Nov. 4, 2008
Center Valley, Pa.- The 2008 Women's Soccer All-Patriot League Team was announced on Tuesday, with 20 of the 24 selections competing in this weekend's Patriot League Women's Soccer Tournament. No. 1 seed Navy and No. 4 seed Colgate each led the way with six student-athletes selected to the All-League squads, followed by No. 2 seed Bucknell and No. 3 seed Army with four selections apiece. Holy Cross and American each had two selections to round out the two teams. Due to ties in voting, the Second-Team All-Patriot League roster is made up of 13 players, while the First-Team All-Patriot League is comprised of the standard 11 players.
Navy turned an in undefeated regular season in Patriot League play, going 5-0-2 and earning the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament. The Mids had two First-Team All-Patriot League selections, junior defender Shelly Moeller and senior goalkeeper Lizzie Barnes. Moeller anchored a stalwart Navy back line that gave up only two goals in Patriot League play this season. The junior was also an offensive threat, scoring three game-winning goals this season on her way to winning four Patriot League BRINE Defensive Player of the Week honors. Barnes was masterful in goal for the Mids this year, helping Navy shut out 12 opponents, six of them in Patriot League play. Barnes had a League-low 0.66 goals-against average and earned three Patriot League BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week awards.
All four of Bucknell's All-League honorees are First-Team selections. Senior forward Jennifer Dervarics, sophomore forward Christa Matlack and senior midfielder Nicole Marotta anchored the high-powered Bucknell offense this year, and each earned First-Team recognition. Dervarics, a 2007 First-Team selection and 2007 Offensive Player of the Year, led the Patriot League in points (30) and goals (12) and is in the NCAA top-40 for both categories as well. Matlack is tied for second in the League in both points and goals with 20 and eight, respectively. Marotta, who is a midfielder and defender, won one Patriot League BRINE Defensive Player of the Year award. Bucknell's final First-Team selection is sophomore Caitlin Holtz, who won one Defensive Player of the Week award while leading a defense that allowed 24 goals in 19 games this season.
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Army has one First-Team honoree, freshman forward Dymon Washington. The freshman was fifth in the Patriot League in points with 17 and tied for fourth in the League with seven goals, three of which were game-winners. Washington won three Rookie of the Week awards this season.
Colgate also has one First-Team selection, junior midfielder Jillian Arnault. Arnault, a 2007 Patriot League First-Team honoree, was 10th in the League shots per game with a 1.94 average and tied for ninth in shots with 35.
American's lone First-Team selection is sophomore defender Friederike Engel. Engel was the 2007 Rookie of the Year, and has been named to the First-Team for the second consecutive year.
The final First-Team selections come from Holy Cross, with junior forward Shelby Stand and freshman midfielder Katherine Donnelly making the squad. Stand was fourth in the League in points with 19, and tied for fourth in goals with seven. Donnelly, a recipient of two Rookie of the Week selections, is tied for second in the League in points (20) and goals (eight).
The Second-Team All-Patriot League roster consists of 13 student-athletes, five of whom represent Colgate. Freshman forward Danielle Wessler won one Rookie of the Week award this season, while senior forward Josie Johnson makes her first All-League appearance since her Second-Team selection in 2005. Junior Jessica Bitsack is tied for 10th in the League with 11 points and has earned the third All-League honor of her career, while junior midfielder Liz Polido makes the squad for the first time. Sophomore defender Calista Victor is also a first-time All-League selection.
Navy had four Second-Team selections, which included sophomore forward Carissa Youker, senior forward Kristen Laraway and senior midfielders Julie Reynolds and Carey Young. Youker won one Offensive Player of the Week award earlier this season and is tied for fourth in the League with seven goals. Laraway also won an Offensive Player of the Week distinction and is seventh in the League in shots and tied for sixth with Youker with 16 points. Reynolds is an All-League selection for the third year in a row, and Young won two Defensive Player of the Week nods on her way to a Second-Team selection.
Army has three Second-Team selections, senior midfielder Sarah Goss, junior defender Elizabeth Betterbed and sophomore goalkeeper Alex Lostetter. Goss has one Offensive Player of the Week award under her belt this season, while Betterbed helped lead a staunch Army defense that went 4-1-2 in the Patriot League. Lostetter is second in the League in goals-against average and save percentage, but leads the League in shutouts with nine. Lostetter also won three consecutive Goalkeeper of the Week awards.
Rounding out the Second-Team is American junior defender Olivia Heditsian. This is Heditsian's second consecutive Second-Team selection.
This year's major award winners will be announced Thursday evening at the 2008 Patriot League Women's Soccer Championship banquet in Annapolis, Md. The Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Goalkeeper, Rookie and Coach of the Year will be revealed to kick off the championship weekend. The Patriot League Women's Soccer Championship will begin on Friday, Nov. 7 with No. 4 seed Colgate facing No. 1 seed Navy at 4 p.m., followed by No. 3 seed Army facing No. 2 seed Bucknell at 7 p.m. The winners of each semifinal match will move on to the title game, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.
First-Team All-Patriot League
Dymon Washington, Army, Fr., F
Jennifer Dervarics, Bucknell, Sr., F
Christa Matlack, Bucknell, So., F
Shelby Stand, Holy Cross, Jr., F
Nicole Marotta, Bucknell, Sr., M
Jillian Arnault, Colgate, Sr., M
Katherine Donnelly, Holy Cross, Fr., M
Friederike Engel, American, So., D
Caitlin Holtz, Bucknell, So., D
Shelly Moeller, Navy, Jr., D
Lizzie Barnes, Navy, Sr., GK
Second-Team All-Patriot League
Danielle Wessler, Colgate, Fr., F
Josie Johnson, Colgate, Jr., F
Carissa Youker, Navy, So., F
Kristen Laraway, Navy, Sr., F
Sarah Goss, Army, Sr., M
Liz Polido, Colgate, Jr., M
Jessica Bitsack, Colgate, Jr., M
Julie Reynolds, Navy, Sr., M
Carey Young, Navy, Sr., M
Olivia Heditsian, American, Jr., D
Elizabeth Betterbed, Army, Jr., D
Calista Victor, Colgate, So., D
Alex Lostetter, Army, So., GK
