By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – One spot in the 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Championships is still up for grabs as the regular season concludes this week.
Western Oregon (4-5-8, 4-3-5 GNAC) can claim the fourth and final spot with one win, as it prepares to host Central Washington (1-9-5, 0-8-4) on Thursday (1 p.m. PT) and Northwest Nazarene (3-13, 3-9) on Saturday (6 p.m. PT). The Wolves enter the week in fourth place in the GNAC standings with 17 points.
Montana State Billings (6-6-4, 3-5-4) has an outside shot at the fourth tournament berth, but will need to pull off a pair of upsets and receive help from the Wolves. In addition to beating both first-place Western Washington (11-2-4, 10-0-2) and third-place Simon Fraser (11-3-2, 7-3-2), MSUB would also need WOU to earn no more than one point in its final two matches in order to leapfrog the Wolves. The Yellowjackets enter the week in fifth place with 13 points.
Western Washington secured its 10th GNAC regular-season title last week, as the Vikings sit at the top of the table with 32 points and cannot be caught regardless of this week’s outcomes. Seattle Pacific (9-2-5, 7-1-4) is second with 25 points and the Red Leafs are third with 23 points, with both teams earning their third straight trip to the GNAC Championships.
The 2024 GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships seeding and schedule will be announced on Saturday night upon the conclusion of the final regular-season match. The tournament will be held Nov. 14-16 at Interbay Stadium on the campus of Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Wash. The top four teams in the final GNAC regular-season standings will advance to the single-elimination tournament. The winner of the event will earn the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA West Region Championships. Information on purchasing tickets can be
found online here.
| This Week’s GNAC Women’s Soccer Schedule |
| Date |
Away |
Home |
Time |
| Thursday, Nov. 7 |
Central Washington |
Western Oregon |
1 p.m. PT |
| Thursday, Nov. 7 |
RV Simon Fraser |
Montana State Billings |
3 p.m. MT |
| Thursday, Nov. 7 |
Saint Martin's |
Northwest Nazarene |
7 p.m. MT |
| Thursday, Nov. 7 |
RV Western Washington |
RV Seattle Pacific |
7 p.m. PT |
| Saturday, Nov. 9 |
Central Washington |
Saint Martin's |
11 a.m. PT |
| Saturday, Nov. 9 |
RV Western Washington |
Montana State Billings |
3 p.m. MT |
| Saturday, Nov. 9 |
RV Seattle Pacific |
RV Simon Fraser |
5 p.m. PT |
| Saturday, Nov. 9 |
Northwest Nazarene |
Western Oregon |
6 p.m. PT |
The first NCAA regional rankings were published on Oct. 30, listing 10 teams in alphabetical order. Wednesday’s rankings were the first of the year listed in
numerical order, with Western Washington occupying the No. 6 spot. One more set of regional rankings will be released on Nov. 13, before the six-team regional field is announced on the NCAA women’s soccer selection show Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. (Pacific). The third-through-sixth seeds will meet in first-round action, with the two winners advancing into a four-team bracket. The winners of the eight regions will square off in four super regional title contests, with those four winners advancing to the NCAA Championships Dec. 13-15 in Matthews, N.C. The complete Division II women’s soccer bracket can be
viewed online here.
| NCAA West Region Rankings |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
Team 3 |
| Oct. 30 (Alphabetical) |
SFU |
SPU |
WWU |
| Nov. 6 |
6. WWU |
|
|
WIN AND IN FOR WOU: Despite a pair of narrow defeats last week, falling 2-0 to WWU and 1-0 to SFU, Western Oregon used a smothering defense throughout the conference season to set itself up well ahead of the final week of play. WOU tied Central Washington 0-0 on Oct. 17 and defeated Northwest Nazarene 4-2 on Sept. 28 – its two opponents in this week’s matches. Even a pair of draws would secure the fourth and final tournament spot for WOU, which owns the tiebreaker over MSUB having defeated and drawn the Yellowjackets this season. WOU is in search of its second straight trip to the GNAC Championships and sixth overall since the event was founded in 2012.
A back line led by senior captain
Jada Foster,
Leah Heugly,
Haley King and
Lilly Nowatzke has combined for eight shutouts this season, second most in the conference. Goalkeeper
Sophia Pierce has been integral in the string of success, ranking third in the GNAC with a goals-against average of .813 and a save percentage of .847. Offensively, newcomer
Ciara Garcia leads the team with four goals scored while
Olivia Fothergill has chipped in three. Captain
Lulu Sadler has started all 17 matches in the midfield as well.
Read More: Wolves look to clinch GNAC spot (WOU Preview)
Jada Foster captains a WOU team that is two points away from securing a GNAC Championships berth (Photo: Clayton Jones).
SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE: A lot has to go right for Montana State Billings but the Yellowjackets enter the week clinging to hope for their first GNAC Championships berth since the 2015 campaign. The Yellowjackets played each of this week’s opponents close in their first meetings of the season, falling 2-0 to SFU on Sept. 28 and 2-1 to WWU on Oct. 17 on the road. MSUB has gone unbeaten in its last four matches to keep its season alive, beating NNU 3-1 and drawing Central Washington 1-1 last week.
Liberty Palmer scored twice in the Yellowjackets’ triumph over NNU, upping her season goal count to six to tie her for second in the conference. Palmer also moved up to No. 2 among active GNAC players with 14 goals in her career at MSUB.
Erika Wilson added a goal and a pair of assists last week, upping her season assist count to a team-best four. Seniors
Kendall McGraw (four goals) and
Jackie Sharpe (three goals) have been MSUB’s other top attacking players. Billings native
Taylor Gertsch will play her final matches for her hometown team, starting all 16 this fall and playing in 76 matches overall in her five-year career. If Gertsch starts both matches this week, she’d tie for second in MSUB history in career matches played, eighth in matches started and could become the eighth player in school history to eclipse 6,000 career minutes played. Defenders
Sunny Bennion and
Megan Mendenhall are the other MSUB seniors who have started every match this season.
Ava Curtright and the Yellowjackets face a must-win weekend at home (Shi Robison Photography).
| GNAC Women’s Soccer Active Career Goals Leaders (as of Nov. 6) |
| Rank |
Player |
Goals |
School |
Career |
| 1 |
Morgan Manalili |
18 |
Western Washington |
2022-24 |
| 2 |
Liberty Palmer |
14 |
Montana State Billings |
2021-24 |
| 3 |
Emily Darcy |
13 |
Central Washington |
2020-24 |
|
Kate Cartier |
13 |
Simon Fraser |
2021-24 |
| 5 |
Kayla Wallace |
10 |
Seattle Pacific |
2022-24 |
(L to R): MSUB's Liberty Palmer (11 goals), SFU's Kate Cartier (12 goals), WWU's Morgan Manalili (17 goals), SPU's Kayla Wallace (10 goals) and CWU's Emily Darcy (13 goals).
VIKINGS LOOK TO KEEP FOOT ON THE GAS: With eight straight wins, unbeaten in their last 12 and owning a shutout streak of five matches, regular-season champion Western Washington has looked unstoppable of late. The Vikings were selected as the
GNAC Team of the Week on Monday, after matching Seattle Pacific for the most women’s soccer titles with their 10th. WWU handled Western Oregon 2-0 and Saint Martin’s 2-0 on the road last week, clinching the title and the top seed into the conference tournament. The Vikings travel to the site of the tournament on Thursday, where they’ll face second-place Seattle Pacific (7 p.m. PT) under the lights at Interbay Stadium. The two programs tied 1-1 in their first meeting on Sept. 28 in Bellingham. WWU then finishes the regular season slate on Saturday at MSUB (3 p.m. MT).
College of Saint Rose transfer
Kyrsten McGuffey strengthened her case for GNAC Newcomer of the Year with four goals last week, and she leads all GNAC players with eight goals on the season.
Lydia Myers is tied for second in the league with six goals, and
Morgan Manalili is tied for the GNAC lead with a team-best seven assists. WWU’s stingy back line is led by senior captain
Halle Noel, junior captain
Asia Hardin and sophomore
Oliva Connell, who have started all 17 matches this season. In goal,
Abigail Trengove leads the GNAC with nine shutouts, a save percentage of .875 and ranks 11th nationally with a goals-against average of .389. Sophomore
Mie Cairns and junior
Claire Potter have played in all 17 matches in the midfield for WWU as well.
Read More: Vikings clinch GNAC title w/2-0 road victory (WWU Recap)
Alisa Harmer and the Vikings clinched the regular-season title and No. 1 tournament seed last week (Photo: Imogene Eagan).
FALCONS SET FOR RIVALRY MATCH: Seattle Pacific heads into Thursday’s rivalry match against the Vikings on the heels of a 2-1 win at Central Washington and a 3-1 win at Northwest Nazarene in last week’s matches. The Falcons will then cross the border on Saturday, facing Simon Fraser (5 p.m. PT) in what will likely be a preview of a first-round GNAC Championships matchup on Nov. 14. SPU grinded out a 3-2 win over SFU on Oct. 17 the first time the teams met this fall.
Taylor Krueger is tied with Manalili for the GNAC lead in assists with seven, while ranking tied for second with six goals scored. The reigning GNAC Newcomer of the Year is second in the GNAC with 1.19 points per game this fall.
Kayla Wallace is second on the team with five goals while starting all 16 matches, and
Nora Patterson has contributed four. Senior
Kathryn Nyone has led the SPU back line, and fellow seniors
Landrey McCann and
Lauren Snedeker have also started all 16 matches.
Mercedes Cullen has recorded three shutouts this fall and ranks fifth in the GNAC with a goals-against average of 1.23.
Read More: Falcons complete weekend sweep w/3-1 win over Nighthawks (SPU Recap)
Maya Parman and the Falcons face rival Western Washington on Thursday night at Interbay Stadium (Photo: Rio Giancarlo).
REIGNING TOURNEY CHAMPS REVVING UP: Coming off its first-ever GNAC Championships trophy last season, Simon Fraser has begun to hit its stride down the stretch. The Red Leafs ensured their spot in the tournament by picking up 10 points across their last four matches, outscoring their foes 13-5 over the last two weeks. After Thursday’s road match at MSUB (2 p.m. MT), the Red Leafs will host Seattle Pacific in the regular-season finale Saturday.
Kate Cartier’s 13th-career goal was a big one last week, as she nodded home the game winner in SFU’s 1-0 triumph over Western Oregon on the road. The senior midfielder from Kelowna, B.C., has been an integral part of the SFU lineup over the last four seasons and has two goals – both game winners – and three assists this fall.
Isabella Muzzolini leads the team and is tied for second in the conference with six goals, while adding four assists.
Dariella Lopez leads all freshmen in the conference with five goals scored and has added four assists to rank her third in the league with 1.17 points per game. Defensively,
Emily Smith,
Katie Richardson and
Elyse Beaudry have been the fixtures for an SFU side that ranks second in goals allowed (12) and first in goal differential (plus-23). Goalkeeper
Sarah Loewen is second in the GNAC with a goals-against average of .809 and has authored five shutouts this fall.
Alyssa Clark and the Red Leafs secured their spot in the GNAC Championships last week (Gordon Kalisch/FastTrackSports Photography).
SAINTS, NIGHTHAWKS COLLIDE: Each tied for sixth in the GNAC standings with nine points, Saint Martin’s (2-12-3, 2-7-3) and Northwest Nazarene (3-13, 3-9) will square off on Thursday night in Nampa (7 p.m. MT). The Saints are coming off an inspirational performance against Simon Fraser last week, pushing the Red Leafs to a 3-3 draw before falling 2-0 to Western Washington. SMU will close its campaign on Saturday at home against Central Washington (11 a.m. PT).
Ravyn Mummey scored a pair of goals in the final five minutes before halftime in the match against SFU, increasing her team-leading point total to five on the season. The senior from Everett, Wash., has played in all 17 matches this fall and has started 14. Senior
Payton Aselton has been a rock for SMU defensively, leading the team with 16 starts this fall. In goal,
Flavia Burrell ranks second in the league with 6.13 saves per game and has recorded three shutouts.
Read More: Mummey scores twice in shootout (SMU Recap)
Eve Charles and the Saints play at home against Central Washington in their final match of the season Saturday (Photo: Ron Smith).
The Nighthawks will look to put an end to a four-match losing skid this week and finish their 2024 campaign on a positive note. After facing the Saints Thursday, NNU plays at Western Oregon on Saturday (6 p.m. PT). NNU fell 3-1 to MSUB and 3-1 to SPU in a pair of home matches last week.
Abbey Blancett and
Savanna Herz are tied for the team lead with two goals each this fall, and
Nicole Lewis has supplied a team-leading three assists. Senior midfielder
Alejandra Jaramillo and senior defender
Kate Bleffert are the other two Nighthawks to have started all 16 matches in 2024.
Read More: Nighthawks’ early goal not enough (NNU Recap)
NNU's Allison Wolf is mobbed by teammates after scoring against Seattle Pacific last week.
WILDCATS WRAP UP ON ROAD: Central Washington closes its season on the road this week, playing at Western Oregon Thursday afternoon (1 p.m. PT) before Saturday’s clash with the Saints (11 a.m. PT). WOU lost 2-1 to Seattle Pacific before drawing MSUB 1-1 in its final two home matches last week.
Sami Huber scored her first goal of the season last week, and
Jordan Bartlow leads the team with two goals this fall.
Danika Galbraith leads the GNAC with 8.20 saves per game and ranks second with a save percentage of .854.
Read More: Wildcats prepare for final road trip (CWU Preview)
Shannah Mellick played significant minutes in her debut collegiate season for CWU this fall (Photo: Shayden Hoopai-Waikoloa).
Nora Patterson – Seattle Pacific University
After seeing action in just seven matches as a freshman in 2023, Patterson has upped the workload and played in all 16 games including a pair of starts for SPU this fall. The sophomore’s biggest contribution of the season came the last time the Falcons played the Red Leafs, one of their opponents this weekend. With SPU trailing 2-1 late in the first half, Patterson tucked home an equalizer with just seven seconds left before halftime to pull the score level. She followed with the game-winner in the 79th minute, finishing a brilliant chip-shot strike from well outside the box to send SPU to the come-from behind victory. Patterson has produced four goals this season including a pair of game-winners. Look for her to be a focal point in Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Red Leafs.
Nora Patterson scored twice last time the Falcons faced Simon Fraser, spurring her team to a 3-2, come-from-behind victory (Photo: Rio Giancarlo).
The United Soccer Coaches weekly rankings are released every Tuesday throughout the 2024 season.
| Poll |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
Team 3 |
| Preseason |
14. SPU |
|
|
| Week 1 (9/10) |
8. SPU |
20. WWU |
|
| Week 2 (9/17) |
RV SPU |
RV WWU |
|
| Week 3 (9/24) |
RV SFU |
|
|
| Week 4 (10/1) |
RV SPU |
|
|
| Week 5 (10/8) |
RV SPU |
RV SFU |
|
| Week 6 (10/15) |
RV WWU |
RV SPU |
RV SFU |
| Week 7 (10/22) |
RV WWU |
RV SPU |
|
| Week 8 (10/29) |
RV WWU |
RV SFU |
|
| Week 9 (11/5) |
RV WWU |
RV SFU |
RV SPU |
| Date |
Offensive Player of the Week |
Defensive Player of the Week |
| 9/9 |
Kayla Wallace, Seattle Pacific |
Kate Smith, Simon Fraser |
| 9/16 |
Jensa Napier-Ganley, Simon Fraser |
Leighton Menge, Central Washington |
| 9/30 |
Ciara Garcia, Western Oregon |
Asia Hardin, Western Washington |
| 10/7 |
Taylor Krueger, Seattle Pacific |
Claire Brogdon, Montana State Billings |
| 10/14 |
Lydia Myers, Western Washington |
Flavia Burrell, Saint Martin's |
| 10/21 |
Morgan Manalili, Western Washington |
Kate Bleffert, Northwest Nazarene |
| 10/28 |
Halle Noel, Western Washington |
Sophia Pierce, Western Oregon |
| 10/4 |
Kyrsten McGuffey, Western Washington |
Olivia Connell, Western Washington |
Nov. 4 GNAC Women’s Soccer Players of the Week
WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kyrsten McGuffey – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
McGuffey couldn’t be stopped last week, leading all GNAC players with four goals to help the Vikings win both matches and secure their 10th women’s soccer regular-season GNAC title. McGuffey’s first brace of the season came on Halloween, as she found the net twice amid a downpour in Monmouth, Ore., to help WWU defeat Western Oregon 2-0. Her five shots on goal in the match were a season high. The senior transfer from College of Saint Rose followed with an equally impressive performance Saturday, finding the net two more times in the team’s 2-0 blanking of Saint Martin’s. McGuffey leads all GNAC players with eight goals this season, and her five game-winners are also the most of any player in the league. McGuffey has played in all 16 matches and made 11 starts, while also contributing five assists this fall.
WWU Head Coach Travis Connell: “We knew she had a lot of quality in her game, but it’s always a challenge to bring new players into the group. You have to give a lot of credit to her for putting in the work to learn a new system and teammates, but also to our returning players making space for her and encouraging her. Kyrsten’s offensive output is easy to see in the stats, but in order to play with us you have to defend as an attacking player as well.”
Also Nominated: Sami Huber, Central Washington; Erika Wilson, Montana State Billings; Ravyn Mummey, Saint Martin’s; Taylor Krueger, Seattle Pacific; Kate Cartier, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Olivia Connell – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Connell was at the root of two more clean sheets last week, as the Vikings extended their unbeaten streak to 12 matches and their shutout streak to five matches. Connell played all 180 minutes on the back line in a pair of 2-0 victories, making key contributions defensively to help the Vikings claim their 10th GNAC regular-season title. The sophomore center back from Woodinville, Wash., has started all 17 matches on the back line and ranks second among WWU field players with 1,369 minutes played this fall.
WWU Head Coach Travis Connell: “We have benefitted greatly from the continuity we have had in the back line that started last year and through the spring season, and Olivia has been a huge part of that. It is a perfect example of how the sum of the parts is better than any individual on their own. They all make each other better and fit well together, and they are playing at a high level.”
Also Nominated: Kass Jaggard, Central Washington; Megan Mendenhall, Montana State Billings; Rose Ivanis, Saint Martin’s; Mercedes Cullen, Seattle Pacific.