Women's Soccer All-Conference Selections Announced
Wild of Williams Nets Player of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. – Senior midfielder Sara Wild (Portland, Ore.) of Williams has been named as the 2010 NESCAC Player of the Year, as determined by the conference coaches. Wild led her squad to the 2010 NESCAC Women’s Soccer Championship this past weekend, the Ephs’ fourth league title in as many years. She is the third Williams player over the last four seasons to earn the conference’s top honor.
Wild propelled Williams to its fourth consecutive and fifth overall conference crown, scoring the first goal in Saturday’s 2-0 semifinal victory over Middlebury, then tallied the lone goal of Sunday’s final at rival Amherst in the 74th minute. The pair of game-winners brought her to four this season, second among her teammates. Wild is currently tied atop the Eph stat sheet heading into this weekend’s NCAA Tournament action with a career-high 23 points (2nd NESCAC) on seven goals and a personal-best nine assists. One of the most talented athletes to ever grace Cole Field, Wild has started all but one game during her four-year tenure and has contributed to a 67-6-3 record during that time. Wild, who is also a two-time All-NESCAC honoree in track and field, garnered her third consecutive appointment to the All-Conference First Team.
Four forwards from four different teams were chosen as part of the All-NESCAC First Team. Juniors Ellery Gould (East Sandwich, Mass.) of Bowdoin and Leigh Howard (Bethany, Conn.) of Trinity both return from last year’s First Team. Gould led the NESCAC in goals, matching last year’s performance with 12 tallies. She also sits atop the conference in points with 27 through 15 games. Through three years with the Polar Bears, Gould has amassed 32 goals, six shy of the program record. Howard was well on her way to a career year for the Bantams before injury cut her season short. Even still, Howard managed to pace the Bantams in goals for the third year in a row, scoring seven time and adding two assists for a team-high 16 points.
Joining Gould and Howard up front were Williams junior Brett Eisenhart (Seattle, Wash.) and Wesleyan sophomore Laura Kurash (Voorhees, N.J.). Earning All-NESCAC honors for the first time in her career, Eisenhart is one goal shy of Gould’s league-leading totals, with five of her 11 scores serving as the game-winner (1st NESCAC). She is also currently tied with Wild with 23 points. Kurash, the 2009 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, moved up from last year’s Second Team after having one of the most successful campaigns in over a decade for the Cardinals. Kurash was third in goals in the NESCAC with nine and fourth in points with 21.
Along with Wild at midfield from Williams on the All-Conference First Team was classmate Kara Duggan (Poway, Calif.). The defensive core of the Eph midfield, Duggan has helped Williams post a 0.80 goals against average this season, third among league teams. She also scored one goal for the Ephs, the fifth of her career. Tufts junior Alix Michael (Mercer Island, Wash.) was the third midfielder on the First Team. A solid two-way player for the Jumbos, Michael was third on her squad in scoring with three goals and an assist.
Senior leadership was recognized among the backs on the First Team with three former All-NESCAC honorees selected. Sarah Nolet (Los Altos, Calif.) of Tufts earned a third consecutive spot on the First Team, as she anchored a Jumbo defense which allowed a league-low six goals and a 0.40 goals against average. After being recognized on the Second Team for the past two years, Colby’s Su-Lin Del Guercio (Parsippany, N.J.) was promoted to the First Team in her final season with the Mules. Leading her team from the back, Del Guercio joined Nolet in contributing a goal and an assist to the attack. Tiernan Cutler of Bowdon completes the First Team defensive contingent. A tremendous defender, the two-time Second Team member battled through injuries this fall and started all 15 matches for the Polar Bears.
Trinity junior goalkeeper Lily Pepper (West Windsor, N.J.) closes out the All-NESCAC First Team. Playing in tandem with senior teammate Emily Weedon, Pepper posted the highest save percentage in the conference (.936) and second-lowest goals against average (0.39). Pepper opened the season with a scoreless streak of 409 minutes over 10 games before allowing her first goal of the year on Oct. 16.
Rookie of the Year honors went to Amherst first year forward Amanda Brisco (Houston, Texas). A dangerous striker, Brisco came through in the clutch for the Jeffs this season, as she tallied the game-winner against Wesleyan and Williams in the regular season and Bowdoin in the NESCAC tournament. Brisco headed up the Amherst offense with six goals and 14 points, figures that both rank seventh overall in the league. She also added Second Team accolades to her Rookie of the Year award.
For the third time in her career, Tufts head coach Martha Whiting was named NESCAC Coach of the Year. A 1993 graduate of Tufts and former goalkeeper on the Jumbos’ squad, Whiting directed Tufts to a first place finish in the NESCAC with a 6-1-2 conference record and an 8-2-4 overall mark, the fewest losses in 25 years. The Jumbos allowed only six goals this fall, a program record. Now in her 12th season as head coach, Whiting was previously honored in 2002 and again in 2005.
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2010 NESCAC Women’s Soccer All-Conference
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First Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
Brett Eisenhart |
Williams |
Jr. |
Seattle, Wash. |
| F |
Ellery Gould |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Sandwich, Mass. |
| F |
Leigh Howard |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Bethany, Conn. |
| F |
Laura Kurash |
Wesleyan |
So. |
Voorhees, N.J. |
| M |
Kara Duggan |
Williams |
Sr. |
Poway, Calif. |
| M |
Alix Michael |
Tufts |
Jr. |
Mercer Island, Wash. |
| M |
Sara Wild |
Williams |
Sr. |
Portland, Ore. |
| D |
Tiernan Cutler |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| D |
Su-Lin Del Guercio |
Colby |
Sr. |
Parsippany, N.J. |
| D |
Sarah Nolet |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Los Altos, Calif. |
| GK |
Lily Pepper |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Princeton Junction, N.J. |
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Second Team |
Institution
|
Yr. |
Hometown |
| F |
Amanda Brisco |
Amherst |
Fy. |
Houston, Texas |
| F |
Jackie Hirsch |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Wilmette, Ill. |
| F |
Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub
|
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Burlingame, Calif. |
| M |
Dasha Battelle |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Brookline, Mass. |
| M |
Maika Scifo |
Trinity |
Sr. |
River Edge, N.J. |
| M |
Drew Smith |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Silver Spring, Md. |
| D |
Stevie Griglak |
Trinity |
So. |
San Diego, Calif. |
| D |
Jill Kochanek |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| D |
Sachi Siegelman |
Williams |
Jr. |
Piedmont, Calif. |
| GK |
Jayde Bennett |
Colby |
So. |
Lynn, Mass. |
| GK |
Kristin Wright |
Tufts |
Fy. |
Austin, Texas |
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Player of the Year |
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|
| F |
Sara Wild
|
Williams |
Sr. |
Portland, Ore.
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Rookie of the Year |
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| F |
Amanda Brisco
|
Amherst |
Fy. |
Houston, Texas
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Coach of the Year |
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Martha Whiting
|
Tufts |
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