Donnenwirth Named C-USA Coach-Of-The-Year
November 04, 2008 | Soccer
Nov. 4, 2008
• Conference USA Championship Central
• Conference USA Championship Bracket 
HOUSTON, Texas - The East Carolina soccer team, 2008 Conference USA regular season co-champion, placed four players on the All-Conference Teams as announced by the Dallas-based league Tuesday afternoon. The Pirates also earned two specialty awards as head coach Rob Donnenwirth earned his first Coach-of-the-Year honor and senior goalkeeper Amber Campbell was selected as the Defensive Player-of-the-Year, also a career first.
Headlining the C-USA First Team for East Carolina are Campbell and senior defender Madison Keller. Additionally, senior defender Savanna Russo represents the Pirates on the second team while rookie Amanda Malkiewicz was selected to the All-Freshman Team.
Campbell garnered a 12-3-4 record in goal this season, backstopping ECU to its first-ever C-USA title. She was also selected as the C-USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week twice, producing eight shutouts, including five in conference play, the most by any goalkeeper in the league. Campbell led C-USA in saves, shutouts and shutouts per game in all matches while leading the league in goals against average, save percentage, saves, saves per game, shutouts and shutouts per game in conference matches. Campbell also broke three program career records this season in shutouts, saves and goalkeeper minutes played. On Oct. 22, she earned her second career Soccer Buzz Elite Team-of-the-Week honor.
Keller played and started every contest for the Pirates this season, extending her games started streak to 79 consecutive matches. She was named the season's first C-USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week, backstopping an ECU defense that ranked second in the league in goals allowed, goals against average and shutouts for all matches and first in the conference in goals allowed, goals against average, saves and shutouts in league contests. Keller Was also instrumental in helping Campbell take over the school standard for career shutouts. She scored twice as a defender, putting 11 of her 17 shots on goal.
Russo joined the Pirates this season as a transfer from Louisiana Tech, playing and starting all 19 contests on the right side of the defense. She leads the team in assists with seven and is tied for third in C-USA in all matches as well as fifth in conference contests. The Albuquerque, N.M. native also matched the highest mark for assists in a game by any C-USA player with two at Rice in the Pirates' C-USA opener. Additionally, Russo helped the Pirates turn in the first undefeated run through Conference USA since Charlotte produced an 8-0-2 mark in 2002.
Malkiewicz played and started every contest up top as a freshman. She led the team in shots with 30, ranked third on the squad in goals scored with four and tied for second in assists with six. Malkiewicz is also second for East Carolina in points with 14, having scored four goals while producing six assists. Among C-USA players, she tied for fourth in all matches for game-winning goals with three and scored the second goal in the 3-2 double overtime win over Marshall that clinched the regular season title.
The Pirates begin their run at the 2008 C-USA Tournament title tomorrow as the No. 1 seed, facing SMU at 12 noon CT at the Rice Soccer Stadium. The teams have met once in the history of the event, when the Pirates, as the No. 7 seed, upset the No. 2 Mustangs in penalty kicks after playing to a scoreless tie in regulation and overtime.
All-Conference First Team
F: Erin Scott, Rice
F: Tameka Sumter, UTEP
F: Tiffini Turpin, UAB
MF: Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
MF: Becca Thomas, UCF
MF: Shelley Wong, Rice
D: Madison Keller, East Carolina
D: Nikki Moore, UCF
D: Kim Peabody, SMU
D: Molly Uyenishi, Colorado College
GK: Amber Campbell, East Carolina
All-Conference Second Team
F: Yvonne George, UCF
F: Kelly LaVoie, Colorado College
F: Sarah McFadden, Southern Miss
F: Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
MF: Kate Edwards, Rice
MF: Emiko Schwab, Memphis
MF: Chelsea Winbush, UTEP
D: Kelsey Bakker, Memphis
D: Alexa Coralli, Rice
D: Jessica Rathweg, Houston
D: Savanna Russo, East Carolina
GK: Aline Reis, UCF
All-Freshman Team
Kelsey Wise, MF, Colorado College
Caitlin Hulyo, GK, Colorado College
Amanda Malkiewicz, F, East Carolina
Stephanie Derieg, D, Houston
Angela DeSumma, F/MF, Marshall
*Lizzy Simonin, F, Memphis
Lizzy Hildebrandt, MF, Memphis
Hope Ward, F, Rice
Logan May, F, SMU
Carolyn Polcari, MF, UAB
*Tiffini Turpin, F, UAB
Stacie Hubbard, MF, UCF
Aline Reis, GK, UCF
*unanimous selection
Coach-of-the-Year
Rob Donnenwirth, East Carolina
Offensive Player-of-the-Year
Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
Defensive Player-of-the-Year
Amber Campbell, East Carolina
Midfielder of the Year
Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
Co-Freshmen of the Year
Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
Tiffini Turpin, UAB
