Conference Carolinas Announces Soccer Award Winners

Conference Carolinas Announces Soccer Award Winners

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Conference Carolinas Announces Soccer Award Winners

High Point, NC> Conference Carolinas announces the All-Conference teams during this week's Conference Carolinas Men's & Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. Awards include All-Conference First, Second, & Third teams, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Regular Season Champions. Head coaches from conference member institutions nominate and then vote on the award winners who represent the best of the best for the league.

 

The conference championships started Monday with the top eight teams qualifying for quarterfinal action. Semifinal play resumes Thursday (women) and Friday (men) with the championship finals on Saturday (women) and Sunday (men). All games are played at the highest remaining seed. The women's tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA DII championships while the top six regionally ranked men's teams will qualify for postseason play.

 

Women's Soccer Player of the Year 

Gabriella Reid, Limestone

Limestone College sophomore forward Gabriella Reid has been named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year after leading the conference with 26 overall total points and seven game-winning goals. Reid ranks second in the league with 11 goals and is tied for eighth with four assists, leading the Saints to 11 or more wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in team history.


Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year

Mary Dorn, Lees-McRae

Mary Dorn led the Bobcats to a superb regular season, directing the backline to four clean sheets in conference play as Lees-McRae allowed just eight goals against league opponents. The senior defender equaled a career-best with two goals this season, while starting every match for the Bobcats.

 

Women's Soccer Freshman of the Year

Aaliyah Jackson, Pfeiffer

Aaliyah Jackson led Conference Carolinas during the regular season conference play with eight goals (12 total). Jackson scored a career-high four goals in the final regular season match at Belmont Abbey last weekend registering three game-winning goals throughout her rookie season. She finished her first campaign in 2012 appearing inside the top-five of four offensive categories.

 

Women's Soccer Coach of the Year

John Constable, Converse

John Constable has taken the Valkyries to new heights this fall leading Converse to their first Conference Carolinas tournament qualifying game as the No. 7 seed in the league championships. Converse and Constable made discernible improvements from the 2-15-1 record in 2011, jumping-up to a 7-10-2 mark in 2012.

  

Women's All-Conference 1st-Team

Gabriella Reid, Limestone -Forward

Aaliyah Jackson, Pfeiffer -Forward

Brooke Foil, Queens –Forward

Sarah Mahar, Lees-McRae -Forward

Kaitlyn Kerrigan, Lees-McRae -Midfielder

Silvia Vazquez, Belmont Abbey -Midfielder

Ashley Spanitz, Limestone –Midfielder

Mary Dorn, Lees-McRae -Defender

Holli Schwartz, Limestone -Defender

Casey Craft, Erskine -Defender

Carson Moore, Barton -Goalkeeper

 

Women's All-Conference 2nd-Team

Mary Stringini, Queens -Forward

Marybeth Sullivan, Lees-McRae -Forward

Darby Boyd, Converse –Forward

Emily Jones, Lees-McRae -Midfielder

Nadia Butt, Queens -Midfielder

Heidi Steger, King -Midfielder

Jennifer Swanstrom, Queens –Defender

Abby Brack, North Greenville -Defender

Patrice Clarke, Mount Olive -Defender

Alana Ryczek, Belmont Abbey -Defender

Britt Polly, Pfeiffer -Goalkeeper

 

Women's All-Conference 3rd-Team

Leah Kennington, Limestone -Forward

Meghan Philp, Belmont Abbey -Forward

Ellie Barnes, Mount Olive –Forward

Jalynn Fortt, Coker -Midfielder

Natalie Johnson, Converse -Midfielder

Erin Gray, Erskine -Midfielder

Mallory Overholt, Lees-McRae –Midfielder

Ariana Smith, Lees-McRae -Defender

Leeann Sullivan, Lees-McRae -Defender

Sarah Rountree, Coker -Defender

Kelsey Seretis, Queens -Goalkeeper

 

Women's Soccer Regular Season Champions

Lees-McRae College


 

 

Men's Soccer Player of the Year

Niko Tirkkonen, Coker

Niko Tirkkonen had a breakout season during his final season for the Cobras, posting a team leading nine goals with two assists. Second in the conference in scoring and second in points with 20, Tirkkonen guided Coker to its second consecutive Conference Carolinas regular season title and its fourth consecutive tournament appearance.

 

 

Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year

James Sweeney, Coker

Goalkeeper James Sweeney posted a record of 12-4-1 this season, while anchoring a Cobra defense that allowed just 11 goals the entire year. Sweeney's 0.73 goals against average and his .823 are not only tops among league goalkeepers, but ranks him among the best in the nation. He is ranked No. 15 in the nation in goals against average and No. 23 in save percentage. He posted five shutouts and helped lead Coker to an eight match unbeaten streak.

 

 

Men's Soccer Freshman of the Year

Erick Suarez, Queens

Erick Suarez of the Royals has accumulated six goals and two assists for a total of 14 points this season. The freshman forward has made 16 starts, and ranks second on Queens' squad in points, goals and game-winning-goals. In the league, Suarez is ranked in the top-10 in points, goals and game-winning-goals as well.

 

Men's Soccer Coach of the Year

Paul Leese, Coker

In his fourth year leading the Cobras, head coach Paul Leese has once again taken Coker to great heights. With record of 8-1-1 against league opponents, Leese has led the Cobras to back-to-back regular season titles and their fourth consecutive appearance in the Conference Carolinas Tournament.

 

Men's All-Conference 1st-Team

Niko Tifkkonen, Coker -Forward

Andrew Settlemire, Erskine -Forward

Jorge Mackenna, Limestone –Forward

Dante De luca, Barton -Midfielder

Carlos Recinos, Coker -Midfielder

Jack Kimber, Erskine -Midfielder

Thomas McCready, Limestone –Midfielder

Fernando Bedoya, Coker -Defender

Larry Mahon, Limestone -Defender

Akeem Prendes, Coker -Defender

James Sweeney, Coker -Goalkeeper

 

 

Men's All-Conference 2nd-Team

Sam Orritt, Limestone –Forward

James Galvani, Lees-McRae -Forward

Erick Suarez, Queens -Forward

Jose Penaloza, Belmont Abbey -Forward

Jack Bailey, Limestone -Midfielder

Thomas Metzemaekers, Limestone -Midfielder

Thiago Andrade, Queens –Midfielder

James Burke, Limestone -Defender

Calvin Bond, Limestone -Defender

Kevin Anderson, Queens -Defender

Roberto De La Vina, Erskine -Goalkeeper

 

 Men's All-Conference 3rd-Team

Archer Bane, Barton -Forward

Felipe Netto, Queens -Forward

Daniel Jackson, Coker –Forward

Alan Cuevas, Coker -Midfielder

Ross Henderson, Erskine -Midfielder

Gersi Cilingiri, Queens -Midfielder

Scott Hudgins, Lees-McRae -Defender

Ian Murray, North Greenville -Defender

Ben Vangucci, Belmont Abbey -Defender

Joshua Dowd, Queens -Defender

Tom Godfrey, Limestone -Goalkeeper

 

Men's Soccer Regular Season Co-Champions

Coker College & Limestone College

 

 

 

 


 

Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletic conference currently made up of 12 teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Coker College, Converse College, Erskine College, King College, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, Mount Olive College, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Queens University of Charlotte.


 

 

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