BENNINGTON, Vt. – Southern Vermont College junior rookie Kaitlyn Forant (Hardwick, Vt.) has been named the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women's Soccer Rookie of the Year for her record-breaking season as a Mountaineer forward.  She also received All-NECC First Team honors, joining three teammates with all-conference accolades.

                Junior midfielder Jocelyn Ortega (Chula Vista, Calif.) was named to the All-NECC Second Team, while junior midfielder Erin Student (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and sophomore defender Sam Hastings (Kingston, N.Y.) received an honorable mention nod.

                Forant was named the NECC Rookie of the Week three times in 2012, due in large part to her consistent scoring.  Her 20 goals on the season broke the previous single-season goals record for an SVC women's soccer player, that being 15 by two previous Mountaineers.  Nine of those goals came against conference opponents, including one in the postseason.  She also contributed four assists on the year, all coming in NECC action.

                Ortega had eight goals and nine assists in her first season as a Mountaineer, with two goals and four assists coming in conference play.  Student had six goals and four assists against the conference, totaling eight and five, respectively, over the course of the season.  Hastings helped support a Southern Vermont defense which bolstered a 1.11 goals against average on the 2012 campaign. 

 

2012 NECC Women's Soccer All-Conference Team

Player of the Year
Caroline Plunkett, Becker (Sr, F - Belle Harbor, N.Y.)

Goalkeeper of the Year
Rachel Gagnon, Regis (Fr, GK - Ashford, Conn.)

Rookie of the Year
Kaitlyn Forant, Southern Vt. (Jr, F - Hardwick, Vt.)

Coach of the Year
Liz Conant, Regis

Team Sportsmanship Award
Mitchell College

First Team
F Kristen Abreu, Regis (So., F - Woburn, Mass.)
F Kaitlyn Forant, Southern Vt. (Jr. F - Hardwick, Vt.)
F Veronica Halen, Lesley (Jr., M - San Diego, Calif.)
F Caronline Plunkett, Becker (Sr., F - Belle Harbor, N.Y.)
M Alexis Giusti, Lesley (So., M - Meridan, Calif)
M Michelle Sirois, Regis (Sr., M - Easton, Mass.)
M Marissa Yowell, Elms (Fr., M - Ashland, Mass.)
D Jamie Coyne, Lesley (Sr., D - Masnfield, Mass.)
D Kara Donovan, Regis (Sr., D - Woburn, Mass.)
D Taylor Smith, Lesley (Jr., D - Sandy Hook, Conn.)
GK Rachel Gagnon, Regis (Fr, GK - Ashford, Conn.)

Second Team
F Victoria Cebula, Elms (Jr., F - Granby, Mass.)
F Alexandra Charles, Mitchell (So. F - Massapequa, N.Y.)
F Alycia Dery, Becker (So., F - Millville, Mass.)
F Ashleigh Guy, Newbury (Sr., F - Chepachet, R.I.)
F Corrinn Niski, Newbury (Fr. F - Oxford, Conn.)
M Jocelyn Ortega, Southern Vt. (Jr. M - Chula Vista, Calif.)
M Kate Ryder, Lesley (Sr., M - Glastonbury, Conn.)
M Jodi Theriault, Becker (Sr., M - Woodstock, Conn.)
D Rebecca D'Andrea, Becker (Fr - Cumberland, R.I.)
D Keri Richardson, Becker (Sr., D - Douglass, Mass.)
D Leah Spring, Elms (Sr., D - South Hadley, Mass.)
GK Kaylee Woodford, Mitchell (Jr., GK - Niantic, Conn.)

Honorable Mention
Sam Hastings, Southern Vt. (So., D - Kingston, N.Y.)
Emileigh Lloyd, Lesley (So., GK - Middletown, Pa.)
Sarah McCaffrey, Wheelock (Sr., GK - East Taunton, Mass.)
Erin Student, Southern Vt. (Jr., M - Clifton Park, N.Y.)