May 1, 2006

AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn soccer team closed the books on the 2005-06 season with an awards banquet this past Saturday night where they honored last season's team as well as AU Senior Women's Administrator Barbara Camp for her dedication to the team.

Camp has been the SWA at Auburn since December of 1992 and was one of the key forces in Auburn adding a women's soccer program beginning in the 1993 season. As the program continued its rise through the end of the decade, she hired current head coach Karen Hoppa away from Central Florida to guide the Tigers to prominence. Since Hoppa took over in 1999, she has coached the Tigers to 138 wins, a SEC Championship, four SEC Western Division Championships and four trips to the NCAA Tournament. For all of her hard work and dedication to the program, the soccer staff renamed the team's unsung hero award the Barbara Camp Unsung Hero Award.

"Barbara has played such a key role in women's athletics during her 40 years in the profession. She has meant so much to Auburn, and to all of us in the soccer program, since we wouldn't be here if it weren't for her," Hoppa said. "She is also my first female role model in my career. I didn't play for any females nor did we even have an SWA when I started at UCF. But when I came here, it was different. I could go to Barbara for advice and support and she gave me such great guidance as we were trying to build this program. I cannot tell you how much she has meant to me, our coaches and our players. She was always the first one across the field to hug me after the big wins and the first one to pat me on the back after the bad losses."

After presenting Camp with a framed jersey that was surrounded by the pictures of the 13 teams that have played at Auburn since the sport's inception on the Plains, Hoppa presented the Barbara Camp Unsung Hero Award. The award goes to the player who consistently made a difference on the field, but rarely gets the recognition that she deserves. The 2005 winner was senior Ashley Eason, who, in four years, started every game of her career, setting the school record, while playing on the back line, usually against the opponent's top forward. It marked the second consecutive year that Eason won the award.

"That is one of the neatest honors I have ever had in my life. I was thrilled," Camp said of the award being named for her. "It was really special. Karen has been a joy to work with. Her and Matt (Mott) have built a great soccer program at Auburn. I am so proud of them, the program and the student-athletes they have brought in to Auburn. Saturday was a very special evening. To have Ashley Eason win the award was just fantastic. She is just a great student-athlete."

A pair of juniors were named the team's offense and defensive MVP's as Kristen Stewart took home the offensive honors and Ronda Brooks the defensive honors. Stewart started 20 out of 21 games at center back and scored a team-best five goals, three of which were game winners. At the conclusion of the 2005 SEC Tournament, she was named to the All-Tournament Team. Brooks, who was named the SEC Tournament MVP and first team All-SEC, was the leader of the AU defense while also adding an offensive punch, scoring five goals, three of which were game winners.

Other awards handed out at the banquet included the Coaches' Award, which went to Summer Ragsdale for her attitude and dedication. The Rookie of the Year Award went to Jenn Johnson, who started all 21 games as a freshmen en route to being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Sophomore Lauren Stewart took home the Most Improved Player Award, as voted by her teammates.

Also recognized at the banquet were the 18 players that were named Top Tigers, the 13 players named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, the Academic Captain (Jada Stewart) and Team Captains (Brooks, Eason, Jac Schwarz and K. Stewart).

Brooks was also recognized for her SoccerBuzz Elite Team of the Week selection after being named SEC Tournament MVP, her selection to the SoccerBuzz First Team All-Southeast and for the second straight year, the NSCAA All-Southeast First Team.