Five Bearcats Earn All-NWC Women's Soccer Recognition

By Brandon Chinn, Athletics Communications Writer

SALEM, ORE. --In just her sophomore season, Ashland Bernard (F, Kirkland, WA/Juanita HS) scored five goals and dished out three assists on her way to being named Second Team All-NWC in 2012. Along with Bernard, four other members of the Willamette University women's soccer team received All-Northwest Conference honors.

Linfield College forward Emily Fellows was selected Northwest Conference Player of the Year, while one of her teammates, Emily Allison, was named Defensive Player of the Year. University of Puget Sound women's soccer Head Coach Randy Hanson earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Loggers to a first place finish and a 13-2-1 NWC record.

For Willamette, Andi Rowan (Sr., MF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS), Shannon Scott (Sr., D, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS), Ariel Wilson (Sr., MF, Fort Collins, CO/Poudre HS) and Sarah Desautels (So., F, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS) received Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition.

Second Team All-NWC

Ashland Bernard (So., F) provided the speed and playmaking ability that created a spark for the Bearcats this season. Her skill as a scorer was magnified early in the season, as two goals in the first three games moved herinto the starting rotation for the final 17 games of the year.

Her biggest highlight to the 2012 season occurred at Lewis & Clark College on Sept. 23, when she scored three of Willamette's goals for a hat trick in the Bearcats' 4-3 overtime victory against the Pioneers.

Several days earlier on Sept. 7, she scored the game-winning goal against Whittier College with 11:26 remainingon a shot which deflected off the crossbar and went into the net.

Bernard took a total 38 shots during the 2012 season, including 20 shots on goal. She finished the year with five goals and three assists for 13 total points.

Bernard is no stranger to All Conference honors. In her freshman campaign, she scored two goals and recorded one assist while playing in 16games, as she was selected Honorable Mention All-NWC.

Honorable Mention All-NWC

Andi Rowan (Sr., MF) was an important figure in the midfield for Willamette, contributing to both the team's defensive and offensive efforts. Shefinished second onthe team in minutes played with 1,805 while starting in all 20 games.Rowan scored on a successfully converted penalty kick against Corban Universityin the first game of the season.

Rowan finished her career with six goals and five assists, including one game-winning goal in 2011. She played in 69 games throughout her four years at Willamette and started in 68 of those contests. She was solid at providing defensive support in the midfield and was equally strong at helping the Bearcats move into the attack.

Thismarks Rowan's fourth consecutive year receiving All-NWC honors. She was selected Second Team All-NWC in each of her first threeseasons at Willamette.

Shannon Scott (Sr., D) started all 20 games this yearon defense and led the team in minutes played with1,816. She finished her career having started in 73 consecutive games dating back to midway through her freshman year.

Her strong defensive efforts this season played a large part in the team's four shutouts. In addition, Scott took 11 of Willamette's corner kicks and was able to provide quality passes on restarts in the midfield.

It is Scott's second consecutive year receiving All-NWC honors, as she previously was named Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2011.

Ariel Wilson (Sr., MF) scored a goal and tacked on three assists for the Bearcats in 2012, as she played in all 20 games. She finished her career playing in 73 games with 56 starts.

During her four years at Willamette, Wilson recorded seven goals and 10 assists for 24 points, including a game-winning goal against George Fox University in2011.

Wilson was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the second consecutive year. In 2011, she was chosen for the Honorable Mention list after finishing the season second on Willamette's scoring chartwith three goals, five assists and 11 total points.

Sarah Desautels (So., F) followed up an impressive freshman campaign in 2011 with another fine performance in 2012. She finished the season tied with Bernard atop the team leaderboard with five goals scored.

This season, she produced 35 shots and 18 shots on goal. Desautels also recorded a game-winning goal when she scored against George Fox on Oct. 13 in a 2-0 Bearcat victory.

She was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the second year in a row. As a freshman, she played in all 20 games while notching three goals and two assists.

The 2012 Season

Willamette finished the 2012 season with a 5-13-2 overall record, including 3-11-2 in the Northwest Conference. The Bearcats were led in scoring by Bernard with five goals and three assists (13 points) and Desautels with five goals (10 points). Willamette shut out four opponents and held four teams to a single goal.