Southland Conference Announces 2021 All-Conference Soccer Teams
FRISCO, Texas – Northwestern State forward Olivia Draguicevich is the 2021 Southland Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday along with the all-conference teams.
The junior forward is also named Forward of the Year after topping the league with 12 goals against conference opponents and leading the Lady Demons to their first regular-season conference title since 2000.
Draguicevich is tied atop Division I student-athletes with six game-winning goals, including an overtime winner against HBU on Tuesday to secure the regular-season championship. The three-time Southland Offensive Player of the Week tied a program record with all four goals in a 4-0 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 19.
Northwestern State led the way with 10 total all-league selections, followed by McNeese with nine and UIW with six. HBU and each placed five on the teams, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi accounted for four spots.
Helping set a school record with 10 shutouts on the year, Lady Demon defenders Caroline Hilliard and Nicole Henry are the Freshman and Defender of the Year, respectively. Topping her own school record with 10 clean sheets, Acelya Aydogmus repeats as the Southland Goalkeeper of the Year.
Hilliard logged more than 1,000 minutes on the back line in her rookie campaign and assisted on one of Draguicevich’s four goals in the win over A&M-Corpus Christi. Henry secures her third-straight Defender of the Year title after anchoring a back line that ranked fifth nationally in shutout percentage (.625).
Ranked third in conference history with 25 career shutouts, Aydogmus is tied for the Division I lead with 10 shutouts and sports a league-best goals-against average (.326) and save percentage (.895) in Southland play.
Newcomer of the Year honors go to McNeese’s Kelsey Crosby, a Seattle University transfer. The junior midfielder logged 682 minutes against Southland foes to help the Cowgirls earn the No. 2 seed. Crosby assisted on a goal in a 3-2 decision against A&M-Corpus Christi and tallied a game-winning goal against HBU on Oct. 22. In conference competition, she registered 11 shots and six on goal.
The Midfielder of the Year Award goes to Southeastern’s Megan Gordon, who started every conference match for the Lady Lions, winning one-on-one battles and playing a vital role in SLU’s counterattack. The senior is the all-time games player leader in program history (86).
Northwestern State’s Stuart Gore becomes the first Lady Demon manager to garner Coach of the Year honors since Jimmy Mitchell in 2002. In just his first year at the helm, Gore fostered the buy-in from a veteran team with eight seniors and led the squad to its first regular-season title since 2000.
Tuesday’s announcement saw 13 repeat honorees, including four-time all-league forward Havana Johnson of McNeese. Northwestern State’s Hallie Field and Nicole Henry, along with UIW’s Isabella Beletic, each garner their third career all-conference nod.
Individual superlative winners and all-conference selections will be recognized before their first games at the 2021 Southland Conference Soccer Tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas, taking place Nov. 3-7.
The Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference Teams are nominated and voted upon by the league’s head coaches and SIDs.
Player of the Year: Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year: Caroline Hilliard, Northwestern State
Newcomer of the Year: Kelsey Crosby, McNeese
Defender of the Year: Nicole Henry, Northwestern State
Midfielder of the Year: Megan Gordon, Southeastern
Forward of the Year: Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State
Goalkeeper of the Year: Acelya Aydogmus, Northwestern State
Coach of the Year: Stuart Gore, Northwestern State
2021 Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference Teams
First Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| D |
Eve Clarkson2 |
UIW |
Jr. |
Whalley, Lancashire, England |
| D |
Hallie Field3 |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| D |
Nicole Henry3 |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Tomball, Texas |
| D |
Keely Morrow2 |
McNeese |
Sr. |
Nevada, Texas |
| MF |
Isabella Beletic3 |
UIW |
Gr. |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
| MF |
Megan Gordon2 |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Clophill, England |
| MF |
Kyle Nolen |
Northwestern State |
So. |
Richardson, Texas |
| MF |
Anna Watson |
McNeese |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
| F |
Olivia Draguicevich2 |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Pflugerville, Texas |
| F |
Mya Guillory2 |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
St. Amant, La. |
| F |
Sierra Wannamaker2 |
UIW |
So. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| F |
Rachel Young |
McNeese |
So. |
Surprise, Ariz. |
| GK |
Acelya Aydogmus2 |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Cape Coral, Fla. |
Second Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| D |
Payton Adams |
UIW |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| D |
Emma Crump |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Fr. |
Wylie, Texas |
| D |
Darby Gillette |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Meridian, Miss. |
| D |
Caroline Hilliard |
Northwestern State |
Fr. |
Corinth, Texas |
| D |
Morgan Schooley |
McNeese |
Fr. |
St. Augustine, Fla. |
| MF |
Ryan Ford |
HBU |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| MF |
Kiana Kukaua |
McNeese |
So. |
Valencia, Calif. |
| MF |
Katie Marker |
HBU |
So. |
Friendswood, Texas |
| MF |
Delaney Wells |
Northwestern State |
So. |
Flower Mound, Texas |
| F |
Noor Abukishk |
HBU |
Sr. |
Cairo, Egypt |
| F |
Natalee Henry2 |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Tomball, Texas |
| F |
Havana Johnson4 |
McNeese |
Sr. |
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho |
| F |
Samantha Palomino |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
R-Jr. |
Helotes, Texas |
| GK |
Nadine Maher |
Southeastern |
Sr. |
Dublin, Ireland |
Third Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
| D |
Jayme Haynes |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| D |
Megan Mielke |
McNeese |
So. |
Bellflower, Calif. |
| D |
Mia Salas |
HBU |
So. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| MF |
Kelsey Crosby |
McNeese |
Jr. |
Spokane, Wash. |
| MF |
Reaghan Lang |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Fort Collins, Colo. |
| MF |
Madison McComasky |
UIW |
Sr. |
Sydney, Australia |
| MF |
Talin Rizo |
HBU |
Sr. |
San Antonio, Texas |
| F |
Keeley Ayala2 |
UIW |
Sr. |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
| F |
Maggie Murray |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
So. |
Cranford, N.J. |
| F |
Ellie Williams |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| F |
Kalee Williams |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Frisco, Texas |
| GK |
Jackie Kelly |
McNeese |
Fr. |
Benicia, Calif. |
2 – Two-time all-conference selection
3 – Three-time all-conference selection
4 – Four-time all-conference selection