Conference USA Soccer Honors Announced
11/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Nov. 2, 2010
HOUSTON - Conference USA announced their league soccer honors and head coach Susan Bush was named C-USA Coach of the Year. Four players earned all-league accolades and three newcomers were on the All-Freshman team.
Bush led the biggest turnaround in the league, from a 4-12-2 record in 2009 to a program-record 11-4-4 season.
"I had heard that it often takes three or four years to establish yourself in a program and have the players become entrenched in what you are teaching them," said Bush. "I can see truth to that. We had a great group of girls that bought into the coaching and committed themselves to the program and this award is a testament to all the hard work they put in."
Senior forward Lauri Byrne and sophomore midfielder Katelyn Rhodes were named All-C-USA First Team.
Byrne paced the team in goals with seven and was eighth in the conference in scoring. The Southlake, Texas native was named to the All-C-USA Third Team in 2009 and All-C-USA Freshman Team in 2007. Byrne has registered the most minutes played in program history and has scored the fifth most career goals (14).
Joining Byrne on the All-C-USA First Team is midfielder Katelyn Rhodes. Rhodes, from Lubbock, Texas, was the only field player to start every game for the Cougars this season. Rhodes scored one goal and one assist this season but was instrumental in both sides of the pitch for Houston. Her lone assist came in the overtime-victory over Colorado College when she baited the goal keeper to leave the net setting up the game-winning goal.
Freshmen Cami Koski and Danielle Munoz were named to All-Conference Second Team and All-Freshman Team. Jasmine Martinez was also honored on the All-Freshman Team.
Koski, the Houston goalkeeper and Missouri City, Texas native, registered the most shutouts (8) in the league this year. Her shutout total, goals against average (0.64) and win total (11) were all single-season records for Houston. Koski was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 4, 2010.
Freshman defender Danielle Munoz who hails from The Woodlands, Texas, started all 18 games in which she played in and logged the most minutes played of any field player this season. Anchoring down the middle of a backline that consisted of two freshman and two sophomores down the stretch, the Cougars still allowed the fewest goals per game in program history (0.60) in large part to Munoz shutdown-defense.
Martinez, a Whittier, Calif. native, was the third freshman for the Cougars to be named to the All-Freshman squad. Martinez played a central holding role in the midfield and helped a UH team register a +19 goal differential. She also dished out two assists.
Four All-Conference selections was the second most in the league. The three All-Freshman members were the most of any team.
2010 C-USA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year:Tishia Jewell, UCF
Defensive Player of the Year: Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
Midfielder of the Year: Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
Freshman of the Year:Jordan O'Brien, Tulsa
Coach of the Year: Susan Bush, Houston
All-Conference USA First TeamF: Tiffany Brown, Colorado College F: Lauri Byrne, Houston F: Tishia Jewell, UCF MF: Katie Jackson, UCF MF: Jordan O'Brien, Tulsa MF: Katelyn Rhodes, Houston MF: Vendula Strnadova, Memphis D: Amy Beger, Rice D: Lauren Shepherd, SMU D: Lizzy Simonin, Memphis GK: Aline Reis, UCF
All-Conference USA Second TeamF: Erika Duncan, Marshall F: Laura McCalla, UAB F: Kim Newsome, UCF MF: Kristin Medeiros, SMU MF: Carolyn Polcari, UAB MF: Jessica Woodward, East Carolina D: Marissa Diggs, UCF D: Kaitlyn Eidson, SMU D: Sierra Keeler, Colorado College D: Danielle Munoz, Houston GK: Caitlin Hulyo, Colorado College GK: Cami Koski, Houston
All-Conference USA Third TeamF: Britney Lyman, Colorado College F: Amanda Malkiewicz, East Carolina F: Claire Nicholson, Tulsa F: Hope Ward, Rice MF: Katie Dorman, UTEP MF: Alena Strnadova, Memphis MF: Sarah Vinson, Marshall D: Amanda Broz, East Carolina D: Freya Holdaway, Marshall D: Bianca Joswiak, UCF
C-USA All-Freshman Team Sierra Keeler, Colorado College Cami Koski, Houston Jasmine Martinez, Houston Danielle Munoz, Houston Rasheeda Ansari, Memphis Alena Strnadova, Memphis Jessica Howard, RiceHayley Williams, Rice Claire Nicholson, Tulsa Jordan O'Brien, Tulsa Marissa Diggs, UCF Azia Nicholson, UTEP
