Wednesday, November 1, 2017

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Quinn Williams, Concordia
F • 5-6 • Sophomore • Pukalani, Hawaii
Williams connected for three goals and had an assist as the Cavaliers clinched the GNAC regular season champi- onship. She scored two goals in the 75th and 90th minutes in Thursday’s 6-1 victory over Central Washington. She then scored the insurance goal in the 82nd minute in the Cavaliers’ 2-0 shutout at Western Washington.

Also Nominated: Lauren Allison (Saint Martin’s), Makayla Sonstelie (Seattle Paci c), Meli Cortez (Western Oregon), Gabriela Pelogi (Western Washington).

DEFENSE
Anna Miller, Concordia
GK • 5-6 • Sophomore • Issaquah, Wash.
Miller finished with 12 saves in the two matches. She recorded four saves while playing 68 minutes in the 6-1 victory over Central Washington on Thursday. Against Western Washington on Saturday, Miller had eight saves and had a key save on a penalty kick in the ninth minute to preserve the 2-0 shutout.

Also Nominated: Kai Mahuka (Western Oregon), Sierra Shugarts (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC

CONCORDIA
LAST WEEK: Won 6-1 vs. Central Washington. Won 2-0 at Western Washington.
THIS WEEK: Nov. 2 vs. Northwest Nazarene, 7 p.m.
• Earning its 11th-straight win on Saturday, Concordia knocked off defending GNAC and Division II national champion Western Washington 2-0 at Harrington field.
• With the win, the Cavaliers clinched their first GNAC regular-season school title in school history. They march into the GNAC Championships with the No. 1 seed.
• Concordia is averaging 2.18 goals per match while allowing just 0.63 goals per game. Gabrielle Ewing leads the team with a team-high eight goals and six assists.
• The Cavs have outscored GNAC opponents 30-2 this season and have recorded 10 shutouts during conference play. Goalkeeper Anna Miller has a 0.43 goals against average including a league-leading .870 save percentage in 14 starts.
• With its win at Western Washington, Concordia jumped back into the United Soccer Coaches Division II Rankings at No. 17. The Cavs are also No. 2 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II West Region Poll.
• For the second week in a row, Miller was named the GNAC Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after her 12-save week. Her most important save, however, came in the ninth minute against the Vikings when she denied a WWU penalty kick to keep the match level.
• Cavs’ forward Quinn Williams picked up the GNAC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week award with a three-goal performance in the regular season’s final two games. She recorded two in CU’s 6-1 win over Central Washington on Thursday and tallied the insurance goal to help the Cavs to a win over WWU.
• Appearing in the GNAC Championships for the second time in program history, the Cavs look to avenge its 2015 semifinal loss against Seattle Pacific in double overtime. They play host to No. 4-seeded Northwest Nazarene.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
LAST WEEK: Lost 3-1 vs. Western Washington. Won 4-1 vs. Saint Martin's.
THIS WEEK: Nov. 2 vs. Concordia, 7 p.m.
• With 11 regular season and eight conference victories this season, Northwest Nazarene broke its single-season win total that was previously set in 2012.
• Fourth-year head coach Mary Trigg has led the Nighthawks’ resurgence, winning more matches this season than the Nighthawks have won in the past three years combined. Their matchup this Thursday will be the first time in program history that NNU will appear in the GNAC Championships.
• A pair of attacking threats lead Northwest Nazarene as junior forward Madi Taylor and freshman forward Rikki Myers lead the team with seven goals each. Along with senior midfielder Anita Maryskova, Taylor has recorded five assists this season to rank tied for sixth in the GNAC with 19 points.
• Nighthawks’ goalkeeper Daniele Ortiz has been a big part of NNU’s 2017 surge. The senior boasts a 0.88 goals against average and is third in the league with a .812 save percentage. She is in a three-way tie with Homer and Miller for most shutouts this season with eight.
• The defense has been superb, allowing just 15 goals all season.
• Northwest Nazarene will take on hosts and GNAC regular-season champion Concordia. In the teams’ previous meeting on Oct. 12, the Nighthawks fell 1-0 via a Cavaliers’ penalty kick goal in the 58th minute at Tuominen Yard.
• Despite being 0-4 all-time against the Cavaliers, the Nighthawks will look to carry the momentum gained at the end of their regular-season campaign, where they won their final three of four games to make the tournament.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Won 1-0 vs. Western Oregon.
THIS WEEK: Nov. 2 vs. Western Washington, 4 p.m.
• Ending the season winning its final four of five games, Seattle Pacific edged Northwest Nazarene for the No. 3 seed on conference tiebreaker.
• Earning shutouts in three of their last four matches of the regular season, Seattle Pacific appears in the GNAC Championships for the sixth-consecutive season.
• Reeve leads the team with 10 goals and is tied for first in the GNAC with four-game winners.
• In five Championships’ appearances, the Falcons have made the finals four times and won the title on two occasions. In the past four finals, Seattle Pacific has met Western Washington for the conference’s automatic bid to the Division II Championships.
• Of the four teams in the GNAC Championships, Seattle Pacific has played in the most overtime games (five) this season, going 3-2 in those contests.
• With 275 career saves and a .797 save percentage this season, the Falcons are led by their new career saves leader, senior goalkeeper Molly Stinson. Junior forward Kasey Reeve leads the team with 10 goals and is tied for first in the GNAC with five game-winners. A quartet of Falcons’ scorers has supported Reeve with four goals each. Sophia Chilczuk and Julia DeVere have recorded 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Simone Herzberg and Mickayla Mury each have nine points.
• The Falcons will take on familiar postseason foes, Western Washington, in the first round of the GNAC Championships on Thursday. The two teams have met in the finals of the GNAC Championships each of the last four seasons, with Western Washington owning a 2-0-2 record in that stretch. In both ties, the Falcons defeated the Vikings in a shootout to earn the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Championships.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Won 3-1 at Northwest Nazarene. Lost 2-0 vs. Concordia.
THIS WEEK: Nov. 2 vs. Seattle Pacific, 4 p.m.
• Falling 2-0 to Concordia last weekend, Western Washington saw its 39-game win and 40-game unbeaten streak come to an end.
• The Vikings enter the GNAC Championships as the No. 2 seed for the first time in program history.
• They are led by junior forward Gabriela Pelogi, who is tied for first in the GNAC with 14 goals. Junior transfer Karli White is having an exceptional inaugural season in Vikings’ colors, ranking second in the GNAC with eight assists.
• While the offense has scored a GNAC-leading 50 goals, it has been the Vikings’ defense that has impressed all season. Western Washington has recorded 11 shutouts and has limited GNAC opposition to just six goals this season.
• The WWU defense has been anchored by the exceptional play of goalkeeper Ashley Homer, who leads the GNAC with just five goals allowed and is second in the league with a .815 save percentage.
• Western Washington is fourth in Division II with 9.25 points per match and is seventh in scoring offense with 3.13 goals per game. The Vikings are fourth in the nation with 48 assists. The Vikings are No. 12 in the latest NCAA Division II West Region Poll.
• The Vikings lead all GNAC teams in shots (376), points (148), goals (50) and assists (48).
• Regular season champion the past five seasons, Western Washington will look to earn its third GNAC Championships title in six years.