KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches (USC) released the 2018 Scholar All-American and Scholar All-Region Teams on Monday, and six Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer players were recognized, led by a pair of First Team Scholar All-Americans.
Trinity’s Chelsea Cole and Kristen Canepa led the SCAC as the were both elected to the USC First Team Scholar All-America and All-West Region squads.
Cole, a neuroscience major with a 3.60 grade point average, was named SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season 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, an accounting major with a 3.70 grade point average, 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.
Joining Cole and Canepa on the USC Scholar All-West Region First Team was Southwestern’s Mary Cardone. Cardone, a business major with a 3.85 grade point average was also named the inaugural winner of the SCAC Women’s Soccer Elite 19 award earlier this fall. 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.
In addition, Southwestern’s Mallory Harkins, Romie Reyna and Kierstyn Luckock landed on the USC Scholar All-West Region Second Team. Along with Cardone, Harkins, Reyna and Luckock 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. In all the SCAC cashed in on six of a possible 17 Scholar All-West Region spots.
To view the entire United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America team, click here.
To view the entire United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region team, click here.
