UW-Stevens Point's Schmitt Headlines All-WIAC Women's Soccer Team

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Thursday, November 11, 2004

UW-Stevens Point's Schmitt Headlines All-WIAC Women's Soccer Team

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Tara Schmitt was voted the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year, headlining the 23-member all-WIAC Women's Soccer Team, which was recently selected by the league coaches.

Schmitt helped the Pointers to the WIAC regular-season and tournament championships this season. It was their 11th regular season crown in the 13-year history of the conference, their eighth straight league tournament title and 12th in the 13-year history of the event. She leads a defense that has recorded eight shutouts and a 1.12 goals against average this year. Schmitt has registered one goal this season in a 2-1 overtime victory against Rochester Institute of Technology on September 5 as she earned Most Valuable Player honors in the RIT Tournament.

Schmitt earned her fourth career all-conference honor, becoming the fourth individual in team history to accomplish the feat. She joins Becky Brem (1992-95), Jenny Bruce (2000-03) and Charisse Simcakowski (1992-95) as four-time honorees.

Schmitt becomes the fifth individual from UW-Stevens Point to claim the player of the year honor, joining Kelly Fink (2003), Molly Cady (2002), Mickey Jacob (2001) and Marie Muhvic (2000).

Joining Schmitt on the all-WIAC team were Melissa Becker, Megan Frey and Alyssa Souza. Becker places 17th in the conference with five assists and 18th with 17 points, while Frey has started all 20 matches and ranks fifth in the WIAC with nine assists. Frey earned all-conference status for the second consecutive season.

Souza has also started all 20 matches for the Pointers and ranks 10th in the league with 25 points, 11th with 10 goals and 17th with five assists.

UW-Eau Claire had four individuals secure all-WIAC accolades for their efforts this season. Marcia Foltz and Kelly Peterson earned all-WIAC honors after tying for the team lead with six goals and 14 points and each adding two assists. Foltz claimed league accolades for the second consecutive year.

The Blugolds' Emily Meisinger and Becky Westbrock spearheaded a defense that posted six shutouts and a 1.74 goals against average.

UW-La Crosse's Stephanie Harbaugh, Mandy Rue, Jayna Stransky and Julie Taylor helped the team post the most victories (11) since the 1999 season when the squad accumulated 12 wins. Harbaugh started 18 matches and leads the conference with eight shutouts and a 0.95 goals against average, while placing second with a .843 save percentage.

Rue ranks eighth in the league with 29 points and 12 goals and is 17th with her five assists. Stransky started all 19 matches and helped the team lead the conference with a 0.98 goals against average, while Taylor contributed two goals and two assists for six points in 19 starts. Taylor also earned all-league honors during the 2001 season.

UW-Stout established a school record with 13 overall victories and six WIAC wins this season and had four individuals receive all-conference honors. Melissa Ballweg recorded four shutouts and leads the league with a .853 save percentage, while ranking third with a 1.14 goals against average.

Shannon Hermes earned all-WIAC status for the second straight season. She leads the conference with 41 points and 15 assists, while ranking fourth with 13 goals.

Carrie Schrank ranks fifth in the league with nine assists, 10th with 25 points and 12th with eight goals. She secured all-conference honors for the second consecutive year and holds the school record with 39 career assists.

Kelly Stolarczyk places second in the WIAC with 38 points and 14 goals, while ranking third with 10 assists. Her 14 goals this year tied the school single-season record.

UW-Oshkosh's Michelle John, Nicole Kunick and Stacy Stroud were all recognized on the all-WIAC team after the Titans tied a school record with 15 victories. John started all 22 matches and ranks eighth in the league with eight assists and 15th with 18 points.

Kunick ranks second in the WIAC with 14 goals, while placing sixth with 32 points. She also leads the league with five game-winning goals this season. Stroud participated in all 22 matches this year and helped the team record eight shutouts and a 1.01 goals against average, which is the second-best mark in the league.

UW-River Falls' Sarah Carlson earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive year after being named the Player of the Year last season. She ranks second in the league with 13 assists, third with 37 points and eighth with 12 goals. Carlson set a conference record with 14 points against UW-Superior on September 28, while tying a school record with her four goals and matching a league mark with her six assists.

The Falcons' Amy Jensen ranks 15th in the WIAC with 18 points and 16th with seven goals, while Ashley Peterson claimed all-league accolades for the second straight year after placing fourth in the conference with 13 goals, fifth with 34 points and eighth with eight assists.

UW-Whitewater's Jacie Hein earned all-WIAC honors for the first time in her career after leading the team with eight goals and 17 points. Her 17 points rank 18th in the conference.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Sheila Miech was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches for the sixth time in her career. She also claimed the award in 2001, 2000, 1997, 1994 and 1992. Miech is the winningest coach in WIAC history and has compiled a 265-82-22 record (.748 winning percentage) in her 18 seasons with the Pointers.

2004 All-WIAC Women's Soccer Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Melissa Ballweg, Stout, Senior, Goalkeeper, Merrimac (Sauk Prairie)
Melissa Becker, Stevens Point, Senior, Midfielder, Rhinelander
Sarah Carlson, River Falls, Junior, Forward, Plymouth, Minn. (Armstrong)
Marcia Foltz, Eau Claire, Junior, Forward, Madison (Memorial)
Megan Frey, Stevens Point, Senior, Midfielder, Wauwatosa (East)
Stephanie Harbaugh, La Crosse, Junior, Goalkeeper, Hartland (Arrowhead)
Jacie Hein, Whitewater, Junior, Midfielder, Mukwonago
Shannon Hermes, Stout, Sophomore, Forward, Prior Lake, Minn.
Amy Jensen, River Falls, Sophomore, Midfielder, Plymouth, Minn. (Bloomington Kennedy)
Michelle John, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Midfielder, Whitefish Bay
Nicole Kunick, Oshkosh, Junior, Forward, Green Bay (Southwest)
Emily Meisinger, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Defender, Green Bay (Notre Dame)
Ashley Peterson, River Falls, Sophomore, Defender, Lino Lakes, Minn. (Forest Lake)
Kelly Peterson, Eau Claire, Junior, Midfielder, Hudson
Mandy Rue, La Crosse, Sophomore, Forward, Vadnais Heights, Minn. (White Bear Lake)
Tara Schmitt, Stevens Point, Senior, Defender, Brookfield (Catholic Memorial)
Carrie Schrank, Stout, Senior, Midfielder, Reedsburg
Alyssa Souza, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, Madison (Memorial)
Kelly Stolarczyk, Stout, Junior, Forward, Elk River, Minn.
Jayna Stransky, La Crosse, Senior, Defender, McFarland
Stacy Stroud, Oshkosh, Junior, Defender, New Berlin (West)
Julie Taylor, La Crosse, Senior, Midfielder, Verona
Becky Westbrock, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Defender, North St. Paul, Minn.

Player of the Year: Tara Schmitt of Stevens Point
Coach of the Year: Sheila Miech of Stevens Point
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Tara Schmitt of Stevens Point

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