Lautenbach is NWC Coach of the Year; Eight Bearcats Earn All-NWC Honors

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University Head Coach Sarah Lautenbach has been chosen as the Northwest Conference Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year for the 2021 season. In addition, a total of eight Willamette women's lacrosse players earned All-NWC recognition. Three Bearcats were named to the First Team, with four WU players on the Second Team, and one player chosen for Honorable Mention.

Thirty-four student-athletes were selected for the 2021 All-Northwest Conference Women's Lacrosse Team. Thirteen players were selected for the First Team with 13 players on the Second Team and eight players earning Honorable Mention.

Named First Team for WU were Catie Kawamura (So., ATT, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies), Maddie Garcia (So., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy), and Emma Canchola (Jr., DEF, Oregon City OR/Oregon City HS). Second Team choices were Anabel Ohsman (Sr., ATT, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS), Analise Wilson (Fy., MID, Temecula, CA/Chaparral HS), Kiana  Gottschalk (So., D, Bend, OR/Bend HS), and Shelby Sawyer (So., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy). Chosen Honorable Mention was Laura Kelly (Jr., ATT, Mountain View, CA/Mountain View HS).

"It's incredibly exciting to have so many of our players recognized by our conference," Lautenbach said. "There were obvious challenges and obstacles this year, but also so many accomplishments. I am thrilled for them."

Willamette finished the season with an 8-3 overall record. The Bearcats went 7-3 in the NWC to tie for second place in just the second full season for the program.

Bethany Shade, a midfielder at Linfield University, was named NWC Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year. Carleigh DeLapp, an attacker from George Fox University, was selected NWC Women's Lacrosse Freshman of the Year.

First Team All-Northwest Conference

Catie Kawamura (So., ATT) was selected First Team All-NWC for the first time. She finished second on the Willamette roster with 31 goals, tied for the team lead with 16 assists, and led the Bearcats with 47 total points. She tied for fourth in the NWC in assists and ranked sixth in goals and overall scoring. She took 53 shots and placed 42 shots on goal. She also registered a team-high 48 draw controls, which placed her fourth in the NWC.

Kawamura's career totals included 40 goals and 17 assists for 57 points. In addition, she has contributed 58 draw controls. She has started all 14 games the past two seasons.

"Catie had such a big first full season (the 2020 schedule was limited to three games due to COVID-19)," Lautenbach noted. "She was able to adjust into our attacking systems quickly, contributing goals and assists as well as being a huge asset for us on the draw. We relied on her a lot and she really embraced it all as if she was a mature, seasoned player. She has a great mental outlook and will only continue to grow as a player."

Maddie Garcia (So., MID) earned First Team All-NWC honors for the first time. Garcia led Willamette with 41 goals and provided 42 total points this spring. She took 58 shots with 52 shots on goal. She scored six goals in three games this season and contributed three or more goals nine times. She recorded 18 draw controls and 17 ground balls, while causing 12 turnovers.

In two seasons at Willamette, she has accumulated 47 goals and one assist. She has supplied the Bearcats with 20 draw controls and 20 ground balls. Sixty-one of her 75 shots have been on target.

 "She continues to push herself and has a drive and a will to get better," Lautenbach said. "She's not afraid of the hard work it takes, and is so humble in always directing her focus to the team. It's apparent that she is an obvious goal scorer, but she also wears many hats as our team's workhorse that do not get the same level of recognition. I'm excited for her to receive this acknowledgment."

Emma Canchola (Jr., DEF) was named First Team All-NWC for the second time. In 2018-19, she was chosen for the first time after leading Willamette's defense during the inaugural season, as she recorded 66 ground balls, 33 draw controls and 33 caused turnovers.

This year, Canchola led the Bearcats with 39 ground balls. She also forced opponents into 13 turnovers. During her career, Canchola has achieved a school record 109 ground balls. She has provided WU with 54 draw controls and has caused 49 turnovers.

"Emma is this quiet warrior. She doesn't want recognition or to be noticed," Lautenbach commented. "She just loves to compete and win. It is what drives her and what makes her such a challenge to our opponents. She plays with so much heart and fire that you can't help but be inspired by her. She hardly gets the recognition she deserves as a defender, which is what makes this nod so special."

Second Team All-Northwest Conference

Anabel Ohsman (Sr., ATT) received Second Team All-NWC recognition for the second time. She previously earned Second Team honors in 2019. This year, Ohsman scored 20 goals and tied for the team lead with 16 assists for 36 total points. She tied for fourth in the conference in assists. She took 33 shots with 30 shots on goal.

Ohsman is Willamette's career scoring leader with 67 goals and 25 assists for 92 total points. Her career stats also include 40 ground balls. She has started all 30 games. During Willamette's first season in 2019, she led the Bearcats with 46 goals and 52 total points, while earning 36 draw controls and 26 ground balls.

"Anabel is such an unassuming, yet dangerous attacker," Lautenbach said. "She is patient and calculated in every decision she makes, and emphasizes possession. She really takes her time to wait for the right opportunities and can almost slow a play down with how smooth she finishes. Anabel also has developed into a player with great vision in recognizing plays develop and who will be open. It has been so fun watching her grow over the past few years. We are really going to miss her moving forward and I am delighted she finished her career on such a high note."

Analise Wilson (Fy., MID) received Second Team All-NWC honors as the result of her outstanding contributions as a first-year player this season. She ranked first on the team with 20 caused turnovers and was second for the Bearcats with 46 draw controls and 37 ground balls. She scored 18 goals and provided one assist. Wilson attained eight ground balls against Puget Sound on May 1 and was credited with seven draw controls against Whitworth on April 11.

"It was really impressive to watch Analise grow into her role this year and develop more confidence along the way," Lautenbach recalled. "As a first-year, we asked a lot of her from both ends of the field, as well as on the draw, and she delivered. Defensively, she really did phenomenally well. Every time you turned around, she would come up with big stops and interceptions. She is another player who just loves to play, compete, and be out on the field. We played her at midfield every minute of every game and she just rolled with it even when she was probably exhausted. This acknowledgment is very deserving."

Kiana Gottschalk (So., DEF) was chosen Second Team All-NWC for the first time. She played extremely well on defense, recording 20 ground balls and forcing seven turnovers. She often seemed to be in the right place at the right time. She started all 11 games. Gottschalk forced three turnovers by Whitworth on April 11. She registered three ground balls in that game and in two other games.

"This was Kiana's first year competing after suffering an injury that sidelined her for our three games last season. From the beginning of this season, she grew so much as a player and her confidence in her abilities became really strong. She was someone we relied on heavily to slow the ball down in transition as well as come up with loose balls in front of the cage. She came back to school in great physical condition this year, which I believe was a significant factor in the success she found on the defensive end. I am very excited for her to get this recognition.

Shelby Sawyer (So., GK) gained Second Team All-NWC status for the first time. She played 446 minutes in goal and recorded a 9.55 goals against average. She accumulated 88 saves and 14 ground balls. She helped Willamette hold opponents to fewer than 10 goals five times.

She also played 99 minutes in goal during WU's shortened season in 2020. During her career, she has been credited with 105 saves, 16 ground balls, and a 9.25 goals against average. This year, she recorded a career-high 14 saves against Linfield on April 4.

"Shelby had a great year," Lautenbach said. "She was a momentum changer for us in a number of games where she came up big to save us. She is very patient in watching shots and chooses her movements very selectively. Shelby has a lot of confidence as a young goalie and knows her strengths. I believe this serves her well in the most mentally challenging position on the field. She is able to stay focused and doesn't allow herself to get in her own head."

Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference

Laura Kelly (Jr., ATT) was named Honorable Mention All-NWC on attack for the first time. She provided the Bearcats with 14 goals and seven assists for 21 total points. She took 21 shots with 19 shots on target. Kelly also recorded nine ground balls and caused five turnovers.

Her career stats include 26 goals and 12 assists while playing in all 30 games with 27 starts. She has amassed 28 ground balls and forced 17 turnovers. She scored a career-high five goals and registered a career-high six points against Whitworth on April 11 this spring.

"I am thrilled for Laura to receive this H.M. nod from our conference," Lautenbach stated. "She is such a key player for us on our attacking end. She really creates the space and cuts necessary for her teammates to be successful. She has great off-ball movement and is always a threat. Laura has really grown herself into a mentally strong machine. Her positivity and confidence are just thriving and fueling her success and what she is capable of. She has really developed her attacking IQ and field vision along with the skills to finish shots. She is incredibly coachable and makes adjustments to her game faster than anyone I've ever coached."

NWC Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year

Head Coach Sarah Lautenbach was voted NWC Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year after guiding Willamette to a tie for second place in the conference standings at 7-3. The Bearcats went 8-3 overall. Lautenbach has coached Willamette since its very first game in 2019. The Bearcats were 6-10 as a first-year program in 2019, then went 2-1 during the COVIC-shortened season in 2020. Including this year, WU has achieved an all-time record of 16-14 overall and 14-10 in the NWC.

The Bearcats scored 157 goals this season for an average of 14.27 goals per game. Willamette limited opponents to 110 total goals for an average of 10.0 goals per game. Seven Bearcats each scored 10 or more goals.