Two CWA alums will face off this Friday when the women’s soccer team from the University of Washington travels to California to face Saint Mary’s.  Jorde LaFontaine-Kussmann ’07 and Natalie Powell ’10, who played together at CWA in the fall of 2006 when LaFontaine-Kussmann was a senior and Powell are freshmen, are now goalkeepers for these two NCAA Division I teams.

LaFontaine-Kussmann began her collegiate career at the University of California-Berkley.  Her freshman year she participated in five games and made two starts as goalkeeper, allowing just two goals in 261 minutes of play.  She earned a redshirt year after being diagnosed with lymphoma and was voted Most Inspirational Player by her teammates.  Due to her illness, she missed her entire sophomore season.  In 2009 she transferred to the University of Washington and sat out another year waiting to become NCAA eligible.

Now healthy and eligible to play for UW, LaFontaine-Kussmann has started five of the Husky’s first eight games this season.  She has made 12 saves in 453 minutes of play for the 5-2-1 team.

Powell, in contrast, is just beginning her collegiate soccer career.  The freshman has already seen her first few minutes of play relieving the team’s starting keeper in two games.  She has faced two shots in just over 16 minutes of play and allowed no goals.  The team has a record of 6-1-2.

The matchup between UW and St. Mary’s this Friday is a non conference game.  The teams have faced each other seven times in the past and UW has won six of those games.  The last meeting was a 1-0, UW victory in 1998.  With LaFontaine-Kussmann and Powell both hoping to see playing time this week, Tarrier fans will have plenty to cheer for.

LaFontaine-Kussmann and Powell are not the only CWA alums doing well on the soccer field this fall.

Valarie Rutan ’10 just scored her first goal for Division III Trinity University in Texas.  The freshman forward has played in three of the Tiger’s first five games and scored on her very first shot.  Her goal came in the 79th minute of Trinity’s 5-0 victory over the University of California-Santa Cruz.  The team is now 4-1-0.

Now in their sophomore year of college, Fallon Staples ’09 is a midfielder for Tacoma Community College and Cierra Gillard ’09 is a defender at Division III Kalamazoo College in Michigan.