Bruno, Dant Garner Women's Soccer A-A Honors

(SAN ANGELO, TX)---A pair of West Virginia Conference women's soccer players have earned third team Daktronics All-America honors.  Davis & Elkins forward Cole Dant and Wheeling Jesuit defender Laura Bruno were selected to the squad chosen by NCAA Division II sports information directors.

Dant made an immediate impact during her first season at D&E with a league-leading 29 goals.  The Elkton, MD native was selected as the WVIAC Freshman of the Year.  Her efforts helped the Senators improve to 11-9-2 overall as they captured a WVIAC playoff spot.  Dant is the lone rookie named to the top three squads on the Daktronics All-America team.

Bruno helped Wheeling Jesuit post a 16-6 overall mark and the Cardinals claimed the WVIAC Northern Division title.  She tallied four goals and added as many assists.  The two-time All-WVIAC pick also helped the WJU defense notch eight shutouts on the season.

Eight WVIAC Women's Soccer Players Earn All-Region Honors

ERIE, Pa. – Unbeaten Grand Valley State landed four players on the first team and Laker junior Katy Tafler was named player of the year in the 2007 Daktronics Women's
Soccer All-Great Lakes Region voting.

The team was voted on by sports information directors of the region, which is comprised of schools from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference.

Tafler, a Mississauga, Ont., native, earned the award for the second consecutive season. In 19 games this year, she totaled 34 goals and 11 assists for 79 points, ranking
first in the NCAA Division II in all three categories, as well.

Joining Tafler on the first team were teammates Kristina Nasturzio at goalkeeper, and Sue Christenson and Kourtney Willert at defender.  GVSU has limited foes to only eight goals on the season.  No squad has scored multiple goals versus the Lakers and the defense has posted nine shutouts.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville had three players honored, including midfielder Elizabeth Valenti and defender Kelly Limpert. Rounding out the first team was defender Laura Bruno of Wheeling Jesuit, midfielder Becky Fleming of Quincy,
midfielder Katie Schubert of W.Va. Wesleyan, forward Cole Dant of Davis & Elkins and Mercyhurst forward Sarah Powell.

Five more West Virginia Conference players earned second team honors.  Wheeling Jesuit's Lindsay Getz and Shepherd's Jennifer Corkran were selections at forward.  Pitt Johnstown's Kristin Kelly got the nod out of the midfield, while defenders Katie MacGregor (D&E) and Amanda Lyons (WJU) round out the picks from the WVIAC.

The 11 first team selections will now be placed on the national ballot for All-America consideration.

GREAT LAKES REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Katy Tafler, Fwd, Grand Valley State

ALL-GREAT LAKES REGION FIRST TEAM
Kristina Nasturzio, GK, Grand Valley State
Sue Christenson, Def, Grand Valley State
Kelly Limpert, Def, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Kourtney Willert, Def, Grand Valley State
Laura Bruno, Def, Wheeling Jesuit
Becky Fleming, Mid, Quincy
Katie Schubert, Mid, W.Va. Wesleyan
Elizabeth Valenti, Mid, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Katy Tafler, Fwd, Grand Valley State
Cole Dant, Fwd, Davis & Elkins
Sarah Powell, Fwd, Mercyhurst

ALL-GREAT LAKES REGION SECOND TEAM
Jessie Sanderson, GK, Drury
Rachel Lee, Def, Missouri-St. Louis
Katie MacGregor, Def, Davis & Elkins
Chelsey Schumacher, Def, Rockhurst
Felecia Ruiz, Def, Tiffin
Laura Piazza, Def, Gannon
Amanda Lyons, Def, Wheeling Jesuit
Courtney Rowan, Mid, Gannon
Lindsay Ewert, Mid, Rockhurst
Tara Reitz, Mid, Missouri-St. Louis
Kristin Kelly, Mid, Pitt-Johnstown
Lindsay Getz, Fwd, Wheeling Jesuit
Katie Yearian, Fwd, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Jennifer Corkran, Fwd, Shepherd
 

WVWC Edges WJU 2-1 For WVIAC Women's Soccer Title

(BUCKHANNON)---West Virginia Wesleyan (16-4-2) tallied both scores in a 150-second stretch of the second half as the Bobcats rallied to claim WVIAC Women's Soccer Tournament championship with a 2-1 win over rival Wheeling Jesuit (16-6-0).

Wheeling Jesuit notched the only score of the first half when Katie Groff found the back of the net.  Jessica Park assisted on the goal and the Cards had 1-0 lead that they would maintain for the next 50-plus minutes.

Wesleyan knotted the contest at 1-1 when Meghan Zayas booted in an unassisted goal at the 63-minute mark.  Mallory Smith provided the eventual game-winner only two minutes later with another unassisted score.

WVWC owned a 14-9 edge in shots on goal.  Bobcat keeper Lauren Hessian turned away seven shots.  Ashley Hitz made nine saves and allowed two goals in 65 minutes of action for the Cardinals.  Lauren Lewicki made saves on both shots directed at her in 25 minutes.

The victory awards Wesleyan an automatic into the upcoming NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Great Lakes Regional.  It also marks Wesleyan's league-high sixth conference tournament championship and snapped a three-year run for WJU atop the WVIAC.

WVIAC Women's Soccer Tournament
Tuesday, 10/30---First Round
G1: #2S Concord 3, #3N Pitt Johnstown 0
G2: #3S Davis & Elkins 6, #2N Shepherd 0
Friday, 11/2---Semifinals
G3: #1N Wheeling Jesuit 5, Concord 0
G4: #1S West Virginia Wesleyan 1, Davis & Elkins 1 (2ot---WVWC advances on penalty kicks 3-2)
Sunday, 11/4---Championship
G5: West Virginia Wesleyan 2, Wheeling Jesuit 1