Nov. 3, 2004

Plano, Texas -

Southland Conference regular-season soccer champion Stephen F. Austin State University has rolled in postseason accolades as the eighth annual league tournament starts Thursday, Nov. 4. The Ladyjacks, who will begin defense of the tournament title, landed six spots on the 2004 All-Southland Conference Soccer Teams with four on the first squad. But it is Danielle Holloway from Texas State University who has grabbed the attention of the head coaches and sports information directors. The rookie from Albuquerque, N.M., is the first soccer player to be tabbed for two of the individual superlatives as the SLC Player and Freshman of the Year.

Holloway, the lone freshman on the first team, ranks among the top three in the league. She is tied for first in goals (15), shots (66) and points (34) while her game averages in shots (3.30) and points (1.70) place her second in the Southland and her goals per contest ( 0.75) is third.

Bobcat midfielders Kendra Kade and Kendra Comfort complete the Texas State contingent as Kade joins the elite few in Southland soccer with four consecutive all-conference first-team nods while Comfort receives a spot on the second unit.

SFA sophomore Shahin Pabini, who headlines the All-SLC first team, is joined by Southland assists leader Christie Mestayer, Kim Gray at defense and netminder Natascia Michalezki on the top squad. Pabini paces the conference and her team in several categories - shots (66), shots per game (3.67), points (34), points per game (1.89), and game-winning goals (4).

Pabini and Mestayer, along with second-teamers Sophia Pantazis and Andrea Ramirez, picked up their first all-conference honors while Gray notched her second straight first-team nod and Michalezki became a three-time all-SLC performer. Michalezki leads all goalies in the SLC with an .851 save percentage and has posted six shutouts this season.

Coaching honors go to SFA's Nicole Nelson for the second year in a row. Nelson, who led the Ladyjacks to a 9-1-2 SLC mark and a third regular-season title, is the first coach to be tabbed SLC Coach of the Year for two straight seasons.

Northwestern State University and Nicholls State University each notched two all-league placements on the first team with the Demons collecting five total and the Lady Colonels, who clinched their first-ever postseason tournament berth, also claiming newcomer of the year in Tori Priddy.

Demon defenders Ashley Hadley and Tara Powasnik, a first-team at-large representative, sit on the first squad while two-time all-conference midfielder Natalie Waguespack, senior defender Katie Priest and goalkeeper Krystle Donaldson earned their places on the second team.

Nicholls State's All-SLC representation consists of Priddy and defender Ashley Bock. Priddy, a sophomore midfielder from Ft. Worth, Texas, is the second Lady Colonel to be tabbed for the league's newcomer accolade. She is also the second Nicholls player in school history to be named to the all-conference first team, joining Bock who won the same honors a season ago.

Senior Kim McNally received first-team recognition for the third consecutive year as the lone player from Southeastern Louisiana University. SLU also secured a second-team pick in Rebecca Glueck, a senior forward from Phoenix, Ariz.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe and McNeese State University round out the all-league teams with three Lady Indians and one Cowgirl on the second unit. ULM boasts forward Kortney Harris, at-large representative Amanda Wing and defender Julia McVarish while McNeese State features senior Ashley Viscariello, a two-time all-conference midfielder.

A total of 35 players among the eight Southland schools have been named honorable mention this year.

The Southland Conference Soccer Tournament begins Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Southeastern Soccer Complex in Hammond, La. The first round showcases matchups pitting third-seeded Northwestern State against No. 6 seeded Nicholls State at 11:30 a.m. and a 2 p.m. showdown between No. 4 Louisiana-Monroe and No. 5 Southeastern Louisiana.

The league's top two seeded teams, SFA and Texas State, will meet the first-round winners on Friday, Nov. 5, for a shot at the tournament crown on Sunday, Nov. 7.

2004 ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE SOCCER TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

Name Class Pos. University Hometown/Previous School

Shahin Pabani So. F Stephen F. Austin Calgary, Alberta/Western Canada

Kim McNally Sr. F Southeastern Louisiana Prince George, B.C./Tulsa

Danielle Holloway Fr. F Texas State Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS

Christie Mestayer Sr. MF Stephen F. Austin Houston, Texas/Mayde Creek HS

Kendra Kade Sr. MF Texas State Humble, Texas/Humble HS

Tori Priddy So. MF Nicholls State Ft. Worth, Texas/Paschal HS

Kim Gray Jr. D Stephen F. Austin Spring, Texas/Spring HS

Ashley Bock Jr. D Nicholls State Arlington, Texas/Arlington HS

Ashley Hadley Jr. D Northwestern State Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota West HS

*Tara Powasnik Jr. D Northwestern State Logan, Utah/Skyview HS

Natascia Michalezki Jr. GK Stephen F. Austin Calgary, Alberta/St. Francis HS

SECOND TEAM

Name Class Pos. University Hometown/Previous School

Sophia Pantazis Sr. F Stephen F. Austin Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood HS

Rebecca Glueck Sr. F Southeastern Louisiana Phoenix, Ariz./Scottsdale CC

Kortney Harris Fr. F Louisiana-Monroe Meridian, Miss./Meridian HS

Ashley Viscariello Sr. MF McNeese State Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood HS

Kendra Comfort Sr. MF Texas State Carrollton, Texas/Newman Smith HS

Natalie Waguespack So. MF Northwestern State Baker, La./Redemptorist HS

*Amanda Wing Fr. MF Louisiana-Monroe Longmont, Colo./Longmont HS

Julia McVarish Jr. D Louisiana-Monroe The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS

Andrea Ramirez So. D Stephen F. Austin Austin, Texas/McNeil HS

Katie Priest Sr. D Northwestern State Raleigh, N.C./Leesville HS

Krystle Donaldson Fr. GK Northwestern State Arlington, Texas/Arlington HS

*at-large recipient

HONORABLE MENTION

Lindsay Bartlett, GK, NICH; Jami Batchelor, D, TXST; Rena Carrillo, D, SLU; Ashley Carter, D, McN; Ashley Cartwright, D, SLU; Kristen Cason, MF, SLU; Toffie Chavez, MF, SHSU; Tynice Friday, F, SHSU; Heather Gamble, D, NICH; Lindsey Garito, MF, SLU; Alicia Hamilton, F, ULM; Erin Hebert, F, NWLa.; Katie Hodges, F, NICH; Renee Landers, D, McN; Kelly Lanter, D, ULM; Rachel Marcom, GK, ULM; Lauren Matkin, MF, SFA; Megan Miles, D, TXST; Jen Mongiardi, MF, SLU; Megan Moore, MF, ULM; Nicole Nichols, D, ULM; Caitlin O'Brien, MF, SFA; Sarah Overfelt, MF, McN; Heather Penico, MF, NWLa.; Danielle Porth, D, SHSU; Jaime Ronca, D, SFA; Kim Robinson, F, NICH; Jaynee Sherman, F, TXST; Audrey Smith, F, McN; Andrea Stickney, MF, NICH; Cynthia Torres, F, McN; Mya Walsh, MF, NWLa.; Crista Wood, GK, SLU; Kari Yost, D, SLU; Julie Zavala, F, NWLa.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Danielle Holloway, Freshman, Forward, Texas State

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR -- Tori Priddy, Sophomore, Midfielder, Nicholls State

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR -- Danielle Holloway, Forward, Texas State

COACH OF THE YEAR -- Nicole Nelson, Stephen F. Austin

--southland.org--