WSOC | Shibukawa named to Preseason All-WCC Team
8/10/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
San Mateo, Calif. – Just eight days before their season opener, the Gaels have learned that their top goal scorer from last season, Suzuna Shibukawa, has been named to the All-WCC Preseason team.
Shibukawa's inclusion marks the second year in a row that a Gael has been named to the All-WCC Preseason team, with junior goalkeeper Taylor Poland being included in the squad last year. Along with the preseason team, the conference announced the WCC Preseason Poll as well, which has the Gaels finishing sixth in the conference.
Shibukawa joined the Gaels at the beginning of last season after starting her collegiate career at Western Michigan. During the 2021 season, she tallied eight goals in 16 games, making her the first Gael since 2014 to score more than eight goals in a season. Her elite finishing helped her finish in a tie for ninth on the WCC's top scorer chart, while also notching a team high four assists and 20 points.
Of the 11 players on the WCC's preseason team, five of the players come from BYU and Santa Clara, who met each other in the NCAA Semifinals last season. Of the remaining players, Pepperdine have two, while University of Portland, Gonzaga, and University of San Francisco all have one player included. Including Shibukawa, seven of the 11 selected players are juniors, while three seniors and one sophomore make up the remaining team.
In similar fashion to last season, the WCC has chosen the Gaels to finish sixth in the conference after a sixth-place finish last season. BYU and Santa Clara occupy the top two spots in the standings, while Pepperdine, Gonzaga, and Portland are all projected to finish above the Gaels.
The complete Preseason All-WCC team and Preseason Poll can be found below.
2022 WCC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes) points
BYU (8) 80
Santa Clara (2) 72
Pepperdine 64
Gonzaga 59
Portland 46
Saint Mary's 43
San Francisco 32
Pacific 22
LMU 19
San Diego 13
2022 WCC Women's Soccer Preseason Team
Izzy D'Aquila - SCU - Sr. - F
Erin Healy - GON - Sr. - M
Sally Menti - SCU - Jr. - F
Nedya Sawan - UP - Jr. - F
Jamie Shepherd - BYU - Jr. - M
Suzuna Shibukawa - SMC - Jr. - F
Olivia Smith - BYU - So. - D
Lava Vaka - BYU - Jr. - D
Marissa Vasquez - USF - Jr. - M
Tori Waldeck - PEP - Jr. - F
Trinity Watson - PEP - Sr. – D
The Gaels are slated to open the season on August 18th at home against Cal Poly at 4 pm.
Shibukawa's inclusion marks the second year in a row that a Gael has been named to the All-WCC Preseason team, with junior goalkeeper Taylor Poland being included in the squad last year. Along with the preseason team, the conference announced the WCC Preseason Poll as well, which has the Gaels finishing sixth in the conference.
Shibukawa joined the Gaels at the beginning of last season after starting her collegiate career at Western Michigan. During the 2021 season, she tallied eight goals in 16 games, making her the first Gael since 2014 to score more than eight goals in a season. Her elite finishing helped her finish in a tie for ninth on the WCC's top scorer chart, while also notching a team high four assists and 20 points.
Of the 11 players on the WCC's preseason team, five of the players come from BYU and Santa Clara, who met each other in the NCAA Semifinals last season. Of the remaining players, Pepperdine have two, while University of Portland, Gonzaga, and University of San Francisco all have one player included. Including Shibukawa, seven of the 11 selected players are juniors, while three seniors and one sophomore make up the remaining team.
In similar fashion to last season, the WCC has chosen the Gaels to finish sixth in the conference after a sixth-place finish last season. BYU and Santa Clara occupy the top two spots in the standings, while Pepperdine, Gonzaga, and Portland are all projected to finish above the Gaels.
The complete Preseason All-WCC team and Preseason Poll can be found below.
2022 WCC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes) points
BYU (8) 80
Santa Clara (2) 72
Pepperdine 64
Gonzaga 59
Portland 46
Saint Mary's 43
San Francisco 32
Pacific 22
LMU 19
San Diego 13
2022 WCC Women's Soccer Preseason Team
Izzy D'Aquila - SCU - Sr. - F
Erin Healy - GON - Sr. - M
Sally Menti - SCU - Jr. - F
Nedya Sawan - UP - Jr. - F
Jamie Shepherd - BYU - Jr. - M
Suzuna Shibukawa - SMC - Jr. - F
Olivia Smith - BYU - So. - D
Lava Vaka - BYU - Jr. - D
Marissa Vasquez - USF - Jr. - M
Tori Waldeck - PEP - Jr. - F
Trinity Watson - PEP - Sr. – D
The Gaels are slated to open the season on August 18th at home against Cal Poly at 4 pm.
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Players Mentioned
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