University of Hartford junior midfielder Sandra Kayulu and Hawk forward Malin Engman were named America East Player and Rookie of the Year in voting conducted by the conference's women's soccer coaches. Boston University head coach Nancy Feldman was named Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive year.
Kayulu has seven goals and six assists for 20 points for the Hawks, 14-4-0 overall. Engman is tied for the team and conference lead in scoring with 10 goals and four assists for 24 points.
Feldman, in her seventh year with the Terriers, was chosen Coach of the Year after guiding Boston University to a 10-0-1 mark in America East and a 12-5-1 record overall. The top-seeded Terriers enter this weekend's America East Women's Soccer Championship with a 20-game unbeaten streak (19-0-1) vs. conference opponents. Feldman is 88-42-6 in her tenure at Boston University.
Engman is joined on the all-conference first team by rookie Melissa Shulman and senior Nicole Soules of Boston University at forward. Soules elevates to the first team this season after earning second-team honors a season ago. Kayulu is joined in the midfield by junior teammate Katharina Lindner and junior Allison Merkle and senior Teresa Petruccelli of Boston University. Lindner, Merkle and Petruccelli are all three-time all-conference selections. Three-time first-team all-conference choice Megan Cross of Boston University, Hartford sophomore Cindy Walsh, the America East Rookie of the Year in 2000, and University of Maine rookie Linda Consolante are the backs. Boston University sophomore Jessica Clinton, who is 12-5-2 with a 1.20 goals against average, was the choice at goalkeeper.
The second-team consists of sophomore forward Jeanette Akerlund of Hartford, who is tied for the conference lead in scoring with nine goals and six assists for 24 points, rookie forward Chiara Best of University of New Hampshire and sophomore forward Holly Noga of Towson University, who has 10 goals and three assists for 23 points. The second-team midfielders are sophomore Ginette Buffone of University of Delaware, who leads America East with 11 assists, Northeastern rookie Liz Dyjak, Hartford junior Tini Lyng and Hofstra University sophomore Marisa Pistone. Hofstra sophomore Dolores Deasley, who lifted the Pride to the America East Championship semifinals with her penalty kick conversion vs. Towson on Tuesday, was named to the second team as a back. She was joined by Stony Brook University sophomore Brittany Norwood and New Hampshire senior Michelle Thornton, who was a first-team all-conference choice in 1997 and 1998 before concentrating on her ice hockey career, where she was the team MVP as a senior. Maine junior Naomi Welsh, who leads America East with a 0.93 goals against average, was the second-team goalkeeper.
The All-Rookie team consists of Best, Consolante, Dyjak, Engman, Norwood, Shulman and Laura DelBiondo of Hofstra, Nikkie Hessney of University of Vermont, Shannon Jackson of Towson, Katie Kane of Drexel University, and Christine Wrightson of Delaware.
Ten of the 11 first-team all-conference selections and five of the second-team choices will be in action this weekend at the America East Women's Soccer Championship at Nickerson Field in Boston. No. 3 seed Hofstra meets No. 2 Hartford at 4 p.m. Friday, November 9. No. 4 seed Delaware plays top seed and host Boston University at 7 p.m. The championship game will be played Sunday, November 11 at 12 noon.
2001 America East Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team
First Team
Malin Engman, Fr., Hartford
Melissa Shulman, Fr., Boston University
Nicole Soules (1), Sr., Boston University
Sandra Kayulu (1), Jr., Hartford
Katharina Lindner (2), Jr., Hartford
Allison Merkle (2), Jr., Boston University
Teresa Petruccelli (3), Sr., Boston University
Linda Consolante, Fr., Maine
Megan Cross (4) Sr., Boston University
Cindy Walsh (5) So., Hartford
Jessica Clinton So., Boston University
Second Team
Jeanette Akerlund (1), So., Hartford
Chiara Best, Fr., New Hampshire
Holly Noga, So., Towson
Ginette Buffone, So., Delaware
Liz Dyjak, Fr., Northeastern
Tini Lyng (4), Jr., Hartford
Marisa Pistone, So., Hofstra
Dolores Deasley (1), So., Hofstra
Brittany Norwood, So., Stony Brook
Michelle Thornton (6), Sr., New Hampshire
Naomi Welsh, Jr., Maine
Honorable Mention: Sara Rickard, Albany; Vaness Vukov, Albany; Rebecca Beyer, Boston University; Suzanne Hudak, Boston University; Caryn Blood, Delaware; Sara Wilson, Delaware; Nikkie DeHorsey, Drexel; Christine Kasprzak, Drexel; Siv Skard, Hartford; Patty Woodson, Hartford; Nicole Herzog, Hofstra; Erin Magee, Hofstra; Jen Buckley, Maine; Katie Hodge, Maine; Sarah Sargent, New Hampshire; Farrell Swain, New Hampshire; Shannon Dwyer, Northeastern; Caitlin Springer, Northeastern; Beth Arikian, Stony Brook; Lisa Mariano, Stony Brook; Maggie Lennon, Towson; Mandy Zachmann, Towson; Megan Galbreath, Vermont; Kelly Herrero, Vermont.
All-Rookie Team (11 regardless of position)
Chiara Best, New Hampshire
Laura DelBiondo, Hofstra
Linda Consolante, Maine
Liz Dyjack, Northeastern
Malin Engman, Hartford
Nikkie Hessney, Vermont
Shannon Jackson, Towson
Katie Kane, Drexel
Brittany Norwood, Stony Brook
Melissa Shulman, Boston University
Christine Wrightson, Delaware
Player of the Year: Sandra Kayulu, Hartford
Rookie of the Year: Malin Engman, Hartford
Coach of the Year: Nancy Feldman, Boston University