WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Corinne Schuler, a sophomore midfielder on the Whitman College women's soccer team, recently earned honorable mention recognition from the Northwest Conference.
The all-conference team includes 26 players from nine schools. Voting was done by conference coaches.
Whitman coach Scott Shields was not surprised to see Schuler singled out for post- season recognition. "Corinne is a very versatile, talented player who can handle any position on the field," he said. "Her technical ability on offense was tremendously valuable for us this fall."
While a relatively young Whitman team struggled through a losing season, Schuler helped the Missionaries win two of their final four games. One of those late victories, a 1-0 upset of nationally-ranked Seattle University, was decided by Schuler's play in the midfield.
"Corinne created the winning goal by attacking the defense on the dribble, pulling their sweeper out of the middle and feeding a great pass to Chrissy Vaughn, who then knocked the ball past the goalkeeper," Shields said. "It was her run that allowed Vaughn a wide-open shot in front of the goal. Corinne is one of our fastest, quickest and strongest players."
Schuler's game-deciding play against Seattle was in keeping with her character, Shields said.
"Corinne always rises to the challenges presented by other teams and players," he said. "She wants to be in the game when the pressure is on. She stands only 5-feet-4, but she plays like she's 6-feet tall."
Schuler was hampered by a foot injury throughout most of her freshman season at Whitman. Bouncing back this fall, she developed into a "total player," Shields said.
"Her leadership ability started to show through this season, both in the way she played on the field and the way she acted off the field," Shields said. "Whether she is at practice on elsewhere on campus, Corinne always has a smile on her face. She is an incredible asset to have on our team and at our school. Her commitment to success is tremendous. Her progression as a player, student and person will be exciting to watch for the next few seasons."
Schuler, the daughter of James and Mary Schuler of Hacienda Heights, Calif., is a 1997 graduate of Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights.
Dave Holden, Whitman College Sports Information, (509)
527-5902
Email Address: holden@whitman.edu