November 2, 2016

Women's Soccer Places Two On All-Conference Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman forward Lauren Wade was voted the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year, while Lenoir-Rhyne’s Abigael McGarel was voted the Conference’s Freshman of the Year.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman forward Lauren Wade was voted the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Year, while Lenoir-Rhyne's Abigael McGarel was voted the Conference's Freshman of the Year. In addition, Lenoir-Rhyne Head Coach Gary Higgins was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.

Wade, a junior from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, finished the season as one of the nation's top scorers as she closed the regular season ranked No. 6 in the nation with 18 total goals. She found the back of the net for three game-winning goals on the year to rank No. 77 in Division II. Wade averaged 3.67 points per game in her 12 games played for Carson-Newman, while her 44 total points during the 2016 campaign was good for No. 6 in the country. Wade turned in four multi-goal games this season and scored five goals on September 12 at USC Aiken. Wade was tabbed the Astroturf Women's Soccer Player of the Week on September 18. The award marked Carson-Newman's second consecutive women's soccer Player of the Year, as Julianne Herrity accomplished the feat last season.

McGarel, a midfielder from Morristown, Tennessee, started 17 games for the Bears during the 2016 season and pounded in five goals. She notched two assists in 2016 and finished the regular season with 12 points. McGarel scored one game-winning goal this season and played a total of 1500 minutes on the season. She started every match this season as she became Lenoir-Rhyne's first Freshman of the Year since the 2012 campaign.

Higgins earns his first-ever Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bears to their first Regular Season Championship since the 2014 season. The Eagles are currently ranked No. 26 in the nation by the Nation Soccer Coach's Association of America and boast one the nation's most prolific offenses. The Bears are No. 46 in Division II with 2.06 goals per game and are No. 47 in the country with 0.745 goals against average. Lenoir-Rhyne also ranks No. 35 in the country with 49 total goals.

Julianne Herrity of Carson-Newman, Lenoir-Rhyne's Kendall Smith, Newberry's Alyssa Ortega, and Tina Shakes of Anderson joined Wade on the list of first-team forwards. Varin Ness of Carson-Newman, Wingate's Kaitlyn Brusnworth, Kathy Fisher of Queens and Katja Andersson of Tusculum were tabbed the first-team midfielders.

On the defensive side, Macy Franklin of Wingate, Mariah Lewis from Queens and Tusculum's Carlie Thornber and Olivia Kilgore were tabbed the first-team defenders. Lenoir-Rhyne's Andrea Leano was voted the League's first-team goalkeeper.

2016 South Atlantic Conference All-Conference Agate

First Team All-Conference

F – Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman

F – Julianne Herrity, Carson-Newman

F – Kendall Smith, Lenoir-Rhyne

F – Alyssa Ortega, Newberry (Tie)

F – Tina Shakes, Anderson (Tie)

MF – Kaitlyn Brunworth, Wingate

MF – Varin Ness, Carson-Newman

MF – Kathy Fisher, Queens

MF – Katja Andersson, Tusculum

D – Olivia Kilgore, Tusculum