Northwestern University Athletics
Six Wildcats Earn All-Big Ten Honors
10/28/2016 1:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Six members of the Northwestern women's soccer team collected conference hardware, the Big Ten announced on Friday.
Junior Lauren Clem led the way for the Wildcats, earning All-Big Ten First Team and was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year – the first in Northwestern history.
Additionally, sophomore Kayla Sharples joined her teammate with her first All-Big Ten First Team honor, sophomore Marisa Viggiano was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, while fifth-year senior Nandi Mehta and junior Kassidy Gorman were recognized on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Mehta was also recognized as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Maddy Lucas was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team to become the second-straight Wildcat to earn the nod.
Clem earned all Big Ten recognitions for the first time in her career and became just the third Wildcat in program history to be selected for an individual award. The Stevensville, Michigan, native finished the regular season with a save percentage of .934 and a .265 goals against average to rank first among Division I goalkeepers. In addition, Clem holds the program record for career shutouts by a significant margin, after recording her 36th-career clean sheet against Illinois earlier this week.
Sharples earned her second-consecutive All-Big Ten honor after anchoring a defense that saw a program-best 14 shutouts during the 2016 regular season, including eight against Big Ten opponents. The Naperville, Illinois, native scored the game-winning goal against Illinois to help the 'Cats clinch their first-ever Big Ten title.
Viggian, who also earned her second-consecutive All-Big Ten honor, started in all 18 games for the Purple and White in the Wildcats' historic season. The second-year midfielder scored a goal against Maryland and assisted on Sharples' game-winning goal against Illinois.
Mehta, a three-time captain for the Wildcats, secured her first-ever All-Big Ten recognition the day after being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Five First Team. The Lexington, Massachusetts, native has registered four points so far this year for Chicago's Big Ten Team and tallied a goal against Purdue in September.
Gorman also earns her first All-Big Ten honor after proving to be a force for the Wildcats this season. She ranks second on the team in goals scored with four so far this season and sits second in total points.
Lucas rounds out the All-Big Ten teams for Northwestern after a stellar rookie campaign. She currently ranks third on the squad in total points with two goals and three assists on the year.
The Wildcats kick off post-season play when they host Nebraska at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 30, in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. The match is slated for 3 p.m., and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Junior Lauren Clem led the way for the Wildcats, earning All-Big Ten First Team and was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year – the first in Northwestern history.
Additionally, sophomore Kayla Sharples joined her teammate with her first All-Big Ten First Team honor, sophomore Marisa Viggiano was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, while fifth-year senior Nandi Mehta and junior Kassidy Gorman were recognized on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Mehta was also recognized as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Maddy Lucas was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team to become the second-straight Wildcat to earn the nod.
Clem earned all Big Ten recognitions for the first time in her career and became just the third Wildcat in program history to be selected for an individual award. The Stevensville, Michigan, native finished the regular season with a save percentage of .934 and a .265 goals against average to rank first among Division I goalkeepers. In addition, Clem holds the program record for career shutouts by a significant margin, after recording her 36th-career clean sheet against Illinois earlier this week.
Sharples earned her second-consecutive All-Big Ten honor after anchoring a defense that saw a program-best 14 shutouts during the 2016 regular season, including eight against Big Ten opponents. The Naperville, Illinois, native scored the game-winning goal against Illinois to help the 'Cats clinch their first-ever Big Ten title.
Viggian, who also earned her second-consecutive All-Big Ten honor, started in all 18 games for the Purple and White in the Wildcats' historic season. The second-year midfielder scored a goal against Maryland and assisted on Sharples' game-winning goal against Illinois.
Mehta, a three-time captain for the Wildcats, secured her first-ever All-Big Ten recognition the day after being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Five First Team. The Lexington, Massachusetts, native has registered four points so far this year for Chicago's Big Ten Team and tallied a goal against Purdue in September.
Gorman also earns her first All-Big Ten honor after proving to be a force for the Wildcats this season. She ranks second on the team in goals scored with four so far this season and sits second in total points.
Lucas rounds out the All-Big Ten teams for Northwestern after a stellar rookie campaign. She currently ranks third on the squad in total points with two goals and three assists on the year.
The Wildcats kick off post-season play when they host Nebraska at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 30, in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. The match is slated for 3 p.m., and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Players Mentioned
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