Thursday, September 9, 2021

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSE
Makinzie Packwood, Central Washington
F • 5-10 • Senior • Clarkston, Wash.
Packwood put up five points in the Wildcats’ first two games. Against College of Idaho Thursday, Packwood scored, then assisted on Maci Parke’s game-winner in the 74th minute. On Saturday against Chaminade, she scored what was at the time an equalizing goal in an eventual 2-1 loss.

Also Nominated: Maddie Smith (MSUB), McKenzie Buell (NNU), Jada Foster (WOU), Tera Ziemer (WWU)

DEFENSE
Alexis Montoya, Northwest Nazarene
GK • 5-6 • Junior • West Jordan, Utah
Montoya played all 180 minutes in goal for NNU’s two weekend wins, earning 1-0 shutouts in both. She totaled 11 saves in the two matches, recording four against Chaminade on Thursday and seven in Saturday’s dramatic win over College of Idaho.

Also Nominated: Maci Parke (CWU), Tuva Sallvin (MSUB), Ali Campigotto (SMU), Darien Walton (WOU), Katie Watt (WWU)

AROUND THE GNAC

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington went 1-1 last week, opening the campaign with a 3-2 win against College of Idaho on Thursday before losing 2-1 to Chaminade on Saturday.
 • Makinzie Packwood took home GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after a five-point week. Packwood scored a goal and an assist against College of Idaho before also scoring the Wildcats’ goal in the Chaminade loss.
• After CWU went into halftime with a 1-0 lead over College of Idaho, the two teams traded strikes in a frenetic four-goal second half. Junior defender Maci Parke notched the game-winner in the 74th minute off an assist from Packwood to seal the win.
• Wildcats goalkeeper Megan Fox leads the GNAC with 14 saves after the first two matches, with eight coming in the win against College of Idaho.
• Central Washington plays once next week on Friday against Humboldt State.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings got off to a balanced start to the year, losing 1-0 at Northern State on Thursday, defeating Nebraska-Kearney 1-0 on Saturday and drawing 1-1 with Mary on Monday.  
• The Yellowjackets have relied on youth to create their attack, with five of their six points scored by freshman forwards. Maddie Smith scored her first career collegiate goal in the win over Nebraska-Kearney, while Jordan Roe equalized for MSUB in the 74th minute against Mary off an assist from Liberty Palmer. Palmer has also peppered opposing defenses with nine shots in three games, tied for second-most in the conference.
 • Montana State Billings will host two matches this week, welcoming MSU Moorhead on Thursday before a rematch with Mary on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene won a pair of 1-0 matches to start the year, beating Chaminade on Thursday and College of Idaho on Saturday.
• Junior Alexis Montoya’s two shutouts with 11 total saves earned her the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week Award.
• McKenzie Buell provided the most exciting moment of the season thus far, finding the net with just 20 seconds left in regulation to lift NNU to the win over College of Idaho. The senior scored six times during the spring 2021 season.
• Defender Makayla Raggow scored for the Nighthawks against Chaminade, coming off the bench to find the net in the 65th minute.
• Northwest Nazarene moved up a spot to No. 10 in the Sept. 7 United Soccer Coaches Poll.
•The Nighthawks travel to Salt Lake City for two matches this week, facing Colorado Mesa in a neutral-site match on Thursday, followed by a face-off with No. 13 Westminster (Utah) on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• The Saints dropped a pair of 1-0 decisions at Missouri schools this past week, falling to Missouri S&T on Friday and Missouri-St. Louis on Sunday.  
• Saint Martin’s has maintained a patient attack, not straying offside a single time through the first two matches.
• Senior midfielder Kristen Madsen has been the primary creator of chances for the Saints, sending five shots towards opposing defenses. Madsen’s five goals in the spring 2021 season led the team.
• Saint Martin’s will host Corban on Friday for their only match of this upcoming week.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific was the only GNAC team to not open their season last week. SPU received six of eight first-place votes to edge Western Washington for first in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• The Falcons have been a team on the rise, finishing 9-3-0 in GNAC play in 2019 while losing in the conference title game, then going 8-0-1 overall during the shortened spring 2021 season.
• Seattle Pacific opened the year ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, but fell back to receiving votes after not playing a match.
• The Falcons return all three of their top scorers from the high-powered attack that scored 38 goals in just nine matches in spring 2021. Seniors Sophia Chilczuk (10 goals), Claire Neder (8 goals) and junior Chloe Gellhaus (6 goals) will all be a part of the effort to give SPU their first GNAC title since 2014.
• The team will kick off for the first time in 2021 on Saturday at Chico State.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser fell in their Thursday opening match to No. 21 Colorado Mines, before battling to a hard-fought 1-1 draw with MSU Denver on Saturday.
• Kayla Goncalvez got SFU on the board for the season against MSU Denver when the left-back pounced on a rebound to open the scoring for the game in the 37th minute.
• Simon Fraser ranks at the bottom of the conference in total shots but will be hoping that Giuliana Zaurrini can jumpstart the offense. Zaurrini is tied for the team lead with three shots this season and scored five goals during SFU’s last season of competition in 2019.
• Simon Fraser will host fellow British Columbia school Fraser Valley in an exhibition match on Saturday. The match will be noteworthy as the first sporting event played in the brand-new SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field on the school’s Burnaby campus.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon suffered a pair of one-goal losses, falling 1-0 to Western Colorado last Friday and 2-1 to Colorado Mesa last Sunday.
• Freshman defender Jada Foster registered the first goal of the season for the Wolves, getting to the other end of a Hannah Rispler free kick just eight minutes into the match against Colorado Mesa.
• Western Oregon failed to find the net against Western Colorado, but took nine shots and forced the Mountaineers’ keeper to make six saves. Forwards Chloe Smith and Gabby Pulliam each put two shots on target in Friday’s match. Smith’s five total shots are the most on the roster.
• The Wolves have been whistled for offsides eight times so far this season, double the amount of the second-highest GNAC team.
• One of three GNAC teams to play twice this week, Western Oregon will host No. 5 Sonoma State on Friday before taking on Humboldt State on Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington opened the season Thursday with a dominant 2-0 win over Adams State before reaching a 0-0 stalemate with No. 21 Colorado Mines on Saturday.
• Sophomore forward Estera Levinte found junior midfielder Tara Ziemer for not one, but two goals in the win over Adams State. Levinte’s two assists lead the GNAC, while Ziemer’s two goals are tied for the conference lead with Makinzie Packwood. Even more impressively, both Ziemer and Levinte’s performances came off the bench.
• Western Washington has fired towards goal early and often, recording 53 shots in the first two matches, 18 of which were on target. The Vikings recorded 32 shots alone in 90 minutes vs. Adams State, scoring twice and requiring nine saves from Adams State goalkeeper Ashley Beers to keep the game that close. Levinte leads both the team and the GNAC with 14 total shots, while Grace Eversaul, Jenna Killman, Ziemer and Ellie Busik all have five or more.
• Senior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has yet to concede a goal in two matches, recording seven saves. The Vikings defensive unit held nationally-ranked Colorado Mines to four shots on target in a 110-minute match.
• Western Washington jumped up seven spots to No. 18 in the Sept. 7 United Soccer Coaches Poll.
• The Vikings will feature in another nationally-ranked showdown, hosting No. 5 Sonoma State on Sunday in Bellingham.