Video: Averi Williams Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – After a regular season in which the Carson-Newman Women's Soccer team set multiple program records, seven Eagles were recognized on the South Atlantic Conference All-League teams as announced by the office on Wednesday morning. Lauren Wade was named SAC Player of the Year and Simon Duffy was voted Coach of the Year by the league's coaches.
Wade collected SAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after recording a league high 31 points. She becomes the sixth player in the history of the conference to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
The senior joins Rebecca Angus as the only other C-N player to win the award multiple times when Angus won it in 2004 and 2006.
The Coleraine, Northern Ireland native also collected First Team All-Conference honors for the second straight year.
"I am very proud and honored to win this award for the second year," Wade exclaimed. "It's always nice to have the recognition but I'm proud of what our team has accomplished so far. All the girls have been fantastic this season, and we have a great group of players. I'm ecstatic for the others who were recognized as well."
Holly Talbut-Smith joined Wade as a first-team All-SAC forward selection, after picking up 21 points with six goals and nine assists. It is also the second-straight season that the Crawley, England native has earned first-team All-League honors.
Junior forward Magda Mosengo was one of three Eagles to be named to the end of regular season all-conference teams for the first time in their careers, joining junior defenders Averi Williams and Alex Brandan.
Mosengo finished 2017 second on the team in points with 24, recording eight goals and eight assists. She also earned SAC Player of the Week honors on Sept. 5, as well as a Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week the following day.
Williams, a first-team All-SAC selection, collected a goal and an assist on the year but more importantly helped the team record nine shutouts during the regular season. The Powell, Tenn. native was an integral part of a defense who allowed just nine goals in 15 games, and held teams to five shots or less 10 different times.
Brandan marked the third defender selected to the all-conference teams for C-N, receiving votes that fell just short of the first-team. The second-team All-SAC selection was named to the All-SAC Tournament team following the 2016 postseason. She recorded five assists during the regular season, which led all defenders on the team.
Senior Helen Seed joined Williams on first-team All-SAC as a defender, recording a career-high three goals and adding one assist in 2017. The Preston, England product adds another award to an impressive career at C-N, which included first-team All-SAC as a freshman in 2014, All-Tournament team in 2015 & '16, and second-team All-SAC in 2016.
Goalkeeper Jackie Burns made the jump from second-team All-SAC in 2016, to first-team after another stellar season in net. The sophomore from Cookstown, Northern Ireland has already collected the most wins in program history with 32. She earned six solo clean sheets during the regular season, and shared shutouts in three other games splitting time with Jasmine Rizk.
"Delighted for all those players to get recognition," Coach Duffy mentioned. "Would've loved to have a few more on there because we have some other very good players. Proud of all their work and dedication, and now that we move forward, at the end of the day we want that conference trophy."
Simon Duffy was voted by the league's coaches as Coach of the Year, his first award in his 12 years as a head coach. Duffy is the first Eagles head coach to receive the award in his first year at the helm, guiding C-N to its only unbeaten season (14-0-1, 9-0-1 SAC) and a SAC regular season title.
"It should be coaching staff of the year in fairness. With Jules, Bryan, and Wayne, there's no way I can do any of that on my own," Duffy added. "It's honor because there are some great coaches in this league."
First Team
F – Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
F – Alyssa Ortega, Newberry
F – Holly Talbut-Smith, Carson-Newman
F – Charlotte Ring, Queens
MF – Alana Jefferson, Queens
MF – Abbie Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Courtney Velazquez, Newberry
MF – Abigael McGarel, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Mariah Lewis, Queens
D – Helen Seed, Carson-Newman
D – Averi Williams, Carson-Newman
D – Christina Shimshock, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Jacqueline Burns, Carson-Newman
Second Team
F – Magda Mosengo, Carson-Newman
F – Lauren Allan, Anderson
F – Emma rose Stockton, Queens
F – Elizabeth Phan, Queens
MF – Kimmi Moore, Wingate
MF – Jovana Sanchez, Catawba
MF – Erin Feldman, Catawba
MF – Taylor Leyble, Wingate
D – Kaitlyn Fletcher, Wingate
D – Helen Ramsey, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Alex Brandan, Carson-Newman
D – Carlie Thornber, Tusculum
GK – Samantha Hoffman, Coker
Honorable Mention
F – Payton DeHart, Tsuculum
F – Becky Frost, Catawba
F – Jordan Newby, Tusculum
MF – Thea Mallett, Queens
MF – Sonja Ballmert, Tusculum
MF – Daphne Heyaime, Newberry
MF – Melanie Maddox, Anderson
D – Emilie Toftbjerg, Anderson
D – Kristin Debiase, Wingate
D – Caileigh Apicella, Wingate
GK – Alexis Jones, Wingate
Player of the Year
Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
Freshman of the Year
Jovana Sanchez, Catawba
Coach of the Year
Simon Duffy, Carson-Newman
Fair Play Award
Mars Hill
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