KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Led by first-team selections Chelsea Cole and Kristen Canepa of Trinity, the SCAC had three student-athletes selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region team on Monday.
Cole, who was named SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season, was a first-team selection after registering 23 goals and nine assists for 55 total points. Her 23 goals, eight of which were game-winners, ranked eighth nationally in the total goals category. Cole contributed to Trinity’s No. 5 ranking in scoring offense, as the Tigers averaged 3.65 goals per game, and amassed 73 during the season. During her career, Cole scored 54 goals and totaled 138 points good enough for 10th and ninth respectively in SCAC history.
Canepa was tabbed SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and earned first-team All-SCAC accolades for the second-straight season in 2018. Canepa bolstered a Tiger defense that posted 17 shutouts during the year and chipped in offensively with three goals, including one game-winner. Trinity was ranked No. 1 nationally in Division III in shutout percentage, at 0.85. The Tigers conceded just six goals all season and were ranked fourth in the nation in that category.
Cole and Canepa both helped guide Trinity to a 17-2-1 mark on the season, the program’s 10th consecutive SCAC Tournament Title and 24th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Joining Cole and Canepa on the All-West Region team was Southwestern junior goalkeeper Mary Cardone, earning second-team honors. Earlier this year Cardone captured first-team All-SCAC distinction after posting a league best .839 save percentage, allowing just 15 goals in 1600:22 minutes of action and a 0.84 goals against average. She led the Pirates to an 11-6 overall mark that included a runner-up finish in both the conference regular season standings and SCAC Tournament. Cardone is just the third student-athlete in program history to earn United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors and the first since 2009 when A.J. Andreola was named to the second-team.
For the complete 2018 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region team, click here.