Five Rice Soccer Players Honored With All-Conference Accolades
11/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2008
HOUSTON -- Led by the selection of juniors Erin Scott and Shelley Wong to the Conference USA First Team, a total of five standout members of the Rice soccer team earned all-conference honors for the 2008 season on a vote of the 12 head coaches, the league announced Tuesday (Nov. 4) in Houston. The all-conference honorees were announced on the eve of the annual C-USA Tournament, to be hosted by the Owls at the Rice Soccer Stadium from Nov. 5-9 (Wed.-Sun.).
Joining Scott and Wong were junior defender Alexa Coralli and sophomore midfielder Kate Edwards on the C-USA second team. Rice rookie Hope Ward was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team as a forward.
Scott has made 17 starts and is one of three Owls to play in every game. The Richardson, Tex., native ranks among the C-USA leaders in goals (7), assists (6), points (20) and shots (49). She scored the game-winning goal three times this season and maintained a .592 shots-on-goal percentage. Scott has played 80 or more minutes eight different times and more than 81 percent of the Owls' C-USA minutes. Earlier this season Scott was named a C-USA Player of the Week and she was named to the Academic All-District VI team.
Wong is a quick midfielder who ranks among the C-USA leaders with eight goals. Not only has she scored two more goals in a game three times this season, she's rarely come out of game and has played more than 94 percent of the team's C-USA minutes. The standout from Virginia Beach, Va., maintained a .500 shots-on-goal percentage for the entire season and .545 percentage against the league. Wong earned two C-USA Player of the Week awards and she was also named to the Academic All-District VI team.
Coralli is a steady defender whose performance and leadership has helped an Owls' backline that has been hampered by injuries. The Plano, Tex., native has played 90 minutes (or more) 12 different times this season and she has helped the defense limit opponents to just 14.8 shots per game. Coralli has also stepped up from the backline to provide an attacking presence, scoring goals in two games this season.
Edwards was a preseason all-conference selection who proved the C-USA coaches made the right pick. The midfielder from Westlake Village, Calif., is one of only two Owls to start all 18 games this season and ranks among the league leaders in shots (48). Edwards scored three times this year and maintained a .321 shots-on-goal percentage. In 11 C-USA starts she played more than 94 percent of the Owls' C-USA minutes.
Ward is a dynamic true freshman who had a Division I impact while starting up top. The local standout from nearby Kingwood, Tex., registered the most assists (7) by an Owl freshman since the 2005 season. In addition to the assists, Ward took 24 shots and maintained a .417 shots-on-goal percentage. She averaged 84.3 minutes per C-USA match and scored the game-winning goal at Southern Miss. Rice has had at least one all-freshman honoree every year since joining the league in 2005.
The Rice soccer team, 10-8 on the season and 6-5 in Conference USA, serves as host of the 2008 C-USA Tournament this week. The Owls are seeded sixth for the tournament and face three-seed UCF (12-4-3, 7-2-2) at 8 pm (central time) in Wednesday's opening round.
The top eight teams in the conference are at the Rice Track/Soccer Stadium competing in the single-elimination event where the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is at stake. Action begins with four games on Wednesday, resumes with two semifinal games on Friday (5 pm and 7:30 pm) and concludes with the championship final on Sunday (Nov. 9) at 1 pm.
2008 C-USA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
All-Conference First Team
F: Erin Scott, Rice
F: Tameka Sumter, UTEP
F: Tiffini Turpin, UAB
MF: Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
MF: Becca Thomas, UCF
MF: Shelley Wong, Rice
D: Madison Keller, East Carolina
D: Nikki Moore, UCF
D: Kim Peabody, SMU
D: Molly Uyenishi, Colorado College
GK: Amber Campbell, East Carolina
All-Conference Second Team
F: Yvonne George, UCF
F: Kelly LaVoie, Colorado College
F: Sarah McFadden, Southern Miss
F: Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
MF: Kate Edwards, Rice
MF: Emiko Schwab, Memphis
MF: Chelsea Winbush, UTEP
D: Kelsey Bakker, Memphis
D: Alexa Coralli, Rice
D: Jessica Rathweg, Houston
D: Savanna Russo, East Carolina
GK: Aline Reis, UCF
All-Freshman Team
Kelsey Wise, MF, Colorado College
Caitlin Hulyo, GK, Colorado College
Amanda Malkiewicz, F, East Carolina
Stephanie Derieg, D, Houston
Angela DeSumma, F/MF, Marshall
Lizzy Simonin, F, Memphis
Lizzy Hildebrandt, MF, Memphis
Hope Ward, F, Rice
Logan May, F, SMU
Carolyn Polcari, MF, UAB
Tiffini Turpin, F, UAB
Stacie Hubbard, MF, UCF
Aline Reis, GK, UCF
Offensive Player of the Year
Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
Defensive Player of the Year
Amber Campbell, East Carolina
Midfielder of the Year
Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
Co-Freshmen of the Year
Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
Tiffini Turpin, UAB
Coach of the Year
Rob Donnenwirth, East Carolina
