University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Emma Houser Named to Big South All-Tournament Team
11.08.2015 | Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville women's soccer sophomore defender Emma Houser has been named to the 2015 Big South All-Tournament Team, the conference office announced late Sunday. Houser becomes the 40th Bulldog ever to be named to the All-Tournament team and the third player under fifth-year head coach Michelle Demko to garner tournament accolades.
“What great recognition for Emma, she is very deserving of this award,” Demko said. “I thought she was outstanding in our quarterfinal game. She played very big all season and demonstrated why our staff, as well as her teammates, have such belief in her abilities. She is one of the most selfless players I have coached and those players are absolutely critical to success. For that reason I am happy other people have recognized Emma's competitive abilities enough to vote her on the All-Tournament Team.”
The All-Tournament Team selection marks the third postseason award of the year for Houser after she was also recognized as a 2015 All-Big South Second Team selection and as a member of the All-Academic Team. On the field this season, 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.
In 2015, Asheville advanced to the Big South Tournament for the second consecutive season and for the third time in the last five years. The Bulldogs drew the No. 6 seed and were knocked out in quarterfinal action by No. 3 Campbell, 1-0, Nov. 1 in Buies Creek, N.C. A penalty kick in the 67th minute was the difference in the game.
As a team, the Bulldogs posted 11 wins this season marking the second-straight year of recording double-digit wins (2014: 10). In fact, between 2014 and 2015 Asheville was able to post 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 All-Tournament Team
Alex Mack (MVP) – Liberty
Jennifer Knoebel – Liberty
Holly Van Noord – Liberty
Brittany Aanderud – Liberty
Ashley Clark – Campbell
Sammy Lawson – Campbell
Cydney Smith – Campbell
Amber Adams – Coastal Carolina
Daniella Famili – Coastal Carolina
Kelsey Perrell – High Point
Taylor Thompson – High Point
Megan David – Winthrop
McKenzie Davis – Charleston Southern
Emma Houser – UNC Asheville
Olivia Colella – Longwood
