Dec. 4, 2013
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Following a 2013 campaign that featured a Sun Belt Conference regular-season title and an appearance in the SBC Tournament Championship match, WKU Soccer had four players named All-South Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the organization announced Wednesday morning.
Freshman forward Iris Dunn joined seniors Nora Abolins and Chrissy Tchoula as second-team honorees while sophomore defender Chandler Clark nabbed third-team honors. WKU's four NSCAA All-Region recognitions mark the third time in the past five seasons that at least four Lady Toppers have been honored by the organization.
Dunn strung together one of the best freshman seasons in program history, netting a team-high seven goals and recording one assist on her way to NSCAA Second-Team All-South Region and Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference accolades. Five of her seven goals came in game-winning fashion, including a pair of game-winners in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the SBC Tournament that propelled the Lady Toppers to the title match. She was named to the SBC All-Tournament Team for her efforts as she recorded the second-most match winning goals in a single-season in program history. Dunn becomes just the second freshman in WKU Soccer history to earn All- South Region honors from the NSCAA and her second-team distinction is the highest honor any rookie has received.
Tchoula was the quarterback of WKU's midfield attack in 2013, dishing out a team-high three assists and scoring the equalizing goal in the second half of a comeback win over UALR in the SBC Tournament quarterfinals. She picked up First-Team All-Sun Belt honors for the second-straight season and was named to the SBC All-Tournament Team after WKU's run to the title match. Tchoula's NSCAA honor is the second of her career, as she notched third-team recognition after her sophomore season in 2011. With this season's award, Tchoula becomes one of six Lady Toppers in program history to earn multiple NSCAA All-Region honors.
Abolins was a force between the posts for WKU during her lone season on the Hill, shutting out nine opponents and finishing the year ranked 25th in the nation with a 0.68 goals against average. Abolins pitched seven of her nine shutouts in Sun Belt Conference play, including a clean sheet in the SBC Tournament semifinals to send WKU to the title match. Abolins 24 shutouts at Detorit-Mercy from 2010-12 coupled with her nine shutouts at WKU in 2013 moved her into a tie for 25th-place all-time in the NCAA record books with 33 career shutouts. She notched First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors and was named to the SBC All-Tournament Team. Abolins joins former Lady Topper Libby Stout as the only goalkeepers in program history to be recognized as All-Region by the NSCAA.
Clark received Third-Team NSCAA All-Region honors despite missing the last seven games of the season with a knee injury. She was in the midst of a stellar season at center back for WKU before suffering a torn ACL at South Alabama early in the first half. She was the centerpiece of a stingy backline that shutout six teams with her on the field. Her athleticism and ball-winning ability limited four league foes to zero goals, 12 shots on goal and a shots on goal percentage of .353.
For more information on WKU Soccer, visit WKUSports.com.
