Women's Team of the Season Unveiled

North Carolina’s Amber Brooks and Duke’s Cassie Pecht are TopDrawerSoccer.com Players of the Year for upperclassmen and rookies, respectively.

The honor comes as part of the Team of the Season lists, also unveiled today, for 33 upperclassmen and 22 newcomers to women’s college soccer.

Brooks, a veteran youth national team performer, has been the backbone of the Tar Heels’ team all season, providing vital senior leadership to Anson Dorrance’s youthful squad and serving as the essential midfield cog both as a ball-winner and distributor. She also is the 2^nd leading scorer on the team with 7 goals and 6 assists, going into this weekend’s College Cup.

The rookie award went to another ACC player, Duke’s Cassie Pecht, who tallied 6 goals and 15 assists from her role in Robbie Church’s midfield.

Both Brooks and Pecht were pressed for the award by a strong field of candidates, as reflected by the 1^st Teams of the respective lists.

For upperclassmen, College Cup participants are a strong presence on the 1^st Team. Joining North Carolina’s Brooks in that category are Penn State’s Christine Nairn (midfield) and  Maya Hayes(forward), Stanford goalkeeper Emily Oliver and defender Alina Garciamendez, Florida State defender Kassey Kallman and Brooks’  North Carolina teammate Crystal Dunn.

Other 1^st team honorees for upperclassmen include BYU defender Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall, Boston College's Kristen Mewis, Santa Clara midfielder Julie Johnston and UCLA forward Zakiya Bywaters.

On the rookie list, Notre Dame defenders Katie Naughton and Cari Roccaro both made the 1^st Team, along with Stanford’s Laura Liedle. Midfielders honored along with Pecht were Penn State’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year Raquel Rodriguez and Alabama’s Merel Van Dongen, the SEC Freshman of the Year. Rodriguez hails from Costa Rica and Van Dongen from Holland, to add an international feel to the list.

Abby Smith of Texas got the nod as 1^st Team goalkeeper, with Michele Murphy of BYU, Janine Beckie of Texas Tech, Summer Green of North Carolina and Makenzy Doniak of Virginia honored as 1^st Team forwards.

The full list for both groups is as follows:

 

TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season – Upperclassmen

Player of the Season: Amber Brooks, North Carolina

1^st Team

GK: Emily Oliver, Stanford

D: Kassey Kallman, Florida State

D: Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall, BYU

D: Alina Garciamendez, Stanford

M: Amber Brooks, North Carolina

M: Kristen Mewis, Boston College

M: Christine Nairn, Penn State

M: Julie Johnston, Santa Clara

F: Maya Hayes, Penn State

F: Zakiya Bywaters, UCLA

F: Crystal Dunn, North Carolina

 

2^nd Team

GK: Haley Kopmeyer, Michigan

D: Ines Jaurena, Florida State

D: Whitney Church, Penn State

D: Rachel Quon, Stanford

M: Morgan Brian, Virginia

M: Aly Miller, Marquette

M: Vanessa DiBernardo, Illinois

M: Sarah Killion, UCLA

F: Erika Tymrak, Florida

F: Laura Weinberg, Duke

F: Caroline Miller, Virginia

 

3^rd Team

GK: Adrianna Franch, Oklahoma State

D: Annie Steinlage, Michigan State

D: Kendall Johnson, Portland

D: Bry McCarthy, West Virginia

M: Daphne Corboz, Georgetown

M: Holly King, Florida

M: Cloee Colohan, BYU

F: Colleen Williams, Dayton

F: Kealia Ohai, North Carolina

F: Chioma Ubogagu, Stanford

F: Jonelle Filigno, Rutgers

 

TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season – Freshmen

Rookie of the Year: Cassie Pecht, Duke

1^st Team

GK: Abby Smith, Texas

D: Cari Roccaro, Notre Dame

D: Laura Liedle, Stanford

D: Katie Naughton,  Notre Dame

M: Merel Van Dongen, Alabama

M: Cassie Pecht, Duke

M: Raquel Rodriguez, Penn State

F: Michele Murphy, BYU

F: Janine Beckie, Texas Tech

F: Summer Green, North Carolina

F: Makenzy Doniak, Virginia

 

2^nd Team

GK: Emma Newins, Georgetown

D: Christen Westphal, Florida

D: Hanna Gardner, North Carolina

D: Maya Theuer, Stanford

M: Ashley Meier, Virginia Tech

M: Dani Weatherholt, Santa Clara

M: Mallory Weber, Penn State

F: Taylor Smith, UCLA

F: McKenzie Meehan, Boston College

F: Crystal Thomas, Notre Dame

F: Ifeoma Onumona, California