11/4/2004 - Women's Soccer
Piedra Headlines Navy's All-League Women's Soccer Picks
Navy senior defender Xochitl Piedra was named to the Patriot League First Team for the third-consecutive season. |
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Defending Patriot League Tournament Champion Navy put five players on the 2004 Patriot League Women's Soccer All-League Team, including four-time honoree Xochitl Piedra (Wheaton, Ill.).
In addition to Navy's five, regular-season winner Colgate also had five players earn postseason honors, including sophomore Kellen Kroll who was tabbed the league's defensive player of the year and rookie of the year Franny Iacuzzi. In addition, American Army and Lehigh, qualifiers for this year's Patriot League Tournament, each had four players named to the all-league team, while Bucknell, the league's sixth-place finishing team, had three players garner honors. Lehigh sophomore midfielder Gina Lewandowski was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and senior Erin Iwaskiewicz earned the league's first goalkeeper of the year award. Mountain Hawks head coach Manny Oudin earned coach-of-the-year recognition for the second-consecutive year..
The corner stone of Navy's defensive corps over the last four years has been Piedra, who was named First-Team All-Patriot League for the third-consecutive season. Combined with her second-team recognition her freshman season, Piedra is just the third player in Navy history to earn Patriot League recognition all four years, joining Nicole Aunapu (1995-98) and Justine Fisher (1998-01). She and the Navy defense held its opponents to a league-low 1.04 goals against this fall, the fourth-lowest GAA in the program's history. The Mids also paced the league in shutouts, producing the fifth most in school history with seven.
Senior midfielder Stephanie Parker (Carmichael, Calif.) is a two-time member of the All-Patriot League First Team after posting the league's fourth-most assists this season. A four-year starter, Parker produced all eight points on assists this year tying for the 10th-most assists in Navy's single-season record book. Parker, who now appears on the single-season assists list twice, tied the Mids' career record behind a three-assist effort against Holy Cross. She closed her career tied with Nadia Sheikh (1999-02) with 27-career assists.
Navy sophomore forward Meggie Curran (Silver Spring, Md.) gained First-Team All-Patriot League kudos as perhaps Navy's most balanced offensive player this season. Not only did she lead the Mids with her 25 points, the 10th most among Navy's single-season leader board, but her eight goals tied for the most this year and she led the squad with nine assists. The second-year player began the season rehabbing an injured knee, but gained strength and confidence as the season wore on. She finished the year as the league's fourth-leading scorer, averaging 1.25 points per game and 0.40 goals per game. Her nine assists are tied as the fifth most in Navy history, just two off the record set last year by Navy's all-time leading scorer Stacy Finley. Meanwhile, she is ranked ninth on the Mids' all-time goals scored list with 17-career scores.
Navy senior goalkeeper Kim Bonafede (Burke, Va.), who was named Second-Team All-Patriot League for the third-consecutive year, closed out her career last weekend by collecting the 22nd shutout of her career, leading the Mids to a 1-0 victory over Bucknell. With five shutouts this fall, Navy's team captain became the Mids' all-time leader in shutouts, passing two-time all-league keeper Sarah Wilson (1997-00), who posted 20.3 during her career. Bonafede also graduates as just the third player in the program's history to top the 200-save barrier. With 234-career assists, she stands second in the Mids' record book behind Amy Hakola (1994-97), who owns the record with 479 saves. Finally, Bonafede leaves her mark as the school's leader in goals-against average, registering a 0.88 mark.
Rounding out the Mids' all-league pics was junior midfielder Sarah Hessinger (Oceanside, Calif.), who was named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. The first-time honoree produced four goals and three assists for the Mids as their fourth-leading scorer. In league play, Hessinger was Navy's second-leading scorer, psoting seven points on two goals and three assists. She turned in the league's ninth-best scoring average, posting 1.00 points per game in league contests, and averaged 0.43 assists per game in conference action, the fifth-best average.
2004 Patriot League Women's Soccer All-League Team
First Team
Player, School Yr. Pos. Hometown Previous Honors
Franny Iacuzzi, Colgate Fr. F Evanston, Ill.
Marcela Ricupero, American Jr. F Las Violetas, Monteserrin '03 Second Team
Meggie Curran, Navy So. F Silver Spring, Md.
Gina Lewandowski, Lehigh So. M Coopersburg, Pa. '03 First Team
Delaney Brown, Army Jr. M Mechanicsburg, Pa. '02 First Team
Carolyn Warhaftig, Colgate Jr. M Wyckoff, N.J. '03 First Team
Jocelyn Helwig, Lehigh Sr. F Wescoesville, Pa. '03 First Team
Stephanie Parker, Navy Sr. M Carmichael, Calif. '03 First Team
Kellen Kroll, Colgate So. D Chatham, N.J. '03 First Team
Xochitl Piedra, Navy Sr. D Wheaton, Ill. '03, '02 First Team, '01 Second Team
Meaghan Ferris, Bucknell Jr. D Boxford, Mass. '03 Second Team
Erin Iwaskiewicz, Lehigh Jr. GK Nashua, N.H. '01 First Team
Second Team
Player, School Yr. Pos. Hometown Previous Honors
Kelly Kuss, Colgate Jr. F Warners, N.Y. '03, '02 Second Team
Krista Lee Gentiel, Bucknell Fr. F Haledon, N.J.
Jennifer Margolis So. F Englishtown, N.J.
Jen Pascucci, Army Jr. F Pine Bush, N.Y.
Meg Runeari, American So. M Oswego, N.Y.
Ashley Emerson, Army So. M Indianapolis, Ind.
Christina Gonzalez, American So. M Valley Stream, N.Y. '03 Second Team
Sarah Hessinger, Navy Jr. M Oceanside, Calif.
Annette Scott, American Fr. D Gresham, Ore.
Michaela Pawlewicz, Lehigh Fr. D Naperville, Ill.
Julie Jorgensen, Army Jr. D Manchester, N.H.
Jackie Burch, Colgate So. D Hilton, N.Y.
Kim Bonafede, Navy Sr. GK Burke, Va. '03, '02 Second Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Gina Lewandowski, Lehigh
Defensive Player of the Year: Kellen Kroll, Colgate
Goalkeeper Player of the Year: Erin Iwaskiewicz, Lehigh
Freshman of the Year: Franny Iacuzzi, Colgate
Coach of the Year: Manny Oudin, Lehigh
G-o N-a-v-y
