Southland Conference Announces 2019 All-Conference Soccer Teams
FRISCO, Texas – Lamar junior Lucy Ashworth is the 2019 Southland Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year, the league announced Monday along with the all-conference teams.
The Cardinals led the way with eight total selections on the three teams, followed by defending conference tournament champion Abilene Christian with seven. Both the Cardinals and Wildcats placed four each on the top squad.
Northwestern State and UIW earned five spots, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi placed four on the teams. McNeese, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin were responsible for three selections each, and Central Arkansas rounded out the institutions represented with one all-conference player.
Ashworth also garners Forward of the Year laurels after tying for the league lead in points (47) with teammate Esther Okoronkwo, the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Ashworth’s 17 goals were second only to Okoronkwo and her conference-high 13 assists are the second-most in a single season in Southland history.
A year after redshirting due to injury, Okoronkwo – a Northeast Texas Community College product – racked up 19 goals for the regular-season champions. The league leader in game-winning goals (six), she ranked second nationally in points and goals. Okoronkwo’s 16 goals in conference play gave her an average of nearly 1.5 goals per match.
Abilene Christian became the first Southland institution to take home four-straight Freshman of the Year honors as defender Natalie Jones follows in the footsteps of Alyssia Anuat, Christina Arteaga and Shay Johnson. Jones played in all but two matches, tallying seven goals and seven assists. Her seven assists rank second just behind Ashworth, and her 13 points in league play tied for sixth.
Northwestern State sophomore Nicole Henry earned Defender of the Year recognition, using her speed to anchor a Demons back line that held opponents to just over eight shots per game in Southland matches. She limited quality chances as well with just about half of those shots going on goal.
The Midfielder of the Year Award goes to Abilene Christian senior Shay Johnson, who has been a key to the Wildcats’ transition game and aiding a defense that ranks third in the league in goals allowed. She made the most of her three goals in conference play as two of them went down as game-winners. Johnson finished the year with six goals and a pair of assists.
Lamar head man Steve Holeman was named the Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three seasons after leading the Cardinals to their second regular-season championship in that span. Following an early loss to Northwestern State, LU responded by winning nine-straight league matches, outscoring opponents 34-13 during that stretch.
Monday’s announcement saw six repeat honorees with Abilene Christian’s Christina Arteaga being the lone three-time selection. The Wildcats also had a trio of two-time selections in Michelle Mulrooney, Shay Johnson and Rachel Johnson. McNeese’s Rachel Palet and Havana Johnson, and Stephen F. Austin’s Sophia Fondren all earned their second all-league nod.
For participating teams, individual superlative winners and all-conference selections will be honored before their first games at the 2019 Southland Conference Soccer Tournament in Conway, Ark., taking place Nov. 6-10.
Player of the Year: Lucy Ashworth, Lamar
Freshman of the Year: Natalie Jones, Abilene Christian
Newcomer of the Year: Esther Okoronkwo, Lamar
Defender of the Year: Nicole Henry, Northwestern State
Midfielder of the Year: Shay Johnson, Abilene Christian
Forward of the Year: Lucy Ashworth, Lamar
Goalkeeper of the Year: Kyleigh Hall, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Coach of the Year: Steve Holeman, Lamar
2019 Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference Teams
First Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| D |
Nicole Henry |
Northwestern State |
So. |
Tomball, Texas |
| D |
Michelle Mulrooney2 |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
Lodi, Calif. |
| D |
Juana Plata |
Lamar |
So. |
Houston Texas |
| D |
Ana Campa |
UIW |
Sr. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| MF |
Shay Johnson2 |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
Coppell, Texas |
| MF |
Anna Loftus |
Lamar |
So. |
Milton Keynes, England |
| MF |
Abby Deakin |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
Broomfield, Colo. |
| MF |
Natalie Jones |
Abilene Christian |
Fr. |
Lubbock, Texas |
| F |
Lucy Ashworth |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Wigan, England |
| F |
Esther Okoronkwo |
Lamar |
R-Jr. |
Richmond, Texas |
| F |
Christina Arteaga3 |
Abilene Christian |
Jr. |
Pflugerville, Texas |
| F |
Katelyn Termini |
Stephen F. Austin |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| GK |
Kyleigh Hall |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
Mansfield, Texas |
Second Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| D |
Natalee Henry |
Northwestern State |
So. |
Tomball, Texas |
| D |
Sophia Manibo |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Beaumont, Texas |
| D |
Alana Mangan |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Fr. |
Bedford, Texas |
| D |
Keely Morrow |
McNeese |
Jr. |
Nevada, Texas |
| MF |
Olivia Mattson |
Northwestern State |
Fr. |
Mariehamn, Finland |
| MF |
Sophia Fondren2 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| MF |
Rachel Palet2 |
McNeese |
Sr. |
Plano, Texas |
| MF |
Kaisa Juvonen |
Lamar |
Fr. |
Tampere, Finland |
| F |
Keeley Ayala |
UIW |
So. |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
| F |
Caylen Wright |
Abilene Christian |
Fr. |
Joshua, Texas |
| F |
Emma Hawkins |
Central Arkansas |
Fr. |
Forney, Texas |
| F |
Brooke Hanson |
UIW |
Sr. |
New Braunfels, Texas |
| GK |
Madeline Talbot |
Stephen F. Austin |
R-So. |
Shreveport, La. |
Third Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| D |
Shayla Spearman |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
| D |
Alyssia Anuat |
Abilene Christian |
So. |
San Diego, Calif. |
| D |
Brooke Lenz |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
| D |
Hallie Field |
Northwestern State |
Fr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| MF |
Hannah Walsh |
UIW |
Fr. |
Preston, England |
| MF |
Isabelle Beletic |
UIW |
Jr. |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
| MF |
Kalynn Bickford |
Sam Houston State |
Fr. |
Mansfield, Texas |
| MF |
Brianna Woodall |
Sam Houston State |
R-Jr. |
Kingwood, Texas |
| F |
Madison Ledet |
Lamar |
Jr. |
Nederland, Texas |
| F |
Havana Johnson2 |
McNeese |
Jr. |
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho |
| F |
Sammi Mayock |
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
Round Rock, Texas |
| F |
Jalen Donaldson |
Northwestern State |
So. |
Richmond, British Columbia |
| GK |
Rachel Johnson2 |
Abilene Christian |
R-Sr. |
Coppell, Texas |
2 – Two-time all-conference selection
3 – Three-time all-conference selection
The Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference Teams are nominated and voted upon by the league’s head coaches and SIDs. Each team consists of four defenders, four midfielders, four forwards and a goalkeeper.