skip navigation

College Update: Next Stop - NCAA Tourney

11/13/2019, 1:45pm EST
By UWS PR

UPDATE: final conference awards; 75+ UWS alumnae honored


Catarina Macario (credit Stanford Athletics)

UPDATE (11/14/19): The Pac-12 Conference announced their All-Conference Teams and individual awards on Wednesday afternoon and an amazing 11 United Women's Soccer (UWS) alumnae were honored for their contributions during the Fall 2019 season. Tara McKeown (Santa Clarita Blue Heat) was the first-ever University of Southern California player to be selected as the Pac-12's Forward of the Year. The 2019 All-UWS selection helped the Trojans to a third-place finish in the conference after recording a team-leading 35 points (14 goals, seven assists), a total which ranked second in the league.

Stanford's Catarina Macario (LA Galaxy OC) was named the Midfielder of the Year as she helped the Cardinal to its unprecedented fifth-straight outright Pac-12 title. The 2019 UWS Championship MVP led the country in assists (18), points (64), goals per game (1.21), points per game (3.37), and assists per game (0.95), and ranked second in goals (23). McKeown and Macario were joined by USC forward Penelope Hocking (Santa Clarita Blue Heat), University of Colorado midfielder Taylor Kornieck (LA Galaxy OC) and UCLA forward Ashley Sanchez (Santa Clarita Blue Heat) on the Pac-12 First Team.

UCLA defender Kaiya McCullough (Santa Clarita Blue Heat), USC defender Ashleigh Plumptre (LA Galaxy OC), Colorado goalkeeper Jalen Tompkins (Colorado Storm) and UCLA midfielder Viviana Villacorta (Santa Clarita Blue Heat) made the Second Team. Rounding out the Pac-12 Third Team were UCLA midfielder Chloe Castaneda (Santa Clarita Blue Heat) and Utah goalkeeper Carly Nelson (RSL Women). Nine Pac-12 teams will take part in the 38th NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship that kicks off this weekend. Overall, 75-plus UWS alumnae were honored by their respective conferences this fall.


Christina Arteaga (credit ACU Athletics)

METUCHEN, NJ (11/13/19) - With the completion of the conference tournaments this past weekend, the field of 64 teams that will compete for the 38th NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship was announced on Monday. Thirty-one conferences were granted automatic bids for the 2019 championship, while the remaining 33 teams were selected at-large. The NCAA Women's College Cup will be played Dec. 6 and 8 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California and the semifinals and final will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

In our third recap of the All-Conference portion of awards season, we feature 18 more United Women's Soccer (UWS) alumnae who were honored for their efforts in the NCAA Division I ranks during the Fall 2019 season. All and all, over 60-plus UWS stars made their respective conference honor rolls. After winning its 10th Northeast Conference Championship, Central Connecticut State University will head to Rutgers University this Friday (7:00 PM) for the First Round of the 2019 Women's College Cup. Two Blue Devils received individual awards as defender Shauny Alterisio (New England Mutiny) was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and Roma McLaughlin (New England Mutiny) nabbed Midfielder of the Year honors. Both made All-Conference First Team as well.

Alterisio was an All-UWS selection this past summer and became the sixth straight Blue Devil to claim the award, joining former teammate and four-time winner Jennifer Cafferky (who has also starred for the Mutiny). Connecticut Fusion goalkeeper Meghan Dalton was the NEC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year for Bryant University and was joined by another Fusion alum in CCSU midfielder Central Connecticut Emily Hogan on the NEC First Team. Bryant defender Jamie Irwin (New Jersey Copa FC) was also on the First Team while Saint Francis University defender Aubrey Suydam (Lancaster Inferno) made the NEC Second Team.


Shauny Alterisio (credit CCSU Athletics)

Three members of the 2019 All-UWS Southwest Team received All-Conference plaudits from the Southland Conference. Abilene Christian forward Christina Arteaga (FC Austin Elite) was named to First Team for the third time in her distinguished college career. Two members of the San Antonio Athenians were honored as University of the Incarnate Word forward Brooke Hanson made the Second Team while Sam Houston State midfielder Brianna Woodall was on the Third Team. To round out the Southland honor roll, two alumnae from the Houston Aces were recognized: Lamar defenders Juana Plata (First Team) and Sophia Manibo (Second Team).

Another former Aces player - midfielder Iris Torres - was named to the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference Second Team. In the Patriot League, Lehigh midfielder Kayla Arestivo (Long Island Rough Riders) made the First Team and Holy Cross defender Samantha Peters (Worcester Smiles) received Third Team honors. 2019 All-UWS midfielder Alexis Mitchell (Lansing United) was selected to the All-Summit League Second Team for South Dakota State University. The Western Athletic Conference honored Utah Valley State University's Amber Tripp (RSL Women) and Hannah Bruce (RSL Women) with First Team plaudits.

Tag(s): News |   New England Mutiny  New Jersey Copa FC