FARMINGTON, Utah (October 31, 2022) - After leading the team to a conference record of 7-1, Alan Berrios earned coach of the year just ahead of the team departing for the 2022 Big Sky Soccer Tournament.
Orchestrating one of NAU's best seasons in conference play, Berrios was voted as the coach of the year by Big Sky soccer head coaches, the conference announced Monday afternoon.
The Lumberjacks earned a regular-season championship for the first time since 2010, putting the team straight into the semifinals on Friday after a first-round bye.
Berrios is in his second season as Associate Head Coach with the Lumberjacks, playing a vital role in the team's 16-16-4 record through the past two seasons while going 13-4 in Big Sky play.
The Jacks wrapped up the regular season at the top of the conference on a seven-match win streak and 21 points total. The team leads the Big Sky in shots, points, and goals, only being outshot by one team through the entire season.
Berrios coached seven players to land on the Big Sky All-Conference teams this season alongside assistant coach Chris Campbell, with three players on the first team, one on the second team, and three honorable mention players.
Maddie Shafer, Logan Maszton, and Abby Donathan brought in first team All-Conference honors for the Lumberjacks after putting up a stellar season offensively and defensively.
Shafer led the Big Sky in shots on goal, points, and game winning goals this season after making her debut from injury on Aug. 23 against South Dakota State. Shafer recorded five goals and six assists throughout the season, holding a SOG% of 0.622, while scoring three game-winners.
Maszton transitioned from a more offensive role last season, moving to the back line for the Jacks this fall. Maszton has started in 16 matches for NAU, recording the second most minutes through the season with 1,357. Maszton holds a huge role in NAU's success with outshooting opponents while applying pressure to offensive drives.
Donathan's first team honors come after a huge season for the senior, defending NAU's back line. Jonathan has recorded 1,136 minutes on the field along with one assist. Donathan's defense has held Big Sky opponents to only scoring two goals in all eight conference matches this season.
Trinity Corcoran earned second team All-Conference after a record-breaking season in goal for the Lumberjacks. Corcoran broke the NAU program record for goals against average with 0.494. The sophomore keeper recorded nine shutouts through the season and held the Big Sky's best save percentage with 0.878.
Landing on the honorable mention All-Conference team was Rylie Curran, Josie Novak, and Allison Veloz.
Curran has showcased her skills as a defender for the past four years at NAU. Curran added to her impressive resume this season, recording two assists on the year, while playing a big role in NAU's defensive success, and holding opponents to two goals in conference play.
Novak was third on NAU's team in points, putting up ten through the season with five goals, her latest coming in the team's match against Sacramento State to clinch at least a share of the Big Sky title on Oct. 21. Novak finished the season with a shots on goal percentage of .422.
Veloz made an impact through her first season as a Lumberjack, scoring four goals and adding three assists. Veloz is second on the Lumberjacks squad in points with 11 total, starting in 11 matches. Veloz closed out the regular season with a shots on goal percentage of 0.500.
Northern Arizona will play in the Big Sky tournament quarterfinals on Friday, facing the winner of the semifinal matchup between Weber State and Sacramento State at 1 p.m. MST.
