O'Hara wins MAC Hermann Award

Stanford senior forward Kelley O'Hara has won the 2009 Hermann Award, presented to the top male and female soccer players in NCAA Division I soccer. The award is annually presented by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Missouri. The winner of the men's award was Teal Bunbury of the University of Akron.

O'Hara led Stanford to a 25-1 season, losing only to North Carolina in the finals. She scored a phenomenol 26 goals and added 13 assists for the Cardinal. She scored 57 goals over her four year college career.

O'Hara had been a semifinalist for the 2007 Hermann Award. She is expected to be one of the top selections in next week's WPS draft which will be held Friday, January 15 in Philadelphia.

The other two finalists for the women's award were Tobin Heath of North Carolina, who was 1st runner up, and Lauren Cheney of UCLA, who had previously been a finalist back in 2007.

Congratulations to Kelley!

NCAA Tournament Brackets Announced

The NCAA women's soccer tournament brackets have been announced, with Stanford, North Carolina, UCLA, and Florida State getting the number one seeds.

Play begins this weekend.

Duke University Incoming Freshmen Callie Simpkins And Erin Koballa Are Set To Participate In The 2009 Clash Of The Carolina’s Contest

Via Duke University Athletics

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University incoming freshmen Callie Simpkins and Erin Koballa are set to participate in the 2009 Clash of the Carolina’s contest, which will be played on Saturday, July 11 at the Blackbaud Stadium in Daniel Island, S.C., at 3:00 p.m.

Koballa, who is a native of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., and attended New Hanover H.S., was a NCSCA All-State selection in 2007 and 2008 and is the reigning three-time Wilmington Star News Player of the Year. She scored 30 goals and had 15 assists as a senior.

A product of Concord, N.C., Simpkins attended Northwest Cabarrus H.S., where she was a top 100 recruit by TopDrawerSoccer.com. As a senior, she scored 27 goals and earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-State.

The contest has the top senior soccer players from both North Carolina and South Carolina go up against each other.

Titans Trip To Hilo

Cal State Fullerton women's soccer program recently traveled to and trained in Hilo, Hawaii finishing with a spring match against the University of Hawaii-Hilo. Defender Jenae Gibbens shares her notes from the trip -- Read On -- Titans Recap Trip to Paradise

And for more Hilo action -- check out this interview with men's player -- Collegiate Corner: Drew Geis

Lindsey Bailey: Q and A Interview

Photo Credit: Paul Hokanson/UB
All-MAC Second Team forward, Lindsey Bailey, tallied eight goals in 2008. During her sophmore season, Bailey, a member of the University at Buffalo women's program, recorded a total of 20 points and also paced the Bulls in shots (46) and shots on goal (25). Bailey who hails from Burlington, Ontario, took time out this spring with Women's Soccer Weekly about competing with her twin sister at the collegiate level, her favorite match from '08, and how hockey has influenced her play on the pitch.

Q. What have you worked on this spring?

A. This spring I've spent a lot of time working on my left foot and
becoming a more versitile player. My right foot is my dominant foot and
I tend to use it a lot so I wanted to work on my left foot so that I
could use it as a double threat on the field.

Q. Will you be staying active in the sport this summer?

A. Yes, I will be playing alongside my sister, Kristen, for my club team in
Burlington, Ontario called the Burlington Flash who are highly ranked in
the Ontario Women's Soccer League (OWSL). I'm really excited because
I've been playing with these girls since I was 9 so it is always a great
time playing with them over the summer and competing and the highest
level possible.

Q. What was your favorite match from the 2008 season?

A. My favorite match of the 2008 season was against Florida Gulf Coast
University because it was one of the schools that I was recruited by and
we won on their home turf! :)

Q. Are there any advantages to having your sister on the pitch?

A. There are definately many advantages of playing with my sister. We both
understand each others strenghs and weaknesses on the field so by
working together we can create a lot of havic and naturally we can both
work off of each other in order to create and set up dangerous plays
down the wing. Some people would say we have a twin sense!

Q. How has your background in hockey influenced your game?

A. I believe that having a background in any other sport can help influence
anyones overall game. I played hockey for 12 years and even though it is
a much different sport then soccer, it taught me a lot about being a
team player and my responsibilities as a member of a team. Also, as a
hockey player, I learned very quickly that the physicallity of the game
is very important and last year as a freshmen starter I had to learn how
to be more physical on the field in order to compete at the college
level. This came very naturally due to my background in hockey.

Q. What are your goals going into the fall?

A. My goals for the fall are to become a team leader on and off of the
field and keep raising my game from my last 2 previous seasons. Also, I
would love to be a leading scorer in the MAC Conference again and lead
my team to the playoffs for the first time in my college career.

Karissa Henage: Q and A Interview

Photo Credit: Idaho State Photographic Services/Julie Hillebrant

Defender Karissa Henage lead Idaho State's backline throughout the 2008 campaign. At the end of the season, the sophomore defender was named to the 2008 Big Sky All-Conference First Team. This spring, along with her teammates, she has been preparing for the Benagals' fall schedule. The junior-to-be kindly spoke with Women's Soccer Weekly earlier this week.

Q. Last season, how did you and the rest of the backline cope with the constant change at keeper?

A. Our role as a defense is obviously to stop the other team’s offense. Of course there are times when things break down and therefore the role of the keeper becomes critical. There needs to be trust built up between the back line (and the whole team for that matter) and the keeper. Trust often comes with time and performance. It is hard to maintain trust and the overall flow and rhythm of the game when faced with changes. However, when we focused on our job as the defense, it made it easier to accept whoever was behind us. The constant change of keepers is definitely bearing on the moral of the defense, but we always gave it our best and that is all we could do.

Q. As the team looks to the fall schedule, were you satisfied with the results this spring?

A. Our main focus this spring was to rebuild a foundation. This was critical as well as difficult coming from the many disappointments of last fall. Spring is a time to regroup and make goals for the fall. Of course we could have had better spring game results, but I think the results we see in practice are more important than games results for spring. We are defining who we are in practice through our mentality and work ethic, and I think fall brings much opportunity to show our hard work. And I’m excited to show who we really are as a team!

Q. How competitive is the Big Sky Conference?

A. Any Division I soccer conference is going to be competitive. Obviously we aren’t in a conference that is as highly recognized as some others, but it is still the game of soccer at a Division I level. As soccer is becoming more popular as a women’s sport and as the education of college level coaches and players is increasing, the competitiveness of the game has also advanced. I believe that the Big Sky Conference is much more competitive than it was when Idaho State started their soccer program about 10 years ago. And I think it will be more competitive next season than it was last season.

Q. What was the toughest team to defend against?

A. I personally thought BYU was hard to defend. There was definitely an intimidation factor, and knowing a lot of the girls on the team contributed to that. They are skilled at moving the ball, and they have big, physical, and fast forwards. We had to go into that game physically and mentally tough in order to give our defensive best.

Q. How did you react when you learned that your were named to the First-Team All-Conference?

A. I was surprised because I’m only a sophomore! It made me very excited, and it gave me even more determination to work harder and do my best so that I could continue to make a difference on my team.

Q. What are your team and personal goals for the fall?

Our team goal for the fall is to build the program from the good foundation we set up in the spring. We want to show up and do well in conference games. We want to be Big Sky Conference champions! The year right before I came in ISU was the Big Sky champions, and I want to be a part of that as well. I will continue to work hard so that I can come back in the fall very physically, mentally, and tactically fit so that I can help my team reach those goals.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State to play on April 16 for Cup glory

The latest installment of the Magnolia Cup will be on April 16 at 7 p.m. in Ridgeland, Mississippi. In-state rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi State have played for the Magnolia Cup since 2003. The teams play during the regular fall season and in the spring exhibition calendar.

Ole Miss has won the cup each of the last four meetings....

• Fall 2006 (2-0)
• Fall 2007 (1-0)
• Spring 2008 (6-0)
• Fall 2008 (3-1)

2 Final Spring Games for U of Alabama

The Crimson Tide have two final spring games on this slate in April. Alabama is traveling to Orange Beach where the women's team will play the University of West Florida on April 17 at 7:00 p.m. Then, on April 19, the Crimson Tide will play Southern Mississippi at 2:30 p.m.