By: Seth Stogsdill, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications
ATLANTA – Earlier today the Southern Athletic Association released its All-Conference teams for the 2021 women's soccer season, as voted on by the league's coaches. Centre College cleaned up with 11 All-SAA selections, including three major award winners.
Senior
Cameron Zak was voted the league's Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. A four-time All-SAA First Team selection, Zak has been the anchor of one of the country's stingiest back lines since she arrived in Danville. In 2021, Zak led all Centre position players in minutes played and also added three goals and two assists.
First-year defender
EJ Bryant was named the Newcomer of the Year by the conference. Bryant played in all 18 games for the Colonels as a rookie with eight starts, and her solid defense earned her a spot on the All-SAA Honorable Mention squad.
Head Coach Jay Hoffman was voted the league's Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive season and the sixth since the inception of the league in 2012. Hoffman guided the Colonels to a 14-1-1 record in the regular season, reaching as high as no. 14 in the polls. Along the way, he extended his team's winning streak against SAA opponents to 65 matches. Hoffman has led his team to 18 of the 20 regular season and tournament titles the SAA has awarded in women's soccer.
Centre had three more players joining Zak on the All-SAA First Team. Senior
Taylor Gebhart earned her second career All-SAA honor after finishing second on the team with seven goals during her senior season. Sophomore
Megan Sidaway led the team with nine goals and 21 points and also earned her second career All-SAA honor. Senior defender
Brooke Smithson picked up her third career All-SAA honor after starting all 18 matches alongside Zak on the back line, as well as scoring five goals and two assists.
The Colonels had three players earn All-SAA Second Team honors. Junior goalkeeper
Jonelle Barron picked up her second career All-SAA honor after leading the conference in most goalkeeping statistical categories, including a league low 0.24 goals-against average.
Mills Mullen, who won SAA Offensive Player of the Year in the pandemic-shortened 2021 spring season, was All-SAA Second Team after battling injuries as a junior but still scoring four goals – all game winners. Senior
Elizabeth Nelson earned her second career All-SAA honor after scoring five goals and two assists and winning two SAA Offensive Player of the Week awards.
Finally, three more players joined
EJ Bryant on the All-SAA Honorable Mention squad. Sophomore
Maggie Corbett picked up her first career All-Conference nod after starting all but one game for the Colonels at midfielder and finishing with three goals. Junior
Lizzie Klehr earned her first career All-SAA honor after scoring three goals and tying for the team lead with five assists. Also leading the Colonels in assists was sophomore
Bri Tilley, who was named All-SAA Honorable Mention for the second time.
Centre women's soccer will be hosting opening round action in the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Colonels will face Covenant on Friday at 11 AM.
