Soccer to host Central Washington for Senior Day this Saturday

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Having certainly put together a season to remember, the Western Oregon University soccer team will honor their six seniors this Saturday when they face Central Washington in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play starting at 11 a.m. at the WOU Soccer Field.

WOU will honor their six seniors in Alex Qualls, Jacky Beristain, Isabelle Creighton, Kaili Brundage, Kaitlin Poe and Selene Konyn before the game Saturday. Below is information on each of the seniors and their careers at WOU entering the game this week.

Alex Qualls from Gresham, Ore., has spent the past two seasons at WOU after transferring from Boise State. She has started 34 games in goal each of the past two seasons posting 14 wins, 120 saves and 11 shutouts. Qualls has put together an incredible season in goal posting the second-most shutouts in the GNAC with six and twice being named GNAC Player of the Week. Qualls has started all 17 games this season, logging over 1,566 minutes, posting a 0.98 goals against average and 48 saves. She ranks second in the GNAC in shutouts and third in goals against average.

Jacky Beristain from Orange County, Calif., is in her second season with the Wolves having started 34 games in her career. She also scored her first two goals with WOU this season including a game-winning goal against Concordia (OR). She has logged 3,211 minutes during her two-year career at WOU. Beristain is tied for the team lead in minutes played this season (1,612) having started all 17 games on defense and playing every minute of every game this year. She has helped lead the team to seven shutouts this season.

Isabelle Creighton from Auburn, Wash., has played the past two seasons at WOU as the forward has played in 33 games, starting 23 during her career with the Wolves. Creighton has tallied five goals and four assists in her career, with four goals and four assists coming this season. Creighton picked up a game-winning goal against Hawaii Pacific this season and has two in her career at WOU. She has played a total of 2,065 minutes in her career, logging 1,375 minutes this season in starting 16 games. Her four assists are tied for second on the team, while her four goals and 12 points are third on the team.

Kaili Brundage from Battle Ground, Wash., has been with the Wolves for her four-year career and has played in 60 games, starting 42 throughout her career. She has scored seven goals, dished out six assists and has two game-winning goals while logging 3,778 minutes on the field. This season Brundage has started 15 games compiling four goals and an assist for nine points. She's played 1,203 minutes and tallied a game-winning goal against Saint Martin's. Brundage scored a pair of goals in the 6-0 win against Western Colorado.

Kaitlin Poe from Salem, Ore., has spent her entire four-year career with the Wolves playing in 57 total games and starting 51 games. She scored her first two career goals this season and also had an assist during the 2018 season. She has helped the team to seven shutouts this year on defense and compiled 4,667 minutes on the field. She is third on the team in minutes played this season (1,579) and has played the entire game 15 times this year, starting in all 17 games. Her goals came against Cal State Dominguez Hills and Concordia (OR).

Selene Konyn from Eugene, Ore., has spent her entire four-year career with the Wolves as the forward has played in 67 total games and starting 59 games. She scored her first five career goals and added four assists this season, along with a game-winning goal in overtime against Cal State Dominguez Hills. She has played a total of 4,386 minutes, including 1,414 minutes in starting all 17 games. Her five goals and 14 points are second on the team, while her four assists are tied with Creighton for second.

WOU enters the game this week at 9-5-3 overall and 6-3-2 in the GNAC standings currently holding the three seed for the upcoming GNAC Tournament. The Wolves can't move any higher than the three seed, but could possibly end up as the fourth seed. If Central Washington wins Thursday, that would leave the Wildcats one-point back of WOU in the standings. That would mean then the game Saturday could decide who ends up third as the Wolves would then need at least a tie to remain the three seed. Western Washington has already won the regular season title and will be the top seed, with Seattle Pacific as the two seed. The top four teams will meet in Seattle starting Nov. 14 with the top seed playing the four seed and the two and three seeds playing each other.

This is the first time WOU has advanced to the GNAC Tournament since 2013 as that season the Wolves faced Western Washington in the first round and fell in overtime (2-1). The nine wins this season is also the most since that 2013 team went 9-4-6. With another win, WOU would have the most wins in a season since 2002 when that team went 11-6-1.

After defeating Simon Fraser and then coming close to taking down Seattle Pacific for the second time this season this past weekend, WOU enters the week still holding a 26-17 goal advantage on the opposition and also hold a 212-161 edge on shots, 89-65 shots on goal and have taken 124 corner kicks to 63 for opponents.

Alyssa Tomasini continues to lead the team in goals (7), assists (7) and points (21). She has also buried three game-winning goals. Konyn and Creighton are second and third on the team in points with Konyn at 14 (five goals, four assists) and Creighton with 12 (four goals and four assists). Brundage is fourth on the team with nine points (four goals and an assist). Both Beristain and Napoloeon have played all 1,612 minutes this season on defense. Qualls has started all 17 games this season in net to record nine wins, six shutouts, a 0.98 goals against average and 48 saves.

WOU ranks second in the GNAC in both shutout percentage (.412) and in total assists (24), while ranking third in the conference in assists per game (1.41), goals against average (.949), points per game (4.47), scoring offense (1.53), total goals (26), total points (76) and won-lost percentage (.618).

Individually, Tomasini leads the GNAC in game-winning goals (3), good for 58^th nationally, points per game (1.24) and in total points (21). She ranks second in the GNAC in assists per game (0.41), 56^th nationally, total assists (7), 39^th nationally and total goals (7). Qualls leads the GNAC and is seventh in minutes played and is second in the GNAC in goals against average (0.949). Konyn is fifth in the GNAC in total goals (5).

Central Washington will play Northwest Nazarene at home on Thursday before traveling to Monmouth to face the Wolves on Saturday. The Wildcats are 7-7-1 overall and 5-4-1 in GNAC play currently occupying the fourth seed in conference. Central Washington sits four points ahead of MSU Billings and five ahead of Northwest Nazarene for the final tournament spot. With a win Thursday, the Wildcats would secure the fourth and final spot in the tournament field.

CWU has scored 19 goals and allowed 20, firing 165 shots (85 on goal) to 205 shots for opponents (93 on goal). They've taken 56 corner kicks to 95 for opponents. Sydeny Lowe leads the team in points with nine posting both three goals and three assists. Olivia Sloan adds eight points with three goals and two assists. Peyton Vogel gives CWU three players with at least three goals checking in right at three. Sophia Keenan has played the most minutes at 1,180. In goal, Emily Thomson has started 11 games and is 5-5-1 on the season with 52 saves, an 81 percent save percentage and 1.14 goals against average. She's recorded one shutout on the season.

Last season the teams faced each other twice with the first game in Ellensburg resulting in a 0-0 draw and then Central Washington won the regular season finale in Monmouth, 1-0. Since 2000, WOU has gone 16-12-8 in the series having gone 3-3-4 in the previous 10 meetings. The last WOU win was in 2017 picking up the 2-0 win on the road. The last win at home came in 2015 (2-1).

Following the game against Central Washington, WOU will then prepare for the GNAC Tournament as they will travel to Seattle to open the first round on Nov. 14.

Live video and stats will be available for the game and can be found here

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Players Mentioned

#8 Jacky Beristain: D; 5' 7"; Senior

#3 Kaili Brundage: F; 5' 0"; Senior

#9 Isabelle Creighton: F; 5' 0"; Senior

#14 Selene Konyn: M; 5' 2"; Senior

#6 Kaitlin Poe: D; 5' 7"; Senior

#0 Alex Qualls: GK; 6' 0"; Senior

#24 Alyssa Tomasini: F; 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#8 Jacky Beristain
: 5' 7"; Senior
: D

#3 Kaili Brundage
: 5' 0"; Senior
: F

#9 Isabelle Creighton
: 5' 0"; Senior
: F

#14 Selene Konyn
: 5' 2"; Senior
: M

#6 Kaitlin Poe
: 5' 7"; Senior
: D

#0 Alex Qualls
: 6' 0"; Senior
: GK

#24 Alyssa Tomasini
: 5' 8"; Junior
: F