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SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster College women's soccer team completed the most successful season in school history in 2011.  The fifth season in school history saw records fall and postseason success like never before.

Griffin Notebook
Westminster finished the year at 12-7-2 overall.  The 12 wins set a new school record, surpassing the 11 wins the team had during the 2010 campaign.  The Griffins earned a share of the regular season Frontier/Cal Pac Conference championship for the first conference title in school history. 

The regular season success was followed with a conference tournament championship and the teams first-ever trip to the NAIA National Championships.  They finished the year ranked No. 19 in the postseason NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll.  That is the highest ranking in the history of the program.

The Griffins got off to a quick start in 2011 as they opened the year with four wins in the first five games they played.  After two losses, Westminster then out together a 4-1-1 span that saw the record climb to 8-4-1 in early October.  After suffering two losses in Montana, The Griffins put together a five-game unbeaten streak that featured four consecutive victories heading into the national tournament.

High Scoring Attack
Westminster scored a school-record 38 goals during the 2011 season.  They scored multiple goals on 10 occasions during the year while scoring at least four goals in a game five times.  They set another school record by scoring at least one goal in each of the first nine games played.  That broke the record of seven straight games with a goal set during the 2009 season.

The Griffins also shared the ball for a record 26 assists during the year.  They assisted on 86.4% of their total goals scored on the season and had 10 different players record at least one assists on the campaign.  They broke another school record by averaging 1.24 assists per game and they were third in the conference in total assists.

The 102 total points the offense accounted for shattered the previous record of 80 set during the 2007 season.  That is a 127% increase over the previous record.  They also set a new standard for averaged points per game with the 2011 average of 4.86.  Just for kicks, the 2011 team set new school records for shots attempted (284), shots per game (13.52), shots on goal (152) and SOG per game (7.24).

Getting Defensive
The defense wasn't lacking either in 2011.  Westminster opponents averaged just one goal per game during the season and only five times had multiple goals.  No Griffin opponent scored two goals in a game over the final 10 games of the season.  In fact, over those same 10 games the Griffins only allowed four goals total.

The Griffins posted nine shutouts during the year and ranked 18th in the NAIA in total shutouts.  They were 23rd nationally with an average of 0.43 shutouts per game.  The nine shutouts are the second most in school history and the 0.98 goals against average they had in 2011 is a new school record.

Best Year in the Polls
While they finished the year ranked No. 19 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll, Westminster had a stellar year in the national rankings.  The team began the year among the others receiving votes and stayed there for the first two polls of the regular season.  They moved to the No.24 position in the poll that was released on Sept. 20, marking the first time in school history that the Griffins had cracked the Top 25.

After falling out of the Top 25 the next week, the Griffins ascended to a then-record No. 22 in the Oct. 4 poll.  They slipped to No. 23 the next week before dropping to the others receiving votes for the next three polls.  Westminster returned to the poll at No. 24 on Nov. 8 and was tied for 23rd in the final regular season poll on Nov. 15.  When the final poll of the season was unveiled on Dec. 6, the Griffins had set school records for highest ranking at No. 19 and most points received with 187.

Dumke Advantage
The Griffins have posted a 38-9-2 all-time record on the fast surface of Dumke Field.  They have never dropped more than two games in a season and finished this season at 9-1-1 at home.  Westminster outscored the opposition 28-8 during the 11 home games this season while recording five shutouts.

Massey Ratings
Westminster ended the year at No. 20 in the final Massey Ratings.  The Griffins posted a rating of 0.457 and were the highest rated team in the Frontier/Cal Pac Conference.  Westminster played the No. 12-rated schedule and were rated eighth in home field advantage.

The Massey Ratings are compiled each week with new ranking being released on Mondays.  Kenneth Massey is the creator of the rating formula and all ratings can be found on his web site at www.masseyratings.com.

All-American Status
Senior Sarah Swenson became the second player in school history to be recognized by the NAIA as an All-American.  She was tied for second on the team this season with 14 points with five goals and four assists. The 5-foot-6 forward from Salt Lake City attempted 38 shots during the season and put 22 on goal.  She played 1,797 minutes and started all 21 games the team played.

Swenson joins Heather Hillam as the only two players in school history to be named to the All-American list by the NAIA.  Hillam received her honor following the 2010 season.  Swenson was also named first team All-Frontier Conference last for the second consecutive season.

Frontier Conference Honors
Westminster had six players recognized all-conference by the Frontier Conference along with head coach Tony LeBlanc being named the Coach of the Year.  Hillam and Swenson were both named to the all-conference team for a second consecutive season.  Dayna Winter-Nolte earned her second all-conference honor and first since 2009.  Michelle Erickson was also named to the squad for a second time with her first coming following the 2008 season.  Margo Hickam made this year's team in her first year with the Griffins.  Corie Walch was recognized as an honorable mention selection.

The Coach of the Year award for LeBlanc is the first of his career.  It is also the first time that any Westminster representative has taken home any type of individual award.

Solid in the Classroom
Westminster had four student-athletes named a 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete. Hillam, Nikki Kopfman, Elaina Pappas and Swenson were each named a Scholar Athlete for the 2011 season.  The four players on the list is the second-most in a season in school history and gives the Griffins a total of 16 Scholar Athletes in the program's history.

This is the third straight year that Pappas has been named to the list which ties her with Maddie Maldonado and Danielle Rankin for the most in school history.  Swenson made the list for the second consecutive season while Hillam and Kopfman receive their first honor.

The Hickman Show
Junior forward Margo Hickman finished the year with 11 goals, five assists and 27 points to lead the team in each category.  She finished second in school history for goals and points in a season while tying the record for assists in one season.  Hickman fired a school record 76 shots and 45 shots on goal.  Her five game-winning goals are also a school record and ranked 28th in the NAIA while her 0.24 GWG per game was 42nd nationally.

Atop the Hill-am
After scoring six goals during the season, Hillam set the school record for career goals with 20.  She is also the Westminster career leader with 45 points and ranks sixth with five career assists.  Hillam in No. 1 at Westminster in shots attempted (133), games played (80) and games started (80).  She started every game that the Griffins played during her four year Westminster career and played a record 6,696 minutes in those games.

The Ball Stops Here
Senior Winter-Nolte was a key to the Griffins success this season while starting every game in goal.  Winter-Nolte recorded 68 saves during the year and finished one shy of matching her career high of 69 set in 2008.  Her 12 wins this season set a new school record and she is second in school history with eight shutouts.  Winter-Nolte set a new school record by posting a 0.98 GAA during the year.

Winter-Nolte is the Westminster career leader in saves, wins and shutouts.  She has made 193 saves during her career while recording 26 wins and 15 shutouts.  Her 1.39 career GAA is second overall at Westminster while also posting a career 71.7% save percentage.