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Women's Soccer

Women's Soccer: Denison Lands Seven on All-NCAC Squad; Ash Named Offensive Player of the Year

Date: November 14, 2007
Location: CLEVELAND

The Denison Big Red women's soccer team placed seven members on the 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference all-star squad, the most of any NCAC school. Denison was the NCAC Tournament runner-up and advanced to the NCAA III tournament for the 11th time. The offensive-minded Big Red were second in the conference in goals (41) and points (100).

Junior Sarah Ash (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) highlighted the list by being named the conference's "Offensive Player of the Year." Ash, who was also one of four first-team selections for the Big Red, contributed six goals and five assists to the Denison offense this season. This is Ash's first, first-team nomination of her career but was named second-team in both 2005 and 2006.

Also landing on first-team were senior Liz Gillette (Mentor, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) and sophomores Anna Rusch (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends) and Katie Eckenhoff(Glencoe, Ill./New Trier). This is Gillette's third first-team award as she also made first-team in 2004 and 2005 as well as honorable mention in 2006. In her 85 career games Gillette has maintained a goals against average of 0.63. Rusch and Eckenhoff are both first time members of the NCAC first-team list. Last season Eckenhoff received second-team honors.

Senior Kim Cochran (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) received second-team NCAC honors. Cochran earned first-team honors in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Cochran anchors a defense which allowed only 15 goals in 22 matches this season. In Cochran's 85 career games she has contributed nine goals and 12 assists.

Rounding out the award-winners for the Big Red were seniors Jessie Birdwhistell (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay) and Kia Anderson (Hamilton Square, N.J./ Princeton). Birdwhistell received second-team honors in 2006 while Anderson received second-team in 2004 and honorable mention in 2005 and 2006.

Birdwhistell, Anderson, Cochran, Gillette, and fellow senior Laryn Kovalik (Allison Park, Pa./Shady Side Academy) are the five graduating seniors that totaled a career record of 60-19-9 for a .733 career winning percentage and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in three of their four seasons in Granville.