SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU’s goalkeeper Shu Ohba has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Chattanooga defender Maggie Shaw was named defensive player of the year and the Mocs’ head coach, Gavin McKinney, was named SoCon Coach of the Year after his squad captured its first regular-season title since joining the SoCon in 1996. Mercer forward Jada Moorman was tabbed freshman of the year.
The league coaches voted on a pair of all-conference teams, an all-freshman team and the four individual awards. They were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own players. The first team and second team each includes 11 players, both voted on by position. The all-freshman team also consists of 12 players, which features an extra player due to a tie in voting, but gives no regard to position.
Chattanooga leads the way with six players on the all-conference teams, with Mercer behind with four selections. UNCG and Samford each had three selections, while Western Carolina and Furman had two apiece. ETSU and The Citadel each placed one player on the all-conference teams.
Ohba finished conference play with three shutouts in eight games played. The sophomore from Fujisawa, Japan, allowed just six goals during league play and recorded 51 saves. Ohba finished conference play in the top three in goals against average (0.75), save percentage (.895) and saves per game (6.38). The goalkeeper is the second ETSU player to be honored with this award, joining 2015 winner Sarah Zadrazil. Ohba is the second player in SoCon women’s soccer history to be named SoCon Freshman of the Year and SoCon Player of the Year in consecutive seasons and the second straight, joining Furman midfielder Nieva Gaither in that club.
Shaw anchored the backline for Chattanooga, leading the Mocs to five shutouts in conference play and a 0.56 goals against average, a league best. The native of Columbia, South Carolina, played and started in all nine SoCon games for Chattanooga, which earned the top seed in the SoCon Championship. The senior contributed to the offense with five shots on goal during league play. Shaw is the second player in conference history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors twice, as she won the award following the 2020-21 season. Samford’s Olivia Cole is the other two-time winner, taking home the award in 2015 and 2016.
Moorman made an immediate impact to the Mercer offense as she played in all nine conference games including two starts. The native of Cincinnati, Ohio, finished the season tied for first in the SoCon in goals with seven, four coming in league play, and led the league in game-winning goals with four. In conference action, Moorman finished in the top five in points (9), points per game (1.00), goals (4), goals per game (0.44) and game-winning goals (3). Moorman is the first Mercer player to be recognized as the SoCon Freshman of the Year.
McKinney, in his eighth year at the helm of the Mocs, earns coach of the year honors for the second time in three seasons. The Mocs finished 5-1-3 in league play after being picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll. Chattanooga did not suffer a defeat in conference play until the last weekend of play. The Mocs’ play this season led to the squad becoming the No. 1 seed in the SoCon tournament and having the best finish in the school’s history as a member of the Southern Conference.
Chattanooga, Samford and UNCG each placed two players on the all-conference first team. The Citadel, ETSU Furman, Mercer and Western Carolina all had one selection on the first team. Midfielder Mackenzie Smith tallied four goals for the Mocs, while Shaw was a first-team selection for the second straight season.
For Samford, which finished tied with Chattanooga atop the standings to earn a share of its ninth straight SoCon regular-season title, forward Taylor Yount was a first-team selection for the third straight season. Defender Kylie Gazza was named to the first team for a second consecutive year for the Bulldogs. Yount had three goals and an assist in SoCon play, while Gazza aided three Samford shutouts in conference play and added two goals and two assists offensively.
UNCG, which finished fourth in the league standings, placed midfielder Gabi Santora and defender Parker Sikora on the first team. Santora finished the conference season with two goals and three assists, while Sikora had two goals and an assist of her own as she anchored a backline that had five shutouts in league play.
The Citadel forward Suzuka Yosue became the first Bulldog to earn three straight selections and three overall selections to first-team all-conference squad. The senior led the conference in goals (5) and points (14) in league play. She finished tied for second in assists (4) and was in the top 10 in nearly every offensive category.
Moorman and Ohba were the lone selections on the first team for Mercer and ETSU, respectively. 2021 SoCon Player of the Year Gaither was Furman’s first-team selection and Isabella Demarco made the first team for Western Carolina.
Chattanooga placed a league-best four players on the all-conference second-team as forward Clarissa Salinas, midfielder Birna Jóhannsdóttir, defender Avery Catlett and goalkeeper Caroline Ekern were honored. Mercer followed with three selections on the second team in forward Nicole Icen, midfielder Ciara Whitely and defender Kylie Buchanan. Furman midfielder Shania Diaz, UNCG defender Chloe Lausell, Samford midfielder Whitaker Buchanan and Western Carolina forward Maggie Lloyd rounded out the second team.
Chattanooga placed four players on the all-freshman team. The Citadel, Mercer and Western Carolina each placed two, while UNCG and Wofford each had one represented.
Four quarterfinal games highlight Friday’s Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship slate as No. 1 Chattanooga hosts No. 8 Wofford at 6:30 p.m. after No. 4 UNCG and No. 5 Western Carolina take the field at 4 p.m. No. 2 seed Samford hosts No. 7 The Citadel at 3:30 p.m. CT ahead of a 6 p.m. CT game between No. 3 Mercer and No. 6 ETSU. The semifinals will be played on Sunday, Oct. 30, at Chattanooga and Samford, with the championship scheduled for Nov. 5 or 6 at the highest remaining seed. All contests will air on ESPN+.
2022 Women's Soccer All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Shu Ohba, So., GK, ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year – Maggie Shaw, Sr., D, Chattanooga
Coach of the Year – Gavin McKinney, Chattanooga
Freshman of the Year – Jada Moorman, F, Mercer
First Team
F – Suzuka Yosue, The Citadel
F – Jada Moorman, Mercer
F – Taylor Yount, Samford
F – Isabella Demarco, Western Carolina
M – Nieva Gaither, Furman
M – Gabi Santora, UNCG
M – Mackenzie Smith, Chattanooga
D – Parker Sikora, UNCG
D – Kylie Gazza, Samford
D – Maggie Shaw, Chattanooga
GK – Shu Ohba, ETSU
Second Team
F – Nicole Icen, Mercer
F – Clarissa Salinas, Chattanooga
F – Maggie Lloyd, Western Carolina
M – Shania Diaz, Furman
M – Ciara Whitely, Mercer
M – Whitaker Buchanan, Samford
M –
Birna Jóhannsdóttir, Chattanooga
D – Kylie Buchanan, Mercer
D – Chloe Lausell, UNCG
D – Avery Catlett, Chattanooga
GK – Caroline Ekern, Chattanooga
All-Freshman Team
Elisa Fuentes, The Citadel
Celeste Nader, The Citadel
Lindsay Bell, Mercer
Jada Moorman, Mercer
Emma Malone, UNCG
Caroline Ekern, Chattanooga
Zoey Mize, Chattanooga
Caroline Richvalsy, Chattanooga
Clarissa Salinas, Chattanooga
Isabella Demarco, Western Carolina
Ava Robitaille, Western Carolina
Ansley Elizalde, Wofford