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Western Carolina’s DeMarco named SoCon Women’s Soccer Player of the Year
Catamounts’ Miller selected Coach of the Year, all-conference teams announced
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina forward Isabella DeMarco has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and ETSU goalkeeper Ashton Blair was named defensive player of the year. The Catamounts’ head coach, Chad Miller, was named SoCon Coach of the Year after his squad captured its first outright SoCon regular-season title. Buccaneers forward Reagan Fitzgerald 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 11 players but gives no regard to position.
Western Carolina leads the way with five players on the all-conference teams, with ETSU behind with four selections. Samford and Chattanooga each had three selections, while Furman, Mercer and UNCG had two apiece. Wofford had one player on the all-conference teams.
DeMarco scored a conference-best 13 points during SoCon games. The sophomore from Charleston, South Carolina, also led the league in goals (5) during conference competition. DeMarco, who was the SoCon Offensive Player of the Month in August, was in the top two of five different categories in SoCon play. DeMarco becomes Western Carolina’s first SoCon Player of the Year in any category.
Blair anchored the ETSU defense that gave up just eight goals all season. During conference play, the Knoxville, Tennessee, native led the SoCon in save percentage (.852), was tied for first in shutouts (4) and finished second in goals against average (0.51) over eight matches played. The sophomore is the first SoCon Defensive Player of the Year in program history. ETSU has had two previous player of the year recipients, with Shu Ohba being the most recent winner in 2022.
Fitzgerald made an immediate impact on the ETSU offense as she started all nine games in conference play. The native of Oviedo, Florida, finished the season with three goals total, two during league matches, with one being a game winner versus VMI on Sept. 24. Fitzgerald in the third Buccaneer to be named SoCon Freshman of the Year, with Ohba being the most recent in 2021.
Miller, in his 14th season at the helm of the Catamounts, earns coach of the year honors for the first time. Western Carolina finished 7-2-0 in league play after being picked fifth in the preseason caches poll. The Catamounts used a six-game winning streak during the conference season to secure the program’s first outright SoCon regular-season title, leading to the squad being the No.1 seed in the conference tournament. Miller is the second SoCon Coach of the Year for the Catamounts, joining Debbie Hensley who won the honor in 2001.
ETSU and Western Carolina each placed three players on the all-conference first team. Samford had two on the first team, while Mercer, UNCG and Chattanooga each had one selection on the first team. Blair was joined by midfielder Sinoxolo Cesane and defender Sydney Somogyi on the first team to represent ETSU. DeMarco along with midfielder Naya Marcil and defender Becca Campbell were the trio of Catamounts on the first team.
For Samford, which finished tied for second in the conference standings, placed forward Kyla Reynolds and defender Kylie Gazza on the first team. Gazza has made the first team in three consecutive seasons. Mercer’s first-team all-conference performer is Jada Moorman, who leads the SoCon in goals with 11. UNCG defender Parker Sikora and Chattanooga defender Mackenzie Smith, who also made her third straight appearance on the first-team all-conference team, round out the first team selections.
Furman, Chattanooga and Western Carolina led the way with two selections each on the second team. The Paladins placed midfielder Shania Diaz and defender Miya Poplin on the squad. The Mocs had forward Clarissa Salinas and defender Kelly Tuerff on the second team. The Catamounts saw defender Sarah Engen and goalkeeper Leanne Trudel make the second team. Fitzgerald, Mercer’s Larkin Thomason, UNCG’s Caroline Woods, Samford’s Mary Raymond and Wofford’s Ines Obradovac completed the second team selections.
ETSU placed three players on the all-freshman team, while Western Carolina had two. The Citadel, Mercer, UNCG, Samford, Chattanooga and VMI each had one represented.
Four quarterfinal games highlight Friday’s Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship slate as No. 1 Western Carolina hosts No. 8 Wofford at 7 p.m. after No. 4 Furman and No. 5 UNCG take the field at 4 p.m. No. 2 seed ETSU hosts No. 7 Mercer at 4 p.m. ahead of a 7 p.m. game between No. 3 Samford and No. 6 Chattanooga. The semifinals will be played on Sunday, Oct. 29, at Western Carolina and ETSU, with the championship scheduled for Nov. 4 or 5 at the highest remaining seed. All contests will air on ESPN+.
2023 Women's Soccer All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Isabella DeMarco, So., F, Western Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year – Ashton Blair, So., GK, ETSU
Coach of the Year – Chad Miller, Western Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Reagan Fitzgerald, F, ETSU
First Team
F – Jada Moorman, Mercer
F – Kyla Reynolds, Samford
F – Isabella DeMarco, Western Carolina
M – Sinoxolo Cesane, ETSU
M – Mackenzie Smith, Chattanooga
M – Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
D – Sydney Somogyi, ETSU
D – Parker Sikora, UNCG
D – Kylie Gazza, Samford
D – Becca Campbell, Western Carolina
GK – Ashton Blair, ETSU
Second Team
F – Reagan Fitzgerald, ETSU
F – Larkin Thomason, Mercer
F – Clarissa Salinas, Chattanooga
F – Ines Obradovac, Wofford
M – Shania Diaz, Furman
M – Caroline Woods, UNCG
M – Mary Raymond, Samford
D – Miya Poplin, Furman
D – Kelly Tuerff, Chattanooga
D – Sarah Engen, Western Carolina
GK – Leanne Trudel, Western Carolina
All-Freshman Team
Adrienne Trerotola, The Citadel
Reagan Fitzgerald, ETSU
Ava Matherne, ETSU
Ruby Teixeira, ETSU
Larkin Thomason, Mercer
Rachel Poplin, UNCG
Brigid McElderry, Samford
Fabia Reinschmidt, Chattanooga
Barrett Callejo, VMI
Sofia Goclowski, Western Carolina
Emma Soucy, Western Carolina
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 11 players but gives no regard to position.
Western Carolina leads the way with five players on the all-conference teams, with ETSU behind with four selections. Samford and Chattanooga each had three selections, while Furman, Mercer and UNCG had two apiece. Wofford had one player on the all-conference teams.
DeMarco scored a conference-best 13 points during SoCon games. The sophomore from Charleston, South Carolina, also led the league in goals (5) during conference competition. DeMarco, who was the SoCon Offensive Player of the Month in August, was in the top two of five different categories in SoCon play. DeMarco becomes Western Carolina’s first SoCon Player of the Year in any category.
Blair anchored the ETSU defense that gave up just eight goals all season. During conference play, the Knoxville, Tennessee, native led the SoCon in save percentage (.852), was tied for first in shutouts (4) and finished second in goals against average (0.51) over eight matches played. The sophomore is the first SoCon Defensive Player of the Year in program history. ETSU has had two previous player of the year recipients, with Shu Ohba being the most recent winner in 2022.
Fitzgerald made an immediate impact on the ETSU offense as she started all nine games in conference play. The native of Oviedo, Florida, finished the season with three goals total, two during league matches, with one being a game winner versus VMI on Sept. 24. Fitzgerald in the third Buccaneer to be named SoCon Freshman of the Year, with Ohba being the most recent in 2021.
Miller, in his 14th season at the helm of the Catamounts, earns coach of the year honors for the first time. Western Carolina finished 7-2-0 in league play after being picked fifth in the preseason caches poll. The Catamounts used a six-game winning streak during the conference season to secure the program’s first outright SoCon regular-season title, leading to the squad being the No.1 seed in the conference tournament. Miller is the second SoCon Coach of the Year for the Catamounts, joining Debbie Hensley who won the honor in 2001.
ETSU and Western Carolina each placed three players on the all-conference first team. Samford had two on the first team, while Mercer, UNCG and Chattanooga each had one selection on the first team. Blair was joined by midfielder Sinoxolo Cesane and defender Sydney Somogyi on the first team to represent ETSU. DeMarco along with midfielder Naya Marcil and defender Becca Campbell were the trio of Catamounts on the first team.
For Samford, which finished tied for second in the conference standings, placed forward Kyla Reynolds and defender Kylie Gazza on the first team. Gazza has made the first team in three consecutive seasons. Mercer’s first-team all-conference performer is Jada Moorman, who leads the SoCon in goals with 11. UNCG defender Parker Sikora and Chattanooga defender Mackenzie Smith, who also made her third straight appearance on the first-team all-conference team, round out the first team selections.
Furman, Chattanooga and Western Carolina led the way with two selections each on the second team. The Paladins placed midfielder Shania Diaz and defender Miya Poplin on the squad. The Mocs had forward Clarissa Salinas and defender Kelly Tuerff on the second team. The Catamounts saw defender Sarah Engen and goalkeeper Leanne Trudel make the second team. Fitzgerald, Mercer’s Larkin Thomason, UNCG’s Caroline Woods, Samford’s Mary Raymond and Wofford’s Ines Obradovac completed the second team selections.
ETSU placed three players on the all-freshman team, while Western Carolina had two. The Citadel, Mercer, UNCG, Samford, Chattanooga and VMI each had one represented.
Four quarterfinal games highlight Friday’s Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship slate as No. 1 Western Carolina hosts No. 8 Wofford at 7 p.m. after No. 4 Furman and No. 5 UNCG take the field at 4 p.m. No. 2 seed ETSU hosts No. 7 Mercer at 4 p.m. ahead of a 7 p.m. game between No. 3 Samford and No. 6 Chattanooga. The semifinals will be played on Sunday, Oct. 29, at Western Carolina and ETSU, with the championship scheduled for Nov. 4 or 5 at the highest remaining seed. All contests will air on ESPN+.
2023 Women's Soccer All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Isabella DeMarco, So., F, Western Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year – Ashton Blair, So., GK, ETSU
Coach of the Year – Chad Miller, Western Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Reagan Fitzgerald, F, ETSU
First Team
F – Jada Moorman, Mercer
F – Kyla Reynolds, Samford
F – Isabella DeMarco, Western Carolina
M – Sinoxolo Cesane, ETSU
M – Mackenzie Smith, Chattanooga
M – Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
D – Sydney Somogyi, ETSU
D – Parker Sikora, UNCG
D – Kylie Gazza, Samford
D – Becca Campbell, Western Carolina
GK – Ashton Blair, ETSU
Second Team
F – Reagan Fitzgerald, ETSU
F – Larkin Thomason, Mercer
F – Clarissa Salinas, Chattanooga
F – Ines Obradovac, Wofford
M – Shania Diaz, Furman
M – Caroline Woods, UNCG
M – Mary Raymond, Samford
D – Miya Poplin, Furman
D – Kelly Tuerff, Chattanooga
D – Sarah Engen, Western Carolina
GK – Leanne Trudel, Western Carolina
All-Freshman Team
Adrienne Trerotola, The Citadel
Reagan Fitzgerald, ETSU
Ava Matherne, ETSU
Ruby Teixeira, ETSU
Larkin Thomason, Mercer
Rachel Poplin, UNCG
Brigid McElderry, Samford
Fabia Reinschmidt, Chattanooga
Barrett Callejo, VMI
Sofia Goclowski, Western Carolina
Emma Soucy, Western Carolina