Six Bearcat Men's Soccer Players Receive Academic All-District Recognition

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Six Willamette University student-athletes have been selected for the 2022 NCAA Division III Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team, as voted by the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA). Willamette's Academic All-District choices were Abdul Ali (Sr., D, West Linn, OR/West Linn HS), Pierce Gallaway (Sr., M, Carmel, CA/Carmel HS), Simon Kidder (Jr., M, Bend, OR/Summit HS), Sean Kim (Jr., F, Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS), Krisna LaFrance (So., F, Seattle, WA./Ballard HS), and Jett Starr (Jr., F, Portland, OR/Cleveland HS).

All of the Academic All-District honorees are eligible to be voted onto the College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-America Team. Players nominated for the CSC All-District Team were starters or key reserves with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Each nominated student-athlete was at their current college or university for at least one academic year.

Willamette concluded the 2022 season with a 14-3-3 overall record as the Bearcats won the Northwest Conference Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Willamette was ranked #25 in the final regular season NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Coaches Poll released by the United Soccer Coaches. The Bearcats defeated the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the first round before falling to #2-ranked University of Chicago in the second round. WU won or tied the first 11 games of the season (9-0-2), setting a school record for consecutive games without a loss at 13, including the final two games in the fall of 2021.

NCAA Division III Academic All-District

Abdul Ali (Sr., D) helped lead the defense as Willamette earned seven shutouts. He also advanced upfield on offense and contributed three goals during the season. He played in 61 career games with 30 starts, and scored eight goals and one assist. In addition to his defensive work, he scored four game-winning goals in his career, with two in the fall of 2021 and two in 2022. Ali is majoring in Economics and is participating in Willamette's 3+2 BA/MBA program. He has achieved a 3.74 cumulative GPA.

Pierce Gallaway (Sr., M) was chosen as the 2022 NWC Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned First Team All-NWC honors while starting all 20 games. Gallaway tied for second in the NWC with 12 goals and earned six assists for 30 total points. He scored three goals for a hat-trick in a 4-2 win versus the University of California, Santa Cruz on Sept. 12 and recorded the third goal in WU's 3-1 victory over UW-Platteville in the NCAA Tournament. In the fall of 2021, he was named Third Team All-Region and Second Team All-NWC. He played in 64 career games (63 starts) and earned 20 goals, 10 assists, and 50 total points, plus 130 shots and 59 shots on goal. He was 7 for 7 on penalty kicks (5 for 5 in 2022). Gallaway owns a 3.59 cumulative GPA and is majoring in Exercise and Health Science.

Simon Kidder (Jr., M) was chosen Second Team All-NWC after contributing on both offense and defense as a midfielder this season. He saw action in all 20 games with 16 starts. He provided one goal and one assist, while helping Willamette earn seven shutouts ... Kidder has played in 42 games with 34 starts in his first three years with the Bearcats. He competed in 35 of 37 games the past two years. Kidder's career stats include three goals and one assist. At Willamette, he has a 3.79 cumulative GPA and is undecided regarding his major.

Sean Kim (Jr., F) scored five goals and four assists for 14 points this season, while playing in 17 games with 13 starts. He was named First Team All-NWC for the second year in a row. He was credited with 37 total shots and 15 shots on goal. He supplied game-winning goals against Whitman College on Oct. 2 and versus Linfield University on Nov. 5. In his career, Kim has registered four game winning goals while scoring 15 goals and nine assists for 39 total points. He has taken 89 shots and placed 43 shots on target. Kim is undecided regarding his major and has a 3.67 cumulative GPA.
 

Krisna LaFrance (So., F) challenged opponents on offense throughout the season and was a key contributor for the Bearcats. He produced two goals and four assists this fall, including the game-winning goal with 9:19 left in 2-1 win against NWC rival Pacific Lutheran University on Sept. 18. LaFrance played in 15 games (11 starts) this year. During his career at Willamette, he has seen action in 29 games with 15 starts, and has taken 28 total shots. He owns a 3.67 cumulative GPA and has not yet declared a major.

Jett Starr (Jr., F) was one of Willamette's top attacking players in 2022, and he earned First Team All-NWC recognition. He scored the first goal in the Bearcats' win against UW-Platteville in the NCAA Tournament. He scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Colorado College on Sept. 1. For the season, Starr provided WU with eight goals, two assists, and 18 total points, while creating 28 shots and 15 shots on goal. He has competed in 41 games and made 27 starts in his career. He has scored 11 goals and two assists for 24 total points as a Bearcat. His efforts have resulted in 51 shots with 24 shots on target. Starr is undecided regarding his major and has a 3.53 cumulative GPA.