The Western Washington University women’s soccer team is on to the NCAA Division II national semifinals, and a pair of Snohomish County products played significant roles in the Vikings getting there.
Granite Falls High School graduate Dayana Diaz and Arlington High School grad Liv Larson both scored goals in Western’s 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Dixie State on Saturday in Bellingham.
Western, ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, dominated proceedings throughout, and Diaz, a sophomore forward, opened the scoring in the 30th minute. After a corner kick was cleared, Western’s Peyton Chick took a low shot from outside the penalty box that Dixie State goalkeeper Adelle Brown couldn’t handle. Diaz was the first one there to clean up the rebound and give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
W⚽︎| 30'
👀A look at the goal scored by Dayana Diaz who followed up the deflection on the blast by Peyton Chick
WWU 1 | DSU 0
💻» https://t.co/SfVqFn3ZAK
📊» https://t.co/a0CVxZIv6F#GoViks x #WeAreVikings pic.twitter.com/LwZ4iyQajr— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) December 7, 2019
Then three minutes into the second half Larson made it 2-0. The Trailblazers turned the ball over deep in their own half, which allowed Western’s Libby Hielkema to feed a short through ball to Larson cutting into the penalty box from the right. Larson, a senior forward, then unleashed a left-footed shot into the upper-near corner that left Brown stranded.
W⚽︎| 👀
A look at the absolute LASER by Liv Larson to put the Vikings up 2-0.
WWU 2 | DSU 0
💻» https://t.co/SfVqFn3ZAK
📊» https://t.co/a0CVxZIv6F#GoViks x #WeAreVikings pic.twitter.com/YUsw7KVMxf— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) December 8, 2019
Larson also had the assist on the game-ending goal in double overtime in the Vikings’ 1-0 victory over Cal State LA in the second round on Nov. 24 in Rohnert Park, California.
Archbishop Murphy High School graduate Talia Daigle, a junior forward, has also seen minutes in two of Western’s four NCAA tournament games.
The Vikings (22-2) face No. 3 Flagler College in the semifinals at 11 a.m. PT in Pittsburgh. No. 2 Grand Valley State and No. 11 Saint Rose face one another in the other semifinal. The championship game is at 9 a.m. PT in Pittsburgh.
Sanders, Drechsel garner All-Pac-12 honors
Glacier Peak High School graduate Lauren Sanders and Cedar Park Christian grad Samantha Drechsel, now members of the University of Washington volleyball team, were both named honorable mention All-Pac-12.
Sanders, a junior middle blocker, ranks second on the team in blocks (137), fourth in kills (193) and first in hitting percentage (.318). Drechsel, a junior outside hitter, ranks second on the team in kills (350).
The Huskies (26-6), ranked ninth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, won their first two matches in the NCAA tournament over the weekend, scoring three-set sweeps over Winthrop and South Carolina in Seattle. Washington now faces No. 11 Kentucky in the Sweet 16 Friday in Waco, Texas.
Lee receives more honors
Grace Academy High School graduate Jeremiah Lee, who just completed his senior season with the Western Washington University men’s soccer team, continued to pile up the recognitions as he picked up a pair of All-West Region honors. Lee, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Defender of the Year, was named first-team All-West Region by the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association, and was a second-team All-West Region selection by the United Soccer Coaches.
Glacier Peak High School graduate Camron Miller, a junior defender with the Vikings, was a second-team selection by the D2CCA.
Monroe Lacrosse hires Morris
Monroe Lacrosse Club has hired Matthew Morris as the head coach of its high school team. Morris, a native of Snohomish, attended Providence Classical Christian School in Bothell, where as a player he was named the Washington Metro Conference Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015. He then went on to play collegiately at the University of Mount Olive. He served as the junior high coach at Logos School in Moscow, Idaho, from 2016-18, where his teams completed two undefeated spring seasons.
If you have an item for the community sports roundup, email Nick Patterson at npatterson@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing newstips@heraldnet.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to letters@heraldnet.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.
