TicketsCINCINNATI - The United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) have announced their annual all-region teams with two members of the University of Cincinnati women's soccer program being honored for their stellar campaigns in 2017. Senior Vanessa Gilles earned a regional accolade for the second year in a row, this time being named USC All-Southeast Region First Team while rookie Sophie Gorman was selected to the USC All-Southeast Region Third Team.
"It is great that Vanessa and Sophie have received these individual awards, which are very well deserved as both had a tremendous impact on our season," Head Coach Neil Stafford said. "I am happy for them as individuals and happy both the players and our program are gaining more recognition on a bigger stage. We are always pleased when individuals receive awards as it also is great evidence of how much this program is evolving."
Gilles, who was named NSCAA All-Northeast Region Second Team one year ago, is now the fifth Bearcat to earn a pair of regional honors in a career and the first since Heather Herweh was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region first team in 2002 and second team in 2001. Herweh, along with two of her teammates, were the last Bearcats to receive regional awards from the coaches association in 2002 before Gilles earned her first honor following last season's voting. Gilles, who also earned the program's sixth first-team honor, is now eligible for USC All-America honors as well.
In 2017, Gilles was a four-time American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week and, following the season, was tabbed as the 2017 AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, making her the fifth Bearcat to earn the defensive honor and the first since 2001 when Christy Hoffman was honored by the coaches of Conference USA. The post-season honor is the third major accolade of Gilles' career after she also was named the 2016 and 2017 AAC Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year. Ranked 19th on Top Drawer Soccer's Women's National Top 100 Players, Gilles is now a four-time conference team honoree after being selected to the AAC first team in 2017 and 2016, second team in 2015 and all-rookie in 2014. With her selection this year, she becomes just the third Bearcat to garner four honors, joining Tina Matlock (1995-98) and Tracy Pohl (1994-97). This year, Gilles has scored three goals while anchoring the defense to a league-best 11 shutouts. Recently, she made her 81st career start, the eighth-most in program history.
Gorman, who completed her first season with the Bearcats this year, is one of just four freshmen to be honored in the Southeast Region and one of only 28 rookies from the 275 total honorees across the five regions (East, West, Midwest, South and Southeast) to be named to an all-region team. In fact, the local product has made UC history as she becomes the first non-junior or senior to earn an all-region selection from the coaches association as the other 10 Bearcats that have been selected in the past were either in their junior or senior seasons.
The 11th UC player to be honored, Gorman made a name for herself as she led the team in goals (six), assists (four) and points (16) before being named to the AAC All-Conference Second Team and the AAC All-Rookie Team. She chipped in a trio of game-winning goals, including the winner in a 1-0 victory over Buffalo in the first match of the season and then again in a 1-0 decision over ECU to close the regular season. By being named to both league squads, Gorman became just the third Bearcat to be named to a pair of teams in the same season, joining Lisa Stephens (2001) and Kim Jedlo (2000), both of whom were named to the rookie team and third-team all-conference by Conference USA.
// 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Teams
Vanessa Gilles • Sr., D • First Team
Sophie Gorman • Fr., MF • Third Team
// All-Time USC/NSCAA Regional Honorees
Southeast Region
2017 • Vanessa Gilles (1), Sophie Gorman (3)
Northeast Region
2016 • Vanessa Gilles (2)
Great Lakes Region
2002 • Heather Herweh (1), Amy Simonson (2), Tasha Wagner (2)
2001 • Christy Hoffman (1), Ann Thomas (1), Heather Herweh (2)
1998 • Tina Matlock (3)
1997 • Tina Matlock (1), Tracy Pohl (2), Nicole Thorne (3)
1996 • Paulette Angilecchia (2), Nicole Thorne (3)
1995 • Paulette Angilecchia (1)
"It is great that Vanessa and Sophie have received these individual awards, which are very well deserved as both had a tremendous impact on our season," Head Coach Neil Stafford said. "I am happy for them as individuals and happy both the players and our program are gaining more recognition on a bigger stage. We are always pleased when individuals receive awards as it also is great evidence of how much this program is evolving."
Gilles, who was named NSCAA All-Northeast Region Second Team one year ago, is now the fifth Bearcat to earn a pair of regional honors in a career and the first since Heather Herweh was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region first team in 2002 and second team in 2001. Herweh, along with two of her teammates, were the last Bearcats to receive regional awards from the coaches association in 2002 before Gilles earned her first honor following last season's voting. Gilles, who also earned the program's sixth first-team honor, is now eligible for USC All-America honors as well.
In 2017, Gilles was a four-time American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week and, following the season, was tabbed as the 2017 AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, making her the fifth Bearcat to earn the defensive honor and the first since 2001 when Christy Hoffman was honored by the coaches of Conference USA. The post-season honor is the third major accolade of Gilles' career after she also was named the 2016 and 2017 AAC Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year. Ranked 19th on Top Drawer Soccer's Women's National Top 100 Players, Gilles is now a four-time conference team honoree after being selected to the AAC first team in 2017 and 2016, second team in 2015 and all-rookie in 2014. With her selection this year, she becomes just the third Bearcat to garner four honors, joining Tina Matlock (1995-98) and Tracy Pohl (1994-97). This year, Gilles has scored three goals while anchoring the defense to a league-best 11 shutouts. Recently, she made her 81st career start, the eighth-most in program history.
Gorman, who completed her first season with the Bearcats this year, is one of just four freshmen to be honored in the Southeast Region and one of only 28 rookies from the 275 total honorees across the five regions (East, West, Midwest, South and Southeast) to be named to an all-region team. In fact, the local product has made UC history as she becomes the first non-junior or senior to earn an all-region selection from the coaches association as the other 10 Bearcats that have been selected in the past were either in their junior or senior seasons.
The 11th UC player to be honored, Gorman made a name for herself as she led the team in goals (six), assists (four) and points (16) before being named to the AAC All-Conference Second Team and the AAC All-Rookie Team. She chipped in a trio of game-winning goals, including the winner in a 1-0 victory over Buffalo in the first match of the season and then again in a 1-0 decision over ECU to close the regular season. By being named to both league squads, Gorman became just the third Bearcat to be named to a pair of teams in the same season, joining Lisa Stephens (2001) and Kim Jedlo (2000), both of whom were named to the rookie team and third-team all-conference by Conference USA.
// 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Teams
Vanessa Gilles • Sr., D • First Team
Sophie Gorman • Fr., MF • Third Team
// All-Time USC/NSCAA Regional Honorees
Southeast Region
2017 • Vanessa Gilles (1), Sophie Gorman (3)
Northeast Region
2016 • Vanessa Gilles (2)
Great Lakes Region
2002 • Heather Herweh (1), Amy Simonson (2), Tasha Wagner (2)
2001 • Christy Hoffman (1), Ann Thomas (1), Heather Herweh (2)
1998 • Tina Matlock (3)
1997 • Tina Matlock (1), Tracy Pohl (2), Nicole Thorne (3)
1996 • Paulette Angilecchia (2), Nicole Thorne (3)
1995 • Paulette Angilecchia (1)