LANCASTER, Pa. -- November 7, 2000 -- Muhlenberg, which won its first Conference championship with an 8-1-1 record, placed seven players on the 2000 All-Centennial Conference women's soccer team which was announced today.
Senior midfielder Alissa Desiderio (Wyckoff, NJ / Ramapo) was a first-team choice and also named the Conference's Player of the Year in balloting conducted by the conference's 11 head coaches. She scored nine goals and assisted on four others this season, leading the Mules to a school-record 15 wins and a victory in the NCAA tournament. Desiderio is the program's first Conference Player of the Year.
The Mules placed two players on the first unit, three on the second team and two received honorable mention. Joining Desiderio on the first team was freshman forward Dawn Iberer (Andover Twp., NJ / Newton), who led the team with 14 goals and five assists for 33 points. Named to the second team was senior forward Jen Sands (Cranford, NJ / Cranford), junior forward Nancy Grove (Sauquoit, NY / New Hartford) and sophomore goalkeeper Kim Laurino (Franklin, NJ / Morris Catholic). Honorable mention recipients were junior midfielder Jenn Vroman (Exeter Twp., PA / Exeter) and sophomore back Katie Hawkins (Colchester, CT / Bacon Academy).
Johns Hopkins senior back Rashmi Roy (Dix Hills, NY / Half Hollow Hills West) joined an elite club as she earned her third straight first-team All-Conference nod. Roy, one of six players to ever receive first-team All-CC honors three times, was the leader of a Blue Jay defense that permitted just 13 goals in 21 matches. JHU sophomore midfielder Jill Minger (Portland, OR / St. Mary's) was also tabbed for the first unit, after scoring 6-1-13. Also repeating as first-team selections were Gettysburg senior back Whitney Jackson (West Simsbury, CT / Westminster School) and Franklin & Marshall sophomore midfielder Heather Rice (Pittsburgh, PA / Fox Chapel). Jackson, a second-team All-CC pick a year ago, was the Conference Player of the Year in 1998, earning first team honors as well. Rice picked up her second straight first-team nod, after scoring 5-9-19 on the year.
Moving up from the honorable mention ranks were Franklin & Marshall senior back Heather Skillings (Dansville, NY / Mount Ararat, ME) and Haverford senior Dani Metzger (Morganville, NJ / Rutgers Prep). Ursinus junior Erin Cantwell (Moorestown, NJ / Moorestown) was named the first-team goalkeeper, after registering a 1.00 goals against mark and an 86.1 save percentage. In what may be a national first, a trio of freshmen earned first-team selections at forward. Joining Muhlenberg's Iberer were Dickinson's Alyssa Carlow (McLean, VA / McLean) and Western Maryland's Carah Medill (Lansing, KS / Lansing). Carlow set a school goal scoring mark for freshmen with 22 tallies, while Medill led the CC in scoring (72), tallying a Conference record 30 goals.
2000 All-Centennial Conference Women's Soccer Team
First Team
Pos / Name Class Hometown / High School F-Dawn Iberer, Muhlenberg Fr Andover Township, NJ / Newton F-Alyssa Carlow, Dickinson Fr McLean, VA / McLean F-Carah Medill, Western Maryland Fr Lansing, KS / Lansing M-Alissa Desiderio, Muhlenberg Sr Wyckoff, NJ / Ramapo M-Heather Rice, Franklin & Marshall * So Pittsburgh, PA / Fox Chapel M-Jill Minger, Johns Hopkins So Portland, OR / St. Mary's B-Rashmi Roy, Johns Hopkins + Sr Dix Hills, NY / Half Hollow Hills West B-Whitney Jackson, Gettysburg % Sr West Simsbury, CT / Westminster School B-Heather Skillings, Frank. & Marsh. @ Sr Dansville, NY / Mount Ararat, ME B-Dani Metzger, Haverford @ Sr Morganville, NJ / Rutgers Prep GK-Erin Cantwell, Ursinus Jr Moorestown, NJ / MoorestownSecond Team
Pos / Name Class Hometown / High School F-Jen Sands, Muhlenberg * Sr Cranford, NJ / Cranford F-Sarah Parola, Johns Hopkins $ Sr Simi Valley, CA / Royal F-Courtney Riso, Washington Fr Setauket, NY / Ward Melville F-Nancy Grove, Muhlenberg * Jr Sauquoit, NY / New Hartford M-Maureen O'Donnell, Gettysburg Jr Philadelphia, PA / St. Basil Academy M-Liz Young, Haverford # Jr Macungie, PA / Emmaus M-Tracey Castor, Western Maryland Sr Glassport, PA / South Allegheny B-Lauren Hanlon, Johns Hopkins So Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan B-Kelly Meyer, Ursinus @ Sr Downingtown, PA / Downingtown B-Amy O'Connor, Bryn Mawr So Sewickley, PA / Quaker Valley GK-Kim Laurino, Muhlenberg So Franklin, NJ / Morris CatholicHonorable Mention
Pos / Name Class Hometown / High School F-Allison Hurley, Franklin & Marshall # Jr Warwick, RI / Moses Brown School F-Richa Verma, Johns Hopkins So Cherry Hill, NJ / Cherry Hill East F-Tania Mucci, Haverford Fr North Woodmere, NY / Lawrence Woodmere Academy F-Melissa Merson, Western Maryland So New Windsor, MD / Francis Scott Key M-Margaret Neri, Haverford # Sr Williamsville, NY / Williamsville South M-Chrissy Stuart, Johns Hopkins Fr Northport, NY / Northport M-Amy Montalbano, Dickinson Fr Edison, NJ / Edison M-Jenn Vroman, Muhlenberg Jr Exeter Township, PA / Exeter Township M-Heather Marandola, Swarthmore Sr Madison, ME / Madison B-Nicole DeSantis, Gettysburg Sr Westfield, NJ / Westfield B-Katie Hawkins, Muhlenberg So Colchester, CT / Bacon Academy B-Jessie Stickles, Western Maryland @ Sr Sykesville, MD / Westminster GK-Shannon O'Malley, Johns Hopkins So Greenlawn, NY / Long Island Lutheran GK-Becca Lyter, Western Maryland # Sr Carlisle, PA / Carlisle
+ First-team All-Centennial in 1998 and 1999
Player of the Year - Alissa Desiderio, Muhlenberg, Sr, M
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* First-team All-Centennial in 1999
% First-team All-Centennial in 1998; Second-team in 1999
$ First-team All-Centennial in 1997 and 1998
# Second-team All-Centennial in 1999
@ Honorable Mention All-Centennial in 1999