PITMAN—The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced on November 3 that forty-eight student-athletes have earned all-conference honors in women’s soccer during the 2009 season. All selections were made determined by a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches.
Rowan junior forward Jess Babice earned NJAC Offensive Player of the Year honors for a second consecutive season after sharing the award with Amanda Kurdyla of William Paterson last year. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, she currently ranks third in the NJAC in points (43) and second in the league in goals (19). A two-time NJAC Offensive Player of the Week selection in 2009, she helped lead the Profs to the NJAC regular season championship and the top-seed in the 2009 NJAC Championship Tournament after tallying league-highs of 24 points and 10 goals against NJAC competition.
A two-time first-team all-conference selection, Rowan sophomore back Christine Foy garnered the top defensive honor one season after being named the NJAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman. She anchors a Rowan defense that currently ranks second in both team goals allowed (0.53 per game) and team goals against average (0.52). Against NJAC competition, Foy and the Profs allowed only five goals in nine league matches played.
Richard Stockton College junior Shelley Gibney was named the second-ever recipient of the NJAC Midfielder of the Year Award, marking the second time in two years that an Osprey has claimed the honor. A two-time NJAC all-conference selection, she currently ranks sixth in the league in overall points (25). A two-time NJAC Offensive Player of the Week selection in 2009, she finished third in points (18), goals (7) and assists (4) against league competition.
Montclair State University senior net-minder Leah Tepperman was tapped as the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year. A two-time NJAC all-conference selection, she currently leads the NJAC in both save percentage (.872) and total saves (116). Tepperman posted a league-high 69 saves against NJAC competition while ranking second in save percentage (.852).
Kean University freshman forward Carly Seidel was selected as the NJAC Rookie of the Year. She currently ranks sixth in the NJAC in total assists (6). Seidel also finished her first NJAC season ranked third in assists (2) against league competition.
Rowan University head coach Scott Leacott and William Paterson University head coach Keith Woods were selected as NJAC Co-Coaches of the Year by their peers. Leacott’s selection marks the second consecutive year that he has garnered league Coach of the Year honors. In 2009, Leacott has led the Profs to an overall record of 15-1-1 while claiming the NJAC regular season championship with a perfect 9-0-0 league mark. In 11 seasons at the helm of the Rowan program, Leacott has guided the Profs to an overall record of 148-42-18. Woods has guided the Pioneers to a 10-6-3 overall record in 2009, while finishing third in the regular season race with a 5-2-2 league mark. In 13 seasons at the helm of the Pioneer program, Woods has guided William Paterson to an overall record of 139-85-18.