Canchola, Wilson, and Bachiochi are First Team All-NWC in Women's Lacrosse
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Three Willamette University women's lacrosse players -- Emma Canchola (Sr., DEF, Oregon City OR/Oregon City HS), Analise Wilson (So., MID, Temecula, CA/Chaparral HS), and Lily Bachiochi (Fy., ATT, Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) -- have been named First Team All-Northwest Conference for the 2022 season in voting by the NWC head coaches. Canchola received First Team honors for the third time, while Wilson advanced to the First Team after earning a spot on the Second Team in 2021.
In addition, WU players Catie Kawamura (Jr., ATT, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies), Maddie Garcia (Jr., MID, Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy), and Shelby Sawyer (Jr., GK, Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy) were chosen for Second Team All-NWC honors. Kendyl Jennings (So., MID, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) and Shea Richardson-Pepper (Fy., D/M, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) were selected for Honorable Mention All-NWC status.
A total of 37 student-athletes were named to the 2022 All-NWC Women's Lacrosse Team. Thirteen players were chosen for the First Team, with 13 players on the Second Team, and 11 players receiving Honorable Mention.
Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Sarah Lautenbach led the Willamette to a 12-5 record this season. The Bearcats took second place in the NWC at 9-3. Willamette scored 230 goals for an average of 13.53 goals per game, including seven games with 17 or more goals. On defense, the Bearcats limited opponents to 10.06 goals per game and held 10 opponents to fewer than 10 goals.
"We are excited for all of our honorees. It's great to have this recognition, especially as the conference evolves and becomes more competitive," Lautenbach said.
Andrea Garcia-Milla, an attacker from George Fox University, was named NWC Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year. Bethany Shade, a defender at Linfield University, was chosen NWC Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year. Whitman College attacker Gracie Maulik was selected NWC Women's Lacrosse Freshman of the Year. George Fox Head Coach Katie Brand, was voted NWC Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year.
First Team All-Northwest Conference
Emma Canchola (Sr., DEF) was selected First Team All-NWC for the third time after also receiving the award in 2019 and 2021. She holds Willamette records for career ground balls (158), ground balls in a season (66 in 2019), and ground balls in a game (10 versus Pacific University on March 30, 2019). She also has forced 77 turnovers in her career and has attained 56 draw controls. She holds another school record with 11 draw controls versus the University of Dallas on March 24, 2019.
Canchola has played in and started 46 of 47 games. She was named to the NCAA Division III Academic Honor Roll by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) in 2021. She was chosen Team MVP in 2019 and was Willamette's Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. This season, Canchola led the Bearcats and ranked second in the NWC with 49 ground balls. She also earned 28 caused turnovers. She started all 17 games.
"Emma has consistently proven her defensive abilities year after year and can fit into any defensive system," Lautenbach said. "She dominates in ground balls and she has the ability to force opponents to make plays that result in turnovers. She has been a leader for us and an integral part of our defense."
Analise Wilson (So., DEF) was chosen First Team All-NWC this spring after being named Second Team All-NWC as a first-year player in 2021. Wilson led Willamette and ranked second in the NWC this year with 32 caused turnovers. She ranked second on the team with 43 ground balls and also attained 40 draw controls. She contributed 20 goals and nine assists on offense. She was named NWC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week twice this season. In 2021, she topped Willamette with 20 caused turnovers and was second with 46 draw controls and 37 ground balls.
During her first two years at WU, she has played in all 28 games with 28 starts. She has caused 52 turnovers while achieving 86 draw controls and 80 ground balls. She has scored 38 career goals to go along with 10 assists for 48 total points.
"Her ability to read and anticipate plays as they develop, paired with her strength in one-handed grabs, allowed her to come up with interception after interception," Lautenbach commented. "She was someone the team could count on in clearing and transition to bring the ball safely over to the attacking end. She found herself in a place to challenge for 50/50 balls all over the field. Impressively, Analise only had eight turnovers the entire season, which is extremely impressive for how frequently she handled the ball."
Lily Bachiochi (Fy., ATT) received First Team All-NWC after an outstanding season as a first-year player this spring. She earned the top spot on Willamette's overall scoring chart with 81 total points on 42 goals and 39 assists. In the NWC, she ranked third in total points and was second in assists.
She has provided the Bearcats with 27 ground balls and nine draw controls while starting all 17 games. She registered six goals against Pacific on March 30, 2022 and supplied teammates with five assists in four games.
"Lily had an incredible first season. Her vision and quick hands allowed her to make connections with her teammates. She also had smooth finishes inside the eight-meter," Lautenbach noted.
Second Team All-Northwest Conference
Catie Kawamura (Jr., ATT) received Second Team All-NWC honors this year after earning First Team All-NWC recognition in 2021. This season, she scored 47 goals and 11 assists for 58 total points, while earning a .534 shooting percentage. She ranked second on the team in total points. Kawamura tied for the team's individual season high with seven goals against Pacific on April 20. She led the Bearcats and ranked third in the NWC with 96 draw controls on the season, while contributing 14 ground balls.
In 2021, she scored 31 goals and tied for the team lead with 16 assists, while topping the squad with 47 points. She provided a team-high 48 draw controls. Over the past three seasons, she has started all 31 games and has recorded impressive career stats with 87 goals and 28 assists for a school record 115 total points. She owns a .561 career shooting percentage. Kawamura ranks first all-time at WU with 154 draw controls.
"Catie really elevated her game this year, between her role on the draw, finishing third in the conference in draw controls, as well as her broad contributions on the attacking end," Lautenbach said. "She was always a threat with the ball and a dynamic dodger and shooter."
Maddie Garcia (Jr., MID) was chosen for Second Team All-NWC recognition this season following First Team All-NWC honors in 2021. For the second consecutive season, she led Willamette in goal-scoring as she hit the net s48 times. She also registered eight assists and finished the year with 56 total points. Her efforts also produced 23 ground balls and forced opponents into 15 turnovers. She matched Kawamura for a season-high with seven goals against Whitman College on April 10.
As a sophomore in 2021, she topped Willamette with 41 goals, including six goals in three different games, as she was named Second Team All-West Region. Garcia's career totals while starting all 31 games include a school record 95 goals plus nine assists for 104 points. In addition, she has recorded a .590 career shooting percentage to go along with 43 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers.
"Maddie continues to be a top driver on the attacking end while also a top 1-vs-1 defender on the defensive end," Lautenbach asserted. "She contributed largely to our transition, and finished shots in big moments when the team needed her."
Shelby Sawyer (Jr., GK) repeated as a Second Team All-NWC selection after receiving the honor for the first time in 2021. She played all 1,020 minutes in goal for the Bearcats this season and provided the team with a 10.06 goals against average and 137 saves. She achieved a 12-5 record and is now 21-8 in her career. She set a Willamette record with 18 saves at Occidental College on March 23.
In 2021, she registered an 8-3 record and a 9.55 goals against average. As a goalkeeper for the Bearcats the last three seasons, she has attained a 9.78 goals against average, while playing in all 31 games with 27 starts. She has been credited with 242 saves.
"Shelby has been the backbone of our defense, remaining solid and reliable game after game," Lautenbach commented. "She consistently made saves that kept us in games and gave us momentum."
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Kendyl Jennings (So., MID) was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC as a midfielder for the first time. She started all 17 games and scored 11 goals to go with four assists. She supplied Willamette with 37 ground balls to rank third on the team. She also forced opponents into 18 turnovers.
Jennings was credited with seven ground balls against Augsburg University (Minn.) on March 16. She earned five ground balls versus the University of Puget Sound on April 24. She caused three turnovers in road games at Whitman on April 10 and at Linfield on April 17. In two years with the Bearcats, Jennings has started all 28 games while providing 15 goals and four assists. She has 52 career ground balls.
"Kendyl stepped up this season, wearing many hats, wherever we needed her," Lautenbach affirmed. "She made strong cuts and challenged hard offensively, while coming up with big knockdowns on the other end."
Shea Richardson-Pepper (Fy., DEF) had an outstanding first year this spring and was named Honorable Mention All-NWC on defense. She started every game and ranked second on the team with 47 draw controls. She also registered 32 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. On offense, she scored eight goals and one assist.
She grabbed six or more draw controls in each of the last three games of the season, including a personal-high seven draw controls versus Pacific on April 20. She achieved four ground balls against Linfield on March 13. Richardson-Pepper forced three turnovers against Whitworth University on April 9 and against Linfield on April 17.
"Shea had a big first season," Lautenbach recalled. "She proved to be strong and speedy on the draw and anywhere there was a 50/50 battle for possession."