2016 Women's Soccer All-Tournament Team and MVP
Following the Empire 8 Women’s Soccer Tournament and the naming of the Most Valuable Player, the entire 2016 All-tournament team has been announced.
Stevens – Gabriella Saade (MVP), Megan Lynes, Gabby Mathelier and Olivia Butera
Ithaca – Aimee Chimera, Taylor Baranowsky and Megan Nash
Nazareth – Brayden Dobles and Michaela Soules
Hartwick – Sierra Bentley and Rachel Weir
Saade was named the E8 Tournament MVP after keying both Stevens wins with two goals and an assist. In the semifinal, Saade made it 2-0 five minutes into the game, which proved to be the game winner in the 2-1 win against Hartwick. In the championship game, Saade scored two minutes into the first overtime to clinch a 3-2 win over Ithaca. She also picked up an assist.
Mathelier was credited with the assist on Saade’s game-winning goal in the fifth minute of the semifinal game against Hartwick.
Lynes and
Butera anchored a defensive until that allowed one goal and three shots by Hartwick in 90 minutes of semifinal play. The championship game brought a physical hard-fought battle on both side. With the game tied 2-2, the Bombers had several scoring opportunities including a pair of corners in the final two minutes of regularion, but Lynes, Butuera and the Stevens' defense diffused each situation to preserve the tie and set up Saade's game winner in the extra frame.
Baranowsky headed in a corner kick from the foot of Jocelyn Ravesi in the 95th minute to advance Ithaca to the E8 final. The goal ended a Nazareth scoreless streak that extended over 1,000 minutes.
Nash tallied a goal and assist in the championship game. She put Ithaca on the board first in the 11th minute from just outside the 18-yard box with a shot to the top right corner. The Bombers then found themselves trailing by a goal when Nash’s shot in the 37th minute was redirected by Soshana Bedrosian to knot things up at 2-2.
Chimera and the Bomber defensive unit held Nazareth scoreless and only nine total shots in the semifinals to advance to the E8 championship game for the fifth straight year and 12th time overall. In a battle against a nationally ranked team for the E8 title, Chimera faced a high pressure offense from Stevens that saw two goals on 26 shots.
Soules generated four of Nazareth’s nine shots as she tried multiple times from varied distance to place the ball in the back of the net.
Dobles played her tenth straight game of 90 minutes of scoreless soccer. Heading into her third overtime of the season she made one save before the scoreless streak came to an end.
Weir and
Bentley helped the Hawks make their first tournament appearance since 2002. Weir
scored to cut the nationally ranked Ducks' lead in half with 25:11 left in the contest of the semifinal. It was her team leading eighth goal of the season. Bentley was credited with the assist on Weir’s goal. It was her team and conference leading 13th assist of the season.