Hawkins, Allwardt, Zygmontowicz Garner All-Conference Awards
11/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Nov. 4, 2003
Conference USA announced its 2003 all-league teams and postseason award winners on Wednesday (Nov. 4) prior to the start of the ninth-annual C-USA Tournament slated for Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 5-8 at TransAmerica Field, hosted by Charlotte.
Junior midfielder Nikki Hawkins, who led the Cougars in every offensive category in 2003, was named to the First Team All-Conference, becoming the first Cougar since Lindsay Beiriger in 1999 to earn the first team accolade. Senior defender Emily Allwardt was named to the Second Team All-Conference, while freshman defender Nicole Zygmontowicz earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
Hawkins, who was named to the Second Team All-Conference following her breakout season in 2002, recorded a career-high 17 points on the 2003 campaign, the most by a Houston player since the 2000 season and good for fourth all-time.
A team captain and the heart of the Cougar defense, Allwardt started 16 of Houston's 18 matches in 2003, including nine of 10 C-USA games, and recorded an assist, one point and seven shots, two of which were on goal.
Zygmontowicz was one of two freshmen to start all 18 matches for the Cougars in 2003, recording eight shots, including two on goal, on the year.
Forward Julianne Sitch becomes the first DePaul player to garner Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading C-USA in points (27), shots (86) and game-winning goals (6) in 2003. Her 86 shots are a Conference USA single-season record, eclipsing the previous high of 83 that she tied last year.
After leading the UAB Blazers to its first outright regular season championship, head coach Paul Harbin was named Coach of the Year. The only coach in the seven-year history of the Blazer program, Harbin guided UAB to a school-record 13 victories this fall. His squad also established a new school mark for shutouts with nine and tied the program high for conference wins with eight.
For only the second time in conference history, the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year has been awarded to co-honorees with East Carolina defender Penny Perrott and USF goalkeeper Breck Bankster sharing the accolade.
Louisville forward Jamie Craft was tabbed as the Conference USA Freshman of the Year. She ranked among the league leaders with a team-best 20 points and eight goals. Craft, who started all 18 contests for U of L, was also an all-freshman team selection.
Sitch, Perrott and Bankster were joined on the First-Team All-Conference USA by forwards Megan McCallion (East Carolina), Yuiko Konno (Memphis), Jamie Perry (Saint Louis) and Tara Kidwell (UAB); midfielders Nikki Hawkins (Houston), Nicky McLeod (Memphis) and Katie Reed (USF); and defenders Lindsay Smale (Marquette), ASIA SIMONS (Tulane) and Briana McCarty (UAB).
East Carolina, Memphis, USF and UAB led the way with two first team selections, followed by DePaul, Houston, Marquette, Saint Louis and Tulane with one each.
2003 CONFERENCE USA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
First-Team All-Conference USA
F: Tara Kidwell, UAB
F: Jamie Perry, Saint Louis
F: Yuiko Konno, Memphis
F: Megan McCallion, East Carolina
MF: Julianne Sitch, DePaul
MF: Nikki Hawkins, Houston
MF: Nicky McLeod, Memphis
MF: Kate Reed, USF
D: Penny Perrott, East Carolina
D: Lindsay Smale, Marquette
D: Asia Simons, Tulane
D: Briana McCarty, UAB
GK: Breck Bankster, USF
Second-Team All-Conference USA
F: Tasha Wagner, Cincinnati
F: Jessi Moore, TCU
F: Courtney Crandell, Charlotte
MF: Anne Ioder, Marquette
MF: Christie Cigno, Saint Louis
MF: Jenny Rynders, UAB
D: Kim Moore, Charlotte
D: Kristina Wilson, Cincinnati
D: Emily Allwardt, Houston
D: Anny Lucier, Saint Louis
GK: Katie Bissen, Marquette
Third-Team All-Conference USA
F: Jamie Craft, Louisville
F: Amy Van Zandt, TCU
F: Jill Knottek, UAB
MF: Kelly Ferguson, Saint Louis
MF: Karrissa Hill, TCU
MF: Jackie Obert, Tulane
D: Tiffany Ross, Charlotte
D: Amber Prindle, DePaul
D: Carolyn Klopp, Marquette
D: Stacci Sastre, USF
D: Kay Beth Costilow, USM
GK: Lindsay Desaon, DePaul
All-Freshman (No position restriction)
Shannon Huffman, GK, Charlotte
Becky Imhoff, MF, Cincinnati
Lauren Spacht, F, DePaul
Nicole Zygmontowicz, D, Houston
Jamie Craft, F, Louisville
Beth McGill, F, Marquette
Dee Guempel, MF, Saint Louis
Courtney Hulcer, MF, Saint Louis
Ashley Fortune, F, TCU
Jackie Obert, MF, Tulane
Pam Cooney, D, UAB
Jen Williams, MF, UAB
Freshman of the Year
Jamie Craft, Louisville
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Penny Perrott, East Carolina
Breck Bankster, USF
Offensive Player of the Year
Julianne Sitch, DePaul
Coach of the Year
Paul Harbin, UAB