HAMMOND, La. – LSU sophomore forward Jorian Baucom and Southeastern Louisiana junior goalkeeper Hope Sabadash shared state Player of the Year honors to highlight the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Women’s Soccer All-Louisiana Teams, which were announced by the LSWA on Saturday.
SLU and LSU combined to take three of the individual awards. After leading their respective teams to the NCAA Tournament, Southeastern head coach Blake Hornbuckle and LSU head coach Brian Lee shared Louisiana Coach of the Year honors. LSU freshman defender Alex Thomas was named the state’s top freshman, while McNese State junior midfielder Bettina Brulhart was selected Louisiana Newcomer of the Year.
LSU led the state with three first-team selections, while Southeastern, McNeese State and Louisiana Tech each had two representatives. Nicholls and Northwestern State each had one pick each.
Baucom, the 2014 Louisiana Freshman of the Year, took home state accolades for the second straight season, after ranking second in the Southeastern Conference with 15 goals scored. The Scottsdale, Arizona native was named first team All-SEC and NSCAA All-South Region after finishing her sophomore season with 32 points scored.
Twice named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week, Baucom was ranked as the No. 78 player in college soccer by TopDrawerSoccer.com. Baucom was joined on the first team by a pair of teammates – junior forward Summer Clarke (7 goals, 5 assists) and senior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco (5 goals, 7 assists).
Sharing player of the year honors with Baucom was Sabadash, who was named first team All-Louisiana for the third straight season. The Mississauga, Ontario, Canada native became the first player in school history to earn NSCAA All-America honors after finishing the season with a 0.83 goals against average and 10 shutouts.
Sabadash’s junior season also yielded first team All-Central Region, first team All-Southland Conference and Southland Tournament MVP honors. Sabadash was joined on the first team by teammate and senior midfielder Gisenia Utreras (12 goals, 9 assists).
Baucom was not the only Tiger to earn individual honors. A member of the SEC All-Freshman Team, Thomas earned top freshman notice. The New Orleans, Louisiana native started all 23 games and was a key part of an LSU back line that posted a 1.21 goals against average.
Brulhart was named the state’s top newcomer after receiving the same honor from the Southland Conference. Brulhart, who hails from Zurich, Switzerland, was named honorable mention All-Southland Conference after finishing with three goals and three assists. Brulhart was one of two Cowgirls on the All-Louisiana first team, along with sophomore midfielder Gabi D’Alesandro (4 goals, 4 assists).
Hornbuckle and Lee shared state Coach of the Year honors. Hornbuckle led the Lady Lions to their third NCAA Tournament appearance and a 13-5-4 overall record. LSU’s Lee helped the Tigers to improve from 5-13-2 in 2014 to 13-6-4 in 2015 – the fifth-best turnaround in all of college soccer.
Junior forward Kathryn Sloan, the 2014 Louisiana Player of the Year, was one of two Louisiana Tech players to earn first team All-Louisiana honors. Sloan, who finished 2015 with nine goals and four assists, was joined by teammate and senior defender Donya Salomon-Ali (2 goals, 4 assists).
Rounding out the first team were Nicholls senior forward Spencer Valdespino (14 goals) and Northwestern State senior midfielder Cassandra Briscoe (5 goals, 5 assists). The LSWA All-Louisiana soccer teams were selected by the state’s sports information directors.
2015 LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s Soccer Teams
First Team
Name – School – Pos. – Cl. – Hometown
Jorian Baucom – LSU – F – So. – Scottsdale, Ariz.
Gisenia Utreras – Southeastern Louisiana – MF – Sr. – Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Kathryn Sloan – Louisiana Tech – F – Jr. – Kansas City, Mo.
Spencer Valdespino – Nicholls – F – Sr. – Spring Hill, Fla.
Natalia Gomez-Junco – LSU – MF – Sr. – Monterrey, Mexico
Summer Clarke – LSU – F – Jr. – Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Donya Salomon-Ali – Louisiana Tech – D – Sr. – LaSalle, Quebec, Canada
Gabi D’Alesandro – McNeese State – MF – So. – Flower Mound, Texas
Bettina Brulhart – McNeese State – MF – Jr. – Zurich, Switzerland
Cassandra Briscoe – Northwestern State – MF – Sr. – Caledon East, Ontario, Canada
Hope Sabadash – Southeastern Louisiana – GK – Jr. – Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Player of the Year (tie): Jorian Baucom, LSU; Hope Sabadash, Southeastern Louisiana
Freshman of the Year: Alex Thomas, LSU
Newcomer of the Year: Bettina Brulhart, McNeese State
Coach of the Year (tie): Blake Hornbuckle, Southeastern Louisiana; Brian Lee, LSU
Honorable Mention: Esdeina Gonzalez, Northwestern State; Maddie Allen, Southeastern Louisiana; Debbie Hahn, LSU; Maggie Ramsey, Southeastern Louisiana; Kylee Seto, Louisiana Tech.