Women's Soccer Collects Five All-Conference Honors
4/23/2021 2:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Reiss Named Player of the Year | Sapp Selected Goalkeeper of the Year
ATLANTA - The North Florida duo of Thais Reiss and Mercedes Sapp highlighted the ASUN Conference Women's Soccer Postseason All-Conference accolades after being voted the Player of the Year and Goalie of the Year, respectively, by the leagues head coaches.
Shelby Craft of Lipscomb was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year while Liberty saw a Freshman of the Year honor for Meredith King. Head Coach Lang Wedemeyer of Liberty earned the Coach of the Year nod.
North Florida matches a program record with its four All-Conference selections and establishes a new bench mark with its quartet of first-team honorees.
“Great to see the ASUN Conference coaches recognize five of our players for their play this spring. I know each of the players being selected would credit their teammates for these individual accolades. Nonetheless, all five performed at a consistently high level and I am very happy to see them receive conference honors.”Head Coach Eric Faulconer
Reiss becomes the first-ever Osprey to be recognized as the ASUN Player of the Year after leading North Florida to the top seed in the South Division with a 6-0 conference record. On the season, the three-time All-Conference selection led the conference in points (23) and assists (5) while tying for first in goals (9) and sitting second in shots (45). The 2021 Preseason Player of the Year, Reiss was a unanimous First Team selection.
Reiss is only the second UNF player to earn a conference Player of the Year honor joining former standout and UNF Hall of Famer Terri Moo-Young, who was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2001.
This season Reiss became the Osprey program's D1 era career leader in goals (33) and points (83) while ranking second in assists (17).
“Thais continues to elevate her game and our program. To be game planned for each and every game and still excel at a high level, is a credit to her talent, hard work and desire. She was pretty banged up during the last half of the season, but was always willing to give her best effort to help our team find success. To be recognized as the conference player of the year is an amazing accomplishment and I know she will be very honored to receive this award.”Head Coach Eric Faulconer
Sapp was tabbed the Goalkeeper of the Year after leading the Ospreys to four shutout wins and collecting 10 wins between the pipes for the season. This marks the first time an Osprey was voted as the Goalkeeper of the Year in ASUN history. The graduate transfer ranks first in the conference in fewest goals against (7), goals against average (.61) and second in save percentage (.788).
“Mercedes came to our program at the perfect time. Our 2019 team was good, but I wasn’t sure they truly believed that we could be great. Mercedes gave us the confidence to push for higher goals and aspirations. Honestly, she gave us swagger and it became contagious. To be recognized as the top goalkeeper in a conference full of very good keepers is a tremendous honor and I know she will be very proud of this accomplishment.”Head Coach Eric Faulconer
Munoz, a transfer from Miami in her first season with the Ospreys, made an immediate impact ranking second on the team and among the ASUN's Top 10 with 8 points including three goals and two assists. She earned an ASUN Player of the Week recognition after netting a pair of goals versus FIU. Munoz also netted the match winning score in overtime against Jacksonville.
“Ari was difference maker in our midfield all season long. She is creative, technical and has a great tactical mind for the game. The exciting part about Ari is that there is definitely a higher level in her and she really wants to take that next step. She is a student of the game and willing to self-reflect after every performance. She is a an absolute pleasure to coach and has been a huge part of our success.”Head Coach Eric Faulconer
A freshman from Lake Worth, Fla., Siassi filled a key role for the Ospreys in the center of their backline defense. A starter in all 12 matches, she anchored a defense that allowed the fewest goals in the ASUN and finished the season with five shutouts.
Siassi becomes just the second Osprey freshman to earn ASUN All-Conference first-team and All-Freshman honors in the same season, joining UNF Hall of Famer Carolina Lencina (2010).
“Zara is the most mature freshman I have ever coached during my career. To come in and anchor the best defense in program history and to play almost every minute along the way is a testament to her talent and level of commitment. Her ability to read the game, break lines with her passing and keep everything organized is really something special. I cannot wait to see her continue to develop during her career and I am certain she is going to be a name we are going to see on this list for years to come.”Head Coach Eric Faulconer
Grant, a local product from Bishop Kenny High School, provided a spark for the Ospreys on both ends of the pitch. Playing in all 12 matches with starts in nine as an outside back, Grant earned an assist while also accumulating nine shots including six on frame. She was another key member of the stout UNF defensive backline that allowed just seven goals all season while collecting five shutouts.
“Haynes showed tremendous growth during the course of the season. We demand a lot of our outside backs, especially on the attacking end and Haynes was up to the task. I know she will be excited to be a unanimous selection to the All Freshmen team. She has a lot more upside to her game and I am looking forward to seeing where she can take it to.”Head Coach Eric Faulconer
2021 ASUN Spring Women's Soccer Awards
Player of the Year: Thais Reiss, North Florida
Defensive Player of the Year: Shelby Craft, Lipscomb
Goalkeeper of the Year: Mercedes Sapp, North Florida
Freshman of the Year: Meredith King, Liberty
Coach of the Year: Lang Wedemeyer, Liberty
ASUN All-Conference First Team
GK - Mercedes Sapp, North Florida, Sr., Windermere, Fla.
*F - Thais Reiss, North Florida, Sr., Curitiba, Brazil
F - Erin Harris, Kennesaw State, Sr., Suwanee, Ga.
F - Cami Rogers, Lipscomb, Jr., Prattville, Ala.
*F - Kelli Beiler, Lipscomb, Jr., Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa.
MF - Becky Contreras, Kennesaw State, So., Dacula, Ga.
MF - Ariana Munoz, North Florida, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
D - Kajsa Lang, FGCU, Fr., Kalmar, Sweden
D - Cora Duininck, Liberty, Sr., Tulsa, Okla.
D - Shelby Craft, Liberty, Sr., Frisco, Texas
D - Zara Siassi, North Florida, Fr. Lake Worth, Fla.
ASUN All-Conference Second Team
GK - Elyssa Francis, Bellarmine, Jr., Evansville, Ind.
F - Alyssa Abbondandolo, FGCU, Jr., Cape Coral, Fla.
F - Louise Lillback, FGCU, So., Stockholm, Sweden
F - Kasey Jamieson, Liberty, Jr., Lansing, Mich.
F - Molly Grant, Lipscomb, So., Plainfield, Ill.
MF - Natalie Teo, Bellarmine, Sr., Columbus, Ind.
MF - Ashley Labbe, FGCU, Fr., Lake Worth, Fla.
MF - Kendall Higgs, Kennesaw State, Jr., Loxahatchee, Fla.
MF - McKinley Burkett, Liberty, Jr., Moseley, Va.
D - Zoey Spitzer, FGCU, Sr., Naples, Fla.
D - Kendall Baker, Kennesaw State, Sr., Marietta, Ga.
D - Emily Patti, Lipscomb, Jr., Knoxville, Tenn.
ASUN All-Freshmen Team
*F - Meredith King, Liberty, Virginia Beach, Va.
*GK - Mia Krusinski, FGCU, Lewisville, Texas
*D - Haynes Grant, North Florida, Jacksonville, Fla.
MF - Ashley Labbe, FGCU, Lake Worth, Fla.
D - Kajsa Lang, FGCU, Kalmar, Sweden
MF - Gabby Holtrop, Jacksonville, Belleville, Ill.
F - Tianna Rivera, Kennesaw State, Miami, Fla.
MF - Rachel DeRuby, Liberty, Onedia, N.Y.
D - Sophia Palladino, Liberty, Forest, Va.
MF - Evee Reeder, Lipscomb, Roswell, Ga.
D - Zara Siassi, North Florida, Lake Worth, Fla.
* - Denotes unanimous selection
