Nov. 4, 2004
RICHMOND, Va. -- George Mason senior goalkeeper Sarah Coughlin (Hawthorne, N.Y.) was selected as the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association Defender of the Year in voting by the league's 10 head coaches. The award was presented Thursday night on the eve of the semifinals of the 2004 CAA Women's Soccer Championship. Joining Coughlin with all-CAA honors were seniors Sarah Wilkinson (Lincoln University, Pa.) and Allison Cowan (Shorewood, Minn.) and junior Danielle MacDonald (Burke, Va.) as each received second-team consideration. Patriot freshmen Jessica Paris (Clifton, Va.) and Sarah Fack (Algonquin, Ill.) were both named to the inaugural CAA all-Rookie Team.
Also receiving top women's soccer honors from the CAA were Va. Commonwealth junior midfielder Sandra Anger as Player of the Year, Hofstra defender Marie Curtin as Rookie of the Year and Old Dominion's Joe Pereira as Coach of the Year. Overall, George Mason tied regular season co-champion Va. Commonwealth for most players (6) named to the all-CAA first-, second-, and all-Rookie teams.
A four-time all-CAA selection, Coughlin, a co-captain, turned in another solid season in net despite anchoring a very young Patriots' defensive unit that often times included three freshmen. The senior started 17 of 18 games played and posted a 1.48 goals-against average with 64 saves and three solo shutouts. Mason posted six total shutouts, including four in its final five regular season games to finish tied for third in the CAA regular-season standings with a 5-2-2 league mark (10-7-3 overall). Coughlin, who ranks second in career saves at Mason with 353 and is fifth all-time in career shutouts with 18.25, made the all-CAA first team for the third time in 2004. She was also a first-team honoree in 2000 and 2003. Coughlin was named to the all-CAA second team in 2002.
Wilkinson led George Mason at the end of the regular season in goals scored (9), assists (6) and points (24), ranking fifth in the league in points and tied for sixth in goals scored and assists, respectively. The senior forward, who garnered all-CAA first team honors in 2001, saw action in 20 contests in 2004, earning 18 starts, and led the Patriots with four game-winning goals. She concludes her career ranked in the top-10 in the Mason record books in goals, assists, points and game-winners.
Cowan receives all-CAA accolades for the first time in her career. It is also her first-ever CAA honor. The stalwart co-captain started 16 of 16 games played at midfield and defense. She made the all-CAA second team as a defender, registering two goals and an assist.
MacDonald, who also earns her first-ever CAA award, started 16 of 20 games at midfield for Mason. She totaled three goals and was second on the team in assists with five. Her 11 total points ranked third overall. A consistent and solid player, she netted the game-winning goal as time expired in the Patriots 3-2 double overtime victory at Hofstra on Oct. 15.
Paris was one of two players to start in every game for Mason. A talented midfield defender, Paris finished fourth on the team in points with 10 after scoring four goals and adding two assists. She scored the game-winning goal in George Mason's 3-2 win over Va. Commonwealth on Oct. 24 and, for her efforts, was selected CAA co-Rookie of the Week on Oct. 25.
Fack appeared in all 20 games and earned 15 starts. She started the final 13 games of the season and finished the year second on the team in points scored (12) with five goals and two assists. The rookie forward logged three game-winning markers - second best total on the team - and scored the Patriots' only goal in their 1-0 overtime victory at Liberty on Sept. 25.
George Mason played solidly all season for new head coach Diane Drake. After starting the year 2-4-1, the Patriots rebounded to go 8-3-2 down the stretch, winning at least 10 regular season games for the first time since 2000 and posting four wins a row for the first time since 1998. The fifth-seeded Patriots fell to No. 4 seed James Madison 1-0 Tuesday in the first round of CAA Women's Soccer Tournament. Mason also registered a 2-0-3 overtime record in 2004, extending its unbeaten overtime streak to 17 games (Mason is 8-0-9 in OT games since Oct. 19, 2001).
2004 All-CAA Women's Soccer Team
(Selected by CAA Women's Soccer Coaches)
First Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Jen Parsons, Virginia Commonwealth* Sr. F Portugal Cove, Newfoundland/Prince of Wales
Laura Beeman, Old Dominion# Jr. F Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West
Katie Hogwood, William & Mary So. F Reston, Va./Bishop O'Connell
Sandra Anger, Virginia Commonwealth* Jr. MF Cuguen, France/Louis Bascan
Emma Kilduff, Hofstra Sr. MF Kildare, Ireland/Maynooth Post Primary
Shannon Alger, Delaware Jr. MF Hoptacong, N.J./Morris Catholic
Katie Kane, Drexel Jr. MF Franklinville, N.J./Delsea Regional
Marie Curtin, Hofstra Fr. D Limerick, Ireland/Ard Scoil Mhuire
Katy Swindells, James Madison# Sr. D Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury
Kim Snyder, Old Dominion Jr. D Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood
Sarah Coughlin, George Mason* Sr. GK Hawthorne, N.Y./Westlake
Second Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Taline Tahmassian, William & Mary* Sr. F Great Falls, Va./Langley
Sarah Wilkinson, George Mason Sr. F Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove
Solfrid Andersen, Virginia Commonwealth So. F Trovastad, Norway/Sor-Trondelag University
Caroline Renkin, UNC Wilmington Sr. MF Richmond, Va./Clover Hill
Kristin McHugh, Towson Jr. MF Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard
Jenny Cauble, UNC Wilmington Fr. MF Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley
Danielle MacDonald, George Mason Jr. MF Burke, Va./Paul VI
Jennifer Woodie, Virginia Commonwealth Jr. D Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge
Brigit Canle, Hofstra Sr. D Lynbrook, N.Y./Valley Stream South
Christine Wrightson, Delaware Sr. D Landisville, Pa./Hempfield
Allison Cowan, George Mason Sr. D Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka
Becky Wachsberger, Hofstra# Sr. GK East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow
2004 CAA Player of the Year: Sandra Anger, Virginia Commonwealth
2004 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Sarah Coughlin, George Mason
2004 CAA Rookie of the Year: Marie Curtin, Hofstra
2004 CAA Coach of the Year: Joe Pereira, Old Dominion
* - All-CAA First Team in 2003 # - All-CAA Second Team in 2003
CAA All-Rookie Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Marie Curtin, Hofstra Fr. D Limerick, Ireland/Ard Scoil Mhuire
Solfrid Andersen, Virginia Commonwealth So. F Trovastad, Norway/Sor-Trondelag University
Jenny Cauble, UNC Wilmington Fr. MF Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley
Annie Lowry, James Madison Fr. MF Butler, Pa./Butler
Jessica Paris, George Mason Fr. D Clifton, Va./Centreville
Alli D'Amico, Delaware Fr. F Manasquan, N.J./Red Bank Catholic
Brittany Bode, William & Mary Fr. MF Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral
Brandi Daniels, Towson Fr. GK Huntington, N.Y./Harborfields
Shelley Lyle, Virginia Commonwealth Fr. MF Tampa, Fla./The Cambridge School
Melanie Schaffer, James Madison Fr. MF Allison Park, Pa./Hampton
Sarah Fack, George Mason Fr. F Algonquin, Ill./H.D. Jacobs
Mary MacKenzie Grier, William & Mary Fr. MF Midlothian, Va./Midlothian
