Women's Soccer

FOUR WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS PICKED ALL-GNAC; MCKENNA NAMED GNAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Emmanuel College placed four women's soccer players on the highly competitive Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference list and Kate McKenna was named the 2009 GNAC Player of the Year

2009 GNAC Player of the Year Kate McKenna

2009 GNAC Player of the Year Kate McKenna

Nov. 9, 2009

Emmanuel College placed four women’s soccer players on the highly competitive Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference Teams. Of the thirty-three total players honored, two Saints were named to the 1st Team and two were named to the 2nd Team. Emmanuel senior Kate McKenna (Holyoke, Mass.) was voted the 2009 GNAC Player of the Year. McKenna and junior Amber Di Nucci (Assonet, Mass.) received 1st Team honors, while seniors Hillary Mota (Rehoboth, Mass.) and Meghan Long (Smithfield, R.I.) were named to the 2nd Team. Senior Alexandra Blasser (Pembroke, Mass.) was selected to the GNAC’s All-Sportsmanship Team.

McKenna, who led the conference in scoring all season, was named the 2009 GNAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year. This is also her third time being named 1st Team All-GNAC. This season, McKenna led the Saints with 21 goals and 6 assists for 48 total points. She was voted GNAC Player of the Week three times in 2009 and was named to the 2009 GNAC All-Tournament Team. Her Player of the Year honor comes on the heels of being named ESPN The Magazine 3rd Team Academic All-District.

Joining McKenna on the the 1st Team is junior forward Amber Di Nucci. This is Di Nucci's third time as an all-conference selection. This year, she led both Emmanuel and the GNAC in play-making with an incredible 17 assists.  Her season assist total set an Emmanuel program record. Di Nucci also scored 9 goals this season, ranking her the second leading scorer for the Saints in 2009.  She was named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll in October and was all voted to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.

Mota and Long were named 2nd team All-GNAC. Along with McKenna, the two represented the team's tri-captains this season.  Both Long and Mota have been starters in their respective positions throughout their tenure with the Saints. Long scored three goals and dished out 5 assists from her midfield position in 2009.  She was voted to this year's GNAC All-Tournament Team.  Mota was solid on the Saints' defense all season, helping lead Emmanuel to seven shut-outs this year. This is her second time being named All-GNAC.

Blasser was named to the GNAC's All-Sportsmanship Team.  Blasser has been a four-year player for the Saints and started in 20 of her 21 games played this season.

The complete list of GNAC All-Conference Teams is as follows:

FIRST TEAM

Amber Di Nucci - Emmanuel
Lindsay D'Andrea - Emerson
Leslie Hayden - Suffolk
Kate McKenna - Emmanuel
Brooke MacKenzie - Simmons
Mikayla Call - Saint Joseph's (ME)
Kendra Davidson - Emerson
Susie McKenna - Saint Joseph (CT)
Shannon Fitzgerald - Saint Joseph's (ME)
Katie Foley - Simmons
Cait Witham - Saint Joseph (CT)

SECOND TEAM

Samantha Reynolds - Johnson & Wales
Samanta Gigliotti - Albertus Magnus
Paige Briglia - Saint Joseph (CT)
Stacey Rutledege - Saint Joseph (CT)
Brianna Jordan - Saint Joseph's (ME)
Sarah Reuschel - Norwich
Meghan Long - Emmanuel
Hillary Mota - Emmanuel
Sarah Boudreau - Albertus Magnus
Kara Pantano - Emerson
Rachel Elliott - Simmons

THIRD TEAM

Nikki Sczepanski - Norwich
Jessica Needham - Saint Joseph's (ME)
Anna Willis - Saint Joseph's (ME)
Angela Cazzato - Johnson & Wales
Ashley Sanford - Norwich
Justine Beauchamp - Simmons
Gina Dean - Suffolk
Meredith Hessler - Lasell
Christina Santos - Pine Manor
Meg Fitzgerald - Rivier
Elizabeth Stickley - Lasell

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Kate McKenna - Emmanuel
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Shannon Fitzgerald - Saint Joseph's (ME)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Justine Beauchamp - Simmons
COACH OF THE YEAR Erica Mastrogiacomo - Simmons

GNAC ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM

Christina Oddo - Albertus Magnus
Amy Gutierrez - Emerson
Alexandra Blasser - Emmanuel
Lauren Kaufman - Johnson & Wales
Meredith Hessler - Lasell
Tracy Koukol - Mount Ida
Allison Flemming - Norwich
Caroline Zak - Rivier
Cait Witham - Saint Joseph (CT)
Anna Willis - Saint Joseph's (ME)
Jenn Kmietek - Simmons
LeslieHayden - Suffolk
Leslie Hayden - Suffolk