BOSTON — Three teams each won a pair of major awards as the 2015 America East Women’s Soccer All-Conference teams and major award winners were announced Wednesday. Regular-season champion, Hartford, along with Maine and New Hampshire each took home two major honors.
Hartford claimed its second-straight regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, and with it came the second consecutive Coaching Staff of the Year award for head coach John Natale and his staff. Hawk junior Jessica Jurg also was honored as the conference’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Maine senior Noelle Leon-Palmer earned her second-straight Defender of the Year award, while teammate Viven Beil was named the Rookie of the Year. New Hampshire sophomore Brooke Murphy took home Striker of the Year honors, and fellow Wildcat Caroline Murray was the conference’s Midfielder of the Year.
The awards, along with the all-conference teams, were determined in a vote by the league’s head coaches.
Striker of the Year
Brooke Murphy, So., F, New Hampshire
- The first Wildcat since 2008 and just the fourth in school history to be named Striker of the Year
- Leads the conference in points (26), points per game (1.44), goals (11) and shots (71).
- Her seven goals in conference play are tied for the sixth most in a single season.
- Scored multiple goals three times this season, including twice in conference play.
Midfielder of the Year
Caroline Murray, Sr., M, New Hampshire
- The first Wildcat since 2007 and only the second in program history to be named Midfielder of the Year.
The team’s playmaker, she leads the conference with eight assists.
Five of her assists have come in conference play, tied for the seventh most in a single season.
Defender of the Year
Noelle Leon-Palmer, Sr, B, Maine
- Is just the third student-athlete in America East history to be named Defender of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
- Has helped Maine’s defense rank third in the conference with a 1.10 goals against average.
- Anchors a Black Bears defense that has three shutouts during conference play.
- Maine is second in the conference, allowing just 202 shots to opponents this year.
Goalkeeper of the Year
Jessica Jurg, Jr., GK, Hartford
- Leads the conference and ranks 12th in the country with a 0.497 goals against average.
- Her 0.862 save percentage is in the top-20 of the country and leads the America East.
- She is the fourth Goalkeeper of the Year award winner from Hartford and the first since 2012.
- Allowed just five total goals in eight games during conference play.
Rookie of the Year
Vivien Beil, Fr., M, Maine
- Just the third Black Bear to be named Rookie of the Year and the first since teammate Charlene Achille in 2012.
- Is second on the team with 10 points, totaling three goals and four assists.
- Also ranks second on the team in shots and tallied one game-winning goal this season.
Coaching Staff of the Year
Hartford (Head coach: John Natale)
- Hartford is taking home its fifth America East Coaching Staff of the Year honor under John Natale.
- The Hawks won their second-straight regular-season title and 12th in program history.
- Hartford led the America East in goals against average (0.50) and goals per game (1.65).
- It is the first time since 1998-99 that Hartford has won back-to-back regular-season titles.
Murphy, Murray, Leon-Palmer, Jurg and Beil highlight the All-Conference First Team, which features five different teams. Leon-Palmer and Albany midfielder Alexa Schneider are the lone repeat selections of the bunch, while Murray and Murphy were both second team picks a year ago. Hartford junior Aaliyah Ingram and Stony Brook junior Raven Edwards join Murphy to make up a forward group that has combined for 64 points. Murray and Beil head the midfielders that also includes 2013 Midfielder of the Year in Hartford’s Stephanie Santos, along with Schneider. Leon-Palmer is joined by Hartford’s Caitlin Smallfield and New Hampshire’s Kirsten O’Neil in the back. Jurg earns her first all-conference selection in net.
Several All-Conference Second Team selections were also picked to all-conference teams in 2014. That list includes Albany forward Vivian Vega and defender Shelby Belak, Maine forward Charlene Achille and goalkeeper Claudia Dube-Trempe, and Hartford defender Emma Donnelly. Vega, who was called to the U-20 Mexican National Team, and Achille, who led the league with five game-winning goals, were joined up front by Vermont’s Nikki McFarland. The midfield group has a pair of Catamounts in Sarah Martin and Caroline Greer, to go with Hartford’s Tori Tripp and and Binghamton’s Katherine Corcoran. Stony Brook senior back Priscilla Wiggins rounds out the squad with Belak and Donnelly in the back.
Albany, Hartford and Maine each had a pair of selections to the All-Rookie team. Maine’s Beil tops the team and was joined by teammate Anetra Byfield. Hartford forward Julia Carr leads all freshmen in scoring with six goals and five assists, while teammate Hayley Nolan ranks among the top midfielders in the league. Albany forward Mariah Williams and back Caroline Kopp are featured, contributing to the Great Danes receving their highest seed (second) in program history. UMass Lowell forward Katelyn Vieira led the River Hawks in scoring with eight goals to earn an All-Rookie nod. Three defenders were featured in UMBC’s Skyler Mackey, Stony Brook’s Katie Loughren and Vermont’s Casey Garfinkel. New Hampshire midfielder Gaby Dorsey was the lone Wildcat selection.
In addition to the all-conference teams and major award winners, the America East also announced the All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the All-Academic team, a student-athlete must carry at-least a 3.3 GPA and play in 50 percent of the team’s games. Student-athletes are then nominated and voted on by a group of Faculty Athletic Representatives, Sports Information Directors and Academic Advisors.
Four of the 11 All-Academic Team members were also All-Conference picks including Goalkeeper of the Year, Jurg (3.95/Sociology), Midfielder of the Year, Murray (3.54/Psychology), Schneider (3.79/Sociology & Human Biology) and Donnelly (3.87/Biomedical Engineering). Also earning selections are Albany’s Krista Fitzpatrick (3.97/Sociology & Criminal Justice) and Caitlyn Paltsios (3.81/Psychology), Binghamton’s Alyssa Vallar (3.88/Philosophy, Politics & Law), Hartford’s Katie Conolly (4.00/Psychology) and Erica Primovic (3.95/Mechanical Engineering), UMass Lowell’s Colleen Corliss (3.90/Business) and New Hampshire’s Mimi Borkan (3.82/Statistics & Kinesiology).
The 2015 America East Championship begins on Thursday, October 29 with two quarterfinal games at 7 p.m. as No. 3 Vermont hosts No. 6 UMBC and No. 4 Maine hosts No. 5 New Hampshire. No. 1 Hartford and No. 2 Albany will host semifinal games on Sunday, Nov. 1, and the 2015 title game will be held either Nov. 7 or Nov. 8 at the highest remaining seed. All five tournament games will air for free on AmericaEast.TV. For more information on the 2015 America East Championship, visit the Championship Central page at www.AmericaEast.com.
2015 Women's Soccer All-Conference Teams & Major Award Winners
| First Team |
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| Position |
Name |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown/High School/Previous |
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| Forward |
Aaliyah Ingram |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Northport, N.Y./Northport |
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| Forward |
Brooke Murphy |
So. |
New Hampshire |
Monson, Mass/Monson |
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| Forward |
Raven Edwards |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
West Orange, N.J./West Orange |
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| Midfielder |
Alexa Schneider |
Jr. |
Albany |
Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue |
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| Midfielder |
Stephanie Santos |
Sr. |
Hartford |
Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck |
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| Midfielder |
Vivien Beil |
Fr. |
Maine |
Jena, Germany/Johan Chr. Sportsgymnasium |
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| Midfielder |
Caroline Murray |
Sr. |
New Hampshire |
New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan |
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| Back |
Caitlin Smallfield |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Aukland, New Zealand/Rangitoto College |
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| Back |
Noelle Leon-Palmer |
Sr. |
Maine |
Ajax, Ontario/Pickering High School |
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| Back |
Kirsten O’Neil |
Sr. |
New Hampshire |
Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet |
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| Goalkeeper |
Jessica Jurg |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Annen, The Neterlands/Zernike Junior College |
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| Second Team |
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| Forward |
Vivian Vega |
So. |
Albany |
Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom |
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| Forward |
Charlene Achille |
Sr. |
Maine |
Longueuil, Quebec/CEGEP Eduard Monpetit |
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| Forward |
Nikki McFarland |
Jr. |
Vermont |
Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park |
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| Midfielder |
Katherine Corcoran |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park |
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| Midfielder |
Tori Tripp |
Jr. |
Hartford |
London England/Fortismere Secondary School |
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| Midfielder |
Caroline Greer |
Sr. |
Vermont |
Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony’s |
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| Midfielder |
Sarah Martin |
So. |
Vermont |
Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spaulding |
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| Back |
Shelby Belak |
Jr. |
Albany |
Amherst, N.H./Souhegan |
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| Back |
Emma Donnelly |
Sr. |
Hartford |
Kanata, Ontario/Collego Catholigue Frano-Quest |
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| Back |
Priscilla Wiggins |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
Fresno, Calif./George School |
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| Goalkeeper |
Claudia Dube-Trempe |
Jr. |
Maine |
Chambly, Quebec/CEGEP Eduard Monpetit |
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| All-Rookie Team (11 regardless of position) |
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| Position |
Name |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
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| Back |
Caroline Kopp |
Fr. |
Albany |
Fayetteville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt |
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| Forward/Midfield |
Mariah Williams |
Fr. |
Albany |
Utica, N.Y./Whitesboro |
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| Midfield |
Julia Carr |
Fr. |
Hartford |
Guilford, Conn./Guilford |
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| Midfield |
Hayley Nolan |
Fr. |
Hartford |
Kildare Ireland/St.Mary’s College |
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| Midfield |
Vivien Beil |
Fr. |
Maine |
Jena, Germany/Johan Chr. Sportsgymnasium |
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| Forward |
Anetra Byfield |
Fr. |
Maine |
Brampton, Ontario/Bramalea Secondary |
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| Midfield/Back |
Skyler Mackey |
Fr. |
UMBC |
Washington, D.C./Woodrow Wilson |
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| Forward |
Katelyn Vieira |
Fr. |
UMass Lowell |
Warwick, R.I./Pilgrim |
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| Midfield |
Gaby Dorsey |
Fr. |
New Hampshire |
Hubertus, Wis./Hartford Union |
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| Back |
Katie Loughren |
Fr. |
Stony Brook |
Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony’s |
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| Back |
Casey Garfinkel |
Fr. |
Vermont |
Livingston, N.J./Livingston |
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| All-Academic Team (11 regardless of position) |
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| Name |
School |
Cl. |
GPA |
Major |
Hometown/High School |
| Krista Fitzpatrick |
Albany |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Sociology & Criminal Justice |
Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue |
| Caitlyn Paltsios |
Albany |
Jr. |
3.81 |
Psychology |
Westford, Mass./Westford Academy |
| Alexa Schneider |
Albany |
Jr. |
3.79 |
Sociology & Human Biology |
Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue |
| Alyssa Vallar |
Binghamton |
Sr. |
3.88 |
Philosophy, Politics & Law |
Huntington Station, N.Y./ |
| Katie Conolly |
Hartford |
Jr. |
4 |
Psychology |
Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury |
| Emma Donnelly |
Hartford |
Sr. |
3.87 |
Biomedical Engineering |
Kanata, Ontario/Collego Catholigue Frano-Quest |
| Jessica Jurg |
Hartford |
Jr. |
3.95 |
Sociology |
Annen, The Neterlands/Zernike Junior College |
| Erica Primovic |
Hartford |
Sr. |
3.95 |
Mechanical Engineering |
Avon, Conn./Avon |
| Colleen Corliss |
UMass Lowell |
Sr. |
3.9 |
Business |
Pittsfield, N.H./Pittsfield |
| Mimi Borkan |
New Hampshire |
Jr. |
3.82 |
Statistics and Kinesiology |
Medfield, Mass./Medfield |
| Caroline Murray |
New Hampshire |
Sr. |
3.54 |
Psychology |
New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan |
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| Rookie of the Year: Vivien Beil, Maine |
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| Striker of the Year: Brooke Murphy, New Hampshire |
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| Midfielder of the Year: Caroline Murray, New Hampshire |
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| Defender of the Year: Noelle Leon-Palmer, Maine |
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| Goalkeeper of the Year: Jessica Jurg, Hartford |
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| Coaching Staff of the Year: Hartford |
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