Wednesday, October 12, 2022
THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Ashley Parton, Northwest Nazarene
F • 5-6 • Senior • Leavenworth, Wash.
Parton connected for three goals in two matches last week for NNU, scoring both game-winners. She recorded a brace in the Nighthawks' 2-0 win over MSUB on Thursday scoring both goals within two minutes of each other and followed it up with the opening goal of a 4-0 shutout of CWU on Saturday.
Also Nominated: Giuliana Zaurrini (SFU), Tera Ziemer (WWU), Maria Pagnotta (SMU)
DEFENSIVE
Alexis Montoya, Northwest Nazarene
GK • 5-6 • Senior • West Jordan, Utah
Montoya was unsolvable for her opponents last week, recording a six-save shutout against MSUB on Thursday before making two saves in 68 minutes of a 4-0 win over CWU on Saturday. She leads the GNAC and ranks 19th in Division II with six shutouts.
Also Nominated: Clare Keenan (MSUB), Sarah Loewen (SFU), Claire Henninger (WWU)
AROUND THE GNAC
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington dropped a pair of matches last week to Seattle Pacific, 3-1, on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene, 4-0, on Saturday to end its four-match road trip.
• Emily Darcy scored her team-leading third goal of the season on Thursday against the Falcons. She is tied for the sixth in the conference in goals. Goalkeepers Kassandra Jaggard and Mallory Patzer combined for nine saves.
• Central Washington will return for a two-match homestand this week, facing Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings finished its four-match road trip with a 2-0 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a 3-1 loss to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.
• On Thursday, MSUB held the high-powered Nighthawks offense scoreless until the second half.
• The Yellowjackets stung first on Saturday against the Falcons in the fifth minute when Jillian Hust netted her second goal of the season.
• Goalkeeper Clare Keenan made 20 saves this week between the two matches. She continues to the lead the GNAC with 70 saves and ranks 23rd in Division II.
• Montana State Billings returns home for a pair of matches this week against Simon Fraser on Thursday and No. 7 Western Washington on Saturday.
NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene posted an impressive week with a 2-0 shutout of Montana State Billings on Thursday and a 4-0 shutout of Central Washington on Saturday. The Nighthawks also claimed both GNAC Player of the Week awards.
• Despite outshooting the Yellowjackets 25-7, the Nighthawks had to wait until the second half to put themselves on the board when Ashley Parton netted a pair of goals in two minutes. Alexis Montoya made six saves in net for her GNAC-leading sixth shutout of the season.
• On Saturday, NNU scored early when Parton netted her sixth goal of the season in the 27th minute and the Nighthawks never looked back, adding three more goals in the second half.
• Parton was recognized as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after her three-goal week while Montoya picked up the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week award for her shutout on Thursday and starting role in net on Saturday. It is Montoya’s second award of the season.
• For the second week in a row, NNU received votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
• Northwest Nazarene plays two matches at home this week, facing Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.
SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split its week at home, losing out to then No. 14 Western Washington on Thursday 2-1 before bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Western Oregon on Saturday.
• Freshman forward Maria Pagnotta scored her fourth goal of the season on Thursday against the Vikings in the 68th minute. She followed it up with her team-leading fifth goal of the year to win the match for the Saints on Saturday. She leads the team and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 10 points.
• With the win, SMU put itself just one point behind fourth-place Simon Fraser in the standings.
• Saint Martin’s will hit the road this week to take on Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.
SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific solidified its place in the top three of the standings with a pair of 3-1 wins at home over Central Washington on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.
• The Falcons ran rampant on Thursday, outshooting the Wildcats 32-12. Lauren Snedeker scored the first goal of the match for SPU in the 11th minute and Toni Miranda netted the eventual game-winner in the 32nd minute. Central Washington cut the lead in half early in the second half, but Sophie Beadle restored the Falcons’ two-goal advantage 12 minutes later with her third goal of the season.
• On Saturday, Seattle Pacific came from behind to take the win over MSUB after surrendering a goal in the fifth minute. Snedeker put the equalizer in the back of the net in the 40th minute and SPU put two more home in the second half to take the win.
• The Falcons received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and rank No. 6 in the West Region Poll following their two-win week.
• Seattle Pacific will finish its four-match homestand this week, facing No. 7 Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.
SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split its week at home with a 2-0 win over Western Oregon on Thursday and a 2-0 loss to then No. 14 Western Washington on Saturday.
• The Red Leafs claimed a hard-fought win on Thursday, with both sides putting seven shots on goal. Freshman midfielder Jazz Dev got her first collegiate goal on a free kick in the 17th minute for the game-winner. Giuliana Zaurrini tallied the insurance marker just 15 minutes later.
• Simon Fraser gave up a pair of goals in the first half, but then held Western Washington scoreless through the second half on Saturday.
• The Red Leafs will play two matches on the road this week, taking on the Yellowjackets in Billings on Thursday and the Falcons in Seattle on Saturday.
WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon couldn’t find the back of the net for the second week in a row, dropping its match at Simon Fraser 2-0 on Thursday before falling to Saint Martin’s 1-0 on Saturday in Lacey.
• The Wolves outshot their opponents a combined 29-19 last week and have outshot their opposition in three of their last four matches without scoring a goal.
• Isabella Lopez led the way for the WOU goalkeepers with five saves over 135 minutes in net.
• Western Oregon will be looking to convert on its opportunities this week as it travels to take on Northwest Nazarene in Nampa on Thursday and Central Washington in Ellensburg on Saturday.
WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington picked up two more wins on the road last week with a 2-1 victory over Saint Martin’s on Thursday and a 2-0 shutout of Simon Fraser on Saturday.
• On Thursday, the Vikings put up a pair of early goals with Estera Levinte scoring in the seventh minute and Morgan Manalili netting her fourth of the year 10 minutes later.
• It was a very similar story on Saturday, with Tera Ziemer scoring a brace with goals in the 13th and 23rd minutes while goalkeeper Claire Henninger made two saves behind a solid WWU defense for the shutout.
• The Vikings have shot up the rankings once again, rising to No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and No. 1 in the West Region rankings.
• Western Washington will wrap up its four-match road trip with a pair of matches against Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.