Women's Soccer has NWAC Coach of the Year, MVP and Six All-Stars

The Titans women's soccer team received eight individual recognitions for their performances this year.

Starting with southern region coach of the year Erika Mertz. This is the second time coach Mertz has won coach of the year, 2015 being the first. She helped guide the Titans to a 14-2-2 record and a 2nd place finish in the south. She has now coached 26 all-stars in five seasons, and her six all-stars this season is tied with the 2015 Titans for the most. This is also the third season she has coached the MVP. Mertz is now 66-18-12 in five seasons leading the Titans.

The Southern Region's MVP, Yuuyu Suzuki, is one of two freshman to win their region's MVP. Suzuki is a freshman from Maebashi Ikuel High School in Maebashi, Hunma, Japan. She was third on the team with 10 goals, first with 13 assists and second with 33 points. She is tied for first in the NWAC with her 13 assists and tied for tenth with her 33 points. Suzuki was also named a all-star as a forward. She had a season high six points against Treasure Valley as part of two matches with two assists; Suzuki also recorded three two goal matches. She didn't record a point in the playoff loss to Walla Walla, but she got the hockey assist on the Titans lone goal after a making a run and pass to the goal assister, Danielle VanOrd in the box.

The other forward all-star for the Titans is freshman Bailey Johnson. She's from Skyline High School in Idaho Falls, ID. Johnson finished second on the Titans with 12 goals and third with 28 points. She had a season high five points vs Centralia. She also had three matches with two goals and recorded two match-winning goals. She has the second highest shooting percentage, .500, in the NWAC among players with double-digit goals scored. She was also the lone goal scorer in the playoffs match vs Walla Walla. 

One of the two Titans all-stars in the mid-field is Aja Bumpus. She attended Corvallis High School in Corvallis, OR. She was fourth with nine goals scored and 22 points scored while only playing in 14 of the 18 matches. Bumpus was the key player for the Titans both offensively and defensively. She gained possess on one end and would make a pass or attempt a shot that led to many of the Titans goals. She had a season high seven points at Chemeketa, scoring two goals and dishing out three assists. That was one of three two goal matches. She missed the last two matches of the season, including the playoff loss. You could argue that she was the biggest reason the Titans got so many chances in the last third because of her all-round playmaking, maybe resulting in a different end of season for the Titans.

The second mid-field all-star for the Titans is Danielle VanOrd. VanOrd is a sophomore for the Titans from Bartlett High School in Anchorage, AK. VanOrd spent time starting offensive breaks and finishing them as she led the Titans wit 43 points and 18 goals. She ranks 4th in the NWAC in goals and 5th in points. She had a team high nine points and four goals at Rogue. VanOrd was a very consistent player for the Titans, scoring in 10 of the 18 matches and recording at least a point 13 times.

The Titans averaged the 6th most goals per match at 3.33, but they gave up the 5th fewest at .67. As part of the defensive back line, Morgan Richards and Autumn Straub helped the Titans to only need 65 saves by their goal keepers. Richards is a sophomore from Roseburg High School in Roseburg, OR. Straub is also a sophomore and went to Robert Service High School in Anchorage, AK. Both players played and started all 18 matches. The Titans also recorded 11 shutouts, the second most in the NWAC during the regular season. Richards scored three goals and had six points for the Titans.

Five of the Titans top six point scorers are Freshman, so 2019 is bright! #TitanPride