Soccer earns trio of All-Big 12 Team selections
Oct. 29, 2012
IRVING, Texas – Two days before opening the Big 12 Soccer Championship, Texas had a trio of players earn all-league recognition as voted on by the league’s head coaches, according to an announcement by the conference office Monday afternoon. Senior Kristin Cummins received first-team honors at the utility position while freshman goalkeeper Abby Smith and sophomore midfielder Sharis Lachappelle were second-team honorees. It marks the third-straight year the Longhorns have had three or more all-conference players. In addition, Smith and Lachappelle joined freshmen Ali Schmalz and Lindsey Meyer on the All-Big 12 Newcomer Team. Smith was one of three unanimous selections to the squad. The four picks were the most for any program in the conference, and tied the 2001 Texas team for the most in Longhorns history. Cummins became the first UT player to receive top-team honors since Stephanie Logterman, Kasey Moore and Dianna Pfenninger in 2008. Cummins paces the Longhorns with 12 points and is tied for the top spot in assists with four while standing second on the squad in goals (four) and shots (41). Earlier this year, the Lewisville, Texas, native was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com and Soccer America Teams of the Week after the season opener against Dayton, when she scored two goals, including the game-winner, and assisted on another. Cummins was a Preseason All-Big 12 Team selection and earned a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 100 Upperclassmen list during the campaign.
Since returning from the Under-20 U.S. Women’s National Team, Smith has served as the team’s starting goalkeeper and collected five shutouts, the second most by a rookie in program history. The Plano, Texas, product has posted a 0.76 goals against average and 30 saves. She was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after blanking Oklahoma State on Oct. 5 and was tabbed as the league’s Sept. 25 newcomer of the week following consecutive shutouts over Iowa State and Oklahoma. Smith also ranked No. 40 on the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 100 Freshmen list. Lachappelle leads the Longhorns with five goals and stands second to Cummins in points with 11. The transfer from the University of Houston collected three goals and seven points in Big 12 action to top the squad. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Lachappelle is tied for eighth in the conference in goals during league matches and is also tied for 10th in points. Joining Smith and Lachappelle on the All-Big 12 Newcomer Team were Schmalz, who was selected as a defender, and Meyer, who earned the nod at the utility position. Schmalz has started 15 of 18 contests for UT this season and played 1,277 out of a possible 1,684 minutes. The Hoffman Estates, Ill., native fired a career-high two shots against Fresno State and has taken four this season, including one in Big 12 play. Meyer is the lone rookie on the squad to start every match this year. She has totaled four goals, tied for the second most on the squad, and collected one assist. Against Iowa State on Sept. 21, Meyer scored twice to become the first rookie, and one of only seven Big 12 players, to have two goals against a Big 12 opponent in 2012. Her four points that match are also tied for the second most by a player in a league contest this year. The Coppell, Texas, product earned a place on the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 100 Freshmen list, checking in at No. 39. The Longhorns, seeded fourth in this week’s Big 12 Soccer Championship, return to action Wednesday with an 11:30 a.m. quarterfinal match versus fifth-seeded Oklahoma. All tournament contests will be held at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio. 2012 All-Big 12 Conference Soccer Awards All-Big 12 First Team All-Big 12 Second Team Big 12 All-Newcomer Team |
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