Bearkats place six on all-SLC preseason squads
8/11/2015 3:02:00 PM | Soccer
The Sam Houston State soccer program leads all Southland Conference schools with six players on the 2015 preseason all-conference teams, including four on the first team, the league office announced Tuesday.
Junior forward Allie Johnson, senior midfielders Shelby McDaniel and Mariah Titus, and at-large selection senior Ashley Alonzo made up four of 11 first-team selections, while sophomore defender Caitlin Schwartz and senior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton earned second-team accolades.
“We definitely appreciate that the other coaches and sports information directors are thinking more about us,” eighth-year head coach Tom Brown said. “Our players have worked really hard to improve on the field and improve our results coming out of games so it's nice to see that rewarded.”
Johnson, McDaniel, Titus and Alonzo qualified as automatic selections after being named 2014 All-Southland Conference and helping the Kats to a program-best 8-2-1 league record and runner-up finish in regular-season play.
Meanwhile, Hambleton leads all returning members with five conference saves from the 2014 season while Schwartz paced the Kats with 1,653 minutes while playing a dominant force in the backfield.
“Those six players have definitely distinguished themselves through last year and are deserving of it,” Brown said. “I'm sure there are other players within the conference that are equally deserving but we're thankful that the coaches have thought of our players that way.”
Sam Houston returns 18 players and welcomes in three transfers and seven freshmen to a program seeking its first Southland Conference championship.
The Bearkats downed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 2-1 in their opening scrimmage Monday night, highlighted by a penalty-kick goal in the 17th minute by Johnson and match-winner by freshman Micaela Birt in the 81st minute.
Sam Houston hosts Texas Southern on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in its final scrimmage before opening play at 7 o'clock a week from Friday at Louisiana-Lafayette.
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2015 All-Southland Conference Soccer Preseason Teams |
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First Team |
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Name |
University |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
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Sam Houston State |
Forward |
Jr. |
Allen, Texas |
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Spencer Valdespino1 |
Nicholls |
Forward |
Sr. |
Spring Hill, Fla. |
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Bri Singh1 |
Southeastern La. |
Forward |
Jr. |
Lancaster, Calif. |
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Jess Coates1 |
Nicholls |
Midfielder |
Sr. |
Sydney, Australia |
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Sam Houston State |
Midfielder |
Sr. |
League City, Texas |
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Sam Houston State |
Midfielder |
Sr. |
Bedford, Texas |
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Brooke Dunnigan1 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Defender |
Jr. |
Round Rock, Texas |
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Kristi O'Brien1 |
Houston Baptist |
Defender |
Jr. |
Eden Prairie, Minn. |
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Chantal Curry |
Stephen F. Austin |
Defender |
Sr. |
Austin, Texas |
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Hope Sabadash |
Southeastern La. |
Goalkeeper |
Jr. |
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
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Sam Houston State |
At-Large |
Sr. |
Little Elm, Texas |
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Second Team |
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Name |
University |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
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Savannah LaRicci1 |
McNeese State |
Forward |
Jr. |
Sugar Land, Texas |
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Hanna Barker |
Stephen F. Austin |
Forward |
So. |
Farmers Branch, Texas |
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Kayla Vera |
Southeastern La. |
Forward |
Sr. |
Vancouver, Wash. |
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Katie Noonan1 |
Southeastern La. |
Midfielder |
Jr. |
Renton, Wash. |
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Amanda Doyle1 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Midfielder |
Jr. |
Carrollton, Texas |
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Rachel Owens |
Stephen F. Austin |
Midfielder |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
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Blake Martin |
Houston Baptist |
Defender |
Sr. |
College Station, Texas |
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Sam Houston State |
Defender |
So. |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Cheyenne Maxwell |
Southeastern La. |
Defender |
Sr. |
Sacramento, Calif. |
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Sam Houston State |
Goalkeeper |
Sr. |
Katy, Texas |
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Jannet Hernandez* |
Lamar |
At-Large |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
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*At-large selections 1Returning All-Conference Southland Selection |
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