Rogel Selected First Team All-Northwest Conference

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Senior defender Kelsey Rogel (Tacoma,WA/Bellarmine Prep) has been named First Team All-Northwest Conference as selected by the NWC head women's soccer coaches. Rogel has received All-NWC honors all four seasons with the Bearcats, after previously achieving First Team recognition in 2006 and Second Team All-NWC honors in 2005 and 2007.

Willamette forward Lauren Miller (Sr., Portland, OR/Grant HS/Northwestern State, La.) was chosen Second Team All-NWC, while defender Samantha Post (Sr., Philomath, OR/Philomath HS) and midfielder/forward Alex Batzer (So., Medford, OR/North Medford HS) earned Honorable Mention. Overall, a total of 39 players were named All-NWC, with 11 on the First Team, 11 on the Second Team and 17 on the Honorable Mention list.

"'I'd like to congratulate Kelsey Rogel, Lauren Miller, Samantha Post and Alex Batzer," Willamette Head Coach Hillary Arthur said. "All four of these players made a huge impact, not only on our team, but throughout the conference."

Randy Hanson, the head coach at the University of Puget Sound, was chosen NWC Coach of the Year. Janece Levien (Jr., F) of Puget Sound was selected NWC Offensive Player of the Year and Nikki Graff (Sr., D) of UPS was selected NWC Defensive Player of the Year.

Rogel was one of four Bearcats who started all 20 games during the season. She provided outstanding defensive efforts throughout the year and also contributed one goal and a team-high five assists on offense. Her passing on set plays, including longer passes from near midfield, set her apart from many of the NWC's other defensive players.

Her status as a four-time All-NWC selection is even more impressive because she played forward during most of the 2007 season. Even with the position change to the front of WU's offensive attack, she still earned Second Team All-NWC honors.

This year, she focused primarily on defense, but continued to provide support when the Bearcats had the ball on offense. She was chosen NWC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27, after earning four assists on Willamette's six goals in come-from-behind victories over George Fox University (2-1 on Oct. 24) and Lewis & Clark College (4-2 on Oct. 26). She scored the game's only goal in WU's 1-0 win over Pacific University on Oct. 4.

"Kelsey Rogel has always been very consistent and the anchor of our defense.," Arthur noted.

During her career, Rogel played in 77 games, including 76 starts. She took 66 shots and placed 30 shots on goal. She earned 5 goals and 11 assists fro 21 career points. She recorded three game-winning goals.

Miller saw action in all 20 games with 19 starts this fall. She scored three goals and one assist for seven total points. She took 37 shots and had 19 shots on goal.

She contributed two game-winning goals during the season. Against Whitworth on Sept. 21, she broke a 1-1 tie on a goal with 4:21 left in regulation, sending the 'Cats to a 2-1 win. She earned the only goal in a 1-0 triumph over Linfield College on Nov. 5.

Miller played two seasons at Willamette after transferring from Northwestern State University (La.). She played in all 39 games, including 38 starts, in her two years with the Bearcats. She scored 11 goals and produced two assists in 2007.

She concluded her career with 14 goals and three assists overall. She also accumulated 104 total shots and 52 shots on goal. She earned four game-winning goals during her career.

"Lauren, because of her speed and skill with the ball at her feet, was usually marked by two defenders," Arthur said. "Even so, she was still able to be very successful in creating scoring options."

Post started all 20 games this year, as she finished her career with 79 games played and 77 starts. She saw action in all but one game during her Willamette career. She supplied quality defense the past four years and also helped link the defense with the midfield and the forwards up front. Post achieved eight goals and three assist during her career, as she concluded with 19 total points.

This fall, Post scored five goals to rank second on the team. Two of her goals were registered in the Bearcats' 2-1 victory at Linfield on Oct. 8. For the season, she took 24 shots and provided the 'Cats with quality shooting as 15 of her shots (62.5%) were on target.

"Samantha made a big impact in our midfield and defense," Arthur commented. "She was able to get involved with the offense and score from outside the 18-yard box, as well as get back defensively and win many 50/50 balls."

Batzer was involved in several key scoring plays during the 2008 season and ranked first on the squad with six goals. She also tallied one assist and led the team with 13 points (two for each goal, one for each assist). She blasted 53 total shots and had 21 shots on goal.

Three of Batzer's goals were game-winners. She scored at 83:18 in a 1-0 win over Lewis & Clark on Sept. 24 and provided a goal at 88:46 in a 1-0 victory over Whitman College on Oct. 19. She scored at 74:33 for the final goal in a 2-1 triumph over George Fox University on Oct. 25.

"Alex started out as a midfielder, but was moved up to forward after Rachel Janny was injured early in the season," Arthur explained. "Alex was able to adapt to the change and was very successful in front of the net. We are looking forward to next season and more of Batzer as a forward."

Batzer possessed a good sense of timing on offense and almost always seemed to be in the right place to help out in the attacking third of the field. She took a team-high 53 shots and also led the team with 21 shots on goal.

"She can face up and go one-versus-one to beat the defense. She also has a deadly shot," Arthur said.

Willamette finished the season with a 12-8 record and went 10-6 in the Northwest Conference for third place in the standings. The Bearcats won seven games by 1-0 scores and ended the year 10-4 in games decided by a one-goal margin. The winning season was the 21 for the 'Cats in the past 23 years.