PORTLAND, Ore. – A sweep of the women’s and men’s soccer weekly award winners by Seattle Pacific headlined the latest list of Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week, announced on Monday.
Both Falcon programs went 2-0 in last week’s matches, with the women’s team and men’s team each earning six points to climb their respective standings. SPU’s women out-scored the opposition 7-0, keeping two clean sheets thanks in large part to defensive player of the week
Mercedes Cullen and relying on a pair of game-winning goals by offensive player of the week
Kayla Wallace. SPU’s men out-scored their opposition 7-2 on the road, with offensive player of the week
Orlando Erazo and defensive player of the week
Jackson Goode each contributing a pair of goals.
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Orlando Erazo – Seattle Pacific University
First-career player of the week.
Erazo found the game-winning goal in each of the Falcons’ victories last week and has recorded the game-winner in each of his team’s last three matches overall. On Thursday in a 3-1 win over Simon Fraser, Erazo had the difference-making finish in the 60th minute to break a 1-1 tie and put his team ahead for good. In Saturday’s 4-1 triumph over GNAC-leading Western Washington, Erazo doubled his team’s tally with what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 19th minute. The senior forward upped his season tally to five goals and his career tally to 13 goals in his three seasons at Seattle Pacific.
SPU Head Coach Kevin Sakuda: “Orlando was brilliant this week. He is so dangerous going at players 1-v-1 and, like he showed in both goals this week, his ability to stretch and get in behind a back line makes him such a difficult player for the opposition to deal with. He showed a ton of class in both finishes. There were a few games earlier in the season where he was a bit unlucky not to score and he just continued to grind and put the reps in. I love that he is getting rewarded for that work. We talked this week about how big players need to show up in big moments and that’s exactly what Orlando did. He scored two clutch goals to help give us two wins on the road.”
Also Nominated: Michael Hennessy, Simon Fraser; Joar Tidblom, Western Washington.
MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jackson Goode – Seattle Pacific University
First-career player of the week.
Goode’s eponymous performance last week featured contributions both from his position on the back line and in the attacking third. In a 90-minute effort against Simon Fraser on Thursday, Goode posted his first-ever collegiate brace and doubled his career goal tally. With SPU trailing 1-0 just two minutes into the match, Goode pulled his team level with the Falcons’ opening goal in the 26th minute. After Erazo broke the tie, Goode put the game out of reach in the 68th minute with his second strike of the day. On Saturday in 73 minutes against a WWU side that had been averaging 2.5 goals across its last eight games, Goode helped limit the Vikings to a single finish in the decisive win. His efforts helped SPU stay alive in the race towards the 2025 GNAC title, with the Falcons moving two points behind WWU for the top spot in the standings. A senior in the back line, Goode has been a mainstay playing in 64 matches and earning 46 starts since his debut as a freshman in 2022.
SPU Head Coach Kevin Sakuda: “Jack’s impact on our team and how we want to play is immeasurable. His ability to lead and organize his teammates, link play, break up plays and win headers are all things that don’t always show up in the stat line. He came up big with two goals on Thursday and then played a huge role in helping us win again on the road on Saturday. We know the impact he has within our group and that sometimes goes unnoticed from outsiders, so I love that he gets the recognition this week for his play.”
Also Nominated: Pablo Perera, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kayla Wallace – Seattle Pacific University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
Wallace led all GNAC players last week with three goals, helping her squad earn a pair of victories to keep pace in a crowded upper-half of the women’s soccer standings. In a 6-0 throttling of Central Washington on Thursday, Wallace picked up her first brace of the season as she found the net on two of the three shots she took in 50 minutes of action. She followed that with an all-important game-winner against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, scoring the lone goal of the match in the 64th minute. Wallace has had a knack for clutch goals this fall, with all three of her game-winners coming in 1-0 victories. Last week’s performance upped her scoring streak to five consecutive matches, as she has scored six of her seven goals on the season since Oct. 11. Now in her fourth season with the Falcons, Wallace has scored 15 goals and added six assists for 36 career points in 72 matches played.
SPU Head Coach Arby Busey: “Kayla has had a really great season thus far. She has been creating opportunities for herself and her teammates consistently all fall. She had another awesome weekend for us and got a few more goals to help us win a couple more games. She is a dynamic attacking player, and it was really cool to see her finish out her senior day weekend with two more amazing performances.”
Also Nominated: Cam Sheets, Central Washington; Nyah Attaway, Montana State Billings; Ellie Ritter, Northwest Nazarene; Ally Beavers, Western Oregon; Morgan Manalili, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mercedes Cullen – Seattle Pacific University
Fourth-career player of the week, first this season.
Cullen played a big role in the Falcons not conceding a goal last week, earning 1.5 shutouts between the posts. With no margin for error against the Nighthawks on Saturday, Cullen made three important saves while facing her second-highest shots against (nine) of the 2025 season. That was good enough to earn her second full shutout of the campaign, and came after she played the opening half in Thursday’s runaway win over the Wildcats. Cullen had seven total saves on the week on the way to earning her fourth and fifth victories of the season. A fourth-year senior, Cullen is in the top-25 in GNAC history with 233 saves to her name, with her 18-career shutouts tying her for 17th on the GNAC all-time list.
SPU Head Coach Arby Busey: “Mercedes has been a rock for us since she arrived as a freshman, and this past weekend was no different. We leaned into her leadership and followed her to achieve two shutouts. She directed her teammates and kept them organized, and cleaned up anything that got beyond them. She rose to the occasion on her senior weekend and played two fantastic games.”
Also Nominated: Hailee Gertsch, Montana State Billings; Alex Barrass, Northwest Nazarene; Abbey Simpson, Simon Fraser; Bella Lopez, Western Oregon; Asia Hardin, Western Washington.
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Eva Person – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
The 2024 GNAC Setter of the Year was on fire last week, leading all GNAC setters with 10.25 assists per set and 82 total in her team’s two victories. That figure included a career-high 50 assists in Saturday’s five-set win over Seattle Pacific, as she became the fourth GNAC player this season to pass the half-century mark in a match. Person also completed her eighth double-double of the season and fourth in the last five matches, adding 16 digs and a pair of total blocks in the win over the Falcons. That effort came after she had 32 assists in the Red Leafs’ efficient sweep of Montana State Billings on Thursday. Person ranks third in the GNAC this season with 8.88 assists per set. She is also steadily climbing the GNAC all-time list, moving up to No. 24 with 2,805 helpers thus far in her four-year career.
SFU Head Coach Gina Schmidt: “Eva is a consistent leader for our team both on and off the court, and she has been doing a great job of running our offense this season. Her ability to distribute the ball from pin to pin allows us to utilize the depth of our attacking options. Aside from setting, Eva also finds ways to contribute in so many other areas both in the front and back rows.”
Also Nominated: Tia Allen, Alaska Anchorage; Mikala Henderson, Alaska; Ella Bines, Central Washington; Emily Garten, Saint Martin’s; Amaya Evans, Seattle Pacific; Maela Honma, Western Oregon; Devyn Oestreich, Western Washington.
VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Macyn Unger – Simon Fraser University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
What Person was to the SFU offense, Unger was to its defense as she patrolled the back court at a high level across both matches. She had a season-high 27 digs in the win over the Falcons, which helped keep the Red Leafs in a three-way tie for first place in the GNAC standings. Unger also had 19 digs in the win over the Yellowjackets, keeping her streak of double-digit digs in every match this season alive. Unger was also strong in the serve-receive, committing just one reception error across the two matches. The junior ranks second in the GNAC this fall with 4.62 digs per set. Moving into the last portion of her third collegiate season, Unger has totaled 1,125 career digs and is in the top-30 in conference history with 4.45 digs per set.
SFU Head Coach Gina Schmidt: “Macyn has been a cornerstone of our team’s passing and defense all season long. Her skill level and consistency of play day in and day out are a steadying presence on the court for our team.”
Also Nominated: Madison Galloway, Alaska Anchorage; Tessa Onaga, Alaska; Kailey Willsey, Central Washington; Kenzie Allen, Montana State Billings; Hanna Ligons, Saint Martin’s; Christina Lopez, Seattle Pacific; Delaney Speer, Western Washington.
MEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kasey Gaff – Northwest Nazarene University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
Gaff tore it up at the Dennis Rose Invitational early last week, tying for fifth place among a field of 59 competitors for the top spot among all GNAC golfers at the event. Gaff posted a three-round score of 2-over-par 218 (71-70-77), finishing five strokes behind the tournament medalist. Gaff opened the event strong on the first day, carding a 1-under-par 71 in the opening round and following up with a 2-under-par 70 in Round 2 to put himself in contention for the win. Gaff had five birdies in each of the first two rounds and totaled a dozen in the event overall. The junior sits 11th in the GNAC this year with a scoring average of 72.44 strokes per round.
NNU Head Coach Fred Sutton: “Kasey played well and stuck to his game plan. He managed the windy conditions well, leading to a strong finish last week. He has become an amazing leader on and off the course.”
Also Nominated: Rasmus Tamker, Saint Martin’s.
WOMEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ashley Bruland – Saint Martin’s University
First-career player of the week.
Bruland became the third women’s golfer in GNAC history and second Saint to claim medalist honors at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate last week in Hawaii. Topping a field of 49 competitors, Bruland notched a two-round score of 146 (72-74) to win the event by a single stroke ahead of two other players. Bruland’s season-low score of even-par 72 in the opening round featured three birdies including on the par-3, 120-yard 17th hole towards the end of her round. With the pressure on down the stretch in Round 2, Bruland carded four consecutive pars to close the event and secure her second-career individual win. Her other collegiate victory came at the 2023 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships, which she won as a freshman with a two-round score of 145 (72-73) on April 24-25 of that year.
SMU Head Coach Anne Bahr: “Ashley’s game has been exceptionally steady this fall and everything came together last week at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate. She was able to stay calm and collected in challenging wind conditions to execute the right golf shots and close out her first tournament win since her freshman year. She put in the right prep work and I am so proud of her for finishing out our fall season on a very high note.”
Also Nominated: Orraya Tipasathien, Montana State Billings; Lauren J. Lee, Seattle Pacific.