BATON ROUGE — The postseason accolades continue to pour in for members of the LSU soccer team for their performance in 2008 as juniors Malorie Rutledge and Melissa Clarke received all-region selections Sunday by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Rutledge was named an NSCAA/adidas First-Team All-Central Region performer for the second-straight season, while Clarke received a second-team selection for the first time in her career.
Rutledge has already been honored as the 2008 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-SEC performer, in addition to being named a second-team member of Top Drawer Soccer’s Team of the Season after leading the Tigers to their second-straight SEC Western Division crown and at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament with a 14-4-2 overall record.
The native of Sharpsburg, Ga., wrapped up the 2008 season as the SEC’s top point scorer with an impressive nine goals and 18 assists for 36 points, including seven goals and a league-leading 10 assists and 24 points in conference play. With her 18 assists on the season, Rutledge shattered her own single-season school record and now ranks No. 2 all-time for a single-season in the SEC.
Not only that, but Rutledge finished the campaign ranked No. 1 in the NCAA with an average of 0.90 assists per game and No. 2 nationally in total assists.
Clarke teamed with Rutledge to give the Tigers a devastating 1-2 punch in the midfield and was also rewarded with a second-team all-region selection by the NSCAA. Her selection comes on the heels of a second-team All-SEC nomination for the second time in her collegiate career.
Clarke, who scored the game-winning goal in LSU’s SEC West clinching 3-1 win over Arkansas, finished the season with six goals and six assists for 18 points. She finished the regular season second to Rutledge on the team in SEC scoring with four goals and four assists for 12 points in 11 conference matches after playing at full health for the first time since her freshman year in 2005.
2008 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I Women’s All-Central Region
First Team
Pos., Name, Class, School, Hometown
GK, Dianna Pfenninger, Sr., Texas, Sugar Land, Texas
D, Kasey Moore, Sr., Texas, Mission Viejo, Calif.
D, Molly Uyenishi, Sr., Colorado College, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.
D, Stephanie Logterman, Sr., Texas, Austin, Texas
D, Estelle Johnson, Jr., Kansas, Fort Collins, Colo.
M, Malorie Rutledge, Jr., LSU, Sharpsburg, Ga.
M, Vendula Strnadova, So., Memphis, Las Cruces, N.M.
M, Yolanda Odenyo, Sr., Oklahoma State, Uppsala, Sweden
F, Nikki Marshall, Jr., Colorado, Mead. Colo.
F, Alysha Bonnick, So., Missouri, North Gower, Ontario
F, Kasey Langdon, Jr., Oklahoma State, Wylie, Texas
Second Team
Pos., Name, Class, School, Hometown
GK, Kirstin Radlinski, Sr., Colorado, Placentia, Calif.
D, Michelle Wenino, Sr., Colorado, Centennial, Colo.
D, Kelsey Bakker, So., Memphis, Kennewick, Wash.
D, Brianne Young, Fr., Texas A&M, Castle Pines North, Colo.
M, Shelley Wong, Jr., Rice, Virginia Beach, Va.
M, Monica Dolinsky, Jr., Kansas, Carmel, Ind.
M, Melissa Clarke, Jr., LSU, Marietta, Ga.
F, Taryn Hemmings, Sr., Denver, Windsor, Colo.
F, Siera Strawser, Jr., Oklahoma State, Bixby, Okla.
F, Tiffany Brown, So., Colorado College, Sterling, Va.
F, Lindsay Patterson, Sr., Arkansas, Flower Mound, Texas
Third Team
Pos., Name, Class, School, Hometown
GK, Tasha Dittamore, Jr., Missouri, Granite City, Ill.
D, Carly Peetz, Jr., Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.
D, Danielle Johnson, Jr., Ole Miss, Baton Rouge, La.
D, Crystal Wagner, Jr., Missouri, Houston, Texas
M, Aysha Jamani, Sr., Nebraska, Calgary, Alberta
M, Jennifer Hance, Sr., Ole Miss, Sugar Land, Texas
M, Meghan Pfeiffer, Missouri, Chesterfield, Mo.
M, Jordan Calhoun, Fr., TCU, Norman, Okla.
F, Erin Scott, Jr., Rice, Richardson, Texas
F, Tameka Sumter, Jr., UTEP, San Antonio, Texas
F, Lizzy Simonin, Fr., Memphis, Lee’s Summit, Mo.