The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Women's Soccer Garners Numerous Conference USA Honors
11/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2003
CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- The 2003 Conference USA champion UAB women's soccer team added a number of awards to its list of decorations on Tuesday as six Blazer players were named All-C-USA and head coach Paul Harbin was named the Coach of the Year.
Harbin, who led UAB to its first outright C-USA championship and a stellar 13-4 overall record on the season, was named the conference's Coach of the Year by a vote of the league's coaches on Tuesday.
The only coach in the seven-year history of the Blazer program, Harbin has guided UAB to a school-record 13 victories this fall. His squad also established a new school mark for shutouts with nine and tied the program high for conference wins in a season with eight.
UAB's Tara Kidwell and Briana McCarty were each named First-Team All-C-USA on Tuesday.
Kidwell, the Blazers' junior forward from Leesburg, Va., led the conference in goals scored during league competition (7) and was also tied for the conference lead in points (18). McCarty has served as the anchor of the UAB defense and has added two crucial game-winning goals against C-USA opponents in TCU and Houston.
The Blazers' Jenny Rynders garnered Second-Team All-C-USA honors on Tuesday. Rynders, a junior midfielder from Marietta, Ga., is among the team leaders in both goals and points this season and was named the MVP of the 2003 Nike Classic. She has scored three of her five goals against C-USA competition and recorded a two-goal performance against Louisville.
Jill Knottek, the fifth-leading scorer in UAB history, was named to the All-C-USA Third Team on Tuesday.
Knottek, a native of Midland, Texas, is ranked in the top five in the conference in four offensive categories this season. The Blazers' forward has accumulated eight goals and six assists for a total of 22 points. She tallied a two-goal performance earlier this season against Charlotte and was named the C-USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22.
The conference's up-and-coming stars were recognized on Tuesday as the league coaches voted on an All-Freshman Team featuring 11 of C-USA's top freshmen.
UAB's Pam Cooney and Jennifer Williams highlighted the list and were joined by Charlotte's Shannon Huffman, Cincinnati's Becky Imhoff, DePaul's Lauren Spacht, Houston's Nicole Zygmontowicz, Louisville's Jamie Craft, Marquette's Beth McGill, Saint Louis' Dee Guempel and Courtney Hulcer, TCU's Ashley Fortune and Tulane's Jackie Obert.
The UAB women's soccer team will begin play in the 2003 Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 5, as the Blazers square off against the Charlotte 49ers at 7:30 p.m. (EST) in first-round action here in Charlotte, N.C.
2003 Conference USA Women's Soccer Awards
Coach of the Year - - Paul Harbin, UAB
Offensive Player of the Year - - Julianne Sitch, DePaul
Co-Defensive Players of the Year - - Penny Perrott, East Carolina, Breck Bankster, USF
Freshman of the Year - - Jamie Craft, Louisville
First-Team All-Conference USA
F, Tara Kidwell, UAB
F, Jamie Perry, Saint Louis
F, Yuiko Konno, Memphis
F, Megan McCallion, East Carolina
MF, Julianne Sitch, DePaul
MF, Nikki Hawkins, Houston
MF, Nicky McLeod, Memphis
MF, Kate Reed, USF
D, Penny Perrott, East Carolina
D, Lindsay Smale, Marquette
D, Asia Simons, Tulane
D, Briana McCarty, UAB
GK, Breck Bankster, USF
Second-Team All-Conference USA
F, Tasha Wagner, Cincinnati
F, Jessi Moore, TCU
F, Courtney Crandell, Charlotte
MF, Anne Loder, Marquette
MF, Christie Cigno, Saint Louis
MF, Jenny Rynders, UAB
D, Kim Moore, Charlotte
D, Kristina Wilson, Cincinnati
D, Emily Allwardt, Houston
D, Anny Lucier, Saint Louis
GK, Kate Bissen, Marquette
Third-Team All-Conference USA
F, Jamie Craft, Louisville
F, Amy Van Zandt, TCU
F, Jill Knottek, UAB
MF, Kelly Ferguson, Saint Louis
MF, Karrissa Hill, TCU
MF, Jackie Obert, Tulane
D, Tiffany Ross, Charlotte
D, Amber Prindle, DePaul
D, Carolyn Klopp, Marquette
D, Staeci Sastre, USF
D, Kay Beth Costilow, USM
GK, Lindsay Kesaon, DePaul
All-Freshman Team (No position restriction)
Shannon Huffman, GK, Charlotte
Becky Imhoff, MF, Cincinnati
Lauren Spacht, F, DePaul
Nicole Zygmontowicz, D, Houston
Jamie Craft, F, Louisville
Beth McGill, F, Marquette
Dee Guempel, MF, Saint Louis
Courtney Hulcer, MF, Saint Louis
Ashley Fortune, F, TCU
Jackie Obert, MF, Tulane
Pam Cooney, D, UAB
Jen Williams, MF, UAB
