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Anasi, Church & Cobb Earn Soccer America Accolades
12/15/2011 10:03:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. - Soccer America released its postseason awards on Thursday with three Blue Devils receiving honors, including head coach Robbie Church earning National Coach of the Year accolades.
Along with Church, sophomore Natasha Anasi was named Soccer America MVP first team, while rookie Kelly Cobb was selected to the All-Freshman first team.
The Blue Devils are coming off their first NCAA College Cup appearance since 1992, before falling in the title match to top-ranked Stanford, 1-0. Duke registered a school-record 22 victories and only the second Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season title in school history with a school-record eight league wins.
Church, who just completed his 11th season with the Blue Devils, guided a Duke squad that was unranked in the preseason NSCAA poll to a national championship game appearance. After winning 11 matches in 2010, Church doubled that win total in 2011 as the Blue Devils finished the year with a 22-4-1 overall mark. Duke became just the third program in ACC history to reach the 20-win ledger. Church was also named the ACC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career in 2011. All this was accomplished with a starting lineup of one freshman, five sophomores and five juniors.
Over his 11 years at Duke, Church has led the Blue Devils to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and 125 victories. He was the 2004 NSCAA/adidas South Region Coach of the Year. Church became the second Duke women's soccer coach to be named National Coach of the Year as Bill Hempen earned the NSCAA honor in 1992.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Anasi is just the third Soccer America First Team MVP in Duke's school history along with Kelly Walbert (1993, 1994, 1995) and Jennifer Lewis (1991).
Anasi, the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defender of the Year, started all 27 matches for the Blue Devils. The 5-6 defender moved from the midfield to the defense in the fourth game of the season after redshirt junior Ashley Rape went down with an ACL injury. Anasi helped lead a Duke team that posted school-records for shutouts (16), wins (22) and conference victories (8).
An All-ACC first team and NSCAA First Team All-America honoree, Anasi logged the second-most minutes on the team (2,339), scored one goal and had one assist on the season. Duke registered nine wins against ranked opponents and allowed a school-record-low 13 goals (tied 1988).
As a rookie for the Blue Devils, Cobb came in and made an immediate impact scoring 11 goals and collecting nine assists for a team-high 31 points. Her 11 goals and 31 points were both freshman records at Duke. Cobb, who is from Chugiak, Alaska, had six game-winning goals, which was also a Duke freshman record and was tied for the team lead along with Kerr.
The 5-9 forward was also a NSCAA All-Southeast Region second team, All-ACC second team and All-ACC Freshman team selection in 2011.
- d - u - k - e -
MVPs First Team
GK Adrianna Franch, Oklahoma State, Jr.
D Natasha Anasi, Duke, Soph.
F Sarah Hagen, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sr.
F Maya Hayes, Penn State, Soph.
F Sydney Leroux, UCLA, Sr.
D Cam Levin, Stanford, Sr.
F Tiffany McCarty, Florida State, Jr.
M Teresa Noyola, Stanford, Sr.
D Lizzy Simonin, Memphis, Sr.
F Katie Stengel, Wake Forest, Soph.
F Lindsay Taylor, Stanford, Sr.
MVPs Second Team
G Aubrey Bledsoe, Wake Forest, Soph.
M Morgan Brian, Virginia, Fr.
M Vanessa DiBernardo, Illinois, Soph.
D Alina Garciamendez, Stanford, Jr.
F Kayla Grimsley, South Carolina, Sr.
F Tishia Jewell, UCF, Jr.
F Nadia Link, Long Beach State, Jr.
M Kristen Mewis, Boston College, Jr.
F Stephanie Ochs, San Diego, Sr.
M Mallory Schaffer, William & Mary, Jr.
M Ingrid Wells, Georgetown, Sr.
All-Freshman First Team
GK Sabrina D'Angelo, South Carolina
M Morgan Brian, Virginia
M Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Florida State
F Kelly Cobb, Duke
D Abby Dahlkemper, UCLA
F Kelsey Haycook, La Salle
M Sam Mewis, UCLA
F Kelley Monogue, Texas A&M
F Rachel Tejada, Illinois State
F Chioma Ubogagu, Stanford
F Lynn Williams, Pepperdine
All-Freshman Second Team
GK Sara Keane, West Virginia
M Jessie Ayers, Colorado College
M Daphne Corboz, Georgetown
F Sofia Huerta, Santa Clara
F Taylor Krebs, Boston University
D Kim Marshall, Wake Forest
D Casey Morrison, Boston College
M Cami Privett, UC Irvine
D Kendall Romine, Stanford
F Taylor Uhl, Minnesota
F Kate Schwindel, West Virginia
National Player of the Year: Lindsay Taylor, Stanford
National Freshman of the Year: Morgan Brian, Virginia
National Coach of the Year: Robbie Church, Duke
Along with Church, sophomore Natasha Anasi was named Soccer America MVP first team, while rookie Kelly Cobb was selected to the All-Freshman first team.
The Blue Devils are coming off their first NCAA College Cup appearance since 1992, before falling in the title match to top-ranked Stanford, 1-0. Duke registered a school-record 22 victories and only the second Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season title in school history with a school-record eight league wins.
Church, who just completed his 11th season with the Blue Devils, guided a Duke squad that was unranked in the preseason NSCAA poll to a national championship game appearance. After winning 11 matches in 2010, Church doubled that win total in 2011 as the Blue Devils finished the year with a 22-4-1 overall mark. Duke became just the third program in ACC history to reach the 20-win ledger. Church was also named the ACC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career in 2011. All this was accomplished with a starting lineup of one freshman, five sophomores and five juniors.
Over his 11 years at Duke, Church has led the Blue Devils to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and 125 victories. He was the 2004 NSCAA/adidas South Region Coach of the Year. Church became the second Duke women's soccer coach to be named National Coach of the Year as Bill Hempen earned the NSCAA honor in 1992.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Anasi is just the third Soccer America First Team MVP in Duke's school history along with Kelly Walbert (1993, 1994, 1995) and Jennifer Lewis (1991).
Anasi, the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defender of the Year, started all 27 matches for the Blue Devils. The 5-6 defender moved from the midfield to the defense in the fourth game of the season after redshirt junior Ashley Rape went down with an ACL injury. Anasi helped lead a Duke team that posted school-records for shutouts (16), wins (22) and conference victories (8).
An All-ACC first team and NSCAA First Team All-America honoree, Anasi logged the second-most minutes on the team (2,339), scored one goal and had one assist on the season. Duke registered nine wins against ranked opponents and allowed a school-record-low 13 goals (tied 1988).
As a rookie for the Blue Devils, Cobb came in and made an immediate impact scoring 11 goals and collecting nine assists for a team-high 31 points. Her 11 goals and 31 points were both freshman records at Duke. Cobb, who is from Chugiak, Alaska, had six game-winning goals, which was also a Duke freshman record and was tied for the team lead along with Kerr.
The 5-9 forward was also a NSCAA All-Southeast Region second team, All-ACC second team and All-ACC Freshman team selection in 2011.
- d - u - k - e -
MVPs First Team
GK Adrianna Franch, Oklahoma State, Jr.
D Natasha Anasi, Duke, Soph.
F Sarah Hagen, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sr.
F Maya Hayes, Penn State, Soph.
F Sydney Leroux, UCLA, Sr.
D Cam Levin, Stanford, Sr.
F Tiffany McCarty, Florida State, Jr.
M Teresa Noyola, Stanford, Sr.
D Lizzy Simonin, Memphis, Sr.
F Katie Stengel, Wake Forest, Soph.
F Lindsay Taylor, Stanford, Sr.
MVPs Second Team
G Aubrey Bledsoe, Wake Forest, Soph.
M Morgan Brian, Virginia, Fr.
M Vanessa DiBernardo, Illinois, Soph.
D Alina Garciamendez, Stanford, Jr.
F Kayla Grimsley, South Carolina, Sr.
F Tishia Jewell, UCF, Jr.
F Nadia Link, Long Beach State, Jr.
M Kristen Mewis, Boston College, Jr.
F Stephanie Ochs, San Diego, Sr.
M Mallory Schaffer, William & Mary, Jr.
M Ingrid Wells, Georgetown, Sr.
All-Freshman First Team
GK Sabrina D'Angelo, South Carolina
M Morgan Brian, Virginia
M Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Florida State
F Kelly Cobb, Duke
D Abby Dahlkemper, UCLA
F Kelsey Haycook, La Salle
M Sam Mewis, UCLA
F Kelley Monogue, Texas A&M
F Rachel Tejada, Illinois State
F Chioma Ubogagu, Stanford
F Lynn Williams, Pepperdine
All-Freshman Second Team
GK Sara Keane, West Virginia
M Jessie Ayers, Colorado College
M Daphne Corboz, Georgetown
F Sofia Huerta, Santa Clara
F Taylor Krebs, Boston University
D Kim Marshall, Wake Forest
D Casey Morrison, Boston College
M Cami Privett, UC Irvine
D Kendall Romine, Stanford
F Taylor Uhl, Minnesota
F Kate Schwindel, West Virginia
National Player of the Year: Lindsay Taylor, Stanford
National Freshman of the Year: Morgan Brian, Virginia
National Coach of the Year: Robbie Church, Duke
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