CONWAY, SC—Winthrop’s women’s soccer team continues to add to its list of firsts as Big South Conference awards were handed out Wednesday night at the league banquet to kickoff the championship tournament. Sophomore Dimitra Poulos was the unanimous selection for Player of the Year and Melissa Heinz was named Coach of the Year.

 

Heinz, who is in her fourth year at the helm of the Lady Eagles program, received the honor that is voted on by League coaches and sports information directors.  She has led her team to a first-place finish in the regular season after posting a 13-4-2 overall record and 6-1-1 mark in Conference play.

 

Winthrop equaled its highest single season win total of eight with a 4-2 win over Coastal Carolina on Oct. 4 and went on to win five of the final six matches en route to setting the new school record of most wins at 13 entering the Conference tournament.

 

Poulos, a sophomore from Wollongong, Australia, has been the anchor to the Lady Eagles defense this season and has made her mark known as she has collected eight shutouts and .registered a 75 goals against average, both are Winthrop records. On the way to posting her eight clean sheets, the super sophomore has made 106 saves and boasts a .883 save percentage to rank 11^th in the nation in the category.  Her efforts have been recognized League-wide as she was the only unanimous selection to First-team All-Conference.

 

Winthrop all-time leading scorer Allison Stoltz joins Poulos on the First-Team All-Conference.  Stotlz, a senior from Woodstock, Ill., has scored seven goals and notched three assists for 17 points.  Her 45 career points puts her atop the career points list at Winthrop.

 

Chelsea White and Jennifer Hensley were named to the Second-team All-Conference.  White, a sophomore from Canton, Ohio, leads the Big South with nine goals and is third on the career goals list at Winthrop. She has scored four game winning goals this season to lead the Conference. White scored seven goals as a freshman in 2005 and has continued her offensive contribution in 2006.

 

Hensley, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a four-year starter at Winthrop and has been strong throughout her career.  This is her first post-season honor and is a reflection of the work she has committed to the Winthrop program.  Her two goals and four assists for eight points in her senior campaign place her fifth on the team in points.  Hensley’s goal off a free kick from 45-yards out tied the game against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 4 and jumpstarted the six-game unbeaten streak the team is riding into this weekend’s tournament.

 

In its inaugural year, Jessica Hausfeld was selected to the Big South’s first All-Freshman Team.  A freshman from Toledo, Ohio, Hausfeld has started nine of the 18 games she’s played in this season and has one goal and two assists on the year.  She has been a strong backup to two upperclassmen in the midfield. Her first collegiate goal came in a 3-0 win over Austin Peay on Sept. 8 in the Barber’s Classic in Birmingham, Ala.

 

Michelle Butler, a junior biology major with a 3.3 grade point average from Markham, Ontario, was named to the All-Academic team.  She has recorded one goal and one assist and started 18 matches this season.

 

Top-seeded Winthrop opens tournament play on Thursday afternoon against 8^th-seeded Charleston Southern at 2:30.  The tournament winner receives the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament that begins at regional sites Nov. 10-11.

 

First-team All-Conference

* Dimitra Poulos, GK, Soph., Winthrop

Blair Monroe, F, Soph., Coastal Carolina

Mandee Wheelock, M, Sr., Liberty

Brittany Jones, D, Sr., Birmingham-Southern

Allison Stoltz, F, Sr., Winthrop

Amy Oberlin, M, Soph., Liberty

Lydia Rice, D, Fr., Birmingham-Southern

Ashleigh Gunning, M, R-Jr., Coastal Carolina

Sara Pahl, D, Sr., UNC Asheville

Ashleigh Carter, MF, Sr., UNC Asheville

Suzanne Edwards, D, Jr., Liberty

McKenzie Vergara, F, Soph., Radford

Jess Smith, M, R-Sr., Birmingham-Southern

 

Second-team All-Conference

Chelsea White, F, Soph., Winthrop

Robyn Busha, F, Soph., UNC Asheville

Lisa Channon, F, Sr., Radford

Jill Boyer, D, Fr., Radford

Jennifer Hensley, MF, Sr., Winthrop

Traci Andersen, F, Sr., High Point

Chelsea Terry, Sweeper, Soph., Coastal Carolina

Ashley Braam, F, Jr., Liberty

Alex Torriero, D, Jr., High Point

Emma Mattsson, F, Soph., Charleston Southern

Beckie Lesh, M, Jr., High Point

Lindsey Trexler, M, Soph., Charleston Southern

Veronica Lazar, GK, Fr., UNC Asheville

 

All-Freshman Team

* Audrey Falconi, MF, VMI

* Lydia Rice, D, Birmingham-Southern

* Sarah Catenacci, F, Charleston Southern

Laura Eldridge, F/M, High Point

Jill Boyer, D, Radford

Jessica Hausfeld, MF, Winthrop

Maegan Hellberg, B, Coastal Carolina

Heather Bowling, M, Liberty

Keri Skelton, D, UNC Asheville

Maggie Woody, M, Liberty

Veronica Lazar, GK, UNC Asheville

 

Academic All-Conference

Jess Smith, Birmingham-Southern

Melanie Blaschke, Charleston Southern

Emily McColl, Coastal Carolina

Traci Andersen, High Point

Mandee Wheelock, Liberty

Megan Horan, Radford

Robyn Busha, UNC Asheville

Karen Bill, VMI

Michelle Butler, Winthrop

 

Player of the Year

Dimitra Poulos, GK, Soph., Winthrop

 

Freshman of the Year

Audrey Falconi, MF, VMI

 

Coach of the Year

Melissa Heinz, Winthrop

 

Scholar-Athlete of the Year (tie)

Traci Andersen, High Point

Mandee Wheelock, Liberty

 

 

* - unanimous selection