NORTHEASTERN'S PETTA HEADLINES PRESEASON ALL-CAA WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM
RICHMOND, Va. (August 16, 2010) – Northeastern sophomore forward Devin Petta, who received CAA women’s soccer Player and Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, has been chosen as the conference’s preseason Player of the Year for 2010 in voting by the league’s head coaches.
Petta was selected to the NSCAA All-America second team last season after topping the CAA with a school-record 35 points. She shared the league lead in goals with 14 and also distributed seven assists for a Huskies’ squad that finished atop the CAA regular-season standings for the first time. Petta has been named to the Watch List for the Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top collegiate soccer player at the end of the season.
Joining Petta at forward on the preseason All-CAA women’s soccer team are Hofstra senior Salma Tarik and James Madison senior Cate Tisinger. Tarik made the All-CAA first team a year ago after contributing a team-high 10 goals and four assists for the Pride. Tisinger, who received second-team All-CAA accolades in 2008, tallied five goals and six assists last season for the Dukes.
The midfield for the preseason All-CAA squad is made up of the four players who earned first-team all-conference honors in 2009 - Hofstra junior Courtney Breen, George Mason senior Omolyn Davis, James Madison senior Teresa Rynier and Hofstra senior Tiffany Yovino. Breen had three goals and two assists for the Pride last season, while Davis led the Patriots with 10 goals and eight assists. Rynier tallied two goals and a school-record 15 assists for the Dukes and Yovino chipped in three goals and an assist for Hofstra. Davis and Rynier are also on the Watch List for the Hermann Trophy.
Chosen to the preseason all-conference team on defense are VCU senior Myriam Bouchard, Northeastern sophomore Sandra Magnusdottir and William and Mary junior Diana Weigel. Bouchard had a goal and two assists for the Rams last season and made the All-CAA second team. Magnusdottir was also an All-CAA second team choice after contributing four goals and four assists for the Huskies. Weigel tallied five assists for the Tribe a year ago and earned first team All-CAA and CAA Defender of the Year accolades.
At goalkeeper is Georgia State senior Heidi Blankenship, who earned a spot on the All-CAA first team in 2009 after making a league-high 125 saves and posting a 1.09 goals against average.
The 2010 CAA women’s soccer season gets underway on Friday, August 20.
2010 PRESEASON ALL-CAA WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM
Player, School Pos. Cl. Hometown
Devin Petta, Northeastern F So. Whitman, Mass.
Salma Tarik, Hofstra F Sr. Newport, R.I.
Cate Tisinger, James Madison F Sr. Clifton, Va.
Courtney Breen, Hofstra MF Jr. Hicksville, N.Y.
Omolyn Davis, George Mason MF Sr. Kingston, Jamaica
Teresa Rynier, James Madison MF Sr. Leola, Pa.
Tiffany Yovino, Hofstra MF Sr. Holtsville, N.Y.
Myriam Bouchard, VCU D Sr. Quebec City, Quebec
Sandra Magnusdottir, Northeastern D So. Reykjavik, Iceland
Diana Weigel, William & Mary D Jr. Fairfax, Va.
Heidi Blankenship, Georgia State GK Sr. Indianapolis, Ind.
Honorable Mention: Kristen Blake, MF, Northeastern; Lindsay Henry, D, UNC Wilmington; Veronica Napoli, F, Northeastern; Megan Novak, MF, UNC Wilmington; Kaitlin O’Connor, D, William & Mary, Stephanie Rose, F, UNC Wilmington; Diane Wszalek, GK, James Madison
PRESEASON CAA WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Devin Petta, Northeastern