Record-breaking season for Bearkat soccer
12/23/2014 2:55:00 PM | Soccer
The 2014 Sam Houston State soccer team finished second in the Southland while producing seven All-Southland selections, four All-Academic members and numerous school records, but the thing head coach Tom Brown will be most excited about is that nine of the 11 starters return for 2015.
Each of the all-conference Bearkats will be back next season after leading the team to its highest regular-season finish ever. The Kats won a school-record eight games and scored more goals than ever along the way. They also earned a bye in the Southland Tournament for the first time ever.
Three players were named first-team all-conference and will return next season, junior forward Ashley Alonzo, sophomore forward Allie Johnson, and junior midfielder Shelby McDaniel. Sam Houston only had one first-team All-Southland selection before this season, Kirby Zack in 2010.
Johnson finished the regular season tied for the Southland lead in goals (eight) with the league's Player of the Year, Zuri Prince. She became the fifth sophomore in school history to score at least eight goals. Johnson was also second on the team with three assists. Her 3.07 GPA as a psychology major earned her first-team all-academic honors.
Alonzo sparked the Kats great run through Southland play with a hat trick against Incarnate Word in the second league game. She finished the regular season second on the team with six goals, while also assisting on two goals. She scored the Bearkats only goal in the SLC Tournament this season.
McDaniel plays as the main creative force in the midfield for Sam Houston. She scored five goals and dished out two assists. McDaniel started all but one game this season. The general business major was also named first-team all-academic with a 3.32 GPA.
Junior midfielder Mariah Titus was named to the All-Southland second team. She led the Bearkats with four assists this season.
The Kats also placed three players on the Honorable Mention list, with all three being vital to Sam Houston's late-season defensive renaissance. Sophomore defender Megan Bennett, freshman defender Caitlyn Schwartz and junior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton combined to post five shutouts in the final six regular-season games.
SHSU's three-year starter in goal is also a two-time member of the all-academic team. Hambleton posted a 3.92 GPA in Management Information Systems.
Senior Madison Bible rounded out the Kats all-academic selections. She has a 3.73 GPA in interdisciplinary studies. Bible picked a great time to score her first career goal, a game-winner in a pivotal road match at Central Arkansas. She finished the season with three goals.
The academic recognition is nothing new for Coach Brown's teams. The Bearkats have been honored with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award for seven consecutive seasons. The squad produced an overall grade point average of 3.36 during the 2013-14 academic year.
With a well-rounded squad returning, the expectations will be at an all-time high when SHSU opens camp next fall.
