SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University men's soccer coach Sean Bushey has been chosen by his peers within the Northwest Conference as the 2007 NWC Coach of the Year and ten Pirate players are part of the 2007 All-NWC men's soccer team.

Sean Bushey

Click here for the 2007 All-NWC Team.

Bushey, the winningest and longest-serving coach in Whitworth men's soccer history, picked up his third career NWC Coach of the Year award after leading the 2007 team to a Northwest Conference title and a spot in the 2007 NCAA Division III tournament. The Pirates, who were picked third in the preseason NWC Coaches Poll, won their third title in the last four years and fourth since 2001. Bushey had previously been named NWC Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2004.

Five Pirate men were named to the All-NWC First Team, one was a Second Team selection and four other players received honorable mention consideration.

Skye Henderson	Matt Friesen	Brett Kagawa

Skye Henderson (Sr., MF, Spokane, Wash.), Matt Friesen (Sr., MF, Newberg, Ore.), Brett Kagawa (Sr., D, Mililani, Hawaii), Scott Barnum (So., GK, Fall City, Wash.) and Keith Kirsch (Jr., F, Colbert, Wash.) were all first team honorees. Whitworth had five of the 12 players selected to the first team.

Henderson, twice a Second Team All-NWC selection prior to this season, has five goals and one assist this year. Four of his five goals have been match winners.

Friesen led the Pirate offense in 2007 with seven goals and five assists. He ranks sixth in the NWC in both goals scored and total points (19).

Kagawa, who returned for a fifth season from a knee injury that ended his 2006 year before the first match, anchored a defensive back line that held opponents to a 0.59 goals against average and 3.9 shots on goal per match.

Scott Barnum	Keith Kirsch	Ben Dixon

Barnum posted 10 shutouts in goal this season and was named Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Week four times.

Kirsch had six goals and five assists for the Bucs and was twice named NWC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 24, Oct. 22).

Ben Dixon (Sr., D, Missoula, Mont.) is Whitworth's only player on the All-NWC Second Team. A three year starter on defense, Dixon also has a goal and an assist this season.

Travis Jette	Bryan Olson	Ryan Powers	Ben Rotert

Travis Jette (Jr., MF, Missoula, Mont.), Bryan Olson (So., D, Missoula, Mont.), Ryan Powers (Sr., MF, Newberg, Ore.) and Ben Rotert (Jr., D, Bozeman, Mont.) were all honorable mention honorees on the 2007 team.

Jette had four assists while splitting time between defender and midfielder for the Pirates. Powers scored three goals and added two assists. Olson led Whitworth in minutes played for the second straight season and Rotert was the NWC Defensive Player of the Week on September 17th.

Whitworth finished 14-3-1 this season and will face Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament on Friday night at 3:00 p.m. (PST) at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.