Conference USA Women's Soccer Awards Announced
Nov. 4, 2008
IRVING, Texas - Conference USA announced its 2008 all-conference first and second teams and postseason specialty award winners for women's soccer, as selected by the conference's 12 head coaches. Many of these awards winners will be competing in the 14th Annual C-USA Women's Soccer Championship, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Rice University Soccer & Track Stadium in Houston, Texas. A champion will be crowned Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. CST. Regular season co-champions East Carolina and Memphis both placed two individuals among the specialty award winners. The Pirates, under the direction of 2008 C-USA Coach of the Year ROB DONNENWIRTH, earned their first conference title and will be the No. 1 seed in this week's C-USA Championship. One key reason ECU is riding an 11-match unbeaten streak (7-0-4) has been the senior leadership of its defense. Senior goalkeeper AMBER CAMPBELL - the 2008 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year - is joined on the all-conference first-team by classmate MADISON KELLER and senior defender SAVANNA RUSSO was named to the second-team. ECU recorded eight shutouts this season. Memphis will defend its 2007 tournament title as the No. 2 seed in this week's Championship. The Tigers had four all-conference selections, led by the 2008 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year VENDULA STRNADOVA. Strnadova also repeats her first-team honors from a year ago when she was the C-USA Freshman of the Year. Teammate LIZZY SIMONIN was named the 2008 Co-Freshman of the Year, along with UAB freshman and first-team all-conference forward TIFFINI TURPIN. Both were unanimous selections to the All-Freshman Team. UCF and Rice both produced four All-Conference USA selections, two to the first-team and a pair each on the second-team. UCF, the No. 3 tournament seed, will rely on the experience of repeat first-teamer NIKKI MOORE. The junior defender was joined on the team by her classmate, midfielder BECCA THOMAS. Rice's junior tandem of forward ERIN SCOTT and midfielder SHELLEY WONG were both recognized with a selection to the first team.
Colorado College senior defender MOLLY UYENISHI, SMU junior defender KIM PEABODY and UTEP junior forward TAMEKA SUMTER round out the All-Conference USA first-team selections. Uyenishi is earning first-team honors for the third year in a row. 2008 C-USA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Midfielder of the Year Co-Freshmen of the Year Coach of the Year All-Conference First Team All-Conference Second Team All-Freshman Team *unanimous selection |
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