Women's Soccer: Banks Wins Major Honor
November 09, 2007 03:11 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
November 7, 2007
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| Tony Yelovich, assistant athletics director at Notre Dame, presents Ashley Banks with the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year trophy. |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior Ashley Banks took home Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors, sharing the award with Notre Dame junior Brittany Bock Thursday night at the annual BIG EAST women’s soccer banquet at Lakeview Resort. Six Mountaineers were named all-BIG EAST selections, tying the 2002 team for most all-league picks.
“It is nice to be recognized by the coaches because we have a great soccer conference,” says Banks who scored a league-high 13 goals this season. “It is truly an a honor but I received a lot of help from my teammates along the way. And right now my focus is winning Friday’s match and then playing for a BIG EAST Championship on Sunday.”
Banks, also an ESPN the Magazine Academic all-District selection, is finishing up one of the finest seasons in Mountaineer soccer history. The forward leads WVU in points with 34 and is averaging 1.79 points per game. Earlier this season she became one of two players in school history to record 30 goals and 25 assists in her career, Banks ranks in the top five all-time at WVU in three major offensive categories – 32 goals (3rd), 26 assists (3rd) and 90 points (3rd).
West Virginia and Notre Dame now share the most BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year selections with four each. Chrissie Abbott won the award in 2002 and Katie Barnes was a two-time winner in the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
Banks, an Annandale, Va., native, was the 2004 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. She is a three-time all-BIG EAST pick, earning first team honors this year and second team accolades in 2004 and 2005.
