SPRINGFIELD, Mass - All 10 institutions from the Commonwealth Coast Conference were represented on the 2011All-CCC Women’s Soccer Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. In addition to the all-conference team, five major individual award winners and a team sportsmanship award winner were also selected.
Salve Regina University junior Kaitlyn Birrell was named CCC Offensive Player of the Year, Endicott College senior Caitlin Peters was honored as CCC Defensive Player of the Year, Roger Williams freshman Kristin Tetreault was selected as CCC Rookie of the Year, Endicott College senior Colleen Pepin was named CCC Senior Scholar Athlete, University of New England coach Heather Davis was named CCC Coach of the Year, and Gordon College was the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award.
Voting for the All-CCC team and each of the major awards was conducted among CCC women’s soccer coaches.
Joining Birell, Peters, and Pepin on the first team were forwards Katie Caron (University of New England),and Katie Fusaro (Roger Williams), midfielders Alexa Maher (Roger Williams), Katy Marshall (University of New England), and Karina Scavo (Gordon), backs Emily Lodge (University of New England), and Michelle Meagher (Roger Williams), and goalkeeper Jess Woodworth (University of New England).
Second team selections included forwards Elizabeth Galla (Salve Regina), Caitlin Nedde (Gordon), and Kara Webber (Eastern Nazarene) midfielders Chelsea Garlock (Endicott), Noelle Marston (Roger Williams), Sarah McMurray (Western New England), and Chelsea Shaughnessy (Nichols), backs Lucy Brown (Wentworth), Hala Coker (Gordon), and Jesalyn Dvorak (University of New England), and goalkeeper Jessica Gardner (Wentworth).
Earning honorable mention were forwards Hannah Noel (Roger Williams), Laurin Pendleton (Roger Williams), Alice Read (University of New England) and Nicole Fournier (Endicott), midfielders Kaitlyn DiBuono (Nichols), Nicole Faircloth (University of New England), Suzie Jensen (Curry), and Erin McCullough (Salve Regina), backs Kristin Metcalf (Roger Williams), Alyssa Roshong (Salve Regina), and Christine Silva (Endicott), and goalkeepers Stephanie Jaques (Roger Williams) and Sam Hardy (Curry).
Birrell, a junior forward from Hope, R.I. was the driving force behind the Seahawks offense this season, collecting 17 of the team’s 44 goals, and averaging one goal per game. In addition to leading the league in goals scored (17), she also topped the conference in points and points per game (43 and 2.53, respectively), assists and assists per game (9, 0.53, respectively), and game-winning goals (7). Nationally, Birrell is ranked sixth among all Division III players in game-winning goals, and the top-25 for points and goals per game. The five-time CCC Offensive Player of the Week helped the Seahawks set the program single-season record for wins with an overall record of 12-5-1 (6-2-1 CCC) and secure the #3 seed in the upcoming CCC Championship Tournament.
Peters, a junior captain and central defender from Salem, N.H., has been the anchor of the Gulls’ defense throughout the 2011 season. The three-time All-CCC selection has been noted to have an exceptional understanding of the game, while making solid and steady decisions and passes in crucial plays. She has also garnered NEWISA and NSCAA All-Region honors twice, and was an ECAC All-Star as a rookie. Defensively, she has helped keep opponents’ to a minimum, allowing just 17 goals this season. She has started in all 64 games throughout her career at Endicott.
Tetreault, a freshman midfielder from Tolland, Conn., has been an asset to a Roger Williams squad that enters the CCC Tournament looking to avenge its only conference loss of the year. The rookie standout ranks third on the team in points (14), netting four goals and chipping in six assists. Tretreault has made an appearance in each of the Hawks’ 18 regular season contests, and is tied for third in the league in assists (6). The Hawks enter the post season as the #2 seed with a CCC record of 8-1 to go with an overall mark of 11-6-1.
Pepin, a senior forward from Fairhaven, Mass., is a prime example of what it means to be a student-athlete. Athletically, Pepin is among the top performers in the league. Among CCC players, she ranks first in shots (102), second in goals (15) and game-winning goals (5), and third in points (33). Pepin also leads the Gulls in goals, points, and game-winning goals. Academically, she touts an impressive 3.94 GPA as an accounting major, while juggling her time with internships, including a 40 hour a week internship. Pepin has also participated in numerous community service projects on and off campus, and was inducted into the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society in 2010. Pepin rounds out her conference recognition as a four-time All-CCC honoree and a two-time Academic All-CCC selection.
Davis, in her second year at University of New England, has commanded her squad to a perfect regular-season conference record of 8-0, while sporting an impressive overall mark of 12-2-2. The Nor’easters embark on the upcoming CCC Championship as the top seed while being tied for the highest-scoring offense (20). UNE also has one of the stingiest defenses, allowing conference opponents to score just four times this season. Among 440 NCAA Division III programs, the Nor’easters enter post season ranked 19th for shutouts and 28th for goals against average.
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