By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University junior forward Shanna Keil (Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) has been selected First Team All-Northwest Conference in voting by the NWC head coaches. Keil was the only Willamette player to receive First Team honors on the 2018 All-NWC Women's Soccer Team, while four other Bearcats were named Second Team All-NWC.
The All-NWC Women's Soccer Team included 12 players on the First Team and 12 players on the Second Team. The Honorable Mention list featured seven athletes.
Liz Griffith, a junior midfielder at Pacific Lutheran University, was selected NWC Offensive Player of the Year. Senior goalkeeper Jamie Lange from University of Puget Sound was named NWC Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman defender Kylee Roath of Puget Sound was chosen NWC Freshman of he Year. Head Coach Joseph Vari at Puget Sound was voted NWC Coach of the Year.
The Bearcats concluded a strong 2018 season with a 12-4-4 overall record, while finishing 8-4-4 in the NWC (4th place). Willamette shut out 10 opponents this fall, giving the Bearcats 19 shutouts in 40 games since the start of the 2017 season. This year, the Bearcats registered a 0.80 team goals against average. Willamette scored 33 goals and allowed 17 goals.
Key wins for the Bearcats were victories over Puget Sound (2-0 on Sept. 22) and Whitworth University (2-0 on Sept. 29). WU tied Pacific Lutheran University 1-1 on Oct. 6 and tied archrival Linfield College twice, 2-2 on Sept. 12 and 1-1 on Oct. 10).
First Team All-Northwest Conference
Shanna Keil (Jr., F, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) was named First Team All-NWC for the first time after earning Second Team All-NWC honors in 2017. This year, Keil was Willamette's overall scoring leader with 20 total points on seven goals and six assists. She led the team in assists and was second in goals score. She placed third in the NWC in total points. She contributed a team-high 70 shots and ranked first on the team with 41 shots on goal. She took 31 of Willamette's 86 corner kicks.
In 2017, Keil scored six goals and recorded a team-high five assists for 17 total points. She blasted 37 total shots and placed 20 shots on goal. She earned four game-winning goals during the season.
Keil has competed in 59 games in her career with 45 starts. Her career totals also include 16 goals, 12 assists and 44 total points. She has provided WU with 139 total shots and 75 shots on goal. She has achieved five career game-winning goals.
Second Team All-Northwest Conference
Jenae Arnold (Jr., M, Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap HS) was chosen Second Team All-NWC for the first time. She contributed in many ways from her position in the midfield, as she helped out on defense, provided connecting passes from defense to offense, and combined with other attacking players to create scoring opportunities for herself and others. She recorded two goals and two assists for six points. She took 15 shots and placed 10 shots on target.
Both of her goals were game-winners on penalty kicks in a 1-0 win over Northwest Christian University on Sept. 2 and a 1-0 win in two-overtimes against Lewis & Clark College on Sept. 15. In the win over L&C, she converted the penalty kick with 18 seconds left in the second overtime.
In three seasons at Willamette, Arnold has seen action in 59 games, including 43 starts. She has scored two goals and five assists, while taking 38 total shots and 17 shots on goal.
Kristen Barclay (Jr., GK, Kenmore, WA/Cedar Park Christian School) received Second Team All-NWC recognition this year for the first time. She had an outstanding season with a 12-3-4 record, a 0.86 goals against average and a .802 save percentage. She was second in the NWC in wins, fourth in goals against average and fifth in save percentage. She registered seven solo shutouts and participated in three shared shutouts. She earned 69 saves during the season.
Barclay owns a career record of 29-11-9 with a winning mark each year. She is 23-7-7 over the past two seasons. She has a career 0.83 goals against average and a .821 career save percentage. She has played 4,317 minutes in 54 games (46 starts), including 1,772 minutes this year.
Hannah Deighton (Jr., D, Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Polytechnic HS) was named Second Team All-NWC this year, after receiving Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition in 2017. This year, she started all 20 games fo the second season in a row. In addition to helping the Bearcats record 10 shutouts on defense, she also contributed two goals on offense, while taking 18 total shots with eight shots on goal. She provided quality service from free kicks in the offensive half of the field.
She has been stellar for the Bearcats during her three seasons. She has massed 4,024 minutes on the field, including 1,786 in 2017 and 1,719 in 2018. Her career stats include three goals, 28 shots and 10 shots on goal. Her efforts on defense have helped Willamette earn 27 shutouts since the start of the 2016 season, including 19 shutouts over the past two years.
Gena Main (Jr., F, San Francisco, CA/Gateway HS/Bryn Mawr College) transferred to Willamette from Bryn Mawr College (Pa.) this season and made an immediate impact. She led the Bearcats and tied for second in the NWC with eight goals. She also provided WU with one assist for 17 total points. She achieved 40 total shots and placed 14 shots on goal. She was difficult to defend in the attacking third and provided quality play when called on to help with defensive responsibilities.
She recorded three game-winning goals for the Bearcats in wins over George Fox University on Sept. 23, Pacific University on Oct. 7 and Lewis & Clark College on Oct. 13. She scored a goal in three consecutive game between Sept. 22 and Sept. 29.