BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior forward Gabriela Pelogi has been named a Third Team Division II Women’s Soccer All-American by United Soccer Coaches.
Pelogi (Federal Way, WA) becomes the 10th player in WWU program history to earn All-America acclaim by the national coaches association that was formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). WWU had three All-America selections last season when the Vikings won the 2016 NCAA II National Championship, including first-team selection and National Player of the Year Sierra Shugarts.
Pelogi led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with 36 points and 15 goals while tying for 4th among conference leaders with 6 assists. She earns her first All-America honor after being named a First Team All-West Region selection each of the last two seasons.
Pelogi started all 20 games and had at least one point in 13 games in 2017, including 6 game-winning goals. She recorded a pair of hat tricks and netted three multi-goal games during the season.
In 68 career games (56 starts) Pelogi has scored 36 goals and recorded 90 career points, both 6th-best in program history. Her career-high 15 goals in 2017 are tied for 6th-most in a single season and the most by a Viking since Catherine Miles also had 15 in 2013.
WWU (18-2-0, 11-1-0 GNAC) finished the 2017 season after advancing to the NCAA Championships for a sixth consecutive season and reaching the NCAA II West Regional Final for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Vikings won the GNAC Championships tournament before entering the NCAA Championships as the No. 2 seed in the West Region, topping No. 3 seed Sonoma State, 2-0, before falling, 2-0, to No. 1 seed UC San Diego.
This year’s NCAA Division II All-Americans will be formally acknowledged for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Luncheon on Jan. 20, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in conjunction with the 2018 United Soccer Coaches Convention in downtown Philadelphia.
