With 2017 Complete, The Huskies Look Forward

December 01, 2017 | Women's Soccer

SEATTLE - The Washington Huskies 2017 season ended just outside the NCAA Tournament, but the Huskies are not dwelling on that as preparations for next season are already well under way. It was the third winning season in the last four years for the Huskies, but a late goal drought in Pac-12 play kept Washington just outside the postseason.

"It was clearly a disappointment to use to not have the chance to make a run in the tournament," said Head Coach Lesle Gallimore. "This article is a bit belated because I'm a competitor and I'm not one to get over it easily. To talk sensibly even now is tough: we had a tremendous season, a talent team that was good enough to make it to the tournament, but when it's all said and done you have to self-reflect."

The Husky defense was rock-solid all year long, with Washington allowing only 15 goals all year. That was the second-fewest in Husky history, bested only by the 12 goals allowed in 2001. The team also set a new school-record for shutouts with 11, with Sarah Shimer in goal for all 11 of those. Only three other times had Washington recorded double-digit shutouts in a single season: 1994, 2001, and 2004. Kelsey Rasmussen (2001) is the only other goalie in Husky history with a double-digit shutout season.

"Sarah [Shimer] is one of the best goalkeepers in the country," said Gallimore. "All seven seniors put a lot into this program to get us where we are but unfortunately we didn't get to showcase that on a national stage."

Those seniors had 12 goals for the Huskies this year and 34 total points. That included six goals from Kimberly Keever, who finished her playing career fifth in Husky history with 22 goals. Shannon Simon also scored four goals and added three assists, giving her 49 career points, 11th in Husky history.

Washington had two shutout streaks of four or more games, including a five-game streak that lasted 515:54. After Cal scored against the Huskies to end that streak, Washington immediately strung together another four-game shutout streak of 400 minutes. That 515-minute streak was the second-longest in team history, bested only by a 660-minute streak in 1991.

Eight Huskies scored goals this year, with Keever, Simon, Sianna Siemonsma, and Amanda Perez also netting multiple goals. Lisa Jensen, Jessika Cowart, and Anissa Dadkhah all had their first career goals as Huskies, while Pascale Dumesnil scored once and had a team-leading three assists.

Siemonsma scored her first against Michigan State, then had a brace against Boise State en route to winning the Nike Portland Invitational Offensive MVP. Jessica Udovich was named the Defensive MVP of that tournament as the Huskies went undefeated over that weekend.

That tournament win came fresh off a 2-0-0 Husky performance at the Husky Nike Invitational, including a 1-0 win over #2 Florida. The win over Florida was Washington's third ever over a team ranked #2 or higher, with the last coming in 2010 in the NCAA Tournament against Portland. Simon was named the Offensive MVP of that tournament, while Taylor Sekyra took home the Defensive MVP trophy.

The Huskies did not want for awards at the end of the season either, with Keever making her fourth consecutive appearance on the All-Pac-12 teams with a Third Team selection. Udovich was named All-Region after a stellar year in central defense as well. In the classroom, Washington had 12 players earn their way onto the Pac-12 All-Academic Team. Sam Kokoska made it on the First Team for the second consecutive year and Dumesnil, Jensen, Keever, Perez, Sekyra, Simon, Udovich, Dominique Bond-Flasza, Lauren Conley, Ava Lewis, and Rachel Wheeler were all named Honorable Mentions.

With the focus shifting "onwards and upwards" toward 2018, Gallimore is optimistic. "We have a huge class of kids coming in next year, a lot of terrific returning players that are going to work really really hard to be better. The schedule and the conference is going to challenge us again and that's the fun of it."

The Huskies will also be making a trip to Japan this offseason, looking to grow on and off the pitch. "We'll get to experience something as a group like we've never experienced before and I think our team will reap the benefits of that," said Gallimore.

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