Nov. 4, 2009

Women's Soccer All-Conference Team

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - For the second consecutive year, Charlotte's Hailey Beam has been named the Atlantic 10 Midfielder and Student-Athlete of the Year, while teammate Whitney Weinraub repeats as Offensive Player of the Year in voting conducted by the league's women's soccer head coaches.

In that same vote, Katherine Boone of Dayton was tabbed the league's Defensive Player of the Year, teammate Colleen Williams was named Rookie of the Year and Dayton head coach Mike Tucker earned Coach of the Year honors. Beam was recognized as the Student-Athlete of the Year in a vote of the A-10's sports information directors.

Weinraub enters this week's A-10 Championship (Nov. 5-8) as the A-10 leader in goals (13), points (32) and game-winning tallies (six), with eight of her goals coming in Conference play. A three-time Player of the Week selection this season, the junior forward is the first student-athlete to repeat as Offensive Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2000.

Beam ranks second in the A-10 in goals (10), assists (10) and points (30), while her 103 career points are tops in program history. Twice named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week this season, Beam also earned accolades off the field by being named the Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. The Cornelius, N.C., native earned first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District distinction and maintains a 3.80 grade point average while majoring in Finance & Marketing.

Boone earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year honor after registering 12 shutouts and 45 saves in leading UD to its first A-10 regular season title since 2004. The freshman keeper ranks first nationally with a 0.22 goals against average and third in save percentage (.918) while boasting an 11-0-5 record.

Williams has enjoyed an impressive rookie season for Dayton. The midfielder from Titusville, N.J., enters this week's Championship leading the top-seeded Flyers with nine assists, good for third in the league. Williams assisted on five game-winning goals and ranks third on the team with 17 points.

Weinraub, Beam and Boone are joined on the All-Conference first-team by Dayton's Mandi Bäck, Kathleen Beljan and Lauren MacCormick; Lauren Bustos and Katie McDermott of Fordham; Charlotte's Megan Minnix; Courtney Bosse of St. Bonaventure; and La Salle's Traci DePasquale.

The second-team is comprised of teammates Andrea Barklage, Susan Frederickson and Kelly Waeckerle of Saint Louis; Charlotte's Oni Bernard and Lauren Brown; Emily Kenyon and Kelsey Miller of Dayton; La Salle's Melanie Gamble and Ally Kenney; Lauren Sawyer of Saint Joseph's; and Rhode Island's Kaylen Shimoda.

Williams and Boone headline the All-Rookie team which includes Richmond teammates Shondel Archer and Natalie LeClair; Ashley Evangelista of Rhode Island; Duquesne's Morgan Herbert; Allison Hu of Saint Louis; Dayton's Alysha Mallon; Christine Neal of Saint Joseph's; Fordham's Annie Worden; and Kate Yurkovic of Temple.

Beam is joined on the Academic All-Conference team by Charlotte teammates Lauren Brown and Megan Minnix; Dayton's Emily Kenyon and Lauren MacCormick; Traci DePasquale and Ally Kenney of La Salle; George Washington's Brittany Eger; Nicole Markert of St. Bonaventure; Duquesne's Lauren Ott; and Kelly Waeckerle of Saint Louis.

In his 15th season at Dayton, Tucker earns his third A-10 Coach of the Year honor after leading the Flyers to their first A-10 regular season title since 2004 and the top seed in this week's 2009 Atlantic 10 Championship. Under Tucker's direction, UD has allowed the fewest goals (five) in the country this season and is one of just two remaining unbeaten teams nationally. A 1969 graduate of Cincinnati, Tucker boasts a career record of 214-79-21 (.715).