Women's Soccer All-Conference Teams Announced
Ellison, Gray, Nassif, Mann and Quigg Take Top Honors
The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the 2013 Women’s Soccer All-Conference Teams and yearly award winners, and teams are well represented across the board. Houghton junior Stephany Ellison earned Offensive Player of the Year accolades while Ithaca senior Anna Gray secured the Defensive Player of the Year award. Stevens Institute of Technology Raba Nassif was selected as the Rookie of the Year and Ithaca and Nazareth were named co-Coaching Staffs of the Year.
Ellison, a junior from Whitesville, put together a stellar season for the Highlanders as she scored 15 goals and registered seven assists to lead the conference with 37 points. She has registered at least one point in 12-of-16 games played and has helped jumpstart Houghton’s offense to the tune of 48 goals and 3.0 tallies per game.
Gray, a Bethlehem, NY native, anchored a defensive unit that limited opposition to less than one goal per game (0.31). She stepped forward to register three goals and two assists in the regular season and help the Bombers post a 14-2-0 overall record and 6-1 mark in league play.
Nassif (Northvale, NJ) made an immediate impact on the Ducks’ field this year. She started 13-of-15 games and stands third on the team with 13 points on four goals and five assists. Nassif’s Rookie of the Year honor marks the fourth straight year a Steven’s player has been recognized.
Head Coach Mindy Quigg and the Ithaca Staff adds the coaching honor to five previous E8 awards (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012). In her 20th season at Ithaca, Coach Quigg has led the Bombers to the top-seed in the E8 Tournament with a 6-1 league record. Defensively, the Bombers lead the conference in save percentage (.932) and fewest goals allowed (5). Ithaca is ranked second in the East Region and has been consistently ranked in the NSCAA top-10.
Gail Mann, in her 21st season as Golden Flyers' soccer coach, has kept Nazareth competing at a high level throughout her tenure. 2013 was Nazareth's 20th straight winning season and the 17th time in the past 19 seasons in which they've recorded double digit wins. The Golden Flyers earned the second-seed in the E8 Tournament and will be looking to make its 12th straight appearance in the championship game.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2013 Women’s Soccer Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Empire 8 2013 Women’s Soccer All-Conference Awards