Nov. 18, 2008 WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR 32 top collegians named to ballot
Thirty two of the nation’s top women’s college soccer players have been named finalists for the Soccer News Net Player of the Year Award.
The editors of each of the six sites in the Soccer News Net network nominated up to six local players, each of whom will be eligible for the regional player of the year award. The nominations include athletes playing at colleges within each site’s coverage area, as well as athletes from the area playing collegiately elsewhere in the country.
Six additional at-large selections rounded out the nominations.
Fans from across the country will be able to vote for the top collegiate player. Voting will begin Tuesday, November 18 and continue until December 15, and will be conducted on Big Apple Soccer (www.bigapplesoccer.com), ChicagoLand Soccer News (www.chicagolandsoccernews.com ), LA Soccer News (www.lasoccernews.com), New England Soccer News www.newenglandsoccernews.com), Philly Soccer News (www.phillysoccernews.com) and Dallas Soccer News (www.dallassoccernews.com).
Online fan voting will account for 40% of the total toward the award. The remaining 60% of the vote will be cast by the editorial staffs of the six web sites.
CHICAGOLAND SOCCER NEWS
Cynthia Morote-Ariza, forward, Loyola University Chicago
Named the Horizon League Player of the year for the second straight season. She scored 18 goals and totaled 19 assists this season, finishing with a Horizon League-best 55 points. Her assist total is tops in the nation. She also had 7 game winning goals.
Kerri Hanks, forward, Notre Dame
Was named the Big East offensive player of the year for the second time in her career, totaling 18 goals and 46 points.
Melissa Henderson, forward, Notre Dame
The Big East Rookie of the Year, Henderson ranked second in the league with 15 goals.
Kelsey Lysander, goalkeeper, Notre Dame
She has helped the Irish to a 23-0 record, making 44 saves and allowing nine goals for a 0.43 GAA, and was credited with seven of the team’s 15 total shutouts.
Alexandra Kapicka, goalkeeper, Illinois
Kapicka has played every minute for Illinois, allowing just 16 goals for a 0.71 GAA, and earning nine shutouts, while making 71 saves.
BIG APPLE SOCCER
Sophie Reiser, forward, Columbia University
The Ivy League Player of the Year. Reiser, who at one point during the season held an eleven game scoring streak, was a dominant attacker all year, tying for the League lead in goals (12) and shots (75), while holding the outright lead in points (35).
Ariana Calderon, forward, Long Island University
Doubled as the Northeast Conference Player and Rookie of the Year. The top-scoring freshman in school history, she led the team with 10 goals and 22 points, leaving her second on the LIU’s all-time single-season lists in both categories.
Kayleigh Morgan, defender, Long Island University
An offensive-minded defender who finished second in overall scoring for the Blackbirds with nine goals – four of them game-winners -- and three assists for 21 points.
Marie Curtin, defender, Hofstra University
Second (at press time) on Hofstra’s all-time assists list with 22. Named All-CAA Second Team as a defender, her fourth all-conference nod in four seasons.
DALLAS SOCCER NEWS
Jordan Calhoun, forward, TCU
Was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year while also earning first-team all-conference honors. She has posted 14 goals on the year, while dishing out two assists. Scored in 11 of TCU's 18 contests this fall, and currently ranked in the top-25 in the NCAA in goals per contest.
Kerri Hanks, forward, Notre Dame
A senior from Allen, Texas, Hanks has been nominated for player of the year honors in two Soccer News Net markets. (see above)
Melissa Henderson, forward, Notre Dame
The freshman forward-from Garland, Texas has been nominated for player of the year honors in two Soccer News Net markets. (see above)
Kasey Moore, Defender, Texas
Named the big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Helped anchor the defense that posted nine shutouts, and also registered six goals and four assists.
LA SOCCER NEWS
Christina DiMartino, forward, UCLA
Was the Pac-10 Player of the Year, Had five goals and six assists in leading the Bruins to an undefeated season.
Lauren Cheney, forward, UCLA Bruins
Scored 10 goals and added 8 assists as the Bruins’ leading scorer.
Ashley Thompson, GK, UCLA
Allowed only four goals all season, as the Bruins compiled a 19-0-2 record. She posted 11 shutouts.
Amy Rodriguez, forward, USC
The Trojans’ leading scorer with 8 goals and 4 assists for 20 points, despite missing the start of the season while helping the U.S. to an Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing.
Liz Ramos, goalkeeper, Long Beach State
Named the Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, while helping Long Beach to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Allowed only 13 goals in 20
games, a 0.66 GAA.
NEW ENGLAND SOCCER NEWS
Marisha Schumacher-Hodge, midfielder, Boston University
The America East Player of the Year, she tied for her team lead with 10 points (four goals and two assists).
Stephanie Labbe, goalkeeper, UConn
Named the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, she posted six shutouts and had a 1.03 goals against average.
Jillian Mastroianni, goalkeeper, Boston College
Named second team All-ACC. Played in 21 games, allowing only 16 goals for a 0.78 goals against average. Made 88 saves and had ten shutouts.
Katherine Sheeleigh, forward, Harvard
Was tied for the Crimson lead with six goals and was second in points with 17. She paced Harvard with three game-winning scores, all of which were on the road.
PHILLY SOCCER NEWS
Alyssa Naeher, goalkeeper, Penn State
Named first team all Big Ten. Led the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten tournament championship.
Erin Hardiman, midfielder, Villanova
Named the Big East Midfielder of the Year, she had 22 points, including a league- leading 14 assists for the Wildcats.
Jen Pfeiffer, forward, Saint Joseph’s
Named the A-10 Rookie of the Year, she ranked in the top ten in the conference in shots (57), goals (10) and points (21).
Whitney Weintraub, forward, Charlotte
A native of Holland, Pa, she was named the Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year, registering 12 goals and nine assists for 33 points.
Nicole Mikula, defender, Hawaii
The Bucks County native was named Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the year, and first team all-conference for the second straight year.
Kylee Rossi, forward, Tennessee
The native of Pennington, NJ led the SEC in scoring with 13 goals, including nine during conference play. She accounted for all but five of the Lady Vols' goals and posted two game winners during the league campaign. The forward also set a UT record this season, becoming the program's career points leader on Oct. 5. She was named first-team All- SEC for the third straight year.
AT-LARGE
Yolanda Odenyo, forward, Oklahoma State
The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Odenyo was tops in the conference in points with 34, goals with 15, goals per game (0.79) and points per game (1.79)
Laura Heyboer, forward, Michigan State
Named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. She finished her first collegiate season with 19 goals and 47 points, both tops in the Big Ten.
Casey Noguiera, forward, North Carolina
The ACC offensive player of the year, she led the ACC and ranks among the national leaders in goals scored with 19 and in total points with 45. Nogueira's hat trick keyed a win at Wake Forest, and her four goals led the Tar Heels to another ACC win at NC State. She was named the MVP in the ACC Championship tournament.
Megan Rapinoe, forward, Portland
The West Coast Conference Player of the Year led the league in goals and assists, after coming back from a season-ending knee injury in 2007.
Malorie Rutledge, forward, Louisiana State
First-Team All-SEC honors and was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year this season after finishing as the top point scorer in the Southeastern Conference.
Sanna Talonen, forward, Florida State
Had 16 goals and four assists for 36 points in leading the Seminoles to a 16-2-3 record.
