Yellowjacket Women’s Soccer Hands Out Postseason Hardware

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State Billings head women’s soccer coach, Don Trentham, announced Monday his end of the season awards, as well as the new captains for the 2009 season.

This season, senior Melissa Carlson was presented with the Scholar Athlete Award and it is her second year in a row that she has won this award.  It goes to the junior or senior on the team that has the highest cumulative grade point average.  Carlson carries a 3.92 grade point average in health and human performance. 

Carlson also was named first team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic District Seven All-Star as well and was one of eight named to the GNAC Academic All-Stars team.  In addition, the Yellowjackets as a team earned the NSCAA Team Excellence Award with team cumulative GPA of 3.37.

This year, the Newcomer of the Year Award went to MyKenzie Deverell who was selected by the players as the top incoming player during the fall season.  Deverell played and started in all 20 games as a true freshman.  She had five shots and three on goal in just over 1700 minutes of action.

The Next Level Award went to Samantha Boehm who was selected by the team as the returning player who took their game to the next level.  Boehm returned this season after being out for 13 months due to injury and made her season debut Oct. 9 at Western Washington.  From there, Boehm worked her way back into the starting lineup and was a starter for the final five games of the season.

Senior co-captain Sara Gress was named Most Valuable Player this season as he helped lead the Yellowjackets to a 10-10 record and the fourth 10-plus win season in Trentham’s tenure.  Gress also was one of five players to play and start every game.  She also was the only Yellowjacket to play every minute this season, 1831 minutes in all.

Melissa Carlson earned the Quest For Excellence Award for the second year in a row.  This award is the highest award in the program and is presented to the player who goes above and beyond in demonstrating teamwork, hard work, dedication, discipline and passion to the MSUB women’s soccer team.

Also announced, the captains for the 2009 season.  Sophomore Kari Foreman who led the team with five goals this season and redshirt sophomore Samantha Boehm will be the co-captains for the Yellowjackets next season.

“We are excited and it is definitely an honor,” both Boehm and Foreman said.  “We are excited about next season to become a stronger team in the GNAC and we also are looking forward to spring and continue to work hard and get better.”