2016 WOMEN'S SOCCER NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The GNAC Defensive Player of the Year Emily Webster (Jr., Bellingham/Sehome) perfectly placed a free kick inside the top right corner of the goal in the 76th minute of the NCAA Division II women's soccer national championship match to give Western Washington University its first national title in program history with a 3-2 victory on Dec. 3 over three-time defending champion Grand Valley State at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
"We are all really excited to win the national championship. I am just really proud of these players for what they have accomplished," said head coach Travis Connell of his undefeated 24-0-1 Vikings. "This championship means a lot to the players, to our staff, to our university and to the city of Bellingham.
"Winning a national championship means that I've had the privilege to coach some fantastic players. And we saw it tonight. They showed a ton of character, performed well, and every time a very good Grand Valley State team got back into the game, we had an answer. And it's because of the character of this team."
In her final collegiate soccer match, senior midfielder Caitlyn Jobanek (Springfield, OR/Thurston) scored twice, giving the Vikings the lead both times. The Lakers, however, found an equalizer each time to tie the score 2-2. When Webster fired the ball into the net on the free kick, that gave the Vikings the lead for good, beating Grand Valley State by the same score that the Lakers edged the Vikings in the semifinals last year.
The Vikings captured their first national championship in record-breaking fashion with their 24th consecutive victory, breaking the all-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference record for longest winning streak. Those 24 wins all came in 2016, breaking another GNAC record for most wins in a single season.
Jobanek put the Vikings ahead in the 18th minute with a well-placed shot from approximately 20 yards out, cutting toward the middle of the field and firing a left-footed strike past a diving goalkeeper to the upper-left corner of the net for her eighth goal of the season.
Grand Valley State, which was making its eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA II Final Four, tied the game in the 33rd minute as Gabriella Mencotti flicked a lead pass up and into the 18-yard box where Jayma Martin was able to allude oncoming WWU goalkeeper Ashley Homer (Jr., Puyallip) and control the pass to score on a rolling shot to the far post.
The scored didn't remain tied for long as Taylor Hallquist (So., Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) dished the ball to Jobanek who dribbled up to the top of the box from the right side of the goal and turned and shot into the far post for another go-ahead goal in the 37th minute.
The Vikings appeared to cushion their lead to 3-1 when sophomore forward Gabriela Pelogi (Federal Way, WA) broke away from her defender and fired a shot into the back of the net, but that was nullified by an offside call.
Grand Valley State scored another equalizer when Clare Carlson had her own shot from long range go to the back of the net in the 72nd minute to tie the game 2-2. It was only the second time this year that the Vikings had allowed two goals in one match after last having done so in a 3-2 win against UC San Diego in September.
Western got straight back on the attack and a foul 25 yards outside the box gave arguably the nation's best player at taking free kicks a chance to give her team the lead. With her teammates lined up along the edge of the 18-yard box, Webster took two steps and took a shot with her left foot toward the right side of the net. The shot grazed the crossbar in the upper-left quadrant of the goal and went into the net for the eventual national championship-winning goal.
"I had the best view in the house, let me tell you," Connell said about Jobanek and Webster's goals. "They were fantastic goals and that's probably what it takes to beat a team like this ... Caitlyn and Webster scored some amazing goals today."
The Vikings made no mistakes with their third lead of the game, not even allowing Grand Valley State to take a shot in the final 15 minutes to wrap up the season as the national champions with a 24-0-1 record. Webster finished the year with four goals and eight assists.
The senior class of Jobanek, Elise Aylward (Renton, WA/Lindbergh), Becca Cates (Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap), Anna DeWeirdt (Sammamish, WA/Skyline) and Erin Russell (Brier, WA/Mountlake Terrace) completed its four years with an 81-5-7 record and made three trips to the NCAA Division II Final Four.
Junior Sierra Shugarts (Federal Way/Decatur) was named the Defensive MVP and Jobanek was named the Offensive MVP of the national title contest. Shugarts, Jobanek, Webster, Pelogi and freshman forward Liv Larson (Arlington) were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
"They have so much belief in themselves and the person next to them and it showed up many times this season," Connell said. "That's inside, that's who you are as a person and that's what showed up. The players just said, `we're going to go and win this thing no matter what gets in our way.'"
The Vikings advanced to the program's third Final Four in four seasons, winning their third West Region Championship with a 2-1 overtime victory over UC San Diego on a golden goal by Pelogi.
Western won a record fifth consecutive GNAC regular-season championship with a perfect 12-0-0 record and took a third GNAC Tournament title in advancing to a fifth consecutive NCAA II Tournament, posting a 100-9-7 record (.892) over that stretch.
Western finished the season ranked No.1 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, earning the first top ranking in program history on Oct. 11 and remaining the top team in the nation for the rest of the campaign.
Connell recorded his 200th career victory in the NCAA quarterfinal win over Colorado Mines and led the NSCAA Staff of the Year. The Vikings beat nationally ranked Bridgeport 5-1 at Harrington Field in a game broadcast nationally on WatchESPN/ESPN3 and set a GNAC record with 25 consecutive home wins.
Western, which led the GNAC in nearly every statistical category, set a school record and tied the GNAC record with 17 shutouts, tied for third nationally in NCAA II. The Vikings had the fifth-lowest goals against average nationally at 0.396, allowing only 10 goals in 25 games.
Western led the NCAA in winning percentage (.980) and averaged a school-record 2.64 goals per game, 15th-best in the nation.
Shugarts had one of the most decorated seasons in WWU Athletics history, earning GNAC and NSCAA Player of the Year honors. She was named a finalist for the Seattle Sports Female Star of the Year and was the women's soccer nominee for the 2017 DII Honda Athlete of the Year.
The Vikings beat Kutztown PA 3-0 in the national semifinal, setting an NCAA Championship record with 21 corner kicks and not allowing a shot.
2016 Women's Soccer Roster:
Head Coach: Travis Connell
Assistant Coach: Jamie Arthurs
Assistant Coach: Claire Morgan
Volunteer Assistant: Joana Houplin
Athletic Trainer: Lonnie Lyon
Elise Aylward (Renton/Lindbergh)
Avery Barbera (Santa Ana, CA/Foothill)
Jordyn Bartelson (Puyallup)
Emily Bunnell (Kirkland/Lake Washington)
Becca Cates (Poulsbo/North Kitsap)
Lauren Carson (Sammamish/Skyline)
Peyton Chick (Kent/Kentridge)
Anna DeWeirdt (Sammamish/Skyline)
Lindsey Fujiwara (Sammamish/Skyline)
Taylor Hallquist (Vancouver/Columbia River)
Ashley Homer (Puyallup)
Caitlyn Jobanek (Springfield. OR/Thurston)
Sophia Kallas (Boise, ID/Boise)
Liv Larson (Arlington)
Annaliese Laurila (Portland, OR/Grant)
Colleen Lindsay (Spokane/Gonzaga Prep)
Malia Maack (Spokane/Mead)
Emily Nelson (Puyallup/Bellarmine)
Jen Oak (Covington/Kentwood)
Hillary O'Connor (Los Angeles, CA/The Archer School)
Gabriela Pelogi (Federal Way)
Mariah Roggow (Kelso)
Erin Russell (Brier/Mountlake Terrace)
Sierra Shugarts (Federal Way/Decatur)
Callie VanAelst (Mill Creek/Jackson)
Emily Webster (Bellingham/Sehome)
