Johnson First Team All-WCC; Four Zags Honorable Mention
11/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SAN BRUNO, Calif.—Junior midfielder Heather Johnson earned First Team All-WCC honors Tuesday as the West Coast Conference office announced its annual awards in San Bruno, Calif. Four additional Zags join Johnson in receiving recognition as Karley Baggerly, Aliyah Miller, Katey Pennington, and Christie Tombari each were named All-WCC Honorable Mention.
Johnson picked up First Team honors after leading the team with five goals and 12 total points, her second year of leading the squad in goals scored. As a midfielder, she also played a key role in the Gonzaga's defense, stopping opponent attacks before dangerous opportunities arose and transitioning the team back to offense. During her three-year career Johnson has found the net 13 times and is already tied for seventh on the program's career goals list. At 31 total points, she's also tied for ninth on the program's points list.
The junior from Kennewick, Wash., is the first Zag to earn First Team All-WCC honors since Sheridan Jones did so in 2008. Johnson took home Second Team All-WCC in 2013.
Baggerly, Miller, Pennington, and Tombari all received Honorable Mention after standout seasons of their own. Four players earning WCC Honorable Mention equals the program high, set in 2007, and five total post-season awards is the second-most in school history.
A sophomore forward, Baggerly earned Honorable Mention for her second year in a row after netting four goals. She assisted with four more, equaling Johnson with 12 points on the year. A dangerous option in the attack, she frequently drew the presence of opposing defenders, creating space for other Zags. In part due to Baggerly's presence, 10 different Bulldogs scored a goal this season and four more registered at least one point.
Miller, a sophomore from Bountiful, Utah, was a force in the Zag midfield all year. She served as a crucial link between the defense and attack, halting opposing offenses and getting the ball back up the pitch to GU's forwards. Miller was skilled at winning second balls, and defensively she helped the Zags tally a 1.32 goals-against average, their lowest since 2007. This is her first postseason conference honor.
During her senior season, Pennington broke out offensively, scoring her first collegiate goal and providing a career high four assists as a right back for the Zags. The defender started all 19 matches as a senior and all but one of her 75 career matches. A native of Boise, Idaho, Pennington graduates with 11 career assists, fifth on the Zags' career assists list. This is also her first postseason honor from the WCC; she was named First Team All-WCC by College Sports Madness on Nov. 4.
Rounding out the Zags' All-Conference honorees, Tombari also earned Honorable Mention in her second year as starting keeper. A junior from Spokane Valley, Wash., Tombari made a conference-leading 86 saves and allowed just 1.33 goals per game, the sixth-best goals-against average in school history. She made a season-high nine saves three times, and she also kept five clean sheets throughout the year. While this is also Tombari's first postseason honor from the conference office, she too received recognition from College Sports Madness, earning Second Team All-WCC from the outlet.
The Gonzaga women's soccer team ended its season at 9-9-1 overall, the Zags' best record since 2007. They also set a program record with four conference wins, going 4-4-1 against WCC foes.
In further awards given out by the WCC Tuesday, Ashley Hatch of BYU and Sofia Huerta of Santa Clara shared Player of the Year while Annie Amos of BYU took home Defender of the Year and Santa Clara's Andi Tostanoski won Goalkeeper of the Year. Pepperdine's Hailey Harbison earned Freshman of the Year honors while the Waves' Tim Ward and Cougars' Jennifer Rockwood split for Coach of the Year.
2014 WEST COAST CONFERENCE MAJOR INDIVIDUAL HONORS
2014 West Coast Conference Co-Coaches of the Year
Jennifer Rockwood, BYU and Tim Ward, Pepperdine
2014 West Coast Conference Co-Players of the Year
Ashley Hatch, BYU and Sofia Huerta, Santa Clara
2014 West Coast Conference Defender of the Year
Annie Amos, BYU
2014 West Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year
Andi Tostanoski, Santa Clara
2014 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year
Hailey Harbison, Pepperdine
2014 All-WCC Women's Soccer First Team
Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
Jacqueline Altschuld | So. | M | San Diego |
Annie Amos | Sr. | D | BYU |
Ashley Hatch | So. | F | BYU |
Ally Holtz | Sr. | M | Pepperdine |
Sofia Huerta | Sr. | F | Santa Clara |
Jr. | M | Gonzaga | |
Michele Murphy | So. | F | BYU |
Jessica Nakae | So. | M | San Francisco |
Andi Tostanoski | Jr. | GK | Santa Clara |
Allison Wetherington | So. | M | Portland |
Lynn Williams | Sr. | F | Pepperdine |
2014 All-WCC Women's Soccer Second Team
Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
Brittany Ambrose | So. | F | Santa Clara |
Jenni Benger | Sr. | D | Loyola Marymount |
Jocelyn Blankenship | Jr. | M | Loyola Marymount |
Samantha Dion | So. | M | Saint Mary's |
Niki Fernandes | Sr. | F | BYU |
Meagan Harbison | So. | M | Pepperdine |
Elena Medeiros | So. | M | BYU |
Meghan O'Rourke | Sr. | D | San Diego |
Nikki Pappalardo | Jr. | F | San Diego |
Bizzy Phillips | Fr. | M | BYU |
Madalyn Schiffel | Jr. | GK | San Francisco |
2014 WCC Women's Soccer Honorable Mention
Karley Baggerly, Gonzaga; Ellie Boon, Portland; Mariah Butera, San Diego; Haley DeGrood, Portland; Hanna de Haan, Portland; Hailey Harbison, Pepperdine; Morgan Hilby, Loyola Marymount; Jenna Holtz, Santa Clara; Alex Hussar, Pacific; Jessica Imbrie, Saint Mary's; Taylor Isom, BYU; Shannon Kent, Loyola Marymount; Noelle LaPrevotte, Portland; Cassidy Lynch, Saint Mary's; Jaciara Mello, San Francisco; Aliyah Miller, Gonzaga; Katey Pennington, Gonzaga; Hannah Seabert, Pepperdine; Vicki Shimkus, Saint Mary's; Emily Sippel, Portland; Christie Tombari, Gonzaga; Jamie Van Horn, Pepperdine; Bri Visali, Pepperdine; Dani Weatherholt, Santa Clara; Amanda Whittle, San Francisco
2014 All-WCC Women's Soccer Freshman Team
Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
Mia Costa | Fr. | D | San Diego |
Mariana Galvan | Fr. | F | Santa Clara |
Sonja Giraud | Fr. | M | San Francisco |
Hailey Harbison | Fr. | D | Pepperdine |
Jenna Holtz | Fr. | F | Santa Clara |
Taylor Isom | Fr. | D | BYU |
Tara Meier | Fr. | D | San Diego |
Bizzy Phillips | Fr. | M | BYU |
Sarah Sanger | Fr. | F | Loyola Marymount |
Jamie Van Horn | Fr. | D | Pepperdine |
Bri Visali | Fr. | M | Pepperdine |
