Women's Soccer Sweeps Major MAC Awards; Eight Earn All-Conference Honors
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BUFFALO, NY – The 2014 Mid-American Conference regular season champion State University of New York, Buffalo women's soccer team placed a MAC-high eight student-athletes on the All-MAC teams, as announced by the league on Thursday afternoon. The Bulls swept all major awards as Katie Roberts was named MAC's Offensive Player of the Year, Jackie Hall earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Laura Dougall was named MAC Freshman of the Year and head coach Shawn Burke was named Coach of the Year.
The Bulls became the first team in MAC history to earn all four major awards as each player received the recognition for the first time in their respective careers. Coach Buke also earned Coach of the Year honors in his first season as a head coach, becoming just the second UB head coach to earn the recognition along with Jean A-Tassy in 2000.
Senior captain Courtney Mann, Roberts, Hall and Dougall all earned All-MAC First Team spots while Sophie Therien and Celina Carrero earned All-MAC Second Team honors. Julia Benati and Dougall also solidified themselves on the All-Freshman Team.
Roberts becomes the first Bull in program history to win MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. The senior forward has been the most dominant player in the MAC all season long as she currently leads the conference with 11 goals to go along with a pair of assists for 24 points. The Homerville, Ohio native has etched her name in the UB record books as her 11 goals this season rank her 8th in program history for goals in a season and her 22 career goals rank her 8th all-time. Roberts also ranks first in the MAC with six game-winning goals on the season.
After earning MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors last week, Hall received Defensive Player of the Year accolades on Thursday. The Brunswick, Ohio native led a back line that has pitched a program record 13 shutouts thus far in 2014. Not only has Hall been dominant in the defensive third of the pitch, but also she has been a threat on corner kicks where she has netted a career-high two goals this season. Starting every game for the Bulls, Hall leads the team in minutes played and becomes the first UB player in program history to be tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. After making the transition to the center back position, Hall has led a defensive that has held their opponents to five shots on goal or less in 14 of 19 contests.
Dougall also earned First Team honors after her outstanding freshman campaign. She is the lone freshman to earn a first team spot after posting a program record 12 clean sheets on the season. The Pickering, Ontario native has put together one of the greatest seasons in MAC history as a freshman, earning a program record 14 victories to go along with a conference-best goals-against average (0.37), save percentage (.911) and clean sheets (12). Dougall's save percentage of .911 ranks her third in the NCAA while her goals-against average of 0.37 ranks her fourth, allowing just seven goals against all season long. Dougall also earned All-Freshman team honors for her exception freshman season.
Mann was the fourth and final Bull named to the First Team following another terrific season in the midfield for Buffalo. The Buffalo, NY native was a pest all year long in the midfield for the Bulls as she helped lead UB to a program-record 14 victories along with 13 clean sheets. Mann was responsible for shutting down the opposing teams best player throughout the season and was the team's vocal leader on the field. Mann along with the UB back line has earned their spot at the top of the MAC in every defensive category.
In her final season donning the Blue and White, Therien has been a key factor to the MAC's best defense. A four-year starter at center back, Therien has helped the Bulls limit their opponents to 10.3 shots per contest while holding 14 opponents to five shots on goal or less. The Kirkland, Quebec native has been one of the Bulls most consistent performers since she stepped on the field at Buffalo, earning her first All-MAC accolades of her career as a senior.
Carrero has proved to be the best secondary scoring threat in the conference this season as she is tied for the MAC lead in assists with seven to go along with six goals. Starting all 19 contests this season, Carrero has scored six goals on 19 shots on goal and has racked up three game-winning goals, ranking second on the team behind Roberts. Carrero has emerged as one of the best players in the conference as of late, racking up three goals and four assists in the last six matches including assisting on the game-winning markers in the past two games.
Being named to the All-Freshman squad, Benati has been a pleasant surprise for UB this season as she ranks third on the team with three goals and four assists for 10 points while starting all 19 matches. The Dorchester, Ontario native has been one of the most dangerous Bulls this season, recording 52 shots and scoring two game-winning goals in her first season on campus.
Coach Burke collects his first MAC Coach of the Year award after leading the Bulls to a 14-2-3 record, including 9-0-2 in conference play that pushed the Blue and White to just their second regular season championship in program history. The unbeaten conference season is just the third in MAC history and first in Bulls history. Burke also helped lead UB to their highest RPI ranking in program history (47th) along with receiving votes in the top-25 Coaches Poll for the first time in program history. Moving Hall from the midfield to center back has proved to be the biggest difference for the Bulls from last year as they improved by eight wins and tied a program record for wins in a season.
The award-winning Bulls will return to the pitch Friday afternoon, Nov. 7, to host the remainder of the MAC Tournament. Top seeded Buffalo will take on the No. 4 seed Ball State Cardinals at 4 p.m. with No. 6 seeded Western Michigan and the No. 7 seeded Northern Illinois Huskies facing off in the second half of the doubleheader at 7 p.m. The winners of both contests will advance to the MAC Tournament championship game, Nov. 9, at 12 p.m. at UB Stadium.
2014 Defensive Players of the Year: Jackie Hall, R-Junior, Buffalo
Coach of the Year: Shawn Burke, Buffalo
2014 All-MAC First Team
Lani Smith, Senior, F, Akron
Laura Dougall, Freshman, GK, Buffalo
Jackie Hall, R-Junior, D, Buffalo
Courtney Mann, Senior, MF, Buffalo
Katie Roberts, Senior, F, Buffalo
Emily Dzik, Senior, D, Eastern Michigan
Molli Krick, Senior, MF, Eastern Michigan
Angela Vultaggio, Senior, F, Eastern Michigan
Jenna Hellstrom, Sophomore, F, Kent State
Kelsey Dinges, Senior, MF, Miami
Courtney Zanotti, Senior, Miami
2014 All-MAC Second Team
Leah Mattingly, Sophomore, D, Ball State
Madison Oyer, Junior MF, Ball State
Lauren Cadel, R-Sophomore, Bowling Green
Celina Carrero, Sophomore, F, Buffalo
Sophie Therien, Senior, D, Buffalo
Laura Gosse, Senior, F, Central Michigan
Bianca Rossi, Senior, F, Eastern Michigan
Haley Walter, Junior MF, Miami
Isabella Echeverri, Freshman, MF, Toledo
Lindsey Lee, Junior, D, Western Michigan
Rachel Chaney, Senior, MF, Western Michigan
Kylie Nylen, Junior, MF, Western Michigan
2014 All-Freshman Team:
Skylar Fleak, Bowling Green
Julia Benati, Buffalo
Laura Dougall, Buffalo
Kristen Brots, Kent State
Doni Capehart, Kent State
Maggie Scott Miami
Kat Zalar, Miami
Amy Annala, Northern Illinois
Lauren Gierman, Northern Illinois
Isa Echeverri, Toledo
Emma Kahn, Western Michigan
