Louisiana Tech, LSU Claim Top LSWA Soccer Honors
By Kemmler Chapple
Written for the LSWA
HAMMOND, La. – Louisiana Tech sophomore forward Kathryn Sloan was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Women’s Soccer Collegiate Player of the Year, as the LSWA announced the 2014 All-Louisiana Women’s Soccer Collegiate Teams on Sunday.
Sloan and LSU freshman forward Jorian Baucom, who was named the state’s Freshman of the Year, claimed the state’s top individual honors. Louisiana Tech’s Kevin Sherry was named LSWA Coach of the Year.
Sloan, a Kansas City, Missouri native, was named the state’s top player of 2014 after earning second team All-Conference USA and NSCAA Third Team All-Central Region recognition. Sloan led Louisiana Tech with 11 goals, six assists and 28 points, while her five game-winning goals led Conference USA and tied a single-season school record.
Engineering Sloan and her teammates’ success was Sherry, the 2014 LSWA Coach of the Year. Despite the Lady Techsters coming into the season with just two seniors and picked to finish 12th in the preseason C-USA polls, Sherry led his team to its first-ever postseason victory and a semifinal appearance in the C-USA Tournament. Sherry’s squad finished with a 13-6-3 overall record.
Rounding out the top individual award winners was Baucom, who established herself as LSU’s top player in her freshman season. The 2014 LSWA Freshman of the Year from Scottsdale, Arizona finished the season with eight goals and four assists to lead the Tigers. In her debut season in Baton Rouge, Baucom was named the College Sports Madness SEC Freshman of the Year, second team All-SEC and was ranked the No. 11 freshman in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
Sloan was joined on the first team by teammate and junior midfielder Brittany Beddow. The Keller, Texas native finished with seven goals and also tied a single-season school record with eight assists.
Louisiana Tech was one of three state institutions to place multiple student-athletes on the first team. Southeastern Louisiana placed a state-high four student-athletes on the first team. Senior defender Chelsea Villaescusa, sophomore forward Bri Singh and sophomore goalkeeper Hope Sabadash. Joining the Lady Lion trio on the first team and rounding out the SLU contingent was freshman midfielder Maggie Ramsey.
Also repeating on the first team was Louisiana-Lafayette senior defender Grace Howell-Harries, who was joined by teammate and sophomore midfielder Kimberly Grasso to give the Ragin’ Cajuns multiple All-Louisiana first team selections. Both Howell-Harries and Grasso were All-Sun Belt Conference and All-Region honorees.
Baucom was one of three first team selections to be the lone selection from their school. Senior forward Spencer Valdespino of Nicholls (10 goals) and McNeese State sophomore forward Savannah LaRicci (six goals, three assists).
In addition, 11 players were named to the team as honorable mention choices. The 2014 LSWA All-Louisiana Collegiate Women’s Soccer Team was selected by the state’s sports information directors.
2014 LSWA All-Louisiana Collegiate Women’s Soccer Team
First Team
Name – School – Pos. – Cl. — Hometown
Kathryn Sloan – Louisiana Tech – F – So. – Kansas City, Mo.
Jorian Baucom – LSU – F – Fr. – Scottsdale, Ariz.
Spencer Valdespino – Nicholls – F – Jr. – Spring Hill, Fla.
Bri Singh – Southeastern Louisiana – F – So. – Lancaster, Calif.
Chelsea Villaescusa – Southeastern Louisiana – D – Sr. – Cypress, Calif.
Grace Howell-Harries – Louisiana-Lafayette – D – Sr. – London, Ontario, Canada
Kimberly Grasso – Louisiana-Lafayette – MF – So. – Houma, La.
Maggie Ramsey – Southeastern Louisiana – MF – Fr. – Mission Viejo, Calif.
Brittany Beddow – Louisiana Tech – MF – Jr. – Keller, Texas
Savannah LaRicci, McNeese State – F – So. – Sugar Land, Texas
Hope Sabadash – Southeastern Louisiana – GK – So. – Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Player of the Year: Kathryn Sloan, Louisiana Tech
Freshman of the Year: Jorian Baucom, LSU
Coach of the Year: Kevin Sherry, Louisiana Tech
Honorable Mention: Jen Babcock, SLU; Jordane Carvery, LSU; Karlea Fehr, ULM; Erin Christ, SLU; Erin Biggs, Louisiana College; Antonia Land, ULM; Haley Lyons, McNeese; Jess Coates, Nicholls; Jenna Pillon, ULM; Yazmin Montoya, Louisiana-Lafayette; Kylee Seto, Louisiana Tech