BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A pair of former Western Washington University women’s soccer All-Americans – Sierra Shugarts and Caitlyn Jobanek – have signed professional contracts to play for Motala AIF in the Sweden Professional League.
The duo were key players during WWU’s 2016 NCAA Division II National Championship season, with Shugarts winning the award as the top defensive player during the national title run and Jobanek earning top offensive player honors that included a pair of goals in the national championship game. Both players were a big part of WWU’s current string of six consecutive trips to the NCAA II Championships, which resulted in a 118-11-7 (.893) record during this stretch, and were part of the 39-game winning streak that is fourth-longest in NCAA Division II history.
Shugarts (Federal Way, WA) appeared in 84 games during her Western career and was a three-time All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection. Her impressive list of awards include being named the 2016 GNAC Player of the Year, the 2016 NCAA Division II Player of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches and earning a pair of GNAC All-Academic Awards. She graduated from WWU in June with a degree in communication studies.
“I’m very excited for this new experience to play at the next level,” said Shugarts. “My time at WWU has taught me that no matter what the challenge is, I will always adapt because of the work ethic that WWU soccer instills in you. It creates a type of work hard/play hard culture that sticks and resonates in all areas of your life, not just athletics.”
Jobanek (Springfield, OR/Thurston) was a four-year letterwinner for the Vikings from 2013-2016, appearing in a school-record-tying 91 matches. She was a key member of three Final Four teams and was the 2015 GNAC Championships MVP. This will be Jobanek’s second professional stop in Europe, as she played for AaB Club in Aalborg, Denmark. Jobanek was also a member of the USA women’s soccer team competed in the 2017 World University Games in Taipei. She graduated from WWU in June 2017 with a degree in environmental science.
“Playing overseas is a remarkable experience. I am blessed to be able to once again continue my soccer career abroad,” said Jobanek. “Through my travels to Taiwan and most recently Denmark I have had many invaluable cultural and soccer experiences. Playing abroad has connected me with so many wonderful people and has taken me to some incredible places. I look forward to what this opportunity in Sweden has to offer and I am ready to help Motala AIF in any way that I can.”
Shugarts and Jobanek will begin their journey to Sweden on Monday and will start training with Motala AIF immediately.
