GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season champion North Carolina earned two major season awards and placed eight student-athletes – including four first-teamers – on the All-ACC and All-Freshman Women’s Soccer Teams announced Thursday.
 
UNC sophomore forward Alessia Russo was chosen as the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, while Tar Heel coach Anson Dorrance was honored as the ACC Coach of the Year in a vote by the league’s head coaches.
 
Boston College sophomore Sam Coffey received the nod as the ACC Midfielder of the Year, while Clemson senior Sam Staab was selected the Defensive Player of the Year. Florida State midfielder Yujie Zhao was tabbed as the ACC Freshman of the Year
 
Before suffering a broken leg that ended her season versus Wake Forest on Oct. 25, UNC’s Russo successfully followed up a 2017 campaign in which she was voted the ACC Freshman of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the ACC Championship. The MAC Hermann Trophy candidate from Kent, England, ranks second among ACC players in shots per game (4.21) and seventh in points per contest (1.14). Four of Russo’s team-high six goals were game-winners.


 
Dorrance guided the Tar Heels (16-2-1, 10-0) to their 22nd ACC regular-season title and first outright since 2010. UNC finished unbeaten and untied in regular-season conference play for the first time since 2006. Dorrance, who will be bidding for his 23rd league title as he leads the Tar Heels into the semifinals of the ACC Championship on Friday night, owns an all-time winning percentage of .904 dating back to the program's first year in 1979. The 11-time ACC Coach of the Year hit the 1,000 career-win mark as a head coach (women’s and men’s teams combined) with UNC’s 2-0 shutout win over No. 23 Ohio State early this season.
 


Boston College’s Coffey leads the ACC in scoring (2.0 points per game), goals (12) and assists (14). The Sleepy Hollow, New York, native is tied for second nationally in assists per game (0.74) and is sixth in points per contest. Her stellar season included her first career hat trick in a 3-0 win over visiting Virginia Tech on Oct. 4. Coffey was voted the ACC Offensive Player of the Week following that performance. Five of her goals have been game-winners. Coffey represents the Eagles as an All-ACC first-teamer on season after earning third-team and All-Freshman honors in 2017.


 
Clemson’s Staab has helped the Tigers to a 12-7 overall a record, an upper-division ACC regular-season finish and a spot opposite top-seeded North Carolina in Friday night’s ACC Championship semifinal game. While playing a key role on a defensive unit that has allowed an average of less than one goal per game while posting nine shutouts, Staab also ranks second among all ACC players with 11 assists. With 33 assists for her career, the San Diego native ranks fourth in school history and is one assist away from tying former Tiger standout Lindsay Browne for third.
 


Florida State’s Zhao has helped the Seminoles to a 13-4-2 overall record, a top-10 national ranking, and spot in the ACC Championship semifinals. The Shanghai, China, freshman ranks second on the team in scoring with 15 points (six goals, three assists). Her three game-winning goals tie for the most on the team. Zhao was honored as the ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4 following her standout play against top-10 opponents Southern Cal and UCLA.


 
 The ACC Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals are set for Friday with No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 5 seed Clemson meeting in the first game at 5:30 p.m., and No. 3 seed Virginia facing No. 7 seed Florida State in the second semifinal set for approximately 8 p.m. at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Friday’s winners will play on Sunday at noon for the ACC title and the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Championship.
 
Tickets for the 2018 #ACCWSoccer Championship at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park are on sale. Single-day adult general admission tickets are $10. Admission is free for youth ages 18 and under and students of ACC institutions. To purchase tickets, visit: https://theacc.co/18SoccerTix.
 
Friday evening’s semifinal matches will be available on ACC Network Extra via the ESPN App, and Sunday’s championship match will be carried live on ESPNU.
 
The complete 2018 All-ACC Women’s Soccer Team and All-Freshman Team are listed below.
 
Offensive Player of the Year: Alessia Russo, So, F., North Carolina
Midfielder of the Year: Sam Coffey, So., M, Boston College
Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Staab, Sr., D, Clemson
Freshman of the Year: Yujie Zhao, Fr., M, Florida State
Coach of the Year: Anson Dorrance, North Carolina
 
First Team All-ACC                         
Sam Coffey, So., M, Boston College
Sam Staab, Sr., D, Clemson
Kayla McCoy, Sr., F, Duke
Deyna Castellanos, Jr., F, Florida State
Yujie Zhao, Fr., M, Florida State
Emina Ekic, So., M, Louisville
Emily Fox, So., D, North Carolina
Taylor Otto, R-So., M, North Carolina
Brianna Pinto, Fr., M, North Carolina
Alessia Russo, So., F, North Carolina
Amanda McGlynn, Jr., GK, Virginia Tech
 
Second Team All-ACC
Mariana Speckmaier, So., F, Clemson
Taylor Racioppi, Sr., F, Duke
Ella Stevens, Jr., M, Duke
Jaelin Howell, Fr., M, Florida State
Natalia Kuikka, Sr., D, Florida State
Phallon Tullis-Joyce, R-Sr., GK, Miami
Julia Ashley, Sr., D, North Carolina
Tziarra King, Jr., F, NC State
Ricci Walkling, Jr., M, NC State
Phoebe McClernon, Jr., D, Virginia
Bayley Feist, Sr., M, Wake Forest
 
Third Team All-ACC                        
Sandy MacIver, Jr., GK, Clemson
Miranda Weslake, R-Sr., F, Clemson
Malia Berkely, R-So., D, Florida State
Brooklynn Rivers, Jr., F, Louisville
Courtney Petersen, R-Jr., D, Virginia
Dorian Bailey, Sr., M, North Carolina
Karin Muya, Gr., F, Notre Dame
Alexa Spaanstra, Fr., F, Virginia
Taryn Torres, So., M, Virginia
Kelsey Irwin, R-Jr., D, Virginia Tech
Peyton Perea, Sr., M, Wake Forest
 
All-Freshman Team
Kayla Duran, Fr., D, Boston College
Delaney Graham, Fr., D, Duke
Sydney Simmons, Fr., M, Duke
Jaelin Howell, Fr., M, Florida State
Yujie Zhao, Fr., M, Florida State
Brianna Pinto, Fr., M, North Carolina
Rachel Jones, Fr., F, North Carolina
Rebecca Jarrett, Fr., F, Virginia
Alexa Spaanstra, Fr., F, Virginia
Emily Gray, Fr., M, Virginia Tech
Giovanna Demarco, Fr, M, Wake Forest