WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- For a second consecutive season, Kristen Berndt tops a group of four Whitman College players named to the All-Northwest Conference women's soccer teams.
Berndt, a junior forward who led Whitman in scoring for a third straight season, was named to the All-NWC First Team. Senior forward Sammie Arthur and first-year midfielder Corina Gabbert were named to the Second Team, while senior defender Erin Frame received Honorable Mention recognition.
Berndt, Arthur and Frame received the same honors on last year's all-conference teams. Arthur was also a first-team selection at the end of her first season at Whitman.
Berndt, who led the NWC in shots per game for the second time in two seasons, finished her junior campaign with 12 goals and four assists. She twice received NWC Player of the Week honors this season, and finished second in the conference in scoring.
In a vote of teammates, Berndt also was named Whitman's Best Offensive Player for the past season. A history major, Berndt is a graduate of Mout Si High School in Snoqualmie, Wash.
"We're lucky we have Kristen back again next year," Shields said. "She has amazing speed and determination to score goals. She does what it takes to win and has an unbelievable will to succeed."
Arthur closed out her career this season with six goals and four assists. Despite missing games due to injury as a junior, she finished with a total 31 goals and 10 assists.
"Sammie really led the charge in sparking our offense for the past four years," Shields said. "She has been our ultimate competitor -- always ready to bring her best to training and games."
A team captain the past two seasons, Arthur was also named Whitman's Most Valuable Player in a vote of teammates. A biology-environmental studies major, she is a graduate of Branson School in Ross, Calif.
Gabbert, a talented first-year player, had four goals and three assists this season. "It's a very deserving honor for Corina, as a first-year player, to make the all-conference team in a year when the conference is very top heavy with seniors," Shields said. "She was one of the reasons why our team was so successful this season, especially in the midfield area. We had Corina up front to start the season, but once we switched her to the midfield, it changed our dynamics and made us that much better as a team."
Gabbert is a graduate of Portland's Catlin Gabel School.
Frame, a four-year starter on defense, helped the Missionaries shut out five opponents this past season. Whitman held six other opponents to just a single goal.
"Erin started and played in more games over the past four years than any other senior," Shields said. "We could always count on Erin. I don't recall a single game in four years in which she was not rock solid for our back line. She gave great speed and strenth to our defense, which she also used to go forward on the attack."
Frame, a graduate of Issaquah (Wash.) High School, was named Whitman's Best Defensive Player in a vote of her teammates. A psychology major, she received the same team award last season.
Three other Missionaries received Whitman team awards at the close of this season:
* Most Inspirational Player - Megan McConnville, a senior midfielder and graduate of East High School in Denver, Colo. "This is the third year in a row for Megan winning this award," Shields said. "It is amazing how one person can be so consistent with her teammates and achieve this level of appreciation for multiple years. She is very mature and understanding, and she has a keen sense for what her teammates need to hear."
* Most Improved Player - Kelsi Evans, a first-year defender from West Valley High School in Fairbanks, Alaska. "Kelsi has excellent athletic ability and will be a great help to us next year," Shields said. "We look for great things to come from Kelsi in the years ahead."
* Coaches Award - Lindsay Wymer, a senior defender from Bothell (Wash.) High School. "The coaches can't say enough about Lindsay and what she has meant to our defense and to our team overall," Shields said. "She knows when to be serious and when to just fall over laughing. She has kept our team going in so many ways. I truly admire her loving personality and attitude toward life."