The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Soccer Award Winners and All-Conference
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Lenoir-Rhyne midfielder Elin Hansson was voted the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate Ria Acton was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Year and Catawba forward Bree Ehmer was named the SAC Freshman of the Year. Lenoir-Rhyne head coach Dean Ward was voted as the Coach of the Year, the conference announced today.
Hansson, a sophomore from Halmstad, Sweden, ranks third in the nation with six game-winning goals and is among the top-three in the league in all offensive categories, ranking second with 14 goals, second with 36 points, and tied for third with 8 assists. Hansson's 14 goals are good for the ninth-most goals by a Lenoir-Rhyne player in a single season. Hansson was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season for her efforts in games played during the weeks of October 10th and November 7th.
Acton, a graduate student from Leicester, England, recorded two goals and 12 assists on the year. The 12 assists marked the third-most in Lenoir-Rhyne program history. The wing back led a defense that allowed just seven goals in 16 matches with 10 shutouts. Acton was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season for her efforts in matches played during the weeks of September 12th and October 3rd.
Ehmer, a freshman from Melbourne, Fla., earned the SAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring both game-winners for Catawba in a single week in wins at Coker and and Mars Hill. She recorded eight goals and six assists on the season with 22 points. She ranks within the top-five of the league for points and helped lead one of the top scoring offenses in the nation.
Ward earns his second Coach of the Year honors in just his second year with Lenoir-Rhyne, leading the Bears to a 14-0-3 overall record, a perfect 11-0 conference record for the third time in program history, and the program's ninth SAC Regular Season Championship since 2010. The Bears were the No. 1 seed in the first Southeast regional rankings that were released on November 1st and moved their SAC unbeaten streak to 23 games, as the Bears have not lost a conference game in the last two seasons.
Joining Hansson, Acton and Ehmer on the All-SAC First Team were forwards Hannah Dunn and Helen Summerell of Catawba.
The First Team midfielders included Catawba's Sydney Jimmo, Lenoir-Rhyne's Neve Duston and Evan O'Leary, and Wingate's Caroline Peters.
On defense, Sascha Larsen of Wingate, Ella Garner of Lenoir-Rhyne, and Abbie Zander of Carson-Newman were named to the First Team.
Wingate's Katrine Thisgaard was named the First Team goalkeeper.
2023 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer All-Conference
First Team
F – Elin Hansson, Lenoir-Rhyne
F – Hannah Dunn, Catawba
F – Bree Ehmer, Catawba
F – Helen Summerell, Catawba
MF – Sydney Jimmo, Catawba
MF – Neve Duston, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Evan O'Leary, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Caroline Peters, Wingate
D – Ria Acton, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Sascha Larsen, Wingate
D – Ella Garner, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Abbie Zander, Carson-Newman
GK – Katrine Thisgaard, Wingate
Second Team
F – Kaitlyn Gregory, Anderson
F – Lucie Bertrand, Limestone
F – Samantha Swinson, Mars Hill
F – Sydney Grant, Tusculum
MF – Manu Baptista Felipe, Wingate
MF – Felicia Frick, Carson-Newman
MF – Maria Rayburn, Catawba
MF – Carola Busquets, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Nicole Cristy, Wingate
D – Louise Berg, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Alexah Fite, Catawba
D – Meggie Powell, Anderson
GK – Camryn Miller, Mars Hill
Third Team
F – Corrine Denton, Lincoln Memorial
F- Jaidyn Jacobs, Newberry
F-
F-
MF – Freya Jones, Limestone
MF – Emerson Talley, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Camryn Woods, Anderson
MF – Katherine Ensalaco, Wingate
D – Tuva Hodne, Limestone
D – Addie Henry, Carson-Newman
D – Lillie Rusher, Catawba
D - Kylie Swanson, Anderson
GK – Kristin Oliver, Lenoir-Rhyne
Offensive Player of the Year
Elin Hansson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Player of the Year
Ria Acton, Lenoir-Rhyne
Freshman of the Year
Bree Ehmer, Catawba
Coach of the Year
Dean Ward, Lenoir-Rhyne
Fair Play Award
Lenoir-Rhyne
STATISTICAL CHAMPIONS:
Goals per Match: Sydney Jimmo, Catawba | 1.06
Points per Match: Sydney Jimmo, Catawba | 2.50
Assists per Match: Ria Acton, Lenoir-Rhyne | 0.71
Goals Against Average: Kristin Oliver, Lenoir-Rhyne | .284
Save Percentage: Kristin Oliver, Lenoir-Rhyne | .889
Shutouts: Katrine Thisgaard, Wingate |10
Team Points per Match: Catawba | 9.44
Team Goals: Catawba | 60
Team Assists per Match: Catawba | 2.78
Team Shutouts: Wingate | 13
Team Goals Against Average: Lenoir-Rhyne | .412
Team Winning Percentage: Lenoir-Rhyne | .912
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