Empire 8 conference champions Stevens Institute of Technology placed ten players on the all-conference teams and won three of the four 2016 yearly awards. Senior Raba Nassif earned Offensive Player of the Year, Julia Panko garnered Rookie of the Year honors and Head Coach Jeff Parker and his staff were tabbed as the Coaching Staff of the Year. Hartwick sophomore Madison Miller was voted the Defensive Player of the Year.
Nassif repeats as the Offensive Player of the Year after putting together another stellar season for the Ducks as she led the team and conference with 56 points to date. Her team leading 22 goals ranks first in the conference, while her 12 assists stand second. She has registered at least one point in 15-of-19 games played, including four goals and one assist against Utica and Elmira. Of her 56 points, 32 of them came against conference opponents including 14 goals and four assists.
Miller anchored a defensive unit that limited the opposition to less than one goal per game (0.94) and was part of six shutouts. She also recorded six goals and one assist to rank fourth on the team with 13 points. Miller started all 18 games to help the Hawks post a 10-5-3 overall record and 4-2-2 mark in league play which secured the fourth seed in the E8 tournament. It was the first time since 2002 Hartwick returned to the E8 postseason. Miller is the first Hartwick women’s soccer player to ever earn a yearly award from the conference.
Panko made an immediate impact on the Ducks’ field this year. She has played in all 19 games, making 16 starts and third on the team and fifth in conference with 27 points. Her nine goals currently ranks fifth among E8 players, while her nine assists stands fourth. She tallied at least one point in 11 games. Panko’s Rookie of the Year honors marks the sixth time in the last seven years a Stevens player has been recognized.
Jeff Parker, in his 17
th season as the head coach, and his coaching staff have kept the Ducks’ competing at a high level throughout the season which is evident by the consistent ranking in the national NSCAA poll. The 2016 season saw Stevens earn the top seed in the conference tournament and win the E8 title for the second straight year. With the conference win, Stevens earned the NCAA automatic bid to the national tournament and will be making its ninth appearance in program history.
In addition to the yearly awards and all-conference teams, one member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2016 Women’s Soccer Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Empire 8 2016 Women’s Soccer All-Conference Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Raba Nassif, Stevens Institute of Technology
Defensive Player of the Year: Madison Miller, Hartwick College
Rookie of the Year: Julia Panko, Stevens Institute of Technology
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stevens Institute of Technology