Women's Soccer Earns Six All-Crossroads League Honors
Crossroads League Release | TU Honors Page
INDIANAPOLIS – Taylor women's soccer head coach Scott Stan and team members Katie Wierenga, Savannah Porter, Shelbi Lowe, Lauren Engelkes and Nikki Zaino were selected for All-Crossroads League honors, the league announced on Tuesday.
37 players were honored, with 24 on the Crossroads League First Team and 13 as Crossroads League Honorable Mention. The first team and honorable mentions are selected by the coaches within the league.
No. 21 TU finished play in the Crossroads League with a 7-1-1 record, with its only blemish coming on the road against defending NAIA National-Champion and top-ranked Spring Arbor. The Trojans were upset in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals, 1-0, by Saint Francis. Taylor will await the announcing of the national championship qualifiers on November 14 at noon (ET) to learn if their record-setting season will be extended.
Stan was selected as the league's co-Coach of the Year after leading the team to the best season in program history. The honor is the first for Stan at Taylor and the fourth of his coaching career, having won three coach-of-the-year awards while at Manchester University in addition to this year's honor. The team set program records for most wins (14), most shutouts (11), best start (9-0), longest win streak (9) and best goals-against per game (0.65) in a single season. Taylor also reached its highest NAIA Top-25 ranking in program history (No. 16) this fall under Stan's leadership. Stan owns a 92-60-15 record in his nine years at the helm of the TU women's soccer program.
Wierenga was selected to the first team and voted the Midfielder of the Year. The senior has been a key contributor to TU's success this season, starting all 17 games and helping the Trojan defense shut out a program-record 11 of its 17 opponents this season. The postseason honor is the first of Wierenga's career.
Porter was also selected to the first team as a vital part of the Taylor defense. The sophomore started every game this season, scoring a goal and notching an assist, while contributing to the record-setting TU defense. The postseason honor is the first of Porter's career.
Lowe was the third Trojan selected to the first team after scoring four goals and adding a team-high seven assists. The senior started 15 games in 2016 and averaged the fourth-most assists per game in the league. The postseason honor is the first of Lowe's career.
Engelkes was selected as honorable mention for her stellar play in the net for TU this season. The sophomore started 16 games, allowing nine goals, grabbing 56 saves and receiving three league defensive player-of-the-week honors. The postseason honor is the first of Engelkes's career.
Zaino was selected as honorable mention after tying for the team-lead in goals (7) and recording the second-most dish-outs on the team (4). The junior started all 17 games this season, tallying the most points on the team and tying for the eighth-most points in the Crossroads League (18). The postseason honor is the first of Zaino's career.
For a complete list of the women's soccer 2016 All-Crossroads league honorees and individual award-winners, visit the Crossroads League site listed at the link provided above.