News

Five Owls Named to All-Conference Team

11.09.2009

PORTLAND, Ore. - Jessica Ramback of Concordia University has been voted the Cascade Collegiate Conference women's soccer Offensive Player of the Year, while The College of Idaho's Colleen Smith was selected as Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced.

Oregon Tech landed five players on the 2009 all-conference team; four on the second team and one honorable mention. The four Owls named second team all-conference selections include Kaila Dillon, Brooke Cole, Katie O'Brien and Crystal Foster. Pattie Degerness was the lone Owl to receive honorable mention honors.

The Oregon Tech Lady Owls set a school record with 13 wins in a season. A one win improvement over last season. Tech finished the year with a 13-6 overall mark. The Owls finished 6-3 in conference play and qualified for postseason play for the fourth consecutive year under the tutelage of head soccer coach Bryan Mueller.

The Owls were the Cascade Conference four-seed and faced one-seed College of Idaho in the first round of the CCC playoffs, dropping a 4-0 contest in Caldwell that ended Oregon Tech's season.

Tech was led this season in scoring by Crystal Foster with 16 points (seven goals and two assists) and was followed by 12 points from three-time all-conference player Katie O'Brien (five goals and two assists). Foster was ranked No. 4 in the CCC in goals scored. Both Kaila Dillon and Brooke Cole added 11 points, with Dillon scoring five goals and one assists and Cole leading the Owls with a team-high seven assists to go with two goals. Cole ranked second in the CCC in assists. Degerness finished the year with 10 points coming on five goals.

Ramback, the CCC's Offensive Player of the Year, helped lead the Cavaliers to their 10th straight Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament championship as she put away the winner in a 1-0 victory over No. 1-seeded College of Idaho on Saturday. The senior forward from Mill Creek, Wash., led the CCC in goals scored with 18 and total points with 41. With the win, the Cavaliers earned the CCC's automatic berth to the NAIA Championships, which get underway with opening-round games Nov. 21.

The College of Idaho's Colleen Smith was selected by the conference coaches as Defensive Player of the Year. She anchored a Coyote team that was tops in the CCC in goals allowed (0.65 per game) and second in goals against average (0.65) and shutouts (11).

The College of Idaho also laid claim to this year's Newcomer of the Year in junior forward Erika Mouritsen (13 goals, 2 assists), and co-Coach of the Year in fourth-year boss Niki Taylor, who guided the ‘Yotes to a 14-3 overall record. Corban College's Marty Ziesemer, whose team went 6-2 in CCC play, was selected with Taylor as co-Coach of the Year. His Corban squad was also voted the recipient of the Champion of Character Award for the second-straight campaign. The award is based on the NAIA's core tenets of integrity, respect and sportsmanship.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jessica Ramback, Sr., Concordia, F
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Colleen Smith, Jr., College of Idaho, D
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Erika Mouritsen, Jr., College of Idaho, F
COACH OF THE YEAR: Niki Taylor, College of Idaho/Marty Ziesemer, Corban College
CHAMPION OF CHARACTER AWARD: Corban College

FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name Institution Cl. Hometown
GK Georgie Christensen Concordia Sr. Hillsboro, Ore.
GK Jessica Kuehlwein Southern Oregon So. Oregon Coty, Ore.
D Colleen Smith College of Idaho Jr. Boise, Idaho
D Brittany Orr Concordia So. Federal Way, Wash.
D Jenna Peterson Concordia So. Federal Way, Wash.
D Amy Korzelius Warner Pacific Sr. Lake Stevens, Wash.
MF Amanda Mendenhall Corban So., Windsor, Calif.
MF Jackie Hendrickson Concordia So. Colorado Springs, Colo.
MF Chelsea Heffner College of Idaho So. Meridian, Idaho
MF Katie Hanson Corban Jr. Salem, Ore.
MF Abby Brauer Northwest So. Kent, Wash.
F Jessica Ramback Concordia Sr. Mill Creek, Wash.
F Erika Mouritsen College of Idaho Jr. Wellsville, Utah
F Kaitlyn Tebbs Concordia Jr. Bend, Ore.

SECOND TEAM
Pos. Name Institution Cl. Hometown
D Brooke Cole Oregon Tech So. Portland, Ore.
MF Kaila Dillon Oregon Tech Jr. Canby, Ore.
MF Crystal Foster Oregon Tech Fr. Redmond, Ore.
F Katie O'Brien Oregon Tech Sr. Jacksonville, Ore.

HONORABLE MENTION
MF Pattie Degerness, Oregon Tech Jr. Portland, Ore.