Lacourse, Chiesa receive All-Conference nods
ATTLEBORO, Mass. - All nine sponsored programs were represented on 2009 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women's Soccer All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy on Friday. In addition to the All-NECC honors, four separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week. The Wheelock women's soccer team was represented by Senior Lindsey Lacourse (Scarborough, Maine) and sophomore goal keeper Allie Chiesa (Medford, Mass.)
The Lesley University Lynx took top honors as they finished undefeated in NECC play at 8-0. The Lynx senior forward Jodi Fralick (Woburn, Mass.), a mathematics and secondary education major, was named the 2009 NECC Women's Soccer Player of the Year. In conference play, Fralick played all eight games adding 18 goals, one assist and 37 points. She led the NECC in almost every offensive category including goals, points, shots and game winning goals. Overall, Fralick reached 30 goals, three assists for 63 points. She also hit a major milestone this season reaching her 100th goal as the 15th NCAA DIII player to ever reach this goal.
Bay Path senior Samantha Gunseth (Swanzey, N.H.) grabbed the 2009 NECC Women's Soccer Goalie of the Year, for the second straight season. Gunseth, a forensic psychology major, tallied 94 saves (11.75 saves per game), an .832 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average. She leads the conference in saves and saves per game. Overall she has played 1450:38 minutes while notching 188 saves with a .770 save percentage, a 3.70 goals against average and 1 shut-out for the Wildcats.
Lesley freshman midfielder Kate Ryder (Glastonbury, Conn.) nabbed the 2009 NECC Women's Soccer Rookie of the Year for her first season of collegiate play. Ryder, undecided in her major, was second in assists and assists per game in the NECC. She finished conference play with four assists (0.50 per game). Overall, Ryder has tallied six assists for six points playing in all 19 matches for the Lynx.
Fralick and Ryder were joined by their head coach Paul Vasconcelos for top conference honors. Vasconcelos was named the 2009 NECC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year, for the second straight season. He led the Lynx to a 14-4-1 overall record and an undefeated 8-0 record in conference play this season. Lesley grabbed the #1 seed and will be hosting the #3 Mitchell Mariners in the championship title match tomorrow.
The Mountaineers of Southern Vermont, led by head coach Shawn Holcombe, were honored as the 2009 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients. The Mountaineers finished 0-16 and 0-8 in NECC play.
Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was
conducted among all NECC women's soccer coaches.
Joining Fralick and Gunseth on All-NECC First Team in the forward
positions were Elms' senior Krystyna Gagne
(Methuen, Mass.), Mitchell's sophomore Nikki
Hoxie (Winsted, Conn.), Becker's freshman
Alexandra Fernandes (Tucson, Ariz.); in the
midfielder position were Lesley's sophomore Jenna
Fralick (Woburn, Mass.), Elms' junior Alison
Couture (Chicopee, Mass.) and Mitchell's sophomore
Leslie Briggs (Dighton, Mass.); in the defender
spot were Becker's freshman Keri Richardson
(Douglas, Mass.), Elms' senior Justine Pereira
(Ludlow, Mass.) and Lesley's senior Cathryn
Folkestad (Ipswich, Mass.).
Second team honors went out to twelve student-athletes. At the forward position were Becker's freshman Caroline Plunkett (Belle Harbor, N.Y.), Newbury's junior Ashley Greene-Allen (Brockton, Mass.), Mitchell's junior Paige Ehnot (West Hartford, Conn.) and Wheelock's senior Lindsey Lacourse (Scarborough, Maine); at the midfielder position were Becker's senior Catherine Millette (Columbia, Conn.), Newbury's sophomore Jessica Graus (Rochester, N.Y.) and Daniel Webster's sophomore TC DiSantis (Hinsdale, Mass.); Daniel Webster's junior and freshman Becca Jordan (East Granby, Conn.) and Hillary Girard (Seymour, Conn.) along with Newbury's freshman Jasmine James (Wellesley, Mass.) and Mitchell's freshman Kaitlyn McGinn (Millstone, N.J.);and finally senior goalkeeper Hailee Lowe (Hamilton, Mass.).
Five players received honorable mention all of whom were goalkeepers including Daniel Webster's sophomore Amy Waller (Berlin, Mass.), Becker's senior Shannon Tibbetts (Warren, Mass.), Wheelock's sophomore Allie Chiesa (Medford, Mass.), Southern Vermont's freshman Amber Mulhern (Bennington, Vt.) and Elms' freshman Molly Corse (Bernardston, Mass.).
