WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Five members of the Whitman College men's soccer squad have earned spots on the All-Northwest Conference teams.
Two Missionary sophomores, Jeff Waggoner and Niels Larson, were named to the All-NWC Second Team. Seniors and juniors from around the conference filled all but two spots on the first team.
Three more Whitman players, sophomore Tyler Chisholm and juniors Calder Hughes and Travis Exstrom, received Honorable Mention recognition.
Larson (Portland, Ore. / Lincoln HS) and Exstrom (Issaquah, Wash. / Redmond HS) earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season. Larson, a midfielder, was on the first team last season when he led Whitman in scoring. Exstrom, Whitman's goalkeeper, has led the NWC in saves the past two seasons, earning Honorable Mention each year.
After combining nine goals and two assists last season, Larson scored two goals and added three assists this fall as part of a more balanced Missionary attack.
Exstrom, one of this year's captains, averaged 8.82 saves per game with three shutouts. He made 22 saves in one double-overtime game. Last year, he averaged 6.40 saves in leading the conference.
Waggoner (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Coeur d'Alene HS), a forward, was Whitman's second-leading scorer this season with four goals and three assists. He also had four goals as a freshman.
Hughes (Portland, Ore. / Lincoln HS), also a forward, led the Missionaries in scoring this season with eight goals and one assist. He finished in a tie for fifth place on the NWC goal-scoring list.
Chisholm (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Lake City HS), a defender, used his size and quickness to anchor Whitman's defense. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he was one of the strongest players in the conference.
The Missionaries lose just four players to graduation – Scott Burns (Redding, Calif. / Enterprise HS), Josh Weissman (Redmond, Wash. / Eastlake HS), Dan Gestaut (Bothell, Wash. / Inglemoor HS) and Nate Hoffman (Redmond, Wash. / Eastlake HS). Burns and Weissman served as captains this season.
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information,
509 527-5902; Email: holden@whitman.edu