Manset's 13 Goals and Two Assists Lead to First Team All-NWC Honors

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University senior forward Emmy Manset (Ventura, CA/Foothill Technology HS), who led the Northwest Conference with 13 goals and topped Willamette with 28 total points, has been named First Team All-Northwest Conference for the second consecutive season in voting by the NWC head coaches. Manset was one of four Bearcats who were chosen for the 2017 All-NWC Women's Soccer Team.

Shanna Keil (So., F,  Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) and Annie Strom (So., M, Mount Vernon, WA/Mount Vernon HS) and were selected Second Team All-NWC. Hannah Deighton (So., D, Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Polytechnic HS) received Honorable Mention recognition.

The All-NWC Women's Soccer Team included 12 players on the First Team and 12 players on the Second Team. The Honorable Mention list featured 10 athletes.

Michaela Graddy, a senior forward from Pacific Lutheran University, was selected NWC Offensive Player of the Year. Sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Lange from University of Puget Sound was chosen NWC Defensive Player of the Year. Linfield freshman forward Michayla Sponsel was named NWC Freshman of he Year. Head Coach Seth Spidahl with Pacific Lutheran was voted NWC Coach of the Year.

The Bearcats earned a 13-4-3 overall record in 2017 and finished 10-4-2 (4th place) in the NWC. Willamette shut out a total of nine opponents during the season, as the Bearcats registered a 0.72 team goals against average. Willamette scored 34 goals and recorded 19 assists for 87 total points, while opponents scored 15 goals and just eight assists for 38 total points.

Willamette defeated Puget Sound 2-1 on Nov. 4 for the Bearcats' first win over the Loggers since Oct. 23, 2011. Other key wins were a 2-1 overtime victory over University of Texas-Dallas on Sept. 10 and a 2-0 triumph over Whitworth University on Oct. 14. The Bearcats were 6-1-1 in the final eight games of the season.

First Team All-Northwest Conference

Emmy Manset (Sr., F) was chosen First Team All-NWC for the second year in a row. Her 13 goals this season were the most by a Willamette player since Stephanie Skelly ('12) scored 16 goals in 2011. This fall, Manset scored two goals four times and earned at least one goal in six of Willamette's final seven games.

Along the way, Manset produced four game-winning goals. She led the NWC with 83 shots during the season, including an NWC-leading 51 shots on goal. She started all 20 games. She was chosen NWC Women's Soccer Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week four times.

Manset received First Team All-NWC honors for the first time in 2016, when she topped the Willamette scoring chart with seven goals and 14 total points. She took 39 shots and had 18 shots on goal.

During her four years with the Bearcats, Manset played in 79 games with 62 starts. She scored 23 career goals and earned two assists for 48 total points. Her career totals also included 183 shots and 100 shots on goal. She accumulated nine game-winning goals.

Second Team All-Northwest Conference

Shanna Keil (So., F) combined with Manset to give the Bearcats one of the top pairings at forward in the NWC. She was named All-NWC for the first time. Keil scored six goals and registered a team-high five assists for 17 total points. She blasted 37 total shots and placed 20 shots on goal. She tied Manset for the team lead with four game-winning goals. She recorded a goal or an assist in five of WU's last seven games.

Keil played in 19 games -- all starts -- this season. She has competed in 39 of 40 games in her first two years with the Bearcats and has made 27 starts. She owns career totals of nine goals, six assists and 24 total points. She has taken 69 shots, including 34 shots on goal.

Annie Strom (So., M) was named to the All-Northwest Conference team for the first time. She played in 19 games this season while making 17 starts. She contributed two assists and was very consistent as a connecting player between the defense and the offense. Once the team was on the attack, she was strong at providing quality passes to create scoring chances for the Bearcats. In addition, she took seven shots with three shots on goal.

In two seasons at Willamette, Strom has seen action in 35 games. She has started 28 times for the Bearcats. She help lead the team to a winning record each year.

Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference

Hannah Deighton (So., D) joined Manset as one of only two players who started all 20 games for the Bearcats this fall. Deighton's solid play on defense throughout the season allowed her to earn All-NWC honors for the first time.

This year, Deighton helped the Bearcats earn nine shutouts and hold seven opponents to a single goal. The Bearcats never game up more than two goals in a single game. In addition to helping lead the defense, Deighton scored a goal in Willamette's 3-0 win at George Fox in the season finale on Nov. 5.

As a freshman, Deighton played in 15 games with four starts. She helped WU shut out eight opponents. Willamette attained a 0.80 team goals against average.