Women's Soccer Cleans Up NECC Postseason Awards
Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Elms College women's soccer team stuffed the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) postseason awards list, headlined by junior Brie Voight (Springfield, Mass.) taking home Player of the Year honors, freshman Rebecca Molin (West Hartford, Conn.) earning Goalkeeper of the Year honors, and Head Coach Sean Milbier claiming the Coach of the Year designation.
The Blazers placed nine players on the NECC All-Conference team, featuring five first-team selections. Voight grabbed Player of the Year and consecutive First Team accolades after a record-breaking junior season, where she set new program records in points (47) and goals (19), leading the conference in both categories, while adding nine assists. Voight also set the new program mark for game-winning goals in a season, delivering seven winning tallies for the Blazers. Voight is the second Blazer in program history to receive NECC Player of the Year honors, joining Krystyna Gagne (2008).
In her first collegiate season, Molin posted an impressive 0.54 goals against average with a .789 save percentage and 45 saves. Molin set a new program record with 15 shutouts, including eight clean sheets in conference play, to earn Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-NECC recognition. Molin is the second Blazer to receive the NECC Goalkeeper of the Year award, joining Kelly Callahan (2010).
Milbier becomes the second coach in program history to earn NECC Coach of the Year honors, after guiding the Blazers to a program record 18-3-1 season. Milbier helmed the Blazers to four straight NECC Championship game appearances, capped off with the Blazers 4-2 victory over three-time reigning champion Lesley University in the 2016 title match. Milbier became the program's all-time leader in coaching wins (56-27-5), and reached the 50-win plateau in the Elms' 1-0 overtime victory against Southern Vermont on October 15th.
Joining Voight and Molin on the All-NECC First Team is senior Kathleen Tuechler (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and juniors Jackie Soucia (Belchertown, Mass.) and Silvana Tellerico (Southington, Conn.). Tuechler nabs back-to-back All-NECC First Team honors after totaling 10 points on four goals with two assists. Tuechler and Tellerico helped anchor the Blazers defensive line, which limits opponents to .54 goals on 5.86 shots per game.
Soucia collects her first First Team honors, paired with a Second Team selection in 2015. As a junior, Soucia broke her 2015 record for assists in a season, racking up 13 helpers in 2016 to lead the NECC. Soucia added eight goals for 29 points on the year, ranking sixth in the conference.
Junior Mackenzie LaRochelle (Chicopee, Mass.) picked up her first all-conference selections, receiving Second Team honors after tallying 22 points with seven goals and eight assists. LaRochelle started 21 of 22 matches this season, and finished second on the team in shots (63), while adding a pair of game-winning goals for the Blazers.
Three Blazers landed on the Third Team for the 2016 season with senior Rachel Mick (Granby, Mass.), junior Angelina Estrada, and sophomore Kelsey Shea (Belchertown, Mass.). Mick was one of three Blazers to start all 22 games this season, recording a career-high 10 points on a career-high four goals, including one game-winner, with two assists. Mick claims her second all-conference awards, paired with her Second Team selection after the 2014 season. Estrada earned her first all-conference designation after posting a career-high 17 points behind a career-high seven goals, featuring two game-winning goals, and a career-high three assists. Shea registered a career-high 16 points on a career-high seven goals, including two-game winners, with two assists to garner her first all-conference award of her career.
Freshman Antriese Suarez (Amherst, Mass.) was selected to represent the Blazers on the 2016 NECC All-Sportsmanship team.
The Blazers sit with an 18-3-1 mark this season after claiming the 2016 NECC Title, earning a spot in the tournament field for the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Championship. The Blazers will find out their First Round opponent Monday at 1:30 p.m.
Player of the Year: Brie Voight, Elms (Jr., F, Springfield, Mass.)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Rebecca Molin, Elms (Fr., GK, West Hardford, Conn.)
Rookie of the Year: Danielle Biggers, Southern Vermont (Fr., M/F, Bronx, N.Y.)
Coach of the Year: Sean Milbier, Elms
All Conference First Team
Rebecca Molin, Elms (Fr., GK, West Hardford, Conn.)
Jackie Soucia, Elms (Jr., M, Blechertown, Mass.)
Silvana Tellerico, Elms (Jr., D, Southington, Conn.)
Kathleen Tuechler, Elms (Sr., D, Faringdale, N.Y.)
Brie Voight, Elms (Jr., F, Springfield, Mass.)
Samantha Bessey, Lesley (So., F, Algonquin, Ill.)
Jordan Mitchell, Lesley (So., M, Sachse, Texas)
Karlie Rubin, Lesley (Jr., M, San Diego, Calif.)
Hope Seasholes, Lesley (Fr., M, Tucson, Ariz.)
Samantha Turnbull, Lesley (Jr., D, Holtsville, N.Y.)
Molly Madore, Southern Vermont (So., M, Higganum, Conn.)
All Conference Second Team
Lindsey Keith, Becker (So., F, Sutton, Mass.)
Ciara McKissick, Becker (So., M, Charlton, Mass.)
Stephanie Evans, Daniel Webster (So., GK, Washington, Iowa)
Mackenzie Larochelle, Elms (Jr., M, Chicopee, Mass.)
Maddy Kelly, Lesley (Jr., D, San Jose, Calif.)
Tori Ramirez, Lesley (Sr., M/F, Redwood City, Calif.)
Tiana Edwards, Mitchell (Jr., D, Hartford, Conn.)
Shannon Walsh, Newbury (Jr., F, Massapequa, N.Y.)
Hannah Bouvette, Regis (Sr., D, Mattapoisett, Mass.)
Rachel Kelly, Regis (Fr., M, Whitman, Mass.)
Taylor Mallett, Southern Vermont (Fr., D/M, Berwick, Maine)
All Conference Third Team
Jailinne Ruiz, Bay Path (So., F, Hadley, Mass.)
Kyrsten Thibodeau, Bay Path (Jr., D/M, Dalton, Mass.)
Meghan Bealka, Becker (Jr., M/D, Freetown, Mass.)
Maria Colon, Becker (Jr., M, Wharton, N.J.)
Angelina Estrada, Elms (Jr., F, Springfield, Mass.)
Rachel Mick, Elms (Sr., M, Granby, Mass.)
Kelsey Shea, Elms (So., M, Belchertown, Mass.)
Elizabeth Kia, Newbury (Sr., D, Kea'au, Hawaii)
Noelle Garcia, Regis (Fr., D/M, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Jenna Novio, Regis (So., D, Rockland, Mass.)
Melissa Mascari, Southern Vt. (Jr., GK, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
All Sportsmanship Team
Jailinne Ruiz, Bay Path (So., F, Hadley, Mass.)
Jordyn Martel, Becker So., GK, Chicopee, Mass.)
Amanda Dargie, Daniel Webster (Jr., M, Melbourne, Fla.)
Antriese Suarez, Elms (Fr., GK, Amherst, Mass.)
Kyra Harbus, Lesley (So., D, Ventura, Calif.)
Lindsay Noble, Mitchell (Sr., D, Cromwell, Conn.)
Elizabeth Kia, Newbury (Sr., D, Kea'au, Hawaii)
Kara Carchedi, Regis (Fr., D, Quincy, Mass.)
Sydnee Julian, Southern Vermont (So., D/M, Mexico, N.Y.)
Rachael Simpson, Wheelock (Jr., M, Littleton, Mass.)
