Four Gator Soccer Players Named to NSCAA All-South Region Teams
Thursday, December 3, 2015 | Soccer
GAINESVILLE, Florida – Four Gators are part of the 2015 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-South Region teams. The Gators placed a trio on the NSCAA All-South Region first team – Claire Falknor, Savannah Jordan and Christen Westphal. Junior midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard is on the All-Region second team.
Florida's four is the highest number of honorees on 2015 All-South Region first and second teams.
The same four on the All-South Region first team also earned 2015 All-Southeastern Conference honors and were named to the SEC All-Tournament team. SEC Player of the Year honors went to Jordan (offensive) and Westphal (defensive). Jordan and Westphal are making their third consecutive appearance on the All-South Region first team. Falknor and Dougherty Howard pick up their first All-South Region honors in 2015.
Here's a look at the season notes for Florida's 2015 All-South Region recipients:
First team:
Defender – Claire Falknor: All-Southeastern Conference first team… Second consecutive All-SEC honor, as a second-team selection in 2014… SEC All-Tournament team… Started every match, playing the entirety of 21… Finished career with 65 consecutive starts, which is No. 6 all-time for Florida … Averaged 90.3 minutes per match… Provided assist on Savannah Jordan's goal versus LSU… Named to U.S. Under-23 team for 2015 Four Nations Tournament played in Norway at end of May… Appeared in two matches, starting versus Sweden.
Forward – Savannah Jordan: Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year – second such honor as also received 2013 award… All-SEC first team for third consecutive year… SEC All-Tournament team… Second in nation with 24 goals and 55 points (through Nov. 28 play) – those totals lead the SEC… Top 10 on four Gator career charts – No. 4 goals (65), No. 6 points (148), No. T2 game-winning goals (18) and No. 4 shots (342)… Career total through junior season equals Gator Great Abby Wambach's 65 goals in her first three seasons… One of 14 in NCAA history to score 65 goals through junior year – and one of five to reach that mark since 2000… Two goals versus William & Mary in NCAA Second Round is sixth multi-goal match of season and 17th of career… College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America second team… One of 15 semifinalists for 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy… Named to U.S. Under-23 team for Four Nations Tournament played in Norway at end of May… Appeared in two matches, starting versus England.
Defender – Christen Westphal: Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year… All-SEC every year of collegiate career, including three consecutive appearances on first team… SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player with seven points earned over three matches – including registering game-winning goals off free kicks in semifinal and final matches… Led Gators with 13 assists, which is first in the SEC and T4th in the nation (through Nov. 28 play)… Third among Gators with 19 points – the most ever in a season by a Gator defender… Played the entirety of 21 matches as center back… Averaged 90 minutes per match… Finished second on Gator Career Charts for complete matches played (77), minutes (8,486) and consecutive starts (95)… One of 15 semifinalists for 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy… Named to U.S. Under-23 team for 2015 Four Nations Tournament held in Norway at end of May, playing the entirety of each of the event's three matches.
All-South Region Second Team:
Midfielder – Meggie Dougherty Howard: All-Southeastern Conference second team at midfield… .SEC All-Tournament team… Appeared in every match with 23 starts, playing the entirety of 11 matches… Opened Florida's scoring with goal at 2:11 of match at Jacksonville… Hit game-winning goal at Mississippi State from 17 yards… First assist of season came on Savannah Jordan's goal versus No. 1 Florida State… Eight assists second among the Gators and fifth in the league… Career-high numbers for goals (3), assists (8) and points (14) in 2015… Played for the 2015 USL W-League championship team, the Washington Spirit Reserves, in summer of 2015… W-League Southeastern Conference team selection… Named to the USL W-League All-League team - one of five on all-league team also on a collegiate roster.
| 2015 NSCAA All-South Region Teams | ||||||
| First Team | ||||||
| Pos. | Player | Class | School | Hometown | ||
| GK | Julie Eckel | SR | Tennessee | Cordova, Tenn. | ||
| D |
| SR |
| Florida | Dayton, Ohio | |
| D | Kala Faulkner | SR | Auburn | Alpharetta, Ga. | ||
| D |
| SR |
| Florida | Brecksville, Ohio | |
| MF | Mikaela Harvey | SO | Texas A&M | Liberty Hill, Texas | ||
| MF | CeCe Kizer | FR | Mississippi | Overland Park, Kan. | ||
| MF | Casie Ramsier | JR | Auburn | Dallas, Texas | ||
| F | Jorian Baucom | SO | LSU | Scottsdale, Ariz. | ||
| F | Simone Charley | JR | Vanderbilt | Hoover, Ala. | ||
| F |
| JR |
| Florida | Fayetteville, Ga. | |
| F | Savannah McCaskill | SO | South Carolina | Chapin, S.C. | ||
| Second Team |
|
| ||||
| Pos. | Player | Class | School | Hometown | ||
| GK | Sarah Le Beau | FR | Auburn | Crystal Lake, Ill. | ||
| D | Jessica Hiskey | SR | Mississippi | Franklin, Tenn. | ||
| D | Candace Johnson | SR | Missouri | Dallas, Texas | ||
| D | Karlie Mueller | SR | Texas A&M | Sioux Falls, S.D. | ||
| MF | Meggie Dougherty-Howard |
| SR |
| Florida | Largo, Fla. |
| MF | Natalia Gomez-Junco | SR | LSU | Monterrey, Mexico | ||
| MF | Stevi Parker | SR | South Carolina | Perkasie, Pa. | ||
| MF | Courtney Raetzman | SR | Kentucky | Elk Grove, Ill. | ||
| F | Summer Clarke | JR | LSU | Richmond, B.C. | ||
| F | Addie Forbus | JR | Mississippi | Amory, Miss. | ||
| F | Charde Hannah | SO | South Alabama | Tupelo, Miss. | ||
| Auburn | Crystal Lake, Ill. | |||||
| Third Team |
|
| ||||
| Pos. | Player | Class | School | Hometown | ||
| GK | Sarah Hay | JR | South Alabama | Waxahachie, Texas | ||
| D | Susan Ferguson | SR | Tennessee | Arlington, Va. | ||
| D | Jemma Purfield | Fr | South Alabama | Cottingham, England | ||
| D | Nini Rabsatt-Smith | SR | South Alabama | Montgomery, Ala. | ||
| MF | Suzanne Arafa | JR | Georgia State | Acworth, Ga. | ||
| MF | Chelsea Drennan | JR | South Carolina | Anderson, S.C. | ||
| MF | Lydia Simmons | SO | Vanderbilt | Londonderry, N.H. | ||
| F | Raina Johnson | SR | South Carolina | Charlotte, N.C. | ||
| F | Ashley Nagy | SR | Georgia State | McDonough, Ga. | ||
| F | Haley Pounds | SO | Texas A&M | Spring, Texas | ||
| F | Harriet Withers | SO | Murray State | Murwillumbah, Australia | ||
