UCLA Dominates Pac-12 Women's Soccer's Year-End Awards
The Pac-12 champion UCLA women’s soccer team nearly pulled off a clean sweep of the individual year-end awards, with Sam Mewis capturing Player of the Year honors, Abby Dahlkemper earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim, Katelyn Rowland winning Goalkeeper of the Year and Amanda Cromwell being selected the Coach of the Year. Additionally, seven Bruins received All-Pac-12 honors, and Zoey Goralski was selected to the All-Freshman team.
Pac-12 Player of the Year – Sam Mewis, M, UCLA
Mewis, a senior midfielder from Hanson, Mass., is the sixth Bruin and second in three years to be named the Pac-12 Player of the Year. Mewis led the reigning NCAA Champion Bruins to their second-consecutive Pac-12 Championship, an unbeaten season with an 18-0-2 overall record, and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Through the regular season, Mewis ranked first in the Pac-12 in all scoring categories. Her 39 points rank ninth nationally, her 11 assists rank 17th nationally, and her 14 goals rank 23rd in the nation. The senior spearheaded a UCLA offense that outscored opponents 54-4 through the regular season, and outshot opponents 379-105. Mewis, a three-time second-team All-Pac-12 honoree, takes home first-team all-conference honors for the first time in her career.
Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year – Abby Dahlkemper, D, UCLA
Dahlkemper, a senior defender from Menlo Park, Calif., received the first-ever Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. She anchored a UCLA defense that limited opponents to the best goals-against average (.196), shutout percentage (.800) and won-lost-tied percentage (.950) in the nation. Behind Dahlkemper’s steady play at center back, UCLA has allowed only four goals all season, holding their opponents to a .038 shots percentage and just 46 shots on goal. The 2013 Honda Award winner joins Lauren Cheney as the only Bruins ever to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors all four years.
Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year – Katelyn Rowland, GK, UCLA
Rowland, a senior goalkeeper from Vacaville, Calif., has had a record-setting season in 2014, leading the Bruins to the conference title while tying the NCAA record for career shutouts with 52. Rowland also broke her own school records for single-season shutouts (16), consecutive shutouts in a season (7) and consecutive shutout minutes in a season (667). The senior, who has been between the pipes for all 1,840 minutes this season for UCLA, has led the Bruins to the best team goals against average (0.196), shutout percentage (0.800) and save percentage (0.913) marks in the nation. She finished the regular season with just four goals allowed, and her goals against average of 0.196 leads the nation. She picked up first-team All-Pac-12 acclaim for the second consecutive year.
Pac-12 Coach of the Year – Amanda Cromwell, UCLA
Second-year head coach Amanda Cromwell led UCLA to its second consecutive Pac-12 title, an undefeated regular season (18-0-2) and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Cromwell has never lost a Pac-12 game in her two seasons at UCLA and holds a 40-1-5 mark in Westwood. The reigning Soccer America Coach of the Year guided the Bruins to an 18-0-2 record this season while leading the nation in save percentage (.913), goals-against average (.196), shutout percentage (.800) and won-lost-tied percentage (.950). Her Bruins are currently on a 41-game unbeaten streak.
The three award-winners each received first-team All-Pac-12 acclaim, along with senior midfielder and three-time first-team honoree Sarah Killion (Fort Wayne, Ind.). A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, Killion is ranked second in the Pac-12 in assists with 10 and fifth in points with 24. She also earned second-team Capital One Academic All-District acclaim for the second consecutive year.
Receiving second-team honors were senior defender Ally Courtnall (Westlake Village, Calif.) and junior forward Taylor Smith (Fort Worth, Texas). Senior defender Megan Oyster (Naperville, Ill.) earned honorable mention acclaim. Courtnall and Oyster are part of UCLA’s record-setting defense that has shut out seven consecutive opponents and 16 overall this year. Courtnall has contributed one goal and five assists, while Oyster has one goal and one assist. This is the first All-Pac-12 honor for both defenders. Smith, who earned first-team honors a year ago, ranks third on the team in scoring with seven goals and five assists (19 points). She also has four game-winning goals.
Redshirt freshman defender Zoey Goralski (Naperville, Ill.) received All-Freshman honors. Goralski has played in 18 games and scored two goals and three assists.
2014 All-Pac-12 Team
FIRST TEAM
McKenzie Berryhill, D, Jr., Arizona State
Abby Dahlkemper, D, Sr., UCLA ***
Cali Farquharson, F, Jr., Arizona State
Sarah Killion, M, Sr., UCLA **
Lo'eau LaBonta, M, Sr., Stanford
Sam Mewis, M, Sr., UCLA
Kayla Mills, D, So., USC
Katelyn Rowland, GK, Sr., UCLA *
Jaclyn Softli, F, Sr., Washington
Andi Sullivan, M, Fr, Stanford
Chioma Ubogagu, F, Sr., Stanford
*** 4-time selection; ** 3-time selection; * 2-time selection
SECOND TEAM
Kate Bennett, M, 5Sr., Washington
Jane Campbell, GK, So, Stanford
Taylor Comeau, M, Sr., California
Tori Cooper, D, Sr., Colorado
Ally Courtnall, D, Sr., UCLA
Brie Hooks, F, So., Colorado
Nicole Setterlund, M, Sr., Washington State
Taylor Smith, F, Jr., UCLA
Gabi Stoian, F, Fr., Arizona
Katie Taylor, M, Sr., Utah
HONORABLE MENTION: Stephanie Amack (STAN, So., D); Gurveen Clair (WSU, RSr., GK); Alexandra Doller (ARIZ, Sr., F); Jamie Fink (USC, Jr., M); Laura Liedle (STAN, Jr., D); Annia Mejia (CAL, Fr., D); Aly Moon (ASU, Fr., M); Megan Oyster (UCLA, Sr., D); Bri Pugh (ORE, Sr., M); Abby Steele (ORE, Sr., GK).
FRESHMAN TEAM
Emily Boyd, GK, California
Jordan Branch, D, Washington State
Mariah Elmer, F, Utah
Zoey Goralski, D, UCLA
Kimberly Keever, F, Washington
Annia Mejia, D, California
Aly Moon, F, Arizona State
Sydney Sladek, M, USC
Gabi Stoian, F, Arizona
Andi Sullivan, M, Stanford (Freshman of the Year)
Caitlyn Wong, D, Oregon