BATON ROUGE – The three-time defending SEC Western Division champion LSU soccer team honored its senior class and celebrated another successful 2009 season Thursday night with a team awards banquet held at the Tiger Den Suites in the East upper deck of Tiger Stadium.
With family, friends, coaches, student-athletes and support staff on hand, the Tigers relived the success of the 2009 season in which they captured their third-straight SEC Western Division crown and competed in the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row.
In five seasons under head coach Brian Lee and his staff, LSU has soared to heights never before reached while being transformed into an SEC power and one of the Top 20 programs in the country.
“When we came to LSU five years ago, we knew this program had the potential to become one of the best programs in the country. We are now seeing the results of that vision,” Lee said. “We wanted to honor our student-athletes tonight for all of the hard work and dedication they have shown in transforming LSU into a nationally-respected program that we can all be proud of. This event was for each one of them.”
The Tigers equaled the program record for wins in a season while posting a 15-4-5 overall mark this year. They also established a school record with an 8-2-1 record and 25 points in league play en route to their second-straight No. 2 finish in the final SEC regular season standings.
LSU continued its success in the postseason as it advanced to the SEC Tournament final for the first time in team history before earning a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons while competing as a No. 4 national seed in the 64-team field.
For their performance, the Tigers were ranked as high as No. 14 nationally in the final polls of the season, while they were ranked among the nation’s Top 20 teams in each of the final eight weeks of 2009.
Senior Malorie Rutledge led the way while continuing her development as one of the nation’s top players in the attack. Rutledge was named an All-American for the third-straight season while earning first-team honors from TopDrawerSoccer.com and third-team honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She was also selected as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season and a First-Team All-SEC performer for the third-straight season.
Rutledge, who was the SEC’s leading scorer with 13 goals and 12 assists for 38 points, was selected as the No. 13 overall pick by the Philadelphia Independence in the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer Draft held on Jan. 15 in conjunction with the NSCAA Annual Convention in Philadelphia.
Rutledge was not the only LSU Tiger drafted as fellow senior Melissa Clarke was the No. 29 overall pick by Sky Blue FC of New York in the 2010 WPS Draft earlier this month.
Clarke helped give the Tigers a dominating 1-2 punch in the attack as she received Second-Team All-SEC honors for the third time in her collegiate career as one of the league’s top midfielders. Clarke wrapped up the season as LSU’s second-leading scorer with 12 goals and five assists for 29 points.
Three other Tigers earned All-SEC honors for their performance. Senior defender Chelsea Potts picked up a First-Team All-SEC selection in leading one of the league’s top defenses, while sophomore midfielder Allysha Chapman earned Second-Team All-SEC honors and freshman striker Carlie Banks was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team following her rookie season.
In addition to her first-team all-conference selection, Potts was honored for her academic performance as a third-team selection to the NSCAA Scholar All-America Team.
“We have been blessed with one of the more talented teams in the country, and our performance this year is certainly a testament to that fact,” Lee said. “I’m proud of each one of our student-athletes for the work they’ve put in this year on and off the field and the success they now enjoy because of that hard work.”
The 2009 season also marked the final campaign for eight seniors recognized during Thursday’s banquet as the most successful senior class in the history of the LSU soccer program.
Joining Clarke, Potts and Rutledge as members of LSU’s Class of 2009 are Nikki Bush, Amanda Carreno, Katherine Lagow, Brittany Lowe and Rachel Yepez.
This senior class signed with LSU four years ago as the foundation of the No. 7-ranked recruiting class in the country in 2006. In four seasons, it set a new senior class record with 50 wins while claiming a total of three SEC Western Division titles and three NCAA Tournament berths in each of the last three years. The senior class was also ranked among the Top 20 teams in the nation in 21 weeks during its tenure.
“What else can you say about this senior class? What they have accomplished in their time here at LSU is truly remarkable,” Lee said. “When they joined the program four years ago, they had the same vision that we had. They have certainly built a strong foundation that will only lead to greater success in the future.”
2009 LSU SOCCER AWARD WINNERS
Note: All awards were selected by the players and are listed in the order received
Support Staffer of the Year
Nathan Minion, Manager
Most Valuable Utility Player
Melissa Clarke
Most Valuable Defender
Chelsea Potts
Most Valuable Midfielder
Allysha Chapman
Most Valuable Forward
Malorie Rutledge
Most Valuable Substitute
*Awarded to the team’s top reserve who started in less than 50 percent of games in 2009
Kellie Murphy
Newcomer of the Year
Allysha Chapman
Kelly Mortgage Louisiana Player of the Year
*Awarded to the most outstanding collegiate player in Louisiana as voted on by the state’s head coaches
Malorie Rutledge
Coaches Award
Katherine Lagow
Golden Ball Award
*Awarded to the player with the highest points per game average among Division I programs in Louisiana
Malorie Rutledge
Leadership Award
Chelsea Potts
Power Tiger Award
*Awarded to the player who demonstrates exemplary work ethic and attitude in the weight room
Rachel Yepez
Chelsea Agar Scholastic Achievement Award
*Awarded to the player with the highest cumulative grade-point average after completing at least two full semesters at LSU
Courtney Alexander
Cox Academic Center Achievement Award
*Awarded to the player who has shown exemplary improvement and effort in academics
Nikki Bush
Purple Heart Award
*Awarded to the player who has fought through injury or personal strife to help the team succeed
Courtney Alexander
Sara Pollock Tiger Award
*Awarded to the player whose actions on and off the field demonstrate exceptional character by putting the team first in all situations
Amanda Carreno