SAN MATEO, Calif. — Gonzaga's
Chris Watkins was named a 2020-21 West Coast Conference co-Coach of the Year the league office announced Friday. All five individual awards -- along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team -- were voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
The Zags'
Sophia Braun was tabbed to the conference's First Team, while
Maddie Cooley and
Jordan Thompson were second team. GU's
Lyza Bosselmann was honorable mention, and
Kayla Chatman-Haggerty and
Kate Doyle were named to the WCC All-Freshman Team.
Watkins becomes only the second Gonzaga Head Coach to earn WCC Coach of the Year honors, and the first since Shannon Stiles received the accolade in 2003. Braun is the second Zag to be named to the league's first team since 2014, joining
Madeline Gotta who earned the honor in 2019.
Watkins and his staff guided the Bulldogs to their best-ever West Coast Conference finish, placing third for the first time since the league expanded to 10 teams. GU finished 7-3-1 overall and 5-2-1 in conference play.
Braun helped lead a solid Zag midfield in her nine appearances. The junior found the back of the net against Saint Mary's. She also recently had the unique experience of playing for Argentina's national team in the She Believes Cup in Orlando, Fla.
Cooley started in all 11 games, the only field player to do so. She scored a goal in the season-opener at Dixie State and recorded assists in back-to-back appearances versus Pacific and San Diego. In her Zag career so far, the redshirt senior has played in 65 games, starting in the last 28. Thompson has played a key role in the GU defense since she arrived. The Sumner, Wash., native, scored twice in 2020-21. She was WCC All-Freshman in 2017.
Bosselmann finished tied atop the conference with four shutouts, and third with an 80.4 save percentage. The sophomore started in all 11 games, and had a 0.91 goals against average. She was on the WCC All-Freshman Team in 2019.
Chatman-Haggerty played in 991 minutes this past season, the most by a Bulldog outside the net. Doyle matched a team-high six points, with two goals and two assists.
2020-21 WCC Women's Soccer Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Mikayla Colohan, BYU
Defender of the Year: Alex Loera, Santa Clara
Goalkeeper of the Year: Taylor Poland, Saint Mary's
Freshman of the Year: Sally Menti, Santa Clara
Coaches of the Year: Jerry Smith, Santa Clara and
Chris Watkins, Gonzaga
2020-21 All-WCC Women's Soccer First Team
| Name |
Institution |
Year |
| Joelle Anderson |
Pepperdine |
Sr. |
| Sophia Braun |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
| Mikayla Colohan |
BYU |
Sr. |
| Izzy D'Aquila |
Santa Clara |
So. |
| Julie Doyle |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
| Alex Loera |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
| Rachel McCarthy |
BYU |
So. |
| Taryn Ries |
Portland |
Sr. |
| Cameron Tucker |
BYU |
Sr. |
| Kelsey Turnbow |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
| Trinity Watson |
Pepperdine |
Jr. |
2020-21 All-WCC Women's Soccer Second Team
| Name |
Institution |
Year |
| Maya Alcantara |
Saint Mary's |
Jr. |
| Maddie Cooley |
Gonzaga |
Sr. |
| Sydney Cooper |
San Francisco |
Sr. |
| Catherine Hill |
San Francisco |
So. |
| Leyla McFarland |
Pepperdine |
Jr. |
| Sally Menti |
Santa Clara |
Fr. |
| Jaida Nyby |
Pacific |
So. |
| Taylor Poland |
Saint Mary's |
Fr. |
| Jamie Shepherd |
BYU |
So. |
| Jordan Thompson |
Gonzaga |
Sr. |
| Tori Waldeck |
Pepperdine |
Fr. |
2020-21 All-WCC Women's Soccer Honorable Mention
| Name |
Institution |
Year |
| Siarfo Abekah |
LMU |
So. |
| Camille Ashe |
Portland |
Fr. |
| Lyza Bosselmann |
Gonzaga |
So. |
| Madi Cook |
Pepperdine |
Sr. |
| AnnaMaria DiGeronimo |
Saint Mary's |
Sr. |
| Sierra Dunphy |
LMU |
So. |
| Sami Fairweather |
San Diego |
Sr. |
| Josie Gelalich |
BYU |
Sr. |
| Ellie Glenn |
Santa Clara |
So. |
| Kendyll Humphreys |
LMU |
So. |
| Emily Jensen |
Saint Mary's |
So. |
| Sofia Jones |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
| Jalyn Lupo |
LMU |
Jr. |
| Leah Pirro |
San Diego |
Fr. |
| Jayd Sprague |
San Francisco |
Fr. |
| Marissa Vasquez |
San Francisco |
Fr. |
| Elliott Winkelmann |
Portland |
Sr. |
2020-21 All-WCC Women's Soccer Freshman Team
| Name |
Institution |
| Camille Ashe |
Portland |
| Marisa Bubnis |
Santa Clara |
| Kayla Chatman-Haggerty |
Gonzaga |
| Kate Doyle |
Gonzaga |
| Julianna Duckett |
Pepperdine |
| Brooke Hale |
BYU |
| Sophia Mattice |
Portland |
| Sally Menti |
Santa Clara |
| Taylor Poland |
Saint Mary's |
| Victoria Romero |
Pepperdine |
| Olivia Smith |
BYU |
| Marissa Vasquez |
San Francisco |
| Tori Waldeck |
Pepperdine |
