Titus recognized on NSCAA All-Central team
12/3/2015 5:57:00 PM | Soccer
For the first time in program history, a Sam Houston State player has been recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, with Mariah Titus being placed on the All-Central Region Third Team.
Titus, an outgoing senior from Bedford, helped the Bearkats reach the Southland Conference Tournament finals for the first time in a decade, posting three straight shutouts including a penalty-kick result against Central Arkansas and 2-0 win against Houston Baptist.
“I thought she had a great season and great career,” eighth-year head coach Tom Brown said. “We are really excited she was honored on the team. It's nice to know other coaches that we play against recognize her for the talent she has.”
The Bell High School product was one of three midfielders on the 11-member team, joining competitors from Oklahoma State and UTEP. In total, 33 players from across 10 states were recognized among the country's premier players.
“She's a player that always showed up, played hard and did her job,” Brown said. “She was always willing to contribute any way we asked her to. She wasn't overly vocal or emotional but always did the job to the best of her ability and obviously she had a lot of ability.”
Titus concluded her career eighth in program lore with 14 goals and sixth with 10 assists, none bigger than the match-winner against Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 30. Titus was also named First-Team All-Southland Conference as well as all-tournament and to TopDrawerSoccer's top-20 conference players.
For Brown, the accolade is another testament to the program's continued improvement. The Bearkats have advanced to the league semifinals or further in three straight seasons, breaking the conference wins mark (8) in 2014 and total wins feat (10) in 2015.
“I think it shows the program is moving in the right direction,” Brown said. “We are able to bring in more talented players now. It allows us to compete against high level teams and do very well. In the future, we'll have more teams be successful like the last two teams and I think we'll have more players earn these individual honors like Mariah.”
With the bar raised, thanks to the effort of Titus and the recent 10-player senior class, Brown says the focus is on finishing the academic semester strong and looking toward the 2016 season.
“They'll have a responsibility to continue their strength training and building back their endurance during this time before we get back in January,” Brown said. “Our preseason has started now for 2016. We'll really be focused in on improving individually and making sure our returners have a good grasp tactically for what we want to do. We'll be counting on them with a large freshman class coming in.”
2015 NSCAA NCAA Division I Women's All-Central Region
| First Team | ||||||
| Pos. | Player | Class | School | Hometown | ||
| K | Hope Sabadash | Jr. | Southeastern Louisiana | Mississauga, Ont. | ||
| D | Kadeisha Buchanan | Jr. | West Virginia | Brampton, Ont. | ||
| D | Jenna Dubs | Sr. | Marshall | Green Lane, Pa. | ||
| D | Emily Jorgenson | Sr. | Middle Tennessee State | Overland Park, Kan. | ||
| M | Kelly Culicerto | Sr. | Marshall | Charlotte, N.C. | ||
| M | Ashley Lawrence | Jr. | West Virginia | Toronto, Ont. | ||
| M | Karla Pineda | Sr. | North Texas | Houston, Texas | ||
| M | Liana Salazar | Sr. | Kansas | Bogota, Columbia | ||
| F | Janine Beckie | Sr. | Texas Tech | Highlands Ranch, Colo. | ||
| F | Kailey Utley | Sr. | West Virginia | St. Louis, Mo. | ||
| F | Lauren Hughes | Sr. | Rice | Ottawa, Ont. | ||
| F | Rachel Holden | Jr. | North Texas | Lancaster, Texas | ||
| Second Team | ||||||
| Pos. | Player | Class | School | Hometown | ||
| K | Emily Brouwder | Sr. | Middle Tennessee State | Franklin, Tenn. | ||
| D | Jasmine Isokpunwo | Sr. | Rice | Austin, Texas | ||
| D | Rachel Ressler | Jr. | Oklahoma | Phoenix, Ariz. | ||
| D | Donya Salomon-Ali | Sr. | Louisiana Tech | Lasalle, Que. | ||
| M | Amanda Doyle | Jr. | Stephen F. Austin | Carrollton, Texas | ||
| M | Amanda Hill | Sr. | West Virginia | Washington, Pa. | ||
| M | Alli Murphy | Sr. | Texas Tech | Plano, Texas | ||
| M | Gisenia Utreras | Sr. | Southeastern Louisiana | Brampton, Ont. | ||
| F | Sydney Arnold | Jr. | Marshall | Stafford, Va. | ||
| F | Claire Emslie | Sr. | Florida Atlantic | Penicuik, Scotland | ||
| F | Martha Thomas | So. | North Carolina-Charlotte | Weston, Fla. | ||
| Third Team | ||||||
| Pos. | Player | Class | School | Hometown | ||
| K | Hannah Steadman | Sr. | West Virginia | Kinnelon, N.J. | ||
| K | Abby Smith | Sr. | Texas | Plano, Texas | ||
| D | Erica Burt | Jr. | Florida Atlantic | Pointe Vedra Beach, Fla. | ||
| D | Chandler Clark | Sr. | Western Kentucky | Edgewood, Ky. | ||
| D | Brooke Dunnigan | Jr. | Stephen F. Austin | Round Rock, Texas | ||
| D | Blake Martin | Sr. | Houston Baptist | College Station, Texas | ||
| M | Aleah Davis | Jr. | Texas-El Paso | Hewitt, Texas | ||
| M | Allie Stephenson | Sr. | Oklahoma State | Lee's Summit, Mo. | ||
| M | Mariah Titus | Sr. | Sam Houston State | Bedford, Texas | ||
| F | Courtney Dike | Jr. | Oklahoma State | Edmond, Okla. | ||
| F | Nykosi Simmons | Sr. | Mississippi Valley State | Scarborough, Ont. |
