Soccer Travels to Montana and Idaho This Week to Open GNAC Play

BILLINGS, Mont./NAMPA, Idaho – Following a successful homestand in which the Western Oregon University soccer team picked up a pair of wins, the Wolves will now hit the road to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this Thursday and Saturday traveling to Montana and Idaho.

The week will open on Thursday when WOU (3-2-1) travels to Billings to face MSU Billings starting at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Then the Wolves will head back West to face Northwest Nazarene in Idaho on Saturday also starting at 1 p.m. Pacific.

The Wolves are on a three-game unbeaten streak having tied Academy of Art at 2-2 and then grabbed a pair of wins against Hawaii Pacific (1-0) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (3-2) in overtime. Last time out against the Toros, WOU was able to take the lead three different times before taking the win in overtime. Kaitlin Poe scored the first goal of the game in the 51^st minute and Alyssa Tomasini had the Wolves back in front in the 82^nd minute on a corner kick. It didn't take long into overtime when Selene Konyn ended the game with a nice pass into the box from Isabelle Creighton and she scored in the 93^rd minute for the 3-2 win. The Wolves held a 16-13 edge on shots, including 8-6 on goal and dominated in corner kicks at 7-1. Tomasini's strong week helped her earn GNAC Offensive Player of the Week accolades.

It's the best start to the season for WOU since 2016 when they opened that season 3-2. This season WOU has scored 12 goals, firing 83 shots and landing 36 on goal. Opponents have scored six goals, totaling 40 shots and 19 landing on goal. The Wolves have controlled corner kicks all year taking 49 to just 13 for the opposition.

Tomasini leads the way with 10 points, scoring four goals and dishing out two assists. She has already surpassed last year's point total. Of her 14 shots, eight have landed on goal. Tomasini, Creighton and Konyn all have game-winning goals this season. Creighton and Konyn are tied for second in points each with six as the two have a pair of goals and two assists on the season. Kaili Brundage is fourth on the team in points with four scoring a pair of goals. Poe and Jacky Beristain have added goals this season and Danielle VanOrd is tied with Poe and Beristain in points as all three have two this season. Beristain and Malia Napoleon have logged the most minutes this season with each playing 565. Nikki Hoey adds 542 minutes and Konyn is fourth at 534. In goal, Alex Qualls has started all six games tallying over 519 minutes in net. She has recorded 13 saves and holds a 1.04 goals against average.

WOU ranks high nationally and in the GNAC in several categories including 36^th nationally and first in the GNAC in assists per game (1.83), 99^th nationally and third in the GNAC in goals against average (1.189), 56^th nationally and first in the GNAC in points per game (5.83), 63^rd nationally and second in the GNAC in scoring offense (2.0), third in the GNAC in shutout percentage (.333), 22^nd nationally and first in the GNAC in total assists (11), 35^th nationally and second in the GNAC in total goals (12), 34^th nationally and first in the GNAC in total points (35) and second in the GNAC in won-lost percentage (.583).

Individually, Creighton, Konyn and Tomasini are all tied for 82^nd nationally and second in the GNAC in game-winning goals (1). Qualls is 44^th nationally and first in the GNAC in goalie minutes played. Tomasini is 77^th nationally and second in the GNAC in goals per game (0.67), 79^th nationally and second in the GNAC in points per game (1.67). Creighton, Konyn, Tomasini and VanOrd are all tied for 82^nd nationally and second in the GNAC in total assists (2). Tomasini is 32^nd nationally and second in the GNAC in total goals (4), she is also 37^th nationally and second in the GNAC in total points (10). Creighton and Konyn are tied for fifth in the GNAC in total points (6).

WOU will open the trip in Billings against the Yellow Jackets on Thursday. MSU Billings is 1-2-2 overall on the season and 0-1-1 at home. After falling to Westminster, 1-2, to start the season, the 'Jackets faced a similar opponent to WOU in Cal State Dominguez Hills back on Sep. 9 in Salt Lake City and the teams played to a 3-3 draw. Last time out MSU Billings defeated Minot State in North Dakota, 2-0, on Sept. 17.
Haylee Gunter leads the offense with four points on a pair of goals. Lexie Bloyder and Alexa Iacolucci add three points apiece with each scoring a goal and adding an assist. Lindsey Meyer and Haley German have added goals this season. Amanda Hemmen leads the back line having played 417 minutes. In goal, Erinn Harder has started three games and logged 290 minutes. She has a .846 save percentage, 11 saves and a 0.62 goals against average. Abby Hamilton has seen time in two games, playing 200 minutes and has a 1.80 goals against average and nine saves.

WOU has gone 9-10-4 against the 'Jackets since 2000 with the Wolves winning last year's meeting in Monmouth, 1-0. The previous meeting in 2017 in Billings ended in a 0-0 draw. WOU is 3-7-2 in Billings with the last win coming in 2013 when the Wolves claimed the 3-2 win.

To close the trip on Saturday WOU will play at Northwest Nazarene in Idaho. The Nighthawks are 3-3 on the season and 2-0 at home. They faced a similar opponent in Cal State Monterey on the road back on Sept. 5 and also fell by a score of 0-1. Northwest Nazarene recently traveled back to California falling short to both Cal Poly Pomona (2-3) and Point Loma (1-2) last Thursday and Saturday. The Nighthawks will open the week facing Seattle Pacific on Thursday night.

Rikki Myers leads the offense with 12 points scoring six goals. Maddy Parton adds seven points with two goals and three assists, while McKenzie Buell has four points with a goal and two assists. Chandler Kauffman leads the back row having played 528 minutes on defense. In goal, Alexis Montoya has started all six games and has logged 528 minutes making 28 saves and has a 1.53 goals against average.

WOU has gone 21-10-4 since 2000 against Northwest Nazarene and won last year's meeting in Idaho (1-0). The Wolves have gone 3-2 in the last five meetings, going 2-1 at home and 1-1 in Idaho. The Nighthawks took both meetings in 2017 and prior to that, WOU won the meetings in 2016 and 2015. In Idaho, WOU has gone 9-6-3.

Live video and stats will be available for both games and can be found here.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#4 Nikki Hoey: D; 5' 6"; Junior

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

#18 Malia Napoleon: D; 5' 6"; Junior

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

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

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

#13 Danielle VanOrd: F; 5' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#4 Nikki Hoey
: 5' 6"; Junior
: D

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

#18 Malia Napoleon
: 5' 6"; Junior
: D

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

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

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

#13 Danielle VanOrd
: 5' 4"; Junior
: F