Smith named to TopDrawerSoccer.com Freshmen Team of the Season
Nov. 28, 2012
TopDrawerSoccer.com Teams of the Season AUSTIN, Texas - After tying the Texas record for shutouts by a freshman goalkeeper, Abby Smith received national attention Wednesday by earning a place on the TopDrawerSoccer.com Freshman Team of the Season. The Plano, Texas, product was selected as the First Team goalkeeper. Despite missing the first eight matches of the season while competing for the U.S. Women's Under-20 National Team at the FIFA World Cup, Smith ended her rookie campaign with seven shutouts, tying Jamie Strong's Longhorn record, set in 1994. Smith's 0.63 goals-against average established the UT freshman record, besting Alex Gagarin's 0.89 GAA in 2001. At the end of the campaign, Smith was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Conference Newcomer Team and also earned a place on the All-Big 12 Second Team. During the season, she received the league's defensive player of the week honor on Oct. 9, two weeks after being named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Sept. 25). In addition to the conference honors, Smith was tabbed as the Soccer America Goalkeeper of the Week following her 1-0 blanking of No. 22 Oklahoma State on Oct. 5. The victory was the Longhorns' first against a top-25 opponent since Oct. 22, 2010, and helped the squad to its first 3-0-0 league start since 2002. Smith anchored a UT defense that tied for the Big 12 lead in fewest goals allowed during regular-season league games with five and placed second in goals against average (0.61). The five goals surrendered were UT's fewest during a Big 12 campaign since allowing five in 2008. Smith and Texas Tech's Janine Beckie, another first-team pick, were the lone Big 12 freshmen to be named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Freshman Team of the Season.
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