November 6,
2007
Five Lady Jackets Earn All-Conference
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Great Northwest
Athletic Conference announced its 2007 women’s soccer
all-conference teams on Tuesday. Five players from Montana
State Billings earned all-conference honors with three on the
second team and three on the honorable mention team.
Senior Brittney Sandau, junior Mandy
Ploskonka, and sophomore Dani Ritter were named to the GNAC
second team. Junior Sara Gress and freshman Sami Sandau were
picked to the honorable mention team.
Sandau missed seven games because of
injury, but still garnered enough recognition from the coaches
in the GNAC. She scored seven goals and had five assists in 13
games. Sandau graduated as one of the all-time best offensive
players in the Yellowjacket program. She finished her career
second in school history for points, fourth for goals, third for
game winning goals, second for assists, fifth for games played,
and fifth for games started.
Ploskonka started all 20 games, scoring
seven goals and one assists. She will enter her senior season
ranked in the top 10 in school history for both points and
goals. Ritter had a breakout season, scoring five goals and two
assists in 20 starts.
Gress has been a key defender in three of
the Yellowjackets’ best defensive teams in school history. The
team captain helped the Jackets to a 1.53 goals against average
this year. Sami Sandau, like her sister Brittney four years
ago, was an impact player immediately. She played in 19 games,
starting 13, and scored six goals with three assists.
Seattle Pacific forward Sarah Martinez was
selected the 2007 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s
Soccer Player-of-the-Year. Martinez, who also was selected the
GNAC Player-of-the-Year two years ago, received six of a
possible eight first-place votes to join Seattle University’s
Tafara Pulse (2002-03) as the only player in league history to
win the award twice.
Martinez also joined an elite group earning
first-team all-conference honors for the fourth time. Pulse
(2001-04) and Ana Gutierrez of Seattle University (2003-06) and
Shannon Lovejoy of Seattle Pacific (2002-05) are the only other
players to accomplish that feat.
Martinez is the leading scorer in GNAC
history with 117 career points. Her 1.43 point per game
average, 48 goals, .244 shot percentage (48 of 197) and 20
game-winning goals are all GNAC career records.
This year, Martinez scored 16 goals and has
38 points and is tied for the conference lead in points with
Leah Wymer of Seattle University.
Seattle Pacific coach Chuck Sekyra, SPU
forward Jocelyn Charette and Western Washington forward Claire
Morgan also won special awards.
Sekyra, who guided the Falcons to a perfect
20-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking, was named the GNAC
Coach-of-the-Year for the fourth time. Sekyra, who has a
phenomenal 93-9-8 career record in five seasons at his alma
mater (SPU, 1989), also won the award in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Charette, who is a transfer from the
University of Tampa, scored four goals, including three
game-winners, and had 10 points in just 13 contests after
becoming eligible, to earn GNAC Newcomer-of-the-Year honors.
Morgan was selected the GNAC
Freshman-of-the-Year. She tied for the Western Washington team
lead in goals (7) and led the Vikings in assists (10) and points
(24), finishing fourth in the conference in the latter category.
Martinez and Wymer were among four
unanimous selections to the GNAC all-conference team. Also
earning unanimous accolades were Seattle Pacific midfielder
Shannon Oakes and Western Washington defender Katie Warner.
Wymer was one of four Seattle University
players to be selected to the first team. Seattle Pacific and
Western Washington placed three players on the first team and
Western Oregon had one.
Wymer and Seattle University midfielder
Ashley Porter, the GNAC’s all-time assist leader with 48, were
named to the first team for the third time. Western Washington
midfielder Amanda Font and Seattle University goalkeeper Kaitlyn
Jackson were repeat selections from last year. Erica Hibbard
earned first team honors for the second time, previously earning
the honor in 2005.
2007 GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-STAR
TEAM
First Team
Pos. Ht. Cl.
Hometown
+++*Sarah Martinez, SPU
F 5-6 Sr. Bothell, WA
++*Leah Wymer, SU
F 5-6 Sr. Bothell, WA
Claire Morgan, WWU
F 5-7 Fr. Bellingham, WA
*Shannon Oakes, SPU
M 5-5 Jr. Boise, ID
++Ashley Porter, SU
M 5-9 Sr. Redmond, WA
Meredith Teague, SPU
M 5-4 Jr. Redmond, WA
+Amanda Font, WWU
M 5-9 Sr. Federal Way, WA
*Katie Warner, WWU
D 5-8 Jr. Burlington, WA
+Erica Hibbard, WOU
D 5-6 Sr. Vancouver, WA
Madison Collins, SU
D 5-4 Jr. Boise, ID
+Kaitlyn Jackson, SU
GK 5-7 Sr. Kent, WA
*Unanimous + Repeater
(Hibbard from 2005) ++Two-time repeater +++Three-time repeater
Second Team Pos.
Ht. Cl. Hometown
Katy McNutt, NNU
F 5-3 Sr. Vancouver, WA
Brittney Sandau, MSUB
F 5-4 Sr. Billings, MT
Kelsey Penn, CWU
F 5-5 Fr. Port Orchard, WA
Lynde Clarke, CWU
M 5-3 Jr. Albuquerque, NM
Kara Hamby, SPU M
5-6 Sr. Spokane, WA
Mandy Ploskonka, MSUB
M 5-7 Jr. Federal Way, WA
Danielle Ritter, MSUB
M 5-6 So. Great Falls, MT
Jasmine Wilson,
SU M
5-2 Sr. SeaTac, WA
Claire Grubbs, SPU D
5-9 Jr. Sterling, VA
Jessica Wilson, SMU
D 5-6 Jr. Redlands, CA
Bryndle Rueck, WOU
D 5-5 Jr. Portland, OR
Teresa Fish, WWU
GK 5-7 Sr.
Snohomish, WA
Amanda Peters, NNU
GK 5-9 Sr. Spokane, WA
Honorable Mention Pos.
Ht. Cl. Hometown
Hilary Davidson, CWU
F 5-7 Sr. Auburn, WA
Samantha Sandau, MSUB
F 5-1 Fr. Billings, MY
Ashley Biral, SMU
F 5-3 Jr. Castle Rock, WA
Jocelyn Charette, SPU
F 5-10 So. Lakewood, WA
Maryann Boddy, SU
M 5-6 Sr. Bellevue, WA
Hilary Hughes, NNU
M 5-6 Sr. Prosser, WA
Mickey Pelland, SU
M 5-5 Sr. Seattle, WA
Naomi Shimabuku, WOU
M 5-3 Fr. Aiea, HI
Kaycie Hutchins, CWU
M 5-7 Fr. Port Orchard, WA
Trisha Halvorson, SMU
M 5-5 Jr. Burien, WA
Kayci Donatelli, SMU
M 5-10 Fr. Burien, WA
Janae Godoy, SPU
M 5-4 So. Yakima, WA
Stephanie Janigo, WWU
M 5-4 So. Bellingham, WA
Kelly Irving, WWU
M 5-6 So. Gig Harbor, WA
Maggie Kuzmer, WOU
D 5-5 Jr. Vancouver, WA
Becca Woods, SPU
D 5-7 Fr. Beaverton, OR
Shawnna Chastain, CWU
D 5-7 Jr. San Diego, CA
Sara Gress, MSUB
D 5-8 Jr. Boise, ID
Liz Gross, NNU
D 5-10 Fr. Everett, WA
Morgan Ingersoll, NNU
D 5-5 Sr. Richland, WA
Marie Smith, NNU
D 5-9 Fr. Bellingham, WA
Brynn Regan, WWU
D 5-9 So. Mercer Island, WA
Shelby Marcell, WWU
D 5-5 Jr. Redmond, WA
Maria Madeira, SU
D 5-5 Jr. Canby, OR
Jesslyn Rahm, SPU
GK 5-7 So. Eugene, OR |
