Milton, Mass. - Eleven different institutions from The Commonwealth Coast Conference were represented on the 2009 All-TCCC Women’s Soccer Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. In addition to the all-conference team, four major individual award winners and a team sportsmanship award winner was also selected. Endicott College senior Caitlin Flynn was named TCCC Player of the Year, Nichols College freshman Samantha Abro was selected as TCCC Rookie of the Year, University of New England’s senior Ali Trafton was named TCCC Senior Scholar Athlete, Endicott Coach Jodi Kenyon was named TCCC Coach of the Year, and Anna Maria College was the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award.
Voting for the All-TCCC team and each of the major awards was conducted among TCCC women’s soccer coaches.
Joining Flynn, Abro, and Trafton on the first team were forwards Laurin Pendleton (Roger Williams) and Colleen Pepin (Endicott), midfielders Kayla Plante (Endicott) and Chelsea Shaughnessy (Nichols), backs Michelle Meagher (Roger Williams), Kate Pemberton (U. of New England), and Caitlin Peters (Endicott), and goalkeeper Jen Garside (Roger Williams).
Second team selections included forwards Kaitlyn Birrell (Salve Regina), Elizabeth Galla (Salve Regina), Ashley Hansbury (Curry), and Caitlin Nedde (Gordon), midfielders Kaitlyn DiBuono (Nichols), Brenna Mereness (Eastern Nazarene), and Christin Peters (Gordon), backs Kelsey Jacobsen (Salve Regina), Nicole Poli (Western New England), and Emily Purinton (Gordon), and goalkeeper Leigh Engel (U. of New England).
Earning honorable mention were forwards Maggie Mahoney (U. of New England), Heather Mortell (Western New England), and Kara Webber (Eastern Nazarene), midfielders Amanda daCunha (Roger Williams), Jennifer Duval (Salve Regina), and Karina Scavo (U. of New England), backs Kristen Culver (Western New England), Eileen Endyke (Colby-Sawyer), Victoria Hunt (Endicott), and Julie Moody (Roger Williams), and goalkeeper Amy Meuse (Endicott).
Flynn, a senior midfielder from Southold, N.Y., is being recognized TCCC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She is the senior leader of a talented Endicott squad that ranks atop The Commonwealth Coast Conference in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed. In 18 total games played, Flynn ranks second among Endicott players with nine goals and 24 points, while leading her team with six assists. Against TCCC competition, Flynn ranks second in all three primary offensive categories, having tallied eight goals, four assists and 20 total points, which ranks among the top-10 players in the league in both goals and total points.
Abro, a freshman forward from Northborough, Mass., has been a major addition for a Nichols College side that ended the regular season with six consecutive conference victories to claim the #8 seed in the upcoming TCCC Championship thanks to a 7-6 conference record and a 10-8 overall mark. The first year standout enters postseason play leading all TCCC players with 22 goals and 49 total points in 16 overall games played. In conference-only competition, Abro led the league with 32 total points and ranked second with 14 goals scored in 11 games played. Among her 22 goals this season, five were game-winners, including four in conference play. She ranks in the NCAA Division III top-10 in both goals scored and total points.
Trafton, a senior midfielder from Manchester, Maine is a star performer both on and off the pitch. Athletically, Trafton is among the top performers on a balanced UNE squad that enters TCCC Championship play having posted a program-best 11-2 conference record and a 14-2 overall mark that is one victory shy of the program record. She is currently tied for the UNE team lead in goals (six), assists (six) and total points (18). Academically, Trafton sports a 3.86 GPA as an Applied Exercise Science major. She has earned a spot on the UNE Dean’s List every semester. She has also served as a volunteer at Beech Street School and Kid’s Cafe.
Kenyon, in her fifth season at Endicott, guided the Gulls to a fifth consecutive TCCC regular-season championship in 2009, as her team posted a 12-1 record in TCCC play and an impressive 14-4 overall mark. Endicott enters the upcoming TCCC Championship as the #1 seed and boasts the league’s highest-scoring offense (45 goals) and the league’s stingiest defense, having allowed just two goals to TCCC opponents all season. The Gulls enter the conference tournament having not allowed a goal in the last 810 minutes of play, ranking among the toughest defenses among all NCAA Division III (31st) programs.
2009 ALL-TCCC WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Student-Athlete Institution Class
F Samantha Abro Nichols Freshman
F Caitlin Flynn Endicott Senior
F Laurin Pendleton Roger Williams Sophomore
F Colleen Pepin Endicott Sophomore
M Kayla Plante Endicott Junior
M Chelsea Shaughnessy Nichols Sophomore
M Ali Trafton U. of New England Senior
B Michelle Meagher Roger Williams Sophomore
B Kate Pemberton U. of New England Junior
B Caitlin Peters Endicott Freshman
GK Jen Garside Roger Williams Senior
SECOND TEAM
Pos. Student-Athlete Institution Class
F Kaitlyn Birrell Salve Regina Freshman
F Elizabeth Galla Salve Regina Sophomore
F Ashley Hansbury Curry Senior
F Caitlin Nedde Gordon Freshman
M Kaitlyn DiBuono Nichols Sophomore
M Brenna Mereness Eastern Nazarene Senior
M Christin Peters Gordon Senior
B Kelsey Jacobsen Salve Regina Sophomore
B Nicole Poli Western New England Junior
B Emily Purinton Gordon Senior
GK Leigh Engel U. of New England Senior
HONORABLE MENTION
Pos. Student-Athlete Institution Class
F Maggie Mahoney U. of New England Sophomore
F Heather Mortell Western New England Junior
F Kara Webber Eastern Nazarene Sophomore
M Amanda daCunha Roger Williams Senior
M Jennifer Duval Salve Regina Senior
M Karina Scavo U. of New England Freshman
B Kristen Culver Western New England Senior
B Eileen Endyke Colby-Sawyer Senior
B Victoria Hunt Endicott Junior
B Julie Moody Roger Williams Junior
GK Amy Meuse Endicott Grad. Student
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR Caitlin Flynn, Endicott
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Samantha Abro, Nichols
SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Ali Trafton, U. of New England
COACH OF THE YEAR Jodi Kenyon, Endicott
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDAnna Maria College
