Bachiochi is NWC Offensive Player of the Year; Lautenbach is Coach of the Year
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University attacker Lily Bachiochi (Jr., Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) has been chosen First Team All-Northwest Conference and NWC Offensive Player of the Year, while Head Coach Sarah Lautenbach has been named NWC Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year, in voting by the NWC head coaches for the 2024 season. Also named First Team All-NWC for the Bearcats were midfielder Shea Richardson-Pepper (Jr., MID, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS), defender Jay Shiflett (Fy., Glen Burnie, MD/Old Mill HS), and defender Syd Shoemaker (Fy., Reno, NV/Robert McQueen HS).
Chosen Second Team All-NWC from WU were attackers Brooklynn Pearl (So., Eugene, OR/Willamette HS) and Claire Kisielnicki (So., Manitou Springs, CO/Manitou Springs HS), and defender Cedric Shaw (Fy., Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS). WU's Honorable Mention All-NWC choices were attacker Alyssa Molisee (Fy., Henderson, NV/Nevada State HS) and goalie Olivia Austin (Fy., San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS).
Willamette ended the season with a 14-4 record and took second place in the NWC at 10-2. The Bearcats downed Whitworth University, 17-12, in the NWC Tournament semifinals and fell to George Fox University, 17-7, in the NWC Tournament Championship game. Willamette's 14 wins set a school record, breaking the previous record of 13-5 in 2023. This year, the Bearcats averaged 16.3 goals per game and earned an 8.89 goals against average on defense. Four players scored 40 or more goals. Seven Bearcats scored at least 23 goals.
First Team All-Northwest Conference
Lily Bachiochi (Jr., ATT) was named First Team All-NWC and NWC Offensive Player of the Year. She was selected First Team All-NWC for the third year in a row. Bachiochi led Willamette with a career-high 65 goals while setting school records with 52 assists and 117 points. She was named NWC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week four times this season (March 25, April 1, April 9, and April 22).
This spring, she earned 117 total shots and 90 shots on target. She also provided WU with 28 ground balls and forced 10 turnovers.
In her three years with the Bearcats, she has set Willamette career records with 149 goals, 131 assists, and 280 points. She has contributed 285 total shots, including 218 shots on goal. Her career totals also include 88 ground balls, 27 caused turnovers, and 18 draw controls. She has led Willamette in assists and points all three years, while starting all 53 games. She scored a school record 12 points on seven goals and five assists in an 18-11 win at Linfield University on March 19.
"Lily had a tremendous year," Lautenbach said. "She's a versatile player who can do it all. She has speed, skill, vision, and instincts. She figures out a way to produce under any circumstances or conditions, as she is frequently face-guarded. She's a consistent threat regardless of our opponent, and a major force in our attacking system. Lily is such a great teammate and so humble. I am thrilled for her to get this level of recognition from our conference."
Shea Richardson-Pepper (Jr., MID) was chosen First Team All-NWC for the second consecutive season. This spring, she earned 36 goals and five assists for 41 points. She took 76 shots and placed 58 shots on goal. She provided Willamette with 44 draw controls and 39 ground balls, while causing 19 turnovers. She missed several games due to injury, but played in and started 15 games.
Her career totals include 58 goals, 12 assists, and 70 points. She has registered 122 total shots and 97 shots on goal. She has accumulated 165 draw controls, 108 ground balls, and 50 caused turnovers. She has played in 48 games with 47 starts.
Jay Shiflett (Fy., DEF) received First Team All-NWC recognition after providing the Bearcats with outstanding work on defense. She led Willamette with 43 ground balls during the season and also ranked first on the team with 38 caused turnovers. Although contributing mostly on defense, she scored one goal and earned seven draw controls.
Shiflett latched onto six ground balls against Pacific University on March 10. She forced seven turnovers by Occidental College (Calif.) on March 27 and by Pacific University on April 15. Shiflett played in and started 17 games.
Syd Shoemaker (Fy., DEF) was named First Team All-NWC as a key defensive player for Willamette. Shoemaker started all 18 games and achieved 30 ground balls. She also forced 26 turnovers and was credited with two draw controls.
During the season, Shoemaker provided WU with three or more ground balls in six games, including a season-high four ground balls against the University of Puget Sound on April 10. She also forced four turnovers against the Loggers, and caused four turnovers versus Linfield University on April 21. She forced three turnovers in three additional games.
Second Team All-Northwest Conference
Brooklynn Pearl (So., ATT) garnered Second Team All-NWC recognition after scoring 46 goals and five assists for 51 points this year. She trailed only Bachiochi in goals scored.
Pearl was an all-around leader. She ranked second on the team with 40 ground balls and was second with 74 draw controls. She caused 12 turnovers. She led Willamette with five goals in a 12-11 win over Whitworth on April 28 and tied for the team lead with five goals against Whitman College in a 19-3 win on April 6.
In two seasons at Willamette, Pearl has started 35 games while missing just one game in 2023. She has scored 56 career goals to go with five assists and 61 points. She has recorded 101 draw controls and 70 ground balls. She has taken 119 total shots with 89 shots on goal.
Claire Kisielnicki (So., ATT) was selected Second Team All-NWC on the strength of 45 goals and seven assists for 52 points. She ranked second for the Bearcats in overall scoring and was second in goals scored. She took 98 shots and put 75 of the shots on target.
Kisielnicki tied a school record by scoring nine goals against Pacific University on March 10 in a 20-1 win. She scored three or more goals for Willamette in eight games during the season.
She also excelled on the attack as a first-year player in 2023, when she contributed 34 goals and one assist. In her career, she has played in 35 games, all starts, and has accumulated 79 goals and eight assists for 87 points. She has provided WU with 173 total shots and 131 shots on goal.
Cedric Shaw (Fy., MID) earned Second Team All-NWC honors after providing strong performances all over the field, especially on draw controls. Shaw scored 30 goals and produced seven assists to go along with a team high 96 draw controls. While playing in 17 games, all starts, Shaw attained other key stats with 29 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers.
Shaw scored five goals against Puget Sound in a 23-3 win on March 9, registered 10 draw controls against Whitman on April 6 and provided 10 more draws against Pacific on April 15. The standout player registered five or more draw controls 12 times.
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Alyssa Molisee (Fy., ATT) was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC after earning 40 goals and five assists (45 points) for the Bearcats. She hit the nets for three or more goals in nine games and scored at least two goals 11 times. She played in 17 games, all as a starter. On offense, she took 85 total shots with 67 shots on goal. Molisee also earned 38 draw controls, 33 ground balls, and 14 caused turnovers.
She produced five goals at Puget Sound on March 10. She was credited with seven draw controls and seven ground balls against Linfield on March 19.
Olivia Austin (Fy., GK) excelled in goal for the Bearcats and was rewarded with Honorable Mention All-NWC status. She started all 18 games for Willamette and played all 1080 minutes. She set Willamette records with 112 saves and an 8.89 goals against average. The previous GAA record was 9.55 set by Shelby Sawyer ('23) in 2021.
Austin earned a career-high 13 saves in Willamette's 12-11 win at Whitworth on April 28 and supplied the team with 10 or more saves four times during the season. She also grabbed 32 ground balls to rank fifth for the Bearcats.
Northwest Conference Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year
Willamette Head Coach Sarah Lautenbach was named NWC Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year after guiding the Bearcats to a 14-4 overall record and a 10-2 record in the conference. In her six seasons with the Bearcats, Lautenbach has led the team to a combined record of 55-28 (.663), including a 42-18 (.700) mark in the NWC. With Lautenbach's leadership, Willamette has put together a string of five consecutive winning seasons. The Bearcats have won at least 12 games in each of the last three years. She has coached Willamette since the first game in school history in 2019.
"I feel very honored for our program to be honored with the Coach of the Year award," Lautenbach said. "It was definitely a team effort from our entire coaching staff. The success we had was a reflection of everyone's contributions."