ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Eight of the nine sponsored programs were represented on 2008 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women's Soccer All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, four separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week.
The Elms College Blazers took top honors as they finished undefeated in NECC play at 8-0. The Blazers' junior forward Krystyna Gagne (Methuen, Mass.), a social work major, was named the 2008 NECC Women's Soccer Player of the Year. In conference play, Gagne played all eight games adding 11 goals, six assists and 28 points. She is second overall out of all NECC players for scoring with 13 goals, six assists and 32 points.
Bay Path junior Samantha Gunseth (Swanzey, N.H.) was named the 2008 NECC Women's Soccer Goalie of the Year. Gunseth, a forensic psychology major, tallied 69 saves with a 1.04 goals against average. Overall she has played 1185:26 minutes while notching 167 saves with a .852 save percentage, 2.20 goals against average and 1 shut-out for the Wildcats.
Lesley freshman midfielder Jenna Fralick (Woburn, Mass.) nabbed the 2008 NECC Women's Soccer Rookie of the Year for her first season of collegiate play. Fralick, a secondary education major specializing in English, was second only to her sister in overall NECC scoring with nine goals, five assists and 23 points for 19 games played. In conference play, Fralick added five goals, two assists and 12 points for the Lynx.
Fralick was joined by her head coach Paul Vasconcelos for top conference honors. Vasconcelos was named the 2008 NECC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year. He led the Lynx to a 15-3-1 overall record and 7-1 in conference play this season. Lesley posted the best overall winning percentage at .816 for their 2008 campaign.
The Wildcats of Wheelock, led by head coach Stephanie Smyrl, were honored as the 2008 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients. The Wildcats were 3-12-1 overall and 2-5-1 in conference finishing in 7th place.
Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was
conducted among all NECC women's soccer coaches.
Joining Gagne, Gunseth and Fralick on All-NECC First Team in the
forward positions were Lesley's junior Jodi Fralick ( Woburn,
Mass.), Mitchell's sophomore Paige Ehnot (West Hartford, Conn.) and
Elms' sophomore Alison Couture (Chicopee, Mass.) at the at-large
spot; in the midfielder position were Lesley's senior Lani
Cabral-Pini (Wilmington, Mass.), Becker's junior Catherine Millette
(Columbia, Conn.) and Daniel Webster's junior Rachel Schelhorn
(Lebanon, Conn.); at the defender position were Elms' senior Alicia
Bobbie (Higganum, Conn.), Lesley's junior Cathryn Folkestad
(Ipswich, Mass.) and Newbury's freshman Jessica Graus (Rochester,
N.Y.).
Second team honors went out to eleven student-athletes. At the
forward position were Becker's freshman Alexandra Fernandes
(Tucson, Ariz.), Mitchell's freshman Nicole Hoxie (Winsted, Conn.)
and Daniel Webster's junior Erin Hurd (Centerville, Mass.); at the
midfielder position were Bay Path's senior Victoria Malanowski
(Windsor, Conn.), Newbury's sophomore Ashley Green-Allen (Brockton,
Mass.) and Lesley's sophomore Alyson Durben (Stowe, Mass.); at the
defender position were Elms' junior Kelsey Battige (Monson, Mass.),
Mitchell's senior Lindsey Donelin (East Lyme, Conn.) and Wheelock's
freshman Brooke LaBossiere (Mattapoisett, Mass.); and finally at
the goalkeeper position Elms' freshman Kelly Callahan (Monson,
Mass.) and Lesley's junior Hailee Lowe (Hamilton, Mass.).
Five players received honorable mention honors including Bay
Path's sophomore Jacqui Siddle (FWD, Palmer, Mass.), Wheelock's
junior Lindsey Lacourse (FWD, Scarborough, Maine), Mitchell's
freshman Leslie Briggs(MID, Dighton, Mass.), Becker's sophomore
Alena Phongsa (Putnam, Conn.) and Daniel Webster's sophomore Kim
Lemire (Merrimack, N.H.).
2008 NECC WOMENS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Krystyna Gagne, Elms, JR,(Methuen, Mass.)
2008 NECC WOMENS SOCCER GOALIE OF THE YEAR:
Samantha Gunseth, Bay Path, JR (Swanzey, N.H.)
2008 NECC WOMENS SOCCER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jenna
Fralick, Lesley, FR (Woburn, Mass.)
2008 NECC WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH OF THE YEAR: Paul
Vasconcelos, Lesley
2008 NECC WOMENS SOCCER TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD:
Wheelock College
2008 ALL-NECC WOMENS SOCCER FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Krystyna Gagne, Elms, Junior
Jodi Fralick, Lesley, Junior
Paige Ehnot, Mitchell, Sophomore
At-Large: Alison Couture, Elms, Sophomore
Midfielders
Lani Cabral-Pini, Lesley, Senior
Catherine Millette, Becker, Junior
Rachel Schelhorn, Daniel Webster, Junior
Jenna Fralick, Lesley, Freshman
Defenders
Alicia Bobbie, Elms, Senior
Cathryn Folkestad, Lesley, Junior
Jessica Graus, Newbury, Freshman
Goalkeeper
Samantha Gunseth, Bay Path, Junior
2008 ALL-NECC WOMENS SOCCER SECOND TEAM
Forwards
Alexandra Fernandes, Becker, Freshman
Nicole Hoxie, Mitchell, Freshman
Erin Hurd, Daniel Webster, Junior
Midfielders
Victoria Malanowski, Bay Path, Senior
Ashley Green-Allen, Newbury, Sophomore
Alyson Durben, Lesley, Sophomore
Defenders
Kelsey Battige, Elms, Junior
Lindsey Donelin, Mitchell, Senior
Brooke LaBossiere, Wheelock, Freshman
Goalkeepers
Kelly Callahan, Elms, Freshman
Hailee Lowe, Lesley, Junior
2008 ALL-NECC WOMENS SOCCER HONORABLE MENTION
Forwards
Jacqui Siddle, Bay Path, Sophomore
Lindsey Lacourse, Wheelock, Junior
Midfielder
Leslie Briggs, Mitchell, Freshman
Alena Phongsa, Becker, Sophomore
Defenders
Kim Lemire, Daniel Webster, Sophomore