Weidler, Bardsley highlight impressive All-GPAC list

MITCHELL, S.D. – For the second time in her career, Alyssa Weidler (Sioux Falls, S.D.) was selected to the Great Plains Athletic Conference First Team following a record-setting season, as Josephine Bardsley (Tea, S.D.) made the First Team for the first time in her career. Five Tigers in all were tabbed to the All-GPAC Team, the conference announced Friday.

 Joining Weidler and Bardsley on the All-GPAC teams were juniors Kamryn Harrop (Willard, Utah) and Kassidy Johnson (Hartford, S.D.) along with senior Alondra Partida (Salinas, Calif.) as they were selected to the All-GPAC Honorable Mention Team.

 Weidler finished her final regular season starting in all 14 games at the forward position for the Tigers, tallying 11 goals and five assists. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native, recorded three multi-goal matches while averaging 0.8 goals per contest ending the regular season second in the conference in goals per game and goals scored.

 The senior forward boasts 40 goals in 61 career games becoming the all-time leader in career goals scored in program history. Her best match of the season was against Hastings College when she secured a hat-trick ultimately propelling DWU to a 3-2 victory. Also picking up All-Conference First Team honors after the 2018 season, Weidler has now collected four All-GPAC accolades over her Tiger career.

 Fellow offensive player Bardsley earned All-GPAC First Team status after being named to the All-Conference Second Team squad a season ago. The junior midfielder started in all 14 games as well during the regular season registering seven goals on 46 shots attempts.

 Bardsley recorded a team-high six assists ranking fifth on the GPAC leaderboards in both assists and assists per match. Her best match of the season came against Mount Mart University collecting two assists and scoring a pair of goals on nine shot attempts.

 Also starting in every game this season, Partida notched seven goals and three assists in her second season with the Tigers. The Salinas, Calif., native attempted 34 shots including 16 shots on goal at the forward position. Meanwhile, Harrop culminated her first season with Dakota Wesleyan appearing in 13 games as she scored three goals on 15 shot attempts.

 Johnson was the only DWU defender named to the All-Conference team after appearing in 13 matches for the Tigers. The Hartford, S.D., junior was a key piece to the defensive unit which limited opposing teams to 18 goals during the regular season.

 Dakota Wesleyan ended the 2020 regular season with an overall record of 9-5 and will compete in the GPAC Tournament in the spring of 2021.