Women's Soccer | 10/29/2013 11:01:00 PM

GNAC WEEKLY RELEASE

MONMOUTH, Ore. – It's the final week of the regular season for the Western Oregon University women's soccer team, and the Wolves, who have already qualified for the postseason, will play their final home game of the season Saturday.

First for Western Oregon (8-3-5, 6-3-3 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) is a trip to Montana State Billings Thursday. In what is the final week of the regular season for all GNAC programs, the Yellowjackets will be playing the first of their last two games of the season. The four-team conference tournament field has already been set, and WOU will be the fourth-seed in next week's championships in Tukwila, Wash.

Last week, the Wolves had their eight-game unbeaten streak come to an end with a 1-0 setback to Seattle Pacific. It was not only the first loss at home this season for WOU, but the Falcons also became the only team to score on Western Oregon in Monmouth this season. The Wolves have outscored opponents an incredible 13-1 at the WOU Soccer Field.

Western Oregon still boasts the most shutouts this season in the GNAC with 11. The Wolves will attempt to increase that program-record breaking number this week. WOU has allowed only six goals in the 16 games this season. The Wolves' .351 goals against average and .688 shutout percentage are both ninth in NCAA Div. II.

A key part of that defensive success this season has been goalkeeper, Amanda Rose-Johnson. The junior is seventh in the country in save percentage blocking nearly 90 percent of the shots that come her way. She has stopped 43 of the 48 shots she has faced. As a team, WOU is fifth in the nation with a .906 save percentage.

Thursday's game in Billings is a rematch of a 2-0 Western Oregon victory on Oct. 5 in Monmouth. Johnson made three saves in net for the Wolves as she teamed with the backline for her fifth shutout of the season. Savannah Bogan gave the Wolves all the scoring they would need as her third minute goal gave WOU a 1-0 lead. Off a pass from Makana Pundyke, Bogan beat the MSUB goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation for the early lead.

The score would remain the same until the 58th-minute as Pundyke would put the finishing touched on the win with a shot into the back of the net to give the Wolves a 2-0. The goal was the sixth of the season for Pundyke, the most in a single season for a WOU player since Rachelle Kliewer scored eight in 2009. WOU controlled possession throughout the match, holding a 13-5 advantage in shots, as Pundyke led all players with six shots during the contest.

The Yellowjackets (5-7-2, 4-7-1 GNAC) are fifth in the conference standings, and will not make the postseason after making a run to the GNAC championship game last season. MSUB is about middle of the pack in every statistical category in the conference. Heidi Greenback leads MSU Billings with five goals this season. Krystal Daniels and Kaylee Kimmet are two talented goalkeepers that have both shared time in the net this season.

Montana State Billings and Western Oregon meet for the 15th time Thursday. The series is tied at 6-6-2, with MSUB holding a slim 18-17 advantage in goals all-time.

Saturday, the Wolves will honor four of its student-athletes on Senior Day. Western Oregon will also be wearing pink in honor of breast cancer awareness. WOU welcomes Saint Martin's for its final home game of the season, and final game of the regular season.

The Saints (4-11-0, 3-9-0) are currently sixth in the GNAC standings. SMU enters the week after dropping a pair of one-goal decisions last week to Seattle Pacific and Central Washington. Saint Martin's has lost five of its last six contests.

Western Oregon pulled out a 1-0 thrilling contest at SMU earlier this month. After a scoreless first half, Pundyke gave WOU the only goal it would need as she headed in a cross from Taylor Higa in the 48th-minute. The WOU defense would do the rest, shutting down Saint Martin's as Johnson only had to make two saves in the victory.

The Saints' Kelli Bannerman continued her hot streak as she scored her fifth goal in three games last week. Her 10 goals ties her for the most goals by a freshman in the GNAC history. Bannerman is the first SMU player to score 10 or more goals in a season since 2010. She currently ranks second in the GNAC in both goals and points (21).

Saturday, the Wolves honor Rachel Crawford, Melissa Gonzalez, Rebecca Holiand, and Kelsey Lindsey, who will all be playing their final games at WOU.

Crawford has been a key component in the Western Oregon defensive success. After transferring from North Idaho College last season, she has appeared in 27 games for the Wolves, starting all 16 this season. The Community Health Education major boasts a 3.70 GPA and was named Academic All-Conference this season.

Gonzalez was also named Academic All-Conference. The Exercise Science major has a 3.37 GPA. Another key to Wolves' defense, she has appeared in 27 games, starting in 25, since transferring from East Los Angeles Community College.

Western Oregon graduates another member of its defense in Hoiland. The senior is a three-time Academic All-Conference recipient and has a 3.51 GPA. The Exercise Science major from West Linn played a major role in the team's program-record breaking 11 shutouts this season. She has started in 64 of the 65 games she has played in since her freshman season.

Lindsey will be in her final game with the Wolves. She has appeared in eight games with Western Oregon. The goalkeeper was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference defensive player of the week earlier this season, after recording a 2-0 shutout win in the net over Holy Names. She made a career-high seven saves in the contest.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink to Saturday's WOU soccer and volleyball matches. Both contests will be honoring breast cancer awareness, with soccer beginning at 1 p.m. and volleyball starting at 7 p.m. Thursday's soccer game at Montana State Billings begins at 3 p.m. Mountain Time, and will have live video and stats on WOUWolves.com.