PENSACOLA, Fla. – West Florida took home Gulf South Conference Title No. 10 with a 2-0 win over Mississippi College on Sunday afternoon at the UWF Soccer Complex. The title gives UWF more than any other school in the GSC and the most in the South Region.
 
GSC Player of the Year Marjorie Boilesen and GSC goals leader Kaley Ward found the net for UWF late in the second half to clinch the title for the Argonauts, while the defense held a strong Mississippi College offense to just one shot in the first half and only four shots on target in the full 90.
 
The game marked UWF's 15th shutout this season, which ranks second all-time in the Gulf South Conference record books. The 2003 UWF team also had 15 in a season, and the 2008 squad set an NCAA record with 20 in a single year.
 
This was UWF's third consecutive shutout, and it's the third time this season that UWF has posted at least three consecutive shutouts. The first lasted four games from September 16 through September 25, and the second lasted seven games from October 2 through October 23.
 
Boilesen has scored a goal in three consecutive games, and she has put up at least one point in 17 of her 19 games played this year. Her goal today tied her with Brianna Oeser for the UWF freshman goals record, with 12.
 
Ward has now scored at least one point in seven of her last eight games, and she has seven goals in that time to go along with two assists. Her goal on Sunday tied her with Kinsey Cichowitz for the total goals lead in the Gulf South Conference, with 14. She has scored in 13 different games this year, which is the highest total in the league.
 
Boilesen and Ward rank first and second in the GSC in points, with 38 and 31, respectively. The last time two UWF players each had at least 31 points, and the last time two GSC teammates had at least 31 points was in 2012, when Chelsea Palmer and Shelby Bush did so.
 
UWF keeper Katelyn Burkhart was credited with her sixth shutout of the year, though she has played in eight more games in which UWF has not allowed a goal. Her four saves against MC on Sunday were a season-high, and her 0.32 goals against average for the season would currently rank third in the conference record books. She has now improved to 15-2 in net this season.
 
Statistically, UWF owned the first half, outshooting MC 7-1 and working in three corner kicks, but both defenses held their opponents scoreless through 45 minutes. It wasn't until Boilesen drew a foul from roughly 25 yards out that any scoring began. With just 17 minutes remaining, the freshman curved a free kick into the bottom left corner of the net past a diving Andrea McDonald to give West Florida a 1-0 lead.
 
Only four minutes later, Ward worked her way past MC defender Jordan Dillon, reached the back line and used her left foot to find the net and extend the lead to 2-0.
 
For her efforts on both ends of the pitch during the weekend, senior Emily Vogler was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She scored twice in the team's 5-0 win over West Alabama on Friday, while playing a major role on the UWF defense that shut out both UWA and Mississippi College, and held those teams to just 11 total shots.
 
Vogler is the 11th UWF player to earn be named the Tournament MOP, and the first since April Syme in 2013.
 
In addition to Vogler, Boilesen, Ward and senior defender Svenja Burkhardt also earned spots on the all-tournament team.
 
Several stats from the weekend will put UWF into the GSC Tournament record books. The team allowed just 11 total shots, which is the seventh-lowest total in the tournament's history. Sara Helgadottir is one of just 12 players to ever have a two-assist match in the tournament, Friday's match was just the seventh time a team has posted a 5-goal margin of victory in the tournament, and UWF is just the 11th team to have seven or more goals in a single GSC tournament.
 
Perhaps the most notable team stat from this weekend is the shutouts. This year's UWF squad is the eighth team to ever have two shutouts in a single GSC Tournament – Lincoln Memorial did it in 1997, and West Florida teams have made up the six other times the feat has been achieved.
 
As the tournament champions, UWF receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will begin on Friday, November 11. West Florida's opponent and the location of the regional site UWF will visit will be revealed on Monday night on the NCAA's selection show, which is set to begin at 5 p.m. CT. UWF was ranked No. 6 in the latest regional rankings, which were released on Wednesday.
   
2016 GSC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Emily Vogler, UWF (Most Outstanding Player)
Kaley Ward, UWF
Svenja Burkhardt, UWF
Marjorie Boilesen, UWF
Aleah Headley, UWA
Mara DeLuca, UWA
Kinsey Cichowitz, LEE
McKenzie Bricker, LEE
Caitlin Hayes, MC
Madison Leonard, MC
Andrea McDonald, MC