Soccer: Howell-Harries Named Defensive Player of the Year, All-Sun Belt
Nick Ross, November 5, 2013
Contact: Nick Ross
SAN MARCOS, Texas – After helping the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to one of their best season in school history, a trio of Cajuns were honored at the Sun Belt Conference Banquet, on the eve of the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championships.
Junior Grace Howell-Harries picked up the teams biggest honor, earning the SBC Defensive Player of the Year award.
Howell-Harries was joined by freshman Yazmin Montoya on the SBC All-Conference First Team, and freshman Annika Schmidt was named SBC All-Conference Second Team.
It was the first time in school history that a Ragin’ Cajuns soccer player was named either the offensive or defensive player of the year. The Cajuns also placed the most players on the team in school history, only seeing four others named in school history.
For Howell-Harries, it is her second time being honored at the Sun Belt banquet. The junior was named second team all-Sun Belt as a freshman at Louisiana.
The London, Ontario native has played every minute of every match in the past two seasons and added her first two career goals this season, as well as an assist for five points. The backbone of the Cajuns’ defensive corps, Howell-Harries was named a team captain before the season.
Montoya had a stellar conference season, leading the Sun Belt in goals and points scored in conference games. The freshman had nine goals and two assists for 20 points, leading the Sun Belt by four points, and averaged 2.5 points a game, leading that category by one-half point.
The West Covina, Calif., native scored 20 of her 29 points in the final nine matches of the season, and set the school’s all-time record for points in a season. She ranks in a tie for fifth all-time for points with three years of eligibility remaining.
Schmidt was the Cajuns’ lone mention on the all-conference second team, after scoring 10 goals in the first 10 games. With a goal and an assist against Georgia State she scored her 22nd point of the season, breaking the record for points in a season at Louisiana, before Montoya later established a new record.
A native of Nufringen, Germany, Schmidt started the season on a tear. She scored the school’s second-ever hat-trick against Northwestern State, and came back three matches later to set a single-game record with four goals against Prairie View A&M. That would also get tied by Montoya against Texas State.
The Cajuns will open up their first game in the conference tournament on Wednesday, November 6 at 1 p.m., when they take on Arkansas State in San Marcos, Texas. Live stats and a live video stream can be found at RaginCajuns.com, free of charge.
2013 SBC First Team All-Conference
Loren Mitchell (Arkansas State, Sophomore, Forward)
Ashley Nagy (Georgia State, Sophomore, Forward)
Yazmin Montoya (Louisiana, Freshman, Forward)
Lauren Allison (South Alabama, Freshman, Forward)
Clarissa Hernandez (South Alabama, Senior, Midfielder)
Necee Jennings (Troy, Freshman, Midfielder)
Chrissy Tchoula (WKU, Senior, Midfielder)
Lindsay Johansen (Arkansas State,Sophomore, Defender)
Grace Howell-Harries (Louisiana, Junior, Defender)
Torrie Lange (WKU, Senior, Defender)
Nora Abolins (WKU, Senior, Goalkeeper)
2013 SBC Second Team All-Conference
Annika Schmidt (Louisiana, Freshman, Forward)
Lynsey Curry (Texas State, Sophomore, Forward)
Iris Dunn (WKU, Freshman, Forward)
Ariel Galletti (UALR, Junior, Midfielder)
Tori Hale (Texas State, Junior, Midfielder)
Andrea Curry (WKU, Senior, Midfielder)
Jess Oram (South Alabama, Senior, Defender)
Shelby Owen (South Alabama, Senior, Defender)
Chandler Clark (WKU, Sophomore, Defender)
Stephanie Lindsey (WKU, Senior, Defender)
Madison Winter (Troy, Senior, Goalkeeper)
2013 SBC Offensive Player of the Year
Lauren Allison (South Alabama, Freshman, Forward)
2013 SBC Defensive Player of the Year
Grace Howell-Harries (UL-Lafayette, Junior, Defender)
2013 SBC Freshman of the Year
Lauren Allison (South Alabama, Freshman, Forward)
2013 SBC Coach of the Year
Jason Neidell, WKU
