TicketsIRVING, Texas – University of Cincinnati senior Ashley Barron was selected as the AAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
In 2021, Barron repeated as the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and became a three-time All-AAC First Team honoree. She joined Paulette Angilecchia as the only three-time conference First Team selections in program history and is one of six Bearcats to earn the defensive distinction, the latest since Vanessa Gilles in 2017. Other honorees include Christy Hoffman, Tracy Pohol, Nicole Thorne and Julie McCaffrey, all while in the Conference USA.
Determined by the conference's head coaches, Barron and Vanessa DiNardo were also named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team. Barron was one of two unanimous selections, joining South Florida's Vivianne Bessette. The Bearcats were picked to finish tied for fifth with 33 total votes, while Memphis led the conference with 62 votes and six first-place nods.
With Barron leading the backline, Cincinnati allowed only 169 shots last season, its fewest since 2014.
DiNardo, a 2021 All-AAC Second Team selection, finished last season third in the conference with a team-high nine goals and 19 points and seventh with 43 shots. The Strongsville, Ohio native started all 17 matches, totaling 1,474 minutes and logging over 100 minutes in three different matches. She also notched a career-high two goals against SMU on Oct. 17.
Cincinnati kicks off the regular season with two home matches this week, hosting Northern Kentucky on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and Michigan State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's soccer, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWSOC on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
In 2021, Barron repeated as the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and became a three-time All-AAC First Team honoree. She joined Paulette Angilecchia as the only three-time conference First Team selections in program history and is one of six Bearcats to earn the defensive distinction, the latest since Vanessa Gilles in 2017. Other honorees include Christy Hoffman, Tracy Pohol, Nicole Thorne and Julie McCaffrey, all while in the Conference USA.
Determined by the conference's head coaches, Barron and Vanessa DiNardo were also named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team. Barron was one of two unanimous selections, joining South Florida's Vivianne Bessette. The Bearcats were picked to finish tied for fifth with 33 total votes, while Memphis led the conference with 62 votes and six first-place nods.
With Barron leading the backline, Cincinnati allowed only 169 shots last season, its fewest since 2014.
DiNardo, a 2021 All-AAC Second Team selection, finished last season third in the conference with a team-high nine goals and 19 points and seventh with 43 shots. The Strongsville, Ohio native started all 17 matches, totaling 1,474 minutes and logging over 100 minutes in three different matches. She also notched a career-high two goals against SMU on Oct. 17.
Cincinnati kicks off the regular season with two home matches this week, hosting Northern Kentucky on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and Michigan State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's soccer, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWSOC on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.