Women’s Soccer: Two Named All-Americans
December 06, 2008 03:47 PM | General
By Tim Goodenow for MSNsportsNET.com
December 6, 2008
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| Greer Barnes | Carolyn Blank |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A pair of West Virginia University women’s soccer players earned All-America recognition from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Midfielder Carolyn Blank earned Second Team All-America honors while defender Greer Barnes was named a Third Team All-America selection.
“What a tremendous honor for both players,” said Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “I am happy their efforts were recognized at such a high level. This is a great achievement and I am very excited for them.”
Blank won NSCAA All-America honors for the first time in her career, after starting all 23 games at defensive midfield. The junior totaled 12 points on five goals and two assists, earning First Team All-BIG EAST and BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year honors.
The Toms River, N.J., native was recently named a 2008 TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Season First Team pick. A team captain, Blank was also named to the 2008 BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team.
Barnes was named an NSCAA All-American for the second-straight year, named to the Second Team in 2007. The Rye, N.Y., native is a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST defender, along with a Second Team All-BIG EAST nod in 2006.
The senior wreaked havoc on opposing defenses, getting forward in the attack to total 34 shots and five points in 2008. Barnes has appeared in 82 career matches for the Mountaineers at both midfield and defender.
Blank becomes the eighth different individual to earn NSCAA All-America honors. As a team, the Mountaineers have totaled 11 All-America honors in the program’s 13-year history.
The Mountaineers closed out the 2008 season with a 14-3-6 record, tying the school record for fewest losses in a season. West Virginia advanced to its ninth straight NCAA tournament, and sixth trip to the NCAA Round of 32.
