Six Pirates Earn American Soccer Postseason Recognition

IRVING, Texas – The East Carolina soccer team placed six players on American Athletic Conference postseason honor squads, highlighted by Sydney Schnell's All-Conference First Team nod, the league announced Sunday. Additionally, Abby Sowa earned Second Team recognition, Annabelle Abbott, Maeve English and Juliana Viera earned Third Team honors and Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram was named to the All-Freshman Team.

Schnell, a graduate student out of Kent Island, Md., led the Pirates in goals for the second regular season in a row, tallying a career best six scores to go with three assists. Schnell made it a habit of scoring from distance on the season, turning in multiple highlight-reel worthy strikes. More than that, the veteran leader did well to use her skill and position in the scouting report to create more opportunities for her teammates, and directly contributed to their successes at times with her trio of assists. This is the first time Schnell has been named to an All-Conference squad.

They say your best ability is your availability and that is never truer than in the case of Sowa. A senior by way of Southington, Conn., Sowa has been a rock for her team for multiple years now, going the full 90 time and again, last playing less than a full game on Oct. 17, 2021 and amassing a stunning 5,250 consecutive minutes played without leaving the pitch. A defensive anchor, Sowa has contributed to eight shutouts on the season for the Pirates and has gotten involved offensively with a career best four goals on the year including two converted penalties and the game winning goal in the thriller at NC State to open the season. The All-Conference recognition is the first of Sowa's career.

Consistency is an attribute of the Pirates Third-Team honorees as Annabelle Abbott and Maeve English are set to break the program record for career appearances in their next contest. English also already owns the program record for career starts and is set to break the record for goalkeeper minutes.

Abbott, a graduate student from Holly Springs, has been positively phenomenal in her midfield role this season. Remarkably, she has not tallied a point, but her play has been crucial nonetheless with a box-to-box effort, few errors, and masterful execution of the Pirates' game plans. Abbott is the epitome of an unsung hero and has done all that has been asked of her on the season and then some and without her the Pirates surely would not have had the season they have. The All-Conference nod is the second of Abbott's career after earning Second Team honors last season.

There's not much more that can be said about English after her illustrious career. The three-time captain puts another chapter in the long book of her time in purple and gold with her third All Conference recognition (she was also named All-Freshman in 2020). The Greenville native has added seven clean sheets to her docket this season and continues to advance in the program record books. She also notably missed a game for the first time in her career this season, sitting out due to illness vs. Campbell and breaking a streak of 70 consecutive games played. She has a save percentage of .737 and so far has registered a career-best tying 0.94 goals against average.

Viera, a junior from Montevideo, Uruguay, earned her honor after proving a stallwart of the ECU back line this season while also contributing to the Pirates' offense as a set piece maestro, serving up four assists on the year. Viera has shifted positions this season and has done so flawlessly at times, proving her soccer instincts with timely stops and winning plays. The honor is the first of her career.

Then there's the wunderkind from England. Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram has looked like she's from another planet at times this season with her otherworldly dribbling skills and footwork. The rookie has scored three goals on the season, including the late-game stunner, a strike from distance to equalize the team's game at then-No. 17 Memphis which ended the nation's longest home winning streak. The start she has experienced is appropriate for her skill and the sky is the limit for the gifted young forward.

Though they did not bring home the big awards this season, in the process of earning their five conference recognitions, the Pirates have put themselves right where they aimed to be: with the third seed in the conference tournament and a crack at the ultimate prize starting Monday at 11 a.m. with a tilt against six seed Charlotte.

Full Postseason Honors
Offensive Player of the Year
Leah Chancey, Gr., M, Rice

Defensive Player of the Year
Finley Lavin, So., D, Memphis

Midfielder of the Year
Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Jr., South Florida

Goalkeeper of the Year
Leire Herraez Gallach, Jr., South Florida

Freshman of the Year
Ai Kitagawa, M/F, Memphis

Coaching Staff of the Year
Rice (Head Coach Brian Lee, Assistant Coaches Genessee Puntigam and Travis Curson, Goalkeeper Coach Bella Killgore)

Team Fair Play Award
Memphis

All-Conference First Team
Abbey Burns, Jr., M, UAB
Macey Bader, Sr., F, Charlotte
Sydney Smith, Gr., D, Charlotte
Sydney Schnell, Gr., F, East Carolina
Finley Lavin, So., D, Memphis
Momo Nakao, Sr., M, Memphis*
Rachel Roebuck, Gr., D/M/F, North Texas
Leah Chancey, Gr., M, Rice
Georgia Brown, Sr., D, South Florida
Leire Herraez Gallach, Jr., GK, South Florida
Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Jr., M, South Florida

All-Conference Second Team
Jette Zimmer, Jr., F, UAB
Abby Sowa, Sr., D, East Carolina
Jodi Smith, Sr., D, Florida Atlantic
Anna Hauer, So., F, Memphis
Ashley Henderson, So., F, Memphis
Anne-Valerie Seto, Sr., M, Memphis
Ai Kitagawa, Fr., M/F, Memphis
Faith Hutchins, Gr., GK, Rice
Anna Sutter, Sr., F, South Florida
Gentiana Fetaj, Jr., M, South Florida
Leah Diaz, So., F, Tulsa

All-Conference Third Team
Annabelle Abbott, M, East Carolina
Maeve English, Gr., GK, East Carolina
Juliana Viera, Jr., D, East Carolina
Michelle Horan, Jr., F, Florida Atlantic
Maddie Eskin, Gr., F, Memphis
Alexis Miller, So., M, North Texas
Claire Niedermeier, Fr., F, North Texas
Kat Lazor, Gr., D, Rice
Micahela Hill, So., F, South Florida
Phoebe Hollin, Sr., D, Temple
Sasjah Dade, Sr., D, UTSA
Blaine Schutte, Fr., F, Tulsa

All-Freshman Team
Louise Larsson, D, UAB
Reese Black, M, Charlotte
Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram, F, East Carolina
Ai Kitagawa, M/F, Memphis
Ella Bushko, D, North Texas
Claire Niedermeier, F, North Texas
Lilly Reuscher, D, Rice
Sophia Cabral, F, South Florida
Brooke Fabri, M, South Florida
Addy Johnson, F, UTSA
Aniya Facen, F, Tulsa
Blaine Schutte, F, Tulsa

* denotes unanimous selection

Players Mentioned

Annabelle Abbott

Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram

Maeve English

Sydney Schnell

Abby Sowa

Juliana Viera

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