Ryan Sailor Named Pac-12 Defensive Player Of The Year

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- After an incredible regular season this past fall, Ryan Sailor was named the 2021 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year by the conference on Tuesday.

The sixth-year senior out of Centennial, Colorado lit up the score sheet this fall, scoring 6 goals and adding two assists for 14 points. His 6 goals were tied with Dylan Teves for the Washington team lead and also tied him for second in the Pac-12.

In addition to his stellar goal-scoring record, Sailor was an anchor on one of the top defenses in the nation, helping the Huskies keep 10 clean sheets on the season. A team captain, Sailor was also the only Washington player to start all 17 matches. 

Sailor's ascension to dominance is a remarkable story, as he appeared in just two total matches his first three seasons at UW, not seeing any action in 2016 or 2018. As a redshirt junior in 2019, he appeared in 11 matches with two starts. In 2020-21, Sailor finally broke into the starting lineup consistently, appearing in and starting 14 matches while being named Second Team All-Pac-12. 

For one final ride in 2021, Sailor put together one of the greatest scoring seasons by a defender in Washington history. Additionally, with 10 career goals, Sailor is the only Husky defender since at least 2000 with double-digit goals for their career. 

Washington has now won the last three Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year awards. Charlie Ostrem took home the honor last season, while Ethan Bartlow received the award in 2019.