Lacrosse Puts Five Players on First Team All-NWC, Two Bearcats on Second Team

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Five players on the Willamette University women's lacrosse team have been named First Team All-Northwest Conference for the 2023 season. Two more Bearcats were chosen for Second Team All-NWC recognition in voting by the NWC head coaches. First Team selections were attackers Tati Klenk (Sr., Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) and Lily Bachiochi (So., Henderson, NV/Coronado HS), defenders Jade Kampen (Sr., Eugene, OR/South Eugene HS) and Shea Richardson-Pepper (So., San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS), and goalkeeper Shelby Sawyer (Sr., Marysville, WA/Bio Med Academy). Chosen for the Second Team were attacker Catie Kawamura (Sr., San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) and midfielder Maddie Garcia (Sr., Encinitas, CA/San Dieguito Academy).

The 2023 All-NWC Women's Lacrosse Team included a total of 38 players. A total of 13 players were named to the First Team, with 13 players on the Second Team, and 12 players receiving Honorable Mention.

Whitman College junior attacker Madeleine Sherry was chosen NWC Offensive Player of the Year and George Fox University junior midfielder Marena Tharpe was named NWC Defensive Player of the Year. First-year midfielder Ava Bluhm from George Fox was selected NWC Rookie of the Year and was named Second Team All-NWC. GFU Head Coach Katie Band was named NWC Coach of the Year.

Willamette concluded the season with a 13-5 overall record, including 9-3 in the NWC as the Bearcats tied for second place in the regular season standings. The Bearcats qualified for the first-ever NWC Tournament and defeated Whitman 14-13 in overtime in the semifinals before falling to George Fox 20-12 in the NWC Championship game.

First Team All-Northwest Conference

Tati Klenk (Sr., ATT) was named First Team All-NWC for the first time. She led Willamette this season with a school record 70 goals. She also provided four assists for 74 total points. She took 113 shots during the season with 104 shots on target, and was 17 of 24 on free position shots. Klenk provided the Bearcats with 18 ground balls and caused opponents to commit seven turnovers. She scored eight goals at Linfield University on April 9 in a 20-4 win, as she finished one goal short of the school record. She tallied the game-winning goal in a 13-12 triumph over Whitman on April 16.

In her career, Klenk has scored 99 goals and seven assists for 106 points. She has taken 186 shots, including 142 shots on goal. She converted 21 of 33 free position shots. She has competed in 36 games with 23 starts for the Bearcats.

Lily Bachiochi (So., ATT) earned First Team All-NWC honors for the second consecutive season. This spring, she led Willamette with 82 total points on 42 goals and a school record 40 assists. She registered 33 ground balls and was credited with 13 caused turnovers. One of the caused turnovers set up Willamette's winning goal in overtime against Whitman at the NWC Tournament.

In 2022, Bachiochi topped the Bearcats in overall scoring with 42 goals and 39 assists for 81 points. She has scored 84 goals and produced 79 assists for 163 points in two seasons. She is WU's career leader in assists and is second in total points. Bachiochi's career totals also include 168 shots, 128 shots on goal, 60 ground balls, and 17 caused turnovers. She holds the school record of five assists in a game, set four times in 2022 and twice this season.

Jade Kampen (Sr., DEF) was selected for First Team All-NWC recognition for the first time. She started all 18 games for the Bearcats and was a key defensive player throughout the season. She contributed 35 ground balls, 16 draw controls, and 16 caused turnovers. She was second on the team in ground balls and was third in caused turnovers, just one turnover behind the team's co-leaders.

During her career, Kampen has played in 44 games, including 35 starts. She has accumulated 72 ground balls, forced 25 turnovers, and earned 24 draw controls.

Shea Richardson-Pepper (So., DEF) was chosen for First Team All-NWC recognition this year and was named Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2022. She was a leader on defense this spring with a team-high 37 ground balls. She tied for first on the team with 17 caused turnovers. She ranked second on the team with 74 draw controls. On the attack, she scored 14 goals and six assists.

At Willamette, she has played in 33 games with 32 starts. She has been credited with 69 ground balls, 31 caused turnovers, and 121 draw controls in her career. She has scored 22 goals and supplied seven assists, while taking 46 shots with 39 shots on goal.

Shelby Sawyer (Sr., GK) earned First Team All-NWC honors this year after being named Second Team All-NWC in 2021 and 2022. This season, she achieved a 12-5 record with 163 saves in 17 starts. She concluded the year with an 11.47 goals against average. Sawyer registered more than 10 saves in each of Willamette's final five games and had 10 or more saves nine times during the season. She broke her own WU record with 19 saves in a 13-12 win over Whitman on April 16, surpassing the 18 saves she made against Occidental College on March 23, 2022.

Sawyer holds all of Willamette's career records. Her school records include 33 wins (33-13 win-loss), 405 saves, a .473 save percentage, a 10.45 goals against average and 1,015 shots faced. She was the goalkeeper in WU's first shutout, a 21-0 victory over Augsburg College (Minn.) on March 16, 2022.

Second Team All-Northwest Conference

Catie Kawamura (Sr., ATT) was selected Second Team All-NWC for the second consecutive season after receiving First Team All-NWC honors in 2021. In 2023, she hit the cage with 50 goals and also contributed seven assists for 57 points. She took 78 shots and placed 67 shots on target. She led the Bearcats with 82 draw controls and supplied 18 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. She recorded five goals and two assists, including the game-winning goal, in WU's 12-11 overtime victory against the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 26.

Kawamura is Willamette's all-time leading scorer with 172 total points in her career. She ranks second all-time for the Bearcats with 137 goals and has supplied 35 assists. She also leads the Bearcats with 236 career draw controls and 195 shots on goal. She is second all-time with 233 total shots. She registered 42 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers.

Maddie Garcia (Sr., MID) received Second Team All-NWC honors for the second year in a row. She was named First Team All-NWC in 2021. This season, she produced 43 goals and two assists. It was her third consecutive season with more than 40 goals. In addition, she took 78 shots with 60 shots on goal. Garcia grabbed 31 ground balls, recorded 24 draw controls, and forced 17 turnovers. She led the Bearcats with five goals in the team's 14-13 overtime win over Whitman in the NWC Semifinals.

Garcia is Willamette's career leader with 138 goals and 239 total shots. She holds second place with 193 shots on goal and is third with 149 total points. Her career statistics also include 74 ground balls, 44 draw controls, and 47 caused turnovers. She has started all 49 games in the past four seasons. She scored 41 goals and achieved 42 points in 2021, before adding 48 goals and 56 points in 2022, and 43 goals and 45 points in 2023.