0 victory over No. 7 Seattle Pacific.

Sophomore midfielder Ali Zohar earned the Offensive Player of the Week award after he netted the game-winner in the 21st minute of the win over Seattle Pacific. It was his first goal of the season.

Seattle Pacific sophomore forward Lauren Forster was named the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after a three-goal week. She netted goals in the 26th and 67th minutes of Thursday’s 7-0 rout of Central Washington and then scored the equalizing goal in Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Montana State Billings.

Northwest Nazarene sophomore goalkeeper Alexis Montoya earned Defensive Player of the Week honors with her 17 saves in a pair of 1-0 shutouts. Montoya made 11 saves to earn the victory at Montana State Billings before making six saves in Saturday’s win at Central Washington. Montoya now has six shutouts on the season.

Nighthawks junior outside hitter Natalie Sullivan netted Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 6.14 kills per set with a .355 hitting percentage in a pair of victories. She opened with 23 kills and six digs in Thursday’s four-set win over Saint Martin’s before notching a double-double of 20 kills and 12 digs in Saturday’s three-set sweep of Western Oregon.

Central Washington freshman middle blocker Emma Daoud-Hebert was named the Defensive Player of the Week after she averaged 2.17 blocks and 1.33 kills per set in a pair of three-set wins. She had four blocks, three kills, a dig and an ace in Thursday’s win over Western Oregon before contributing nine blocks, five kills, a dig and a ace Saturday against Saint Martin’s.

Western Oregon freshman Easton Pomrankey earned the final Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week award for the season after he ran a time of 27:12.5 at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Saturday. His 151st-place finish led the Wolves to a 16th-place team finish.

Western Washington freshman Conrad Brown and senior Aidan Thain shared the Men’s Golf Player of the Week award after both tying for fourth amidst blustery conditions at the Chico State Wildcat Invitational. Brown and Thain each carded 6-over-par 150.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 8
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE
Riley Morrison (Simon Fraser, WR, 5-8, So., Bothell, Wash. – Bothell): Morrison led the Simon Fraser receiving corps, making five catches for 77 yards and the team’s first touchdown of the game en route to a 30-3 victory at Montana State Northern on Saturday.

FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE
Griffin Barrett (Simon Fraser, LB, 5-11, Sr., Moose Jaw, Sask. – A.E. Peacock): Barrett led all defensive players with 13 tackles, including seven solo tackles, in Simon Fraser’s 30-3 win at Montana State Northern. He paced an SFU defense that limited the Lights to 266 yards of total offense, forced five turnovers and held MSUN to 0 for 7 on fourth-down conversions.

FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS
Issac Muckian (Simon Fraser, LB, 6-0, Jr., Olympia, Wash. – Olympia): Muckian made the signature special teams play of the game for Simon Fraser, recovering a blocked punt early in the second quarter for a touchdown in the 30-3 win at Montana State Northern on Saturday.

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Ali Zohar (Simon Fraser, M, 5-8, So., Surrey, B.C. – University Hill): Zohar made his first goal of the season count, scoring the game-winner in the 21st minute in a 1-0 Simon Fraser win over No. 7 Seattle Pacific. He played all 180 minutes in midfield as Simon Fraser played to a 2-0 week. Also Nominated: Valdemar Fogt (Montana State Billings), Jason Fairhurst (Saint Martin’s), Alex Whiting (Western Washington).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Aidan Bain (Simon Fraser, GK, 6-3, Sr., Port Coquitlam, B.C. – Terry Fox): Bain posted his fourth and fifth shutouts of the week in a 2-0 homestand for Simon Fraser. He made nine saves in Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Montana State Billings on Thursday and then had two stops against just seven Seattle Pacific shots in a 1-0 win over the No. 7 Falcons on Saturday. Also Nominated: Brandon Locke (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Lauren Forster (Seattle Pacific, F, 5-7, So., Olympia, Wash. – Olympia): Forster tallied three goals off the bench to lead Seattle Pacific to a 1-0-1 week. On Thursday, Forster netted goals in the 26th and 67th minutes of the Falcon’s 7-0 rout of Central Washington. She then contributed the equalizing goal in the 68th minute of Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Montana State Billings. Also Nominated: Liberty Palmer (Montana State Billings), Maddie Wolff (Saint Martin’s), Giuliana Zaurrini (Simon Fraser), Alyssa Talkington (Western Oregon), Jenna Killman (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Alexis Montoya (Northwest Nazarene, GK, 5-6, Jr., West Jordan, Utah – Northern State Univ.): Montoya had 17 total saves as the Nighthawks scored a pair of 1-0 victories last week. Montoya made 11 saves to collect the victory at Montana State Billings on Thursday and then made six saves in Saturday’s win at Central Washington. It was the fifth and sixth shutouts of the season for Montoya. Also Nominated: Clare Keenan (Montana State Billings), Ali Campigotto (Saint Martin’s), Camille Darland (Western Oregon), Makenzie Burks (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Natalie Sullivan (Northwest Nazarene, OH, 6-0, Jr., Boise, Idaho – Bishop Kelly): Sullivan averaged 6.14 kills per set and hit .355 to lead the Nighthawks to their first conference wins of the season. Sullivan opened the week with 23 kills and six digs in Thursday’s four-set win over Saint Martin’s. She then added a double-double with 20 kills and 12 digs with an ace in Saturday’s three-set win over Western Oregon. Also Nominated: Marianna Payne (Central Washington), Emily Gooding (Simon Fraser), Julia Tays (Simon Fraser), Isabel Hurliman (Western Oregon), Olivia Fairchild (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Emma Daoud-Hebert (Central Washington, MB, 6-0, Fr., Woodinville, Wash. – Woodinville): Daoud-Hebert averaged 2.17 blocks and 1.33 kills per set to lead Central Washington to a pair of three-set wins. She opened with four blocks, three kills, a dig and an ace in Thursday’s win over Western Oregon. Against Saint Martin’s on Saturday, Daoud-Hebert finished with nine blocks, five kills, a dig and an ace. Also Nominated: Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene), Abigail Halstead (Saint Martin’s), Bianca Te (Simon Fraser), Delaney Smith (Western Oregon), Gabby Gunterman (Western Washington).

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Easton Pomrankey (Western Oregon, Fr., Kettle Falls, Wash. – Kettle Falls): Pomrankey was the Wolves’ top runner at Saturday’s Lewis & Clark Invitational, crossing the line in 151st place in a time of 27:12.5. He led Western Oregon to a 16th-place team finish.

MEN’S GOLF
Conrad Brown (Western Washington, Fr., Burlington, Wash. – Burlington Edison) & Aidan Thain (Western Washington, Sr., Bellevue, Wash. – Colorado Mesa Univ.): The Vikings’ duo tied for fourth place at the Chico State Wildcat Classic, each turning in two-round scores of 6-over-par 150 in blustery conditions. Thain turned in one of the tournament’s low rounds with a 1-under-par 71 in the second round. Brown finished with a low round of 1-over-par 73 on the second day. Also Nominated: Riley Kaercher (Montana State Billings).