CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The America East conference announced its women’s soccer all-conference awards Wednesday, and

Caitlin Whelan

the University of New Hampshire women’s soccer team took home a handful of hardware. Six different players were honored for UNH, as well as its coaching staff.

Mike Jackson

Junior forward Michelle Sheehan (Belmont, Mass.) garnered America East Striker of the Year honors, while junior midfielder Caitlin Whelan (Weymouth, Mass.) was named America East Midfielder of the Year. The Wildcat coaching staff, made up of Head Coach Mike Jackson and assistant coaches Kelly Martin, John Conlon and Yvonna Rowinski, was named America East Coaching Staff of the Year.

Sheehan, Whelan and senior back Caitlyn Serafine (Canandaigua, N.Y.) were all named to the America East All-Conference First Team, while senior midfielder Marianne Rivard (West Kingston, R.I.) was named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Freshmen Amy Avitabile (Pembroke, Mass.) and Marika Posehn (Duncan, British Columbia) were named to the America East All-Rookie Team.

 

 

Caitlyn Serafine

Kelly Martin

Sheehan and Serafine were also named to the America East All-Academic team with 3.04 and 3.16 GPAs, respectively.

Sheehan’s nine goals and 20 points led the conference this season, while her four game-winning goals were also tops in the conference. Sheehan was named America East Player of the Week for the weeks ending Sept. 3 and Oct. 7.

Whelan gave Sheehan a run for her money all season long, finishing third in points (16), fourth in goals (5) and second in assists (6). Whelan was named America East Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 9.

Serafine, a co-captain, tallied two goals and an assist as a defender, while playing

Marianne Rivard

lock-down defense in front of the Wildcat

John Conlon

goalkeepers who submitted a 0.81 goals-against-average and complied seven shutouts.

Rivard recorded three goals and three assists, which placed her third on the team in points (9). She also finished tied for second in the conference in game-winning goals with three.

Avitabile started all 17 of the Wildcats’ 18 games she played in at midfield while tallying three assists.

Posehn played in 17 games at back for the ‘Cats, contributing to their exceptional defensive numbers.

Jackson and his staff led the Wildcats to their seventh straight America East tournament appearance – the longest active streak in the conference – and their first-ever No. 1 seed in that tournament. This is UNH’s first Coaching Staff of the Year honor. Jackson won Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and 2002 before the award was changed to Coaching Staff of

Amy  Avitabile

the Year.

The Wildcats will play host to either No. 4 Stony Brook University or No. 5 University of

Marika Posehn

Maine on Sunday, Nov. 4 at noon in a semifinal game of the conference tournament. Stony Brook and Maine play Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. for the right to take on the ‘Cats at Lewis Fields on Sunday.