GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman women's soccer team accounted for six of 11 All-Southern Conference first team selections, while sophomore Andre’a Morrison was named SoCon Player-of-the-Year.
Furman senior Emily Turgeon, junior April Raymer, and sophomores Andre'a Morrison, Andie Hinshaw, Nicky Darling, and Katharine Kelley each were named to the first team. Senior midfielder Danielle Petro was a second team selection.
Morrison, a sophomore from Kernersville, N.C., earned Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year honors for her play as both a forward and a defender this season. Morrison helped anchor Furman's defense throughout the first half of the season before moving up front to score 10 goals on the year. Morrison's selected marks the third time in four years a Lady Paladin has won player-of-the-year honors.
Emily Turgeon, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., was the 2000 and 2002 SoCon Player-of-the-year while she earns her third First Team All-SoCon selection of her career this season. Turgeon leads the team with 12 goals on the season and is Furman's all-time leader in both goals and points.
April Raymer, in her second season at Furman after transferring from Wake Forest after the 2001 season, earned first team honors by anchoring the center of Furman's defense. She has played in every minute of every match this season, while scoring two goals and recording four assists - mostly on penalty kicks and corner kicks.
Goalkeeper Andie Hinshaw, a sophomore from Raleigh, N.C., holds an impressive 1.02 goals against average on the season and earlier this year tied a school record with 19 saves in a scoreless tie against Clemson. Her 19 saves are the second highest total in NCAA Division I this season. Hinshaw was a second team selection as a freshman.
Kat Kelley, also a sophomore from Raleigh, N.C., was a club and high school teammate of Hinshaw’s. Kelley is Furman's force in the midfield as she has scored five goals and recorded four assists on the year. Kelley has scored four late game-winning goals on the season. Kelley was a second team selection as a freshman.
Sophomore Nicky Darling, a product of Coralville, Iowa, makes her second consecutive appearance on the All-Southern Conference first team. Darling has spent most of this season as a defender after playing as a midfielder last year. She has helped anchor a stingy Paladin defense.
Earning her third All-SoCon honor of her career, senior Danielle Petro has scored four goals and recorded three assists. She is third all-time at Furman in scoring and fifth in Southern Conference history. Petro moved from forward to midfield this season, thus cutting down on her scoring opportunities, but has been a key member of the Lady Paladin midfield.
"This is quite an honor," said Furman head coach Brian Lee. "To have seven players recognized as All-SoCon says a lot about the talent we have on this team. But a whole new season starts on Thursday and we must refocus on the goal at hand."
Top seeded Furman will take on eighth seeded Western Carolina at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 6 in Greensboro, N.C.
Southern Conference All-Conference Teams
First Team
F- Emily Turgeon, Furman
F- Andre'a Morrison, Furman
F- Diana Jallo, Chattanooga
MF- Rakel Logadottir, UNC Greensboro
MF- Kat Kelley, Furman
MF- Elfa Erlingsdottir, Chattanooga
D- Dawn-Marie Alfred, Appalachian State
D- April Raymer, Furman
D- Nicky Darling, Furman
D- Kara Koehrn, Davidson
GK- Andie Hinshaw, Furman
Second Team
F- Erin Ashton, East Tennessee State
F- Amy Carnell, UNC Greensboro
F- Kristin Rhyne, College of Charleston
F- Brooke Crandall, Chattanooga
MF- Danielle Petro, Furman
MF- Jamie Stewart, College of Charleston
MF- Jaime Cutts, Wofford
D- Cara Hammond, UNC Greensboro
D- Christie Nipaver, Georgia Southern
D- Claire Wigfall, College of Charleston
GK- Breland Meany, Appalachian State
Player of the Year: Andre'a Morrison, Furman
Freshman of the Year: Shannon Donovan, UNC Greensboro
Coach of the Year: J.D. Kyzer, Chattanooga