Nov. 14, 2001
Women's Soccer Team Places 11 on All-MIAA Teams
Huyck MVP, Murray Freshman of the Year, Cannon Coach
of the Year
It was announced today that the Truman women's soccer team placed 11 members on three all-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Associations teams.
MIAA MVP: Senior goalkeeper Emily Huyck (Omaha, Neb./Westside) was named MVP of the conference after leading the MIAA, as well as the nation this week, with a 0.30 goals against average and charting an MIAA record 14 shutouts this year. Huyck was also a unanimous first-team all-MIAA pick for the third consecutive year.
She was chosen to the second NSCAA/adidas all-Central region team a year ago. Huyck broke the school record for career shutouts when she recorded her 41st vs. Southwest Baptist on Oct. 26, and now has a total of 43.
Huyck again set a new MIAA standard for single season minutes this year that currently stands at 1782:31, breaking her old mark of 1752:48 set in 1999. She also holds the conference record for career minutes (5,773:11).
Huyck is now fourth in saves (295) and second in games played (68) among school career leaders.
Heading into her senior campaign, Huyck had already put her name in the NCAA record book. She shares the NCAA record for single season solo shutout percentage of 0.74 after holding 14 of 19 teams scoreless during the 1999 season. Huyck's 14 shutouts that year is the third-best single season total in Division II. Among DII single-season leaders, Huyck also posted the 10th-best goals-against average, allowing just seven tallies in '99 for a goals against average of 0.36.
In 2000, Huyck charted 13 shutouts in 19 contests which was good for the eighth-best shutout percentage (.068) and the 10th-most total shutouts in a season for DII.
From Sept. 17 to Oct. 29, 2000, she played 955:21 scoreless minutes, the third longest time in NCAA Division II by a netminder without allowing a goal. Huyck also went 871:33 minutes from Oct. 9, 1999, to Sept. 2, 2000, without allowing a goal, the fifth-longest streak in DII.
Freshman of the year honors, went to Sara Murray (Eden Prairie, Minn.) who was also a first-team all-conference pick. Three weeks ago, she scored three goals in three games, breaking the Truman single season goals record with her 17th vs. Missouri-Rolla. The old record of 16 was shared by Kathy Corson (1989) and Trishia Harting (1996). Her 17 goals so far this year also stands as a new MIAA mark, breaking the old standard of 16 by Missouri-Rolla's Liz Szkrybalo and Denise McMillian in 1999.
Murray is also now third in single-season points at Truman with 39, just five off the school standard. However, the MIAA mark stands at just 42 by Szkrybalo in '99.
Murray is also second among Bulldog single season shots leaders with 85 this year, but is 17 off the Truman record of 102 by Shauna Putnam in 1989.
Murray tied the MIAA record for goals scored in a game when she put four in the net vs. Southwest Baptist on Sept. 22.
Mike Cannon earned Coach of the Year honors for the third straight season. He is in his ninth year at the helm of the Bulldogs. He currently has a record of 109-46-13 (.688) and is the winningest women's soccer coach in the 18-year history of the program at Truman. Cannon registered his 100th career victory in the 'Dogs' 5-0 win at Northwest Missouri on Sept. 30, 3-0.
Heading into the season, he was ranked 16th by percentage and 20th by victories among NCAA Division II active coaches. Cannon is a 1992 graduate of Truman and played for the Bulldog men's soccer team from 1988-91.
Other First-Team all-MIAA selections were Karla Danekas (Naperville, Ill/Central), senior midfielder Melissa Miller (Olathe, Kan./South), junior midfielder Heather Murray (St. Charles, Mo. West), junior midfielder Anna Smith (Jefferson City, Mo.) and sophomore defender Beth Wieman (St. Louis/Rosati-Kahn).
Danekas was a key part of the Bulldog defense that led the MIAA with a 0.30 goals against average. She is also tied for ninth in MIAA assists (0.25 apg) heading into the final weeks of the season.
Among conference leaders, Miller is eighth in scoring (0.90 ppg) and tied for sixth in assists (0.30 apg) this season.
She also earned first-team all-MIAA honors in 2000, and was a second-team choice as a sophomore. She is sixth all-time at Truman with 19 goals and ranks seventh with 17 career assists. Miller is also sixth in career points (55) and eighth in shots with 142 from 1998-01. Her 19 career goals also puts her at third among conference leaders, while her six assists in 2000 and so far in 2001 tie for fourth among MIAA single-season leaders. Miller's 17 career assists is the second-best mark during the three-year history of women's soccer in the league. Last season, she was a second-team NSCAA scholar-athlete for the Central region, and has been a two-time member of the MIAA commissioner's academic honor roll. Miller was named MIAA athlete of the week as a sophomore after scoring game-winning goals in 1-0 wins over Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and Missouri-St. Louis in the same week. She has started 63 of 71 career games played.
Heather Murray is fifth in team scoring with 11 points on four goals and three assists. She scored the first and fourth goals in a 5-0 win over Missouri-Rolla this year.
Smith was a second-team all-MIAA pick the last two seasons, as well as the MIAA freshman of the year. She is currently fourth in team scoring and goals with 12 points and five goals.
Wieman has also been an integral part of the Truman defense that leads the nation in goals-against average (0.30) and ranks second in shutout percentage (0.74). Wieman has also had three assists this year, and was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick last year.
Second-team all-conference recognition was earned by senior midfielder Kelli Best (Urbandale, Iowa), junior defender Jennifer Buscher (Oakville, Mo./Notre Dame) and senior defender Nicole Thorpe (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods).
Best scored two goals and helped on three other this season. She has played in 72 career games for the 'Dogs, making 56 starts, and has scored seven goals and assists for a career total of 19 points. The midfielder is a two-time all-conference selection, earning second-team honors as a sophomore in 1999. Best has twice been named to the MIAA commissioner's academic honor roll and was an academic all-MIAA recipient as a sophomore as well. Last year, she was named a third-team scholar-athlete for the Central region by the NSCAA.
Buscher has been an large part of the outstanding defense that Truman has put on this season, allowing just 0.30 goals per game. She was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick two years ago, but missed last season while recovering from an injury. Buscher has three assists this year.
Thorpe is a four-year starter for the 'Dogs, playing in 75 career games. She has recorded six goals and four assists for 16 points since 1998. Thorpe was a first-team all-MIAA pick last year, and earned second-team all-conference honors as a sophomore. She has twice been named academic all-MIAA after earning all-conference honors while maintaining at least a 3.5 grade point average. As a freshman, she was voted the most improved player by her teammates, as a sophomore she earned the team's 110% award and last season she received goal of the year honors for her score in the Northern Kentucky game. Thorpe has started nearly every game the last three seasons, making 69 total starts for her career. She scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Central Missouri last season that clinched Truman's second-consecutive MIAA title. Thorpe is a two-time member of the MIAA commissioner's academic honor.
Truman's only honorable mention all pick was freshman midfielder Ellen Wright (Kirkwood, Mo.). Wright has also been a standout newcomer for the Bulldogs this season. She is ninth in MIAA scoring (0.85 ppg) and tied for eighth in goals per game (0.35).
Usually the first off the bench, Wright is second to Sara Murray in goals this year with seven, and is third in scoring with 17 points. She scored both goals in beating Central Missouri 2-1 on Sept. 29.
Truman (18-2 overall, 11-1 in the MIAA): The Bulldogs, who received a first-round by in the NCAA Division II championship tournament, hosted their first NCAA tournament game last weekend and again got the opportunity this weekend as Northern Kentucky comes to Kirksville for a quarterfinal game on Saturday at noon.
The Bulldogs are enjoying their best season in the 18-year history of the Truman women's soccer program. They have already broken team records for shutouts (15), wins (18) and consecutive wins (13). The 'Dogs tallied that 15th shutout in a 1-0 win over Northern Colorado in last weekend's NCAA tourney game.
The Bulldogs clinched their third-straight MIAA title this year. Truman has claimed every conference championship since the MIAA began sponsoring women's soccer in 1999. The regular season finale falter was the first MIAA loss for the 'Dogs through 21 straight league games.