Virginia’s Shaffer captures two major season accolades
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Dual winner Alexis Shaffer of Virginia leads the Atlantic Coast Conference women’s soccer awards for the 2016 season, as voted upon by the ACC’s head coaches and announced on Thursday.
Shaffer, a senior from Cary, North Carolina, was voted the winner of both the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year Awards. She is the first student-athlete to earn both of those honors in a single season.
Duke senior Christina Gibbons received the nod as ACC Defensive Player of the Year, while North Carolina’s Bridgette Andrzejewski was named the ACC Freshman of the Year. Clemson’s Eddie Radwanski was voted the ACC Coach of the Year by his peers.
Florida State led all schools with six players voted All-ACC first-, second- or third-team, including one first-team selection in senior defender Kirsten Crowley. Notre Dame had five players selected, including first-team senior forward Kaleigh Olmstead. Florida State also led with three selections to the 2016 All-ACC Freshman Team, while NC State and Virginia had two each.
Virginia’s Shaffer is currently tied for the ACC lead in scoring (28 points) with 11 goals and six assists. Her 77 total shots rank second among conference players. Shaffer also ranked among the ACC leaders in shots per game (second, 4.05), points per game (tied for first, 1.47), goals per game (tied for fourth, 0.58) and assists per game (tied for eighth, 0.32). She has helped the Cavaliers to a 13-4-2 overall record as they look forward to next week’s NCAA Championship selections.
Duke’s Gibbons, who on Wednesday was announced as a finalist for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award, leads a Blue Devil defense that has allowed just 14 goals in 19 games while posting nine shutouts. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native helped Duke (12-4-3 overall) to a third-place ACC regular-season finish and is tied for third on the squad in scoring with 16 points on four goals and eight assists. The latter stat ties for second among all ACC players.
North Carolina’s Andrzejewski is tied for eighth among ACC scorers with 19 points (nine goals, one assist). The Lutherville, Maryland, freshman enters this Friday’s ACC Championship semifinals as The Tar Heels leading scorer and ranks sixth in the conference in goals per game (0.50).
Radwanski, in his sixth year at Clemson, earned his first ACC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Tigers to a 13-3-3 overall record, a share of first place in the conference regular-season standings (7-2-1) and the No. 2 seed in the ACC Championship. The Tigers, who currently own a six-game unbeaten streak against conference competition, are ranked ninth nationally in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association poll.
The ACC Women’s Soccer Championship continues this weekend with the semifinals and finals being played at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. Fourth-seeded North Carolina will face top-seeded Notre Dame in the first semifinal on Friday, Nov. 4, at 5:30 p.m., while No. 6 Florida State meets No. 2 Clemson in the second semifinal at 8 p.m. Both games will be carried by ACC Network Extra. The winners will meet Sunday, Nov. 6 at Noon in the Championship game, which will be broadcast on ESPNU.
The complete 2016 All-ACC Women’s Soccer Team and All-Freshman Team are listed below.
Offensive Player of the Year: Alexis Shaffer, Sr., M, Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year: Christina Gibbons, Sr., D, Duke
Midfielder of the Year: Alexis Shaffer, Sr., M, Virginia
Freshman of the Year: Bridgette Andrzejewski, Fr., F, North Carolina
Coach of the Year: Eddie Radwanski, Clemson
First Team
McKenzie Meehan, GS, F, Boston College
Catrina Atanda, Sr., M, Clemson
Kailen Sheridan, Sr., GK, Clemson
Christina Gibbons, Sr., D, Duke
Toni Payne, Sr., F, Duke
Kirsten Crowley, Sr., D, Florida State
Gracie Lachowecki, Sr., F, Miami
Bridgette Andrzejewski Fr., F, North Carolina
Kaleigh Olmsted, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Alexis Shaffer, Sr., M, Virginia
Murielle Tiernan, Sr., F, Virginia Tech
Second Team
Hayley Dowd, Sr., F, Boston College
Sam Staab, So., D, Clemson
Imani Dorsey, Jr., F, Duke
Deyna Castellanos, Fr., F, Florida State
Megan Connolly, So, M, Florida State
Natalia Kuikka, So., D, Florida State
Cassie Miller, Jr., GK, Florida State
Megan Buckingham, Jr., M, North Carolina
Jennifer Westendorf, Fr., F, Notre Dame
Kristen McNabb , GS, D, Virginia
Sarah Teegarden, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Third Team
Claire Wagner, Sr., D, Clemson
Ella Stevens, Fr., M, Duke
Emma Koivisto, Jr., D, Florida State
Gabrielle Vincent, So., M, Louisville
Tziarra King, Fr., M, NC State
Taylor Klawunder, Jr., M, Notre Dame
Kaela Little, Sr., GK, Notre Dame
Sandra Yu, Sr., M, Notre Dame
Alissa Gorzak, Fr., F, Virginia
Veronica Latsko, Jr., F, Virginia
Candace Cephers, Sr., M, Virginia Tech
All-Freshman Team
Ella Stevens, Fr., M, Duke
Malia Berkely, Fr., D, Florida State
Deyna Castellanos, Fr., F, Florida State
Kristen McFarland, Fr., F, Florida State
Kristina Fisher, Fr., M, Miami
Bridgette Andrzejewski, Fr., F, North Carolina
Tziarra King, Fr., M, NC State
Kia Rankin, Fr., F, NC State
Jennifer Westendorf, Fr., M, Notre Dame
Alissa Gorzak, Fr, F, Virginia
Zoe Morse, Fr., M, Virginia