CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – On Monday, following the conclusion of the regular season, the women’s soccer major awards and All-Patriot League teams were announced. The five of the six teams in the Patriot League Championship field combined for 29 of the 33 spots on the All-League squad, while Bucknell, top seed and host of the semifinal and championship games, collected three of the six individual awards. Colgate garnered two and Boston University picked up the final honor.
Bison junior forward Kendall Ham was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate Jessica Ratner was named the Goalkeeper of the Year. Colgate’s Eliza Doll and Abby Sotomayor were recognized as the Midfielder and Rookie of the Year, respectively, and Boston University’s Rachel Bloznalis was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Bucknell head coach Kelly Cook was voted as the Patriot League Coach of the Year.
Voted on by the League’s 10 head coaches, with restrictions of excluding their own student-athletes, nine of the ten League members were represented by at least one student-athlete on the All-League squads. Bucknell led the group with eight student-athletes earning recognition, and Boston University collected the second most at six followed by Colgate and Navy with five, each.
The only player unanimously selected as a first-team All-League honoree, Ham helped solidify the bye and home field advantage for the Bison, scoring the game-winning goal at Army West Point in the 1-0 win on Saturday. It was her third of the League slate and fifth overall this season. The junior – the first Bison to earn Offensive Player of the Year since Christa Matlack in 2010 -- accumulated 15 goals this season to lead the League, while also leading with 34 points. In League play, she totaled the second-most points (16) and goals (6), just behind teammate and classmate Maddie Mulford (18 pts., 7 goals) -- who joined Ham on the first team along with junior defender Karli Cirvoski and Ratner (Goalkeeper of the Year). Senior forward Alexis Gannon, junior midfielder Meghan Holtz, and junior defender Jackie Ham were named to the second team, and freshman defender Ali Russo garnered third team honors.
Ratner, who was named Goalkeeper of the Week three consecutive times this season, holds a League best 0.60 goals against average, allowing just 10 goals all season across 1511:1 minutes of action. In League play, the senior let up six goals in 799:05 minutes in the net for a 0.68 GAA, and amassed 36 saves along with a .857 save percentage. She becomes the first Bison goalkeeper to earn the League award since its inception in 2004.
In as many years at the helm of the program, Bison head coach Kelly Cook earned her second Coach of the Year honor as she guided the program to its 19th Patriot League Championship appearance and first time as the top seed since hosting in back-to-back season in 2006 and 2007. Bucknell (14-1-2, 8-1-0 PL) is ranked in several categories nationally, currently standing as the second-best scoring offense, averaging 2.88 goals per game, and second in most points per game (8.31) among all NCAA Division I programs. Under her tutelage, 10 student-athletes combined for 14 All-League honors, as well as a pair of major awards. Cook becomes the second coach in Bucknell history (Chrissy Findlay, 2000-2001) to pick up Patriot League Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons since it began in 1990.
Doll earned the inaugural Midfielder of the Year award, on the heels of being named the Midfielder of the Week for her efforts in two victories over Army West Point and Loyola Maryland, while Sotomayor was tabbed as the Rookie of the Year – becoming the first Raider to collect the honor since Caroline Williams did so in 2012. Doll finished the regular season with two goals and four assists (eight points) and also helped Colgate out-shoot its opponents 326-246 on the season. Sotomayor led the Raider offense with nine goals, one assist, and 19 points. The pair helped the Raiders make its ninth consecutive, 24th overall, trip to the championship and both received first team recognition. They were joined on the All-League squad by teammates senior forward Sarah Coy (second team), freshman defender Dominique DeMarco (third team), and senior defender Emily Pullen (third team).
Bloznalis earned the second consecutive Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year for the Terriers, after McKenzie Hollenbaugh garnered the honor a year ago. The senior defender, who was named the Defensive Player of the Week on 8.22, led a defense that allowed just four goals throughout League play. Joining Bloznalis on the first team was sophomore midfielder Julianna Chen. Senior forward Erica Kosienski and grad student defender Rachel Blauner was named to the second team, and sophomore forward McKenna Doyl, junior midfielder Jesse Shreck, and sophomore midfielder Dorrie Varley Barrett earned third team recognition.
Rounding out the tournament teams garnering honors were Lehigh and Navy. The Mountain Hawks had two first-team All-League selections in junior midfielder Adrian Vitello and junior defender Alyssa Riporti, while senior forward Tori Pantaleo and freshman goalkeeper Sam Miller were named to the second team. For the Midshipmen, junior midfielder Natalie Dzhandzhapanyan was named to the second team, and senior forward Rachel Feldman, junior forward Clare MacAdam, junior midfielder Meghan Hegarty, and junior defender Megan Rogers were all named to the third team.
The final four spots on the All-League teams went to Army West Point junior midfielder Clare Shea (first team) and senior goalkeeper Jordan Cassalia (second team), Holy Cross sophomore midfielder Andj Seslija (second team), and Loyola Maryland senior defender Nicole Wahlig (second team).
The 2016 Patriot League Women's Soccer Championship begins with the quarterfinals on Tuesday -- #3 seed Lehigh hosts #6 seed Lafayette and #4 seed Colgate hosts #5 seed Navy. Both contests begin at 7 p.m. On Friday, the lowest remaining seed will then play #1 Bucknell at 4 p.m. while the other quarterfinal winner will take on #2 Boston University at 7 p.m. Both semifinal contests on Friday and Sunday’s 1 p.m. championship event will take place at Emmitt Field in Lewisburg, Pa. For more information, visit the 2016 Women’s Soccer Championship page.
All five tournament games will air live and for free on the Patriot League Network.
Women’s Soccer All-League
Offensive Player of the Year: Kendall Ham, Bucknell
Midfielder of the Year: Eliza Doll, Colgate
Defensive Player of the Year: Rachel Bloznalis, Boston University
Goalkeeper of the Year: Jessica Ratner, Bucknell
Rookie of the Year: Abby Sotomayor, Colgate
Coach of the Year: Kelly Cook, Bucknell
First Team
*Kendall Ham, Bucknell, Jr., F
Maddie Mulford, Bucknell, Jr., F
Abby Sotomayor, Colgate, Fr., F
Clare Shea, Army West Point, Jr. M
Julianna Chen, Boston University, So., M
Eliza Doll, Colgate, Jr., M
Adrian Vitello, Lehigh, Jr., M
Rachel Bloznalis, Boston University, Sr., D
Karli Cirvoski, Bucknell, Jr., D
Alyssa Riporti, Lehigh, Jr., D
Jessica Ratner, Bucknell, Sr., GK
^Second Team
Erica Kosienski, Boston University, Sr., F
Alexis Gannon, Bucknell, Sr., F
Sarah Coy, Colgate, Sr., F
Tori Pantaleo, Lehigh, Sr., F
Meghan Holtz, Bucknell, Jr., M
Andj Seslija, Holy Cross, So., M
Natalie Dzhandzhapanyan, Navy, Jr., M
Rachel Blauner, Boston University, Gr., D
Jackie Ham, Bucknell, Jr., D
Nicole Wahlig, Loyola Maryland, Sr., D
Jordan Cassalia, Army West Point, Sr., GK
Sam Miller, Lehigh, Fr., GK
Third Team
McKenna Doyle, Boston University, So., F
Rachel Feldman, Navy, Sr., F
Clare MacAdam, Navy, Jr., F
Jesse Shreck, Boston University, Jr., M
Dorrie Varley-Barrett, Boston University, So., M
Meghan Hegarty, Navy, Jr., M
Ali Russo, Bucknell, Fr., D
Dominique DeMarco, Colgate, Fr., D
Emily Pullen, Colgate, Sr., D
Megan Rogers, Navy, Jr., D
*Unanimous Choice
^ Due to a tie, there are two goalkeepers on the second team and none on the third team