The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Soccer Annual Awards
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Carson-Newman forward Lauren Wade was voted the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Year for the second-straight year, while Catawba's Jovana Sanchez was voted the Conference's Freshman of the Year. In addition, Carson-Newman Head Coach Simon Duffy was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.
Wade, a senior from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the league in goals, assists, points and game-wining goals. She found the back of the net a league leading 12 times, five of which sealed the victory for the Eagles. She ranked 16th in the nation with 2.07 goals per game and ended the season 8th in the nation with .60 assists per game. In 16 games played and started, she recorded 98 shots, just nine short of tops in the SAC. Wade turned in three multi-goal games this season and recorded the fifth-fastest hat trick in NCAA Division II History. Her fourth-career hat trick and second against Tusculum came almost to the day (Oct. 19, 2016) of her last hat trick against the Pioneers. She scored three goals in less than four minutes to give the Eagles a 3-0 win at Tusculum on October 18. Wade was tabbed the Astroturf Women's Soccer Player of the Week on October 23. The award marked Carson-Newman's third consecutive women's soccer Player of the Year, as Wade repeats and Julianne Herrity accomplished the feat in 2015.
Sanchez, a freshman from Hickory, North Carolina, started 14 games for the Indians and found the back of the net three times. She had 29 shots in 2017 and finished the regular season with six points. Sanchez scored one game-winning goal and a multi-goal game this season. She played in all but one game for Catawba and is the first Freshman of the Year since Juliana Conte shared the honors in 2010.
Duffy earns his first-ever SAC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Eagles to their third-straight Regular Season Championship. The Eagles are currently ranked No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and ranks third in the nation in assists per game (3.20) and ninth in total goals (51). The Eagles posted ten shutouts and did not lose a game on the season. Carson-Newman finished the season atop the SAC Standings posting a 15-0-1 overall record, their only tie was to Lenoir-Rhyne on September 20.
Alyssa Ortega of Newberry, Carson-Newman's Holly Talbut-Smith, Queens' Charlotte Ring joined Wade on the list of first-team forwards. Alana Jefferson of Queens, Newberry's Courtney Velazquez, Lenoir-Rhyne's Abbie Brown and Abigael McGarelwere tabbed the first-team midfielders.
On the defensive side Mariah Lewis of Queens, Lenoir-Rhyne's Christina Shimshock and Carson-Newman's Helen Seed and Averi Williams were tabbed first-team defenders. Carson-Newman's Jacqueline Burns was voted the League's first-team goalkeeper.
2017 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer All-Conference
First Team
F – Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
F – Alyssa Ortega, Newberry
F – Holly Talbut-Smith, Carson-Newman
F – Charlotte Ring, Queens
MF – Alana Jefferson, Queens
MF – Abbie Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Courtney Velazquez, Newberry
MF – Abigael McGarel, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Mariah Lewis, Queens
D – Helen Seed, Carson-Newman
D – Averi Williams, Carson-Newman
D – Christina Shimshock, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Jacqueline Burns, Carson-Newman
Second Team
F – Magda Mosengo, Carson-Newman
F – Lauren Allan, Anderson
F – Emma rose Stockton, Queens
F – Elizabeth Phan, Queens
MF – Kimmi Moore, Wingate
MF – Jovana Sanchez, Catawba
MF – Erin Feldman, Catawba
MF – Taylor Leyble, Wingate
D – Kaitlyn Fletcher, Wingate
D – Helen Ramsey, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Alex Brandan, Carson-Newman
D – Carlie Thornber, Tusculum
GK – Samantha Hoffman, Coker
Honorable Mention
F – Payton DeHart, Tsuculum
F – Becky Frost, Catawba
F – Jordan Newby, Tusculum
MF – Thea Mallett, Queens
MF – Sonja Ballmert, Tusculum
MF – Daphne Heyaime, Newberry
MF – Melanie Maddox, Anderson
D – Emilie Toftbjerg, Anderson
D – Kristin Debiase, Wingate
D – Caileigh Apicella, Wingate
GK – Alexis Jones, Wingate
Player of the Year
Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
Freshman of the Year
Jovana Sanchez, Catawba
Coach of the Year
Simon Duffy, Carson-Newman
Fair Play Award
Mars Hill
Stat Champions
Goals per Match: Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman | 0.73
Points per Match: Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman | 2.07
Assists per Match: Holly Talbut-Smith, Carson-Newman | 0.64
Goals Against Average: Jacqueline Burns, Carson-Newman | .486
Save Percentage: Alexis Jones, Wingate |.860
Shutouts: Rachel Quest, Queens | 8
Team Points per Match: Carson-Newman | 10.00
Team Goals per Match: Carson-Newman | 3.40
Team Assists per Match: Carson-Newman | 3.20
Team Shutouts: Queens | 10
Team Goals Against Average: Wingate | .550
Team Winning Percentage: Carson-Newman | 9.67
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