HAMMOND, La. — McNeese State senior forward Kamryn Koch repeated as the state’s Player of the Year, while Southeastern Conference Western Division champion LSU placed a state-high five players on the first team of the 2008 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Women’s Soccer Collegiate Team, which was released by the LSWA on Friday.
Koch, a native of Breaux Bridge, was one of four to receive individual accolades from the LSWA. LSU head coach Brian Lee was named the state’s Coach of the Year for the second straight season after leading the Lady Tigers to their second consecutive SEC West title.
Lee’s squad’s success was keyed by the efforts of goalkeeper Mo Isom, who was tabbed as the state’s top freshman. Southeastern Louisiana junior midfielder Jenna Oney was named the state’s top newcomer, marking three straight seasons the Lady Lions have featured the Louisiana Newcomer of the Year.
In her senior season, Koch was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year after rewriting the school’s record book, finishing with 21 goals and eight assists, while also leading the SLC in all but one offensive category. The Cowgirl senior ranked among the nation’s leaders in goals and points per game, breaking two career league marks and one single-season SLC record, while also tying the league record for single-season goals scored. Koch was a first team All-Louisiana selection for the third straight season.
Lee led LSU to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, as the Lady Tigers posted a 14-4-2 overall mark and a 7-3-1 SEC record, finishing second in the overall SEC standings ? the program’s best finish in school history. Lee helped LSU finish 14th in the Soccer America Top 25, as the team climbed to as high as ninth in the national polls during the 2008 campaign under Lee’s guidance.
Isom was a force in goal for the Lady Tigers, as the Marietta, Ga. was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Playing every minute in goal for LSU, Isom set a school record with a 0.82 goals against average, allowing LSU to limit opponents to a SEC-low 0.85 goals per game. Isom was named Soccer America’s National Player of the Week after helping LSU to victories on Sept. 2 over BYU, Northwestern and Loyola-Chicago. Isom also earned national notoriety after scoring on a 90-yard free kick in the win over BYU, a goal featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter’s Top Plays on Aug. 26.
Oney, a Centennial, Colo. native, was a key part of Southeastern’s success in her first season in Hammond, after helping Metro State to a Division II national title. The 2008 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, Oney finished with three goals and four assists on the year. Oney was named Southland Conference Player of the Week on Sept. 16 after scoring two goals and recording two assists in a 10-0 win over Southern.
Isom and junior midfielder Malorie Rutledge highlighted the Lady Tiger honorees. Rutledge, a Sharpsburg, Ga. product, was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and finished second in the nation with 18 assists. Rutledge, who led the NCAA with 0.9 assists per contest, was named to the All-Louisiana first team for the third straight season.
Rutledge was not the only Lady Tiger to make a repeat appearance on the All-Louisiana squad, as junior forward Rachel Yepez was a first team selection for the second straight year. LSU senior forward Roslyn Jones ? a first-team All-Louisiana pick in 2006 ? and junior midfielder Melissa Clarke rounded out LSU’s first-team selections.
McNeese State and Southeastern each placed two players on the first team. Koch was joined by fellow Cowgirl senior forward Ja’Nae Powell on the first team. Oney and senior forward Kristin McDonald ? making her second straight LSWA first team appearance ? represented the Lady Lions. Northwestern State junior forward Kayce Schultz and Louisiana-Lafayette senior forward Callie Oliver rounded out the first team.
In addition to the first team picks, 14 state players were honorable mention selections. In all, nine of the state’s 13 institutions that sponsor women’s soccer were represented on the All-Louisiana squad.
The LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s Soccer Collegiate Team is selected by the state’s sports information directors.
2008 LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s Soccer Team
First Team
Kamryn Koch, McNeese State, Forward, Senior, Breaux Bridge, La.
Malorie Rutledge, LSU, Midfielder, Junior, Sharpsburg, Ga.
Kayce Schultz, Northwestern State, Forward, Junior, Baton Rouge, La.
Roslyn Jones, LSU, Forward, Senior, Mandeville, La.
Callie Oliver, Louisiana-Lafayette, Forward, Senior, Texas City, Texas
Melissa Clarke, LSU, Midfielder, Junior, Norcross, Ga.
Jenna Oney, Southeastern Louisiana, Midfielder, Junior, Centennial, Ohio
Rachel Yepez, LSU, Forward, Junior, Fayetteville, N.C.
Ja’Nae Powell, McNeese State, Forward, Senior, Arlington, Texas
Kristin McDonald, Southeastern Louisiana, Forward, Senior, St. Catherines, Ont.
Mo Isom, LSU, Goalkeeper, Freshman, Marietta, Ga.
Honorable Mention: Rachelle Dobbins, Grambling; Olivia Lukasewich, Louisiana Tech; Natalie Santana, Southeastern Louisiana; Ashley Baker, Grambling; Brittany Davis, Louisiana Tech; Rachel Hobson, Louisiana-Monroe; Nicole Brannigan, Southeastern Louisiana; Tiffany Bombard, Louisiana-Monroe; Shalayne Heffner, Southeastern Louisiana; Candice Wallace, Southeastern Louisiana; Tanya Geelhold, Louisiana-Lafayette; Lacey Bockhaus, Southeastern Louisiana; Shelby Money, McNeese State; April Taylor, Southern
Player of the Year: Kamryn Koch, McNeese State
Freshman of the Year: Mo Isom, LSU, Goalkeeper
Newcomer of the Year: Jenna Oney, Southeastern Louisiana
Coach of the Year: Brian Lee, LSU