• GNAC Awards Release (pdf)

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Seattle Pacific forward Blaine Carver received the Freshman of the Year award and Mark Collings was named the Co-Coach of the Year when the Great Northwest Athletic Conference awards were announced Monday.

Three Falcons were first-team selections on the league's all-star team, including two of the three forwards listed.

Collings directed SPU to a 10-6-2 record that featured wins in 10 of the last 12 games. The Falcons placed second in the final GNAC standings with a 7-2-1 mark. They were not included in the 32-team NCAA Division II Tournament field that was released Monday.

A 1999 SPU graduate, Collings compiled a 27-21-8 record in three seasons as head coach.

Alan Koch, who led Simon Fraser to the league title in its first year as a member school, shared the conference coaching award.

Carver (Soldotna, Alaska) is the Falcons second straight Freshman of the Year honoree. Sophomore defender Jon Pearman (Glendale, Ariz.) was the 2009 recipient. Carver joined Pearman on this year's second-team all-league squad.

He ranked second on the team with eight goals, the highest total by a Falcons freshman since Grant Falco scored 11 times in 1999. On Oct. 16, Carver recorded a hat trick against the University of Mary.

SPU's forward duo of Tyler Schulz and Elliot Morton were both repeat first-team All-GNAC selections.

A junior from Scottsdale, Ariz., Schultz led the team with 10 goals, the most by an SPU scorer since Brent Egbert netted 13 in 2004. Schultz tallied six goals during the season's final seven games.

Morton, a junior from Tacoma's Bellarmine Prep, made his third appearance as a GNAC first-teamer. He was selected as a defender his first two years before moving to the front line this season. Morton accumulated five goals and five assists in 2010.

The Falcons' third member of the first team was sophomore Caleb Nyone. The defensive midfielder helped SPU shut out six opponents, limiting them to just 1.23 goals per game.

A trio of Falcons received honorable mention accolades; freshman defender Kodiac Gamble (Tucson, Ariz.), sophomore defender Brandon Kuenzi (Silverton, Ore.) and junior midfielder Drew Williams (Bend, Ore.)

Western Washington's Gibson Bardsley, who led the conference in scoring with 43 points on 18 goals and seven assists, was the GNAC Player of the Year. Michael Winter of Simon Fraser received the Newcomer of the Year award.


Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Soccer All-Star Team
(+ unanimous selections, * repeaters)

First Team
Forwards
+*Tyler Schultz, SPU, 5-11, Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz.
+**Gibson Bardsley, WWU, 5-11, Sr., Fall City, Wash.
**Elliot Morton, SPU, 6-4, Jr., Tacoma, Wash.
Midfielders
Caleb Nyone, SPU, 6-1, So., Happy Valley, Ore.
+Josh Bennett, SFU, 5-8, Jr., Hamilton, Ont.
+*Oscar Jimenez, WWU, 5-8, Jr., Mount Vernon, Wash.
Chris Andre, MSUB, 6-0, Sr., Billings, Mont.
+*Kellan Brown, WWU, 5-7, Jr., Tacoma, Wash.
Defenders
+Max Baessato, SFU, 6-0, Sr., North Vancouver, B.C.
Helge Neumann, SFU, 6-2, So., Oslo, Norway
Michael Winter, SFU, 5-11, So., Vancouver, B.C.
Goalkeeper
Hide Ozawa, SFU, 6-2, Sr., Victoria, B.C.

Second Team (SPU players only)
Blaine Carver, F, 5-10, Fr., Soldotna, Alaska
Jon Pearman, D, 6-2, So., Glendale, Ariz.

Honorable Mention (SPU players only)
Drew Williams, MF, 5-7, Jr., Bend, Ore.
Kodiac Gamble, D, 5-9, Fr., Tucson, Ariz.
Brandon Kuenzi, D, 6-2, So., Silverton, Ore.


Player of the Year – Gibson Bardsley, Western Washington
Freshman of the Year – Blaine Carver, Seattle Pacific
Newcomer of the Year – Michael Winter, Simon Fraser
Co-Coaches of the Year – Mark Collings, Seattle Pacific and Alan Koch, Simon Fraser