Six Scarlet Knights Receive All-Big Ten Conference Honors
Oct 28 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Six Rutgers women's soccer players received postseason honors from the Big Ten Conference, announced Friday afternoon by the league office. Senior defender Erin Smith (First Team), senior forward Madison Tiernan (Second Team) and freshman midfielder Nicole Whitley (Third Team) were named All-Big Ten performers, while Whitley, Taylor Aylmer, and Amanda Visco earned spots on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Whitley, the conference's leader in assists this season with nine, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. It is the second consecutive year Rutgers secured a player of the year honor after the program garnered Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year (Casey Murphy) and Defender of the Year (Erica Skroski) laurels in 2015.
Senior midfielder Tori Prager was named the program's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient. The five all-conference players matches last year's total. The three all-freshman players are the most for Rutgers as a member of the Big Ten.
"A special congratulations to all of our players," said head coach Mike O'Neill. "Individual accomplishments represent team success. The culture of the Rutgers women's soccer program is as one achieves, we all achieve. We are very proud to have these ladies honored."
Nicole Whitley | Fr. | Midfield
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Third Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Freshman Team
Whitley took the Big Ten by storm and had an immediate impact on the Scarlet Knights from the first minutes of the season. The Freehold, New Jersey, native began her career with a goal and an assist at Rider to open the year and has started all 18 matches.
The midfielder paces the Big Ten and is sixth nationally with nine assists, and has 15 points (3g, 9a) overall. Whitley's single-season assist tally is the eighth-best in RU history and sets a new benchmark for a freshman. Against Drexel on Sept. 11, Whitley recorded three helpers, the most for an RU player since all-time assists leader Gina DeMaio on Sept. 22, 2008.
The program has collected three Big Ten player of the year awards in the last two seasons. The last player to earn conference rookie of the year honors was all-time points leader and current United States Women's National Team star Carli Lloyd in 2001 when Rutgers was in the BIG EAST Conference.
Erin Smith | Sr. | Defender
First Team All-Big Ten
Smith, a 2016 team captain, earned her first-career all-conference recognition and is the fifth First Team All-Big Ten honoree in program history. The Medford Lakes, New Jersey, native has started in 67 consecutive matches on the back line, played in 82 matches overall, and logged more than 6,800 minutes.
Named to the Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Honors List, Smith has started all 18 contests in 2016 and has played the full-time in 14 of those games. Rutgers has secured nine shutouts this season and boasts a goals-against average of 0.77.
Madison Tiernan | Sr. | Forward
Second Team All-Big Ten
A 2016 team captain, Tiernan has been a consistent offensive force for the program in her four-year career and collects her second all-conference distinction as a Scarlet Knight and first as a member of the Big Ten. Tiernan is fifth in the league with 22 points (8g, 6a), tied for fifth in total goals (eight) and game-winning goals (three), and is the leader in shots (87).
With 60 points in her career, Tiernan is tied for seventh on Rutgers' all-time list and is third all-time in shots (263), seventh in game-winning goals (eight), and ninth in total goals (22). The Voorhees, New Jersey, native has been a starter since arriving in 2013, tallying 80 starts in 83 total matches played.
Amanda Visco | Fr. | Defender
Big Ten All-Freshman Team
Visco has started all 18 matches at center back for the Scarlet Knights and played 1,700 minutes. The Manalapan, New Jersey, native is part of a defense that has secured nine shutouts and boasts a goals-against average of 0.77. Visco has scored two goals for four points this season.
Taylor Aylmer | Fr. | Midfield
Big Ten All-Freshman Team
Aylmer collected four points on a goal and two assists in her rookie campaign, seeing action in all 18 matches with one start. The Garnerville, New York, native has played nearly 600 minutes for an average of 32.9 per match.
Tori Prager | Sr. | Midfield
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winner
Prager is RU's 2016 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winner. The Mount Laurel, New Jersey, native and team captain has started 42 matches and played in 82 as a Scarlet Knight, tallying nine points in her career (2g, 5a). A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Prager has led by example on and off the pitch for the Scarlet Knights since arriving in 2013.
2016 WOMEN'S SOCCER ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS AND INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Coach of the Year: Stefanie Golan, Minnesota
Forward of the Year: Simone Kolander, Sr., Minnesota
Midfielder of the Year: Rose Lavelle, Sr., Wisconsin
Defender of the Year: Rashida Beal, Sr., Minnesota
Goalkeeper of the Year: Lauren Clem, Jr., Northwestern
Freshman of the Year: Nicole Whitley, Rutgers
All-Big Ten Teams*
First Team
Simone Kolander, Minnesota
Jaycie Johnson, Nebraska
Frannie Crouse, Penn State
Josee Stiever, Minnesota
Nickolette Driesse, Penn State
Rose Lavelle, Wisconsin
Rashida Beal, Minnesota
Kayla Sharples, Northwestern
Elizabeth Ball, Penn State
Erin Smith, Rutgers
Lauren Clem, Northwestern
Second Team
Reilly Martin, Michigan
Nicky Waldeck, Michigan
Lindsay Agnew, Ohio State
Nichelle Prince, Ohio State
Madison Tiernan, Rutgers
Ani Sarkisian, Michigan
Caroline Flynn, Nebraska
Marisa Viggiano, Northwestern
Nikki Walts, Ohio State
Anna Soccorsi, Michigan
Sydney Miramontez, Nebraska
Morgan Wolcott, Ohio State
Tarah Hobbs, Minnesota
Third Team
Megan Schafer, Penn State
Nandi Mehta, Northwestern
Haley Hanson, Nebraska
Charlotte Williams, Penn State
Nicole Whitley, Rutgers
Hope D'Addario, Illinois
Marissa Borschke, Indiana
Maddie Gaffney, Minnesota
Kassidy Gorman, Northwestern
Caitlyn Clem, Wisconsin
All-Freshman Team*
Macy Miller, Indiana
Meg Brandt, Nebraska
Maddy Lucas, Northwestern
Taylor Aylmer, Rutgers
Dani Rhodes, Wisconsin
Natalie Winters, Iowa
Laura Freigang, Penn State
Nicole Whitley, Rutgers
Allie Winterfield, Wisconsin
Nikki Albrecht, Minnesota
Sinclaire Miramontez, Nebraska
Amanda Visco, Rutgers
Amanda Dennis, Penn State
Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Jenna Miller, Sr., Illinois
Kylie Kirk, Jr., Indiana
Morgan Kemerling, So., Iowa
Hope Gouterman, Jr., Maryland
Jessica Heifetz, Sr., Michigan
Kaitlyn Collin, Sr., Michigan State
Emily Peterson, So., Minnesota
Amanda McClanahan, Jr., Nebraska
Nandi Mehta, Sr., Northwestern
Lindsay Agnew, Sr., Ohio State
Isabelle Clauss, Jr., Penn State
Megan Kaser, Sr., Purdue
Tori Prager, Sr., Rutgers
Chloe Knudston, So., Wisconsin
* - additional honorees due to ties in voting
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