2021 Spring #BigSkySoccer All-Conference Team Announced
FARMINGTON, Utah (April 13, 2021) – The 2021 Spring Big Sky Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team and individual award winners were announced Tuesday, with 42 student-athletes earning recognition as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Coaches could not vote for their own players.
Idaho senior forward Myah Merino and Northern Arizona junior forward Madison Montgomery were named Co-Big Sky Offensive MVP.
A first-time All-Big Sky first-team selection, Montgomery led the league in almost every offensive category this season with 26 shots, 17 points, and eight goals. Her 17 points in Big Sky play was well ahead of the rest of the league, earning her the Golden Boot title as well. She is the first Lumberjack player since Cee Cee Odorfer in 2008 to capture offensive MVP accolades and the first since Cierra Gamble in 2013 to be named the Golden Boot winner.
Merino led Idaho with 25 shots, nine points, and four goals this season and finished second in the Big Sky in each category. She is one of six players to be named to the All-Big Sky first-team for the second time in their career. Merino is the first player to ever garner offensive MVP honors for the Vandals.
There was a three-way tie for Big Sky Defensive MVP between Northern Colorado junior Lindsi Jennings, Sacramento State junior Christina Lazar, and Weber State senior Haley Thomas each earning the honor.
After four players were named Defensive MVP last season, it marks the second time in league history that more than two players have earned the award. Thomas was a first-team pick while Jennings and Lazar were second-team selections.
All three were part of some of the top defensive units in the conference. Thomas and the Wildcats, along with Jennings and the Bears allowed just five goals in league play to lead the Big Sky and recorded a less than 1.00 goals-against average. Lazar’s defensive front finished fifth in goals-against average with 1.04.
Montana senior Claire Howard was named the Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year and an All-Big Sky first-team honoree. She entered the 2021 spring season with 26 career shutouts, just four shutouts away from breaking the all-time Big Sky record set by Sacramento State’s Savannah Abercrombie during her career from 2008-11. Howard broke the record with two weeks left of regular season play and finished the season with 32 total career shutouts to lead the league. She posted a 0.61 goals-against average and .821 save percentage to go along with six clean sheets this season.
Rounding out the individual awards was Weber State freshman defender Hailey Price, who was named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year. Price was the lone freshman on the first and second teams with her All-Big Sky second-team nod as she started in 9 of 10 matches and played 833 minutes for the Wildcats.
Montana led the league with four first-team honorees followed by two selections for Eastern Washington, Idaho, Northern Arizona, and Northern Colorado. Weber State claimed the final first-team accolade.
In all, Montana totaled seven all-conference selections while Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, and Northern Colorado had six.
The 2021 Spring Big Sky Soccer Championship kicks off Thursday at Weber State’s Wildcat Soccer Field in Ogden. The No. 1 seed from the Southeast Division (Northern Arizona) will face the No. 2 seed from the Northwest Division (Idaho) at 12 p.m. MT followed by the No. 1 seed from the Northwest Division (Montana) against the No. 2 seed from the Southeast Division (Northern Colorado) at 3 p.m. MT. The championship match between the two winners will take place on Saturday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. MT.
Follow the Big Sky Conference on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat at @BigSkyConf – and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated. Fans can also follow Big Sky soccer on Twitter at @BigSky_Soccer.
| 2021 Spring Big Sky Women's Soccer All-Conference Team |
|
| FIRST TEAM |
| Position |
Name |
School |
Class |
| Goalkeeper |
Claire Howard |
Montana |
R-Senior |
| Defender |
Taylor Hansen% |
Montana |
Senior |
| Defender |
Maddie Barkow% |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
| Defender |
Haley Thomas% |
Weber State |
Senior |
| Defender |
Mackenzie Bray |
Northern Colorado |
Junior |
| Midfielder |
McKaley Goffard |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Avery Adams% |
Montana |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Kaysie Bruce |
Idaho |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Madison Kem% |
Eastern Washington |
Sophomore |
| Midfielder |
Paige Maling |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| Forward |
Alexa Coyle |
Montana |
Senior |
| Forward |
Madison Montgomery |
Northern Arizona |
Junior |
| Forward |
Myah Merino% |
Idaho |
R-Senior |
| % - Two-time All-Big Sky First Team selection |
|
| SECOND TEAM |
| Position |
Name |
School |
Class |
| Goalkeeper |
Taryn Benham |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| Defender |
Aubrey Goodwill |
Sacramento State |
Senior |
| Defender |
Lindsi Jennings |
Northern Colorado |
Junior |
| Defender |
Colby Wilson |
Eastern Washington |
Junior |
| Defender |
Taylor Brust |
Idaho |
Grad. Student |
| Defender |
Allie Larsen |
Montana |
Sophomore |
| Defender |
Rylie Curran |
Northern Arizona |
Sophomore |
| Defender |
Abby Donathan |
Northern Arizona |
Sophomore |
| Defender |
Christina Lazar |
Sacramento State |
R-Junior |
| Defender |
Hailey Price |
Weber State |
Freshman |
| Midfielder |
Lauren McGahie |
Idaho State |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Olivia Seddon |
Northern Colorado |
Grad. Student |
| Midfielder |
Sienna Higinbotham |
Portland State |
Sophomore |
| Midfielder |
Sadie Newsom |
Weber State |
R-Junior |
| Forward |
Taylor Matheny |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
| Forward |
Sariah Keister |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
| Forward |
Mylee Broad |
Weber State |
Senior |
|
|
|
|
| HONORABLE MENTION |
| Position |
Name |
School |
Class |
| Defender |
Jordyn King |
Eastern Washington |
Junior |
| Defender |
Emma Robson |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Margo Schoesler |
Idaho |
Freshman |
| Midfielder |
Taylor Stoeger |
Montana |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Shay Valenzano |
Sacramento State |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Rita Lang |
Montana |
R-Junior |
| Midfielder |
Maddie Duren |
Northern Colorado |
Junior |
| Midfielder |
Alyssa Baena |
Sacramento State |
Senior |
| Midfielder |
Samantha Craig |
Sacramento State |
Senior |
| Forward |
Caitlin Crist |
Idaho State |
Junior |
| Forward |
Kaitlyn Meeder |
Northern Colorado |
Senior |
| Forward |
Jasymne Dunn |
Sacramento State |
R-Sophomore |
2021 Spring Big Sky Individual Award Winners
Offensive MVP – Myah Merino, Idaho; Madison Montgomery, Northern Arizona
Defensive MVP – Lindsi Jennings, Northern Colorado; Christina Lazar, Sacramento State; Haley Thomas, Weber State
Goalkeeper of the Year – Claire Howard, Montana
Golden Boot – Madison Montgomery, Northern Arizona
Newcomer of the Year – Hailey Price, Weber State