GW Women's Soccer Lands Three on All-Region Teams
12/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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Dec. 4, 2015
2015 All-Mid-Atlantic Region Teams
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A trio of Colonials have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) postseason All-Mid-Atlantic Region teams. Senior Brooke Stoller grabbed a First Team distinction, while redshirt-sophomore Miranda Horn landed on the Second Team and senior Kristi Abbate was selected to the Third Team.
The 2015 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference member, Stoller led the league's top defense to a conference-best 0.77 goals-against average with a program-record 12 shutouts in 2015. The defender also chipped in a goal and three assists for a career-high five points. The Newton, Massachusetts, native logged more minutes than any other Colonial this season (1,691) and is the second in program history to grab an All-Region First Team nod after Karen Van Horn garnered the honor in 1981.
"Brooke did a tremendous job controlling our back line and starting the attack," said head coach Sarah Barnes. "Her composure helped us to control games and make a strong run through conference play."
Horn received First Team All-Conference honors after posting five solo shutouts and combined for six more between the posts for the Colonials. The Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, native posted a league-best 0.86 goals-against average overall with a minuscule 0.27 mark in conference play. Horn also received A-10 All-Academic recognition and is the first All-Region Second Team selection for the Colonials since Kim Warner nabbed back-to-back honors in 2002 and 2003.
"Miranda's skills as a goalkeeper are heightened by her technical ability with her feet," said Coach Barnes. "She was a big part of how we created play out of the back and was also a fantastic defensive presence, particularly in the air and with high balls."
A three-time A-10 All-Conference Second Team selection, Abbate snags the second-ever All-Region Third Team honor for the Buff and Blue after Warner in 2001. The fleet-footed midfielder tallied two goals and five assists in 2015 to rank fourth on the squad with nine points. The Northport, New York, native appeared in all 20 games for GW, making 19 starts.
"Kristi is a quick, dynamic dribbler who created opportunities in the attacking third," said Coach Barnes. "Whether she scored or not, opponents worried about how to deal with her, which made our team more dangerous."
GW lands three student-athletes on All-Region teams for the first time since 1981, when the Colonials received one First Team and a pair of Second Team nods.
The Colonials posted a historic season in 2015, winning an Atlantic 10 regular-season title for the first time since 1995 while completing the first undefeated and untied conference slate in program history to finish with a perfect 10-0-0 record. Along the way, the squad led the nation with a school-record 13 consecutive victories to close the regular season and tied GW's best single-season win total (15) while setting a new program record with 12 clean sheets under A-10 Coach of the Year Sarah Barnes.
The Buff and Blue closed the season as the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region's fifth-ranked team.
