University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Three Bulldogs Earn All-Big South Team Honors
10.30.2015 | Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Three UNC Asheville women's soccer players have garnered All-Big South Team accolades, as announced by the conference office today. Sophomores Caroline Houser and Emma Houser have been honored as All-Big South Second Team selections while freshman Justine James was named to the All-Freshman Team. Emma Houser additionally earned All-Academic Team honors.
Since 1993, 80 Bulldog women's soccer players have earned postseason awards from the Big South, including this year's trio. Under fifth-year head coach Michelle Demko, 12 Bulldogs have made the All-Big South Team.
"Congrats to Justine, Emma and Caroline being recognized by our conference through hard work over the past few months,” Demko said. “All three represent UNC Asheville women's soccer with their high work ethic, commitment and passion for our program, university and their teammates. I am happy other coaches in the Big South took notice of their abilities and awarded their talents by voting these players on their respective All-Conference teams. All three are very deserving of these accolades and I am very proud of them."
Sophomore Caroline Houser ended the regular season leading the Bulldogs in three categories including goals (7), assists (9), and points (23). Her nine assists this season tied a program record for most assists in a single season (Kaitlyn Eckert, 2012). Houser ranks second in the conference this season for points and assists, while her goal total places her tied for sixth. Her 23 points this season is tied with Kristi Cummings (1993) for most points in a single season in school history. The 2015 All-Big South Second Team selection marks the second consecutive postseason award for Houser as she was named the 2014 Freshman of the Year last season.
Sophomore Emma Houser tallied a goal and two assists (4 points) from her backline defender position. She played an integral role in a defense that posted six shutouts on the season. For the third consecutive season, the Bulldog defense recorded at least five shutouts and six in a season is the most since the 2006 team shut down eight opponents.
Freshman Justine James becomes the sixth Bulldog ever to be named to the All-Freshman Team since the award's inception in 2006. James is also the second Bulldog in as many years to be on the All-Freshman list after Caroline Houser won Freshman of the Year in 2014. The Cary, N.C., native made a splash in her first season, ranking second on the team in both goals (6) and points (13). Both James and Caroline Houser played key roles in Asheville's attacking line, as the Bulldogs paced the Big South in goals (35) and points (97) this season.
Closing the season 11-8-0 overall (4-6-0 Big South), the Bulldogs earned the No. 6 seed in the Big South Conference Tournament and will travel to Buies Creek, N.C., to play No. 3-seed Campbell Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.
The Bulldogs picked up their 11th win of the season Oct. 21, and have recorded back-to-back double-digit win seasons after bettering last season's win total of 10. In fact, Asheville has posted back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the fifth time in the program's 23 year history. The Bulldogs' 21 wins the last two years ranks as the fifth-most wins over a two-year span in program history (1995-96: 26 wins; 2004-05: 24 wins; 2005-06: 23 wins; 2003-04: 22 wins).
2015 Big South Conference
Women's Soccer Award Winners
First-Team All-Conference
F: Ashley Clark, R-Sr., Campbell
F: Amber Adams, Jr., Coastal Carolina
F: Jennifer Knoebel, Soph., Liberty
F: Amanda Spencer, Jr., Longwood
MF: Daniella Famili, Soph., Coastal Carolina
MF: Becca Rolfe, Soph., High Point
MF: Payton Ormsby, Jr., Campbell
MF: Olivia Colella, Sr., Longwood
D: Alana Mackey, Sr., Longwood
D: Kelsey Perrell, R-Jr., High Point
D: Taylor Coleman, Sr., Winthrop
D: Jordan Lundin, Soph., Radford
GK: Alex Persiani, Soph., High Point
Second-Team All-Conference
F: Caroline Houser, Soph., UNC Asheville
F: Anna Sells, Jr., Charleston Southern
F: Shelby Hooe, Sr., Gardner-Webb
F: Kayla Christian, Fr., Coastal Carolina
MF: Bekah Page, Sr., Liberty
MF: Hannah Gaither, Sr., Presbyterian College
MF: Megan David, Sr., Winthrop
MF: Erica Gazzani, Jr., Charleston Southern
D: Sophie Cobb, Sr., Presbyterian College
D: Emma Houser, Soph., UNC Asheville
D: Haylea Witz, Sr., Longwood
D: Bri Nagle, Jr., Gardner-Webb
GK: Holly Van Noord, R-Jr., Liberty
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Amy Burch, D, Sr., High Point
Asyia Mitchell, F, Sr., Radford
Alexis Connors, GK, Sr., Campbell
Shannon Wratchford, F, Fr., Campbell
Mel Flatter, D, Jr., Coastal Carolina
All-Freshman Team
Kayla Christian, F, Coastal Carolina
Devon Jones, F, Liberty
Shannon Wratchford, F, Campbell
Sydney Wallace, D, Longwood
Callyn Loughrey, D, High Point
Justine James, F, UNC Asheville
Alyssa Dell Acqua, GK, Charleston Southern
Brittany DeLoach, D, Gardner-Webb
Kelsey Yeager, D, Presbyterian College
Anna Brantley, D, Campbell
Aly Hill, F, Liberty
All-Academic Team
Kine Thorsvik, MF, Jr., Campbell
Lydia Frierson, MF, Soph., Charleston Southern
Darbie Kelley, MF, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Shelby Hooe, F, Sr., Gardner-Webb
Amy Burch, D, Sr., High Point
Jennifer Knoebel, F, Soph., Liberty
Alana Mackey, D, Sr., Longwood
Sophie Cobb, D, Sr., Presbyterian College
Asyia Mitchell, F, Sr., Radford
Emma Houser, D, Soph., UNC Asheville
Jessica Logan, D, Sr., Winthrop
Attacking Player of the Year
Ashley Clark, F, R-Sr., Campbell
Defensive Player of the Year
Alex Persiani, GK, Soph., High Point
Freshman of the Year
Kayla Christian, F, Coastal Carolina
Coach of the Year
Paul Hogan, Coastal Carolina
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Shelby Hooe, F, Sr., Gardner-Webb
