2023 All-SAC Teams
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman women's soccer placed three players on the South Atlantic Conference all-conference teams, as announced by the league office earlier today.
Three Eagles were placed on three separate all-conference teams. Abbie Zander (Baneberry, Tenn.) was named to the all-conference first team, Felicia Frick (Eschen, Liechtenstein) to the second-team and Addie Henry (Chattanooga, Tenn.) to the third-team.
With three players being recognized on an all-conference team, it marks the tenth straight season the program has had at least three athletes represented.
Zander earns her second consecutive all-conference honor, and third career honor. The senior defender scored three goals and added one assist from a defensive spot this season. Her first goal of the year came in a tie at Young Harris on September 6th. She scored her other two goals in home wins over Emory & Henry and Bluefield State. The goal-scoring has come with efficiency. 10 of her 17 shots this season have hit the target. Zander has eight career goals and eight career assists.
"This means a lot," Zander said. "It just shows that hard work does pay off. Just to be able to have that honor is awesome and to be able to give it to my team is great."
The senior is the only player that has started in every game for Carson-Newman the past two seasons.
"Over the summer, I just worked by butt off every single day," Zander said. "I know that if I step out on the field and Duffy trusts me, then I can trust myself and my team trusts me. Being able to have that trust is inspiring because it lets me be the person I am."
Frick took her game to another level during her sophomore season. After just one assist as a freshman, Frick has six in 2023, the sixth most in the SAC. She recorded two in a 4-1 win versus Emory & Henry on Sept 20. Frick's assist against Coker three days later helped the Eagles knock off the Cobras.
The midfielder has been one of the more pristine penalty kick takers in program history. Three of her four goals this season have been from via the PK. Frick is a perfect 5-5 on penalty kicks, which is tied for the most penalty kicks made in program history. In the SAC quarterfinals on Saturday, Frick scored the go-ahead goal in the 108th minute to knock off the Trojans and advance Carson-Newman to the SAC semifinals. That goal was Frick's first non-penalty goal of her career.
"Philly (Felicia) is just one of the best players I have played with in my life," Zander said. "She always steps on the field and gives her all no matter what. She always picks up the team throughout everything she does. Obviously, her statistics show that she is one of the best players on the field and off the field she is always picking people up."
Henry secures her fifth all-conference honor of her career. The graduate student has played a key role on the field for Simon Duffy's team. Statistically, she has stood out because of her three assists in 2023. Two of her three assists came in the first three games of the season. Her third assist of the year was in the regular season finale to help Carson-Newman comeback and defeat Tusculum 3-2.
The Chattanooga, Tenn native is Carson-Newman's most experienced player with 72 career appearances and 65 career starts. Henry currently ranks ninth all-time in career minutes played with 5,499. She has ten career goals and 14 career assists as well.
"Addie is honestly one of the more inspiring players that I have played with," Zander said. "She is always giving her all whether its forward, midfield or defending. Obviously, she has had to step into roles that she wasn't expecting this year. Just being a fifth-year senior, she's been the shoulder everyone can lean on and just the stability that everyone needs on and off the field."
The Eagles return to the field on Friday morning in the SAC semifinals against #6 Lenoir-Rhyne. Kick off from Matthews, N.C. is set for 11:00 a.m.
