Thursday, December 16, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – A quartet of GNAC women’s soccer players – two apiece from Seattle Pacific and Western Washington – were named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American teams for distinguishing themselves on the field and in the classroom.

Seattle Pacific midfielder Makena Rietz and defender Madison Ibale each made the Scholar All-American first team, while WWU goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx made the second team and forward Jenna Killman was selected to the third team. All four athletes were also named to the Scholar All-West Region Team.

Rietz, a senior from Walla Walla, Washington, was previously named both the GNAC and D2CCA West Region Player of the Year after a 13-goal season for SPU. She ranked fifth in Division II with seven game-winning goals while also pressing opposing strikers from her central midfield position. Rietz earned first-team All-American selection from D2CCA and a second-team All-American selection from the United Soccer Coaches. In the classroom, Rietz has a 3.72 GPA as a sociology major.

Ibale, a senior from Kent, Washington, was the leader of a Falcons defense that allowed 11 goals in 22 matches for the sixth-best goals against average mark in Division II at 0.49. Ibale logged nearly 1,900 minutes as a center back for an SPU team that won the GNAC Championship and advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Like Rietz, she was named a first-team All-American by the D2CCA and also won the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year award. As a student, Ibale is majoring in visual communications and has a 3.85 GPA.

Dierickx, a senior from Kirkland, Washington, saved 81 percent of the shots she faced while orchestrating a Vikings defense that allowed just 0.82 goals per match. Dierickx has maintained a 3.41 GPA as a communications major over a decorated career that includes three GNAC All-Conference first-team selections. She also earned an Academic All-District nod from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Killman, a senior from Olympia, Washington, finished as the conference’s leading scorer with 14 goals after a terrific postseason. In the semifinals of the GNAC Championships, Killman recorded the fastest hat trick in GNAC history by scoring three times in just over 13 minutes before scoring in both of the Vikings’ NCAA Tournament matches. Killman is an international business major and holds a GPA of 3.57.

Student-athletes on this year's Scholar All-America Teams will be formally acknowledged for their accomplishments on the field and in the classroom at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 at the Kansas City Convention Center in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.