TAMPA, FLA. – The American Athletic Conference announced the 2018 women’s soccer awards which were voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.
The top-seeded USF Bulls took three major awards as junior Evelyne Viens earned Offensive Player of the Year honors while her classmate Andrea Hauksdottir was selected as the Midfielder of the Year. USF’s coaches were also recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year.
UCF Goalkeeper Vera Varis earned her second-straight Goalkeeper of the Year honor while Memphis senior Olivia Gauthier was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Year. SMU midfielder Courtney Sebazco was recognized as the Rookie of the Year and the Mustangs also garnered the Team Fair-Play Award.
Viens, who is now a two-time unanimous First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection, led the league with nine goals and 19 points. She was second in the conference with four game-winning scores, including her goal which helped clinch home field and the 2018 regular-season title.
Hauksdottir was a difference-maker all over the field for USF as finished tied for fourth in conference play with 11 points on four goals and three assists. She was also tied for third in the conference in assists and helped the Bulls to an 8-1 American Athletic Conference record.
USF head coach Denise Schilte-Brown’s staff had the Bulls in both national rankings all season long and has brought them the team’s highest spot at No. 14 this week. USF had just two losses all season and went a perfect 9-0-0 at home as the Bulls get set to host the 2018 American Athletic Championship on its home field.
Gauthier was a force for one the nation’s top defenses as Memphis grabbed the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament for the third time in six years. The Tigers defense allowed only eight goals in nine league matches and posted three shutouts. Memphis boats 11 clean sheets this season, the most in the country.
Varis is now the second-consecutive American Athletic Conference student-athlete to win back-to-back Goalkeeper of the Year honors. The senior went 6-3 in league play with two shutouts, a 1.10 goals against average and 25 saves. She boasts nine wins, four shutouts, a 1.12 GAA and 46 stops overall.
Sebazco burst onto the scene as she earned two of the first four Rookie of the Week awards for The American. The midfielder was a factor on both sides of the ball for an SMU. She tied for the league lead with four assists and added a game-winning goal in eight conference games played.
SMU earned the Team Fair Play Award after totaling 94 points (74 fouls, four yellow cards and no zero red cards) during conference play. The Fair Play Award is given to the team with fewest accumulated fouls, yellow cards and red cards in league action (foul = one point, yellow card = five points, red card = 10 points).
2018 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Evelyne Viens, Jr., F, USF
Defensive Player of the Year
Olivia Gauthier, Sr., D, Memphis
Midfielder of the Year
Andrea Hauksdottir, Jr., USF
Goalkeeper of the Year
Vera Varis, Sr., UCF
Rookie of the Year
Courtney Sebazco, Fr., MF, SMU
Coaching Staff of the Year
USF
Team Fair-Play Award
SMU (94 points)
First Team All-Conference^
Desiree Bowen, Jr., F, Houston
Aisha Brown, So., D, Temple
Serena Dolan, Jr., MF, Memphis
Olivia Gauthier, Sr., D, Memphis
Andrea Hauksdottir, Jr., MF, USF
Clarissa Larisey, So., F, Memphis*
Marie Levasseur, Sr., MF, Memphis
Stefanie Sanders, So. F, UCF*
Allie Thornton, Jr., F, SMU
Vera Varis, Sr., GK, UCF
Evelyne Viens, Jr., F, USF*
Anna Wiliams, Jr., F, Tulsa
Second Team All-Conference^
Kelli Burney, RS-Jr., D, USF
Courtney Cash, Sr., F, ECU
Mia Darden, Fr., F, Tulsa
Carrie Lawrence, Sr., D, UCF
Catherine Levasseur, Sr., MF, Memphis
Sydney Martinez, Fr., GK, USF
Elizabeth Moberg, So., GK, Memphis
Sydny Nasello, Fr., F, USF
Dina Orschmann, So., F, UCF
Jayda Hylton-Pelaia, Jr., D, ECU
Courtney Sebazco, Fr., MF, SMU
Katina Tsapos, RS-So., MF, SMU
Jill Vetere, Sr., F, Cincinnati
All-Rookie Team
Tanya Boychuk, F, Memphis
Mia Darden, F, Tulsa
Vanessa DiNardo, F, Cincinnati*
Grace Doran, MF, ECU
Gabi Johnson, F, Temple
Sydney Martinez, GK, USF
Reid Morrison, D/MF, Houston
Sydny Nasello, F, USF
Courtney Sebazco, MF, SMU*
Kristen Scott, F ,UCF
Celiana Torres, MF, SMU*
*unanimous selection
^extra player due to tie in voting