RELEASED:  Wednesday, November 7, 2007

UW-Eau Claire’s Talbot Leads All-WIAC Women’s Soccer Selections; Yengo Named Coach of the Year

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Anna Talbot was voted the Player of the Year to lead the 22 individuals selected to the 2007 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Soccer Team by the league coaches, while Blugold head coach Sean Yengo was named the Coach of the Year.

Talbot led the Blugolds to the WIAC regular-season and tournament titles for the third consecutive year.  A senior defender, she has started all 21 matches and guided the team to a league-best 14 shutouts, while contributing a pair of assists.  

She is the second defender in conference history to claim the player of the year honor in the eight-year history of the award, joining UW-Stevens Point’s Tara Schmitt in 2004.   Talbot is the second straight Blugold to earn the league’s top award after Maria Iaizzo won the honor last season.

Repeat selections on the All-WIAC first team included:  UW-Eau Claire’s Liz Kooistra, Allie Rivard, Allison Smith and Amy Smith, UW-Oshkosh’s Dana Gudel, UW-Platteville’s Laurie Trifone, UW-River Falls’ Julie Sperstad, UW-Stevens Point’s Liz Kidd, Amanda Prawat and Kaylee Weise and UW-Stout’s Michelle Lizotte.

Kooistra, a junior forward, captured her third straight first team plaque after ranking fifth in the conference with seven assists, sixth with 23 points and eighth with eight goals.

Rivard, a junior goalkeeper, claimed first team status for the second consecutive year after leading the conference with a 0.30 goals against average and .892 save percentage, while allowing just four goals.

Allison Smith, a junior defender, directs a Blugold defense that has allowed just 10 goals this year and leads the WIAC with a 0.46 goals against average.  She has added two goals and eight assists for 12 points en route to securing her third straight first team honor.

Amy Smith, a junior forward, claimed first team recognition for the second straight year.   She ranks second in the conference with 10 assists and third with 36 points and 13 goals.

Gudel, a senior midfielder, earned first team honors for the second consecutive season after placing second on the team with five goals and fourth with 10 points.

Trifone, a senior goalkeeper, also secured first team accolades during the 2005 season and is just the second player in program history to earn first team status in multiple years joining Jessie Jones (2001-03).  In 2007, Trifone registered 128 saves and totaled four shutouts.

Sperstad, a senior midfielder, ranked second on the squad with two goals and five points.   She also earned first team laurels in 2006.

Prawat, a junior forward, secured first team status for the third straight season and leads the conference with 57 points and 24 goals, while ranking third with nine assists.   She registered a league-best eight points against UW-Superior on Oct. 13 and UW-River Falls on Oct. 30.  Her 54 career goals rank fourth on the school’s all-time chart, while her 126 career points are sixth.

Weise, a junior forward, and Kidd, a senior midfielder, were first team choices a year ago.  Weise leads the WIAC with 12 assists, while ranking second with 15 goals and 42 points.  Kidd is third on the team with 11 points. 

Lizotte, a senior forward, tallied a team-leading four goals, four assists and 12 points during the 2007 campaign.   She was a first team choice in 2005 and her 25 career assists rank third on the Blue Devil’s all-time list, while her 27 career goals and 79 career points are fourth.

Also named to this year’s first team were:  UW-Eau Claire’s Haelee Maurer and Allison Muer, UW-La Crosse’s Amy Cory and Ramsey Weyenberg, UW-Oshkosh’s Caitlin Casey and Jenny Drott, UW-Platteville’s Sarah Gengler, UW-River Falls’ Tracy Olson and UW-Whitewater’s Becky Cera and Alyssa Spaude.

UW-Eau Claire head coach Sean Yengo was voted the Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season after directing the Blugolds to the WIAC regular-season and tournament championships.   He is first coach in league history to receive the award three straight years.  Yengo is in his 11th season with the program and has registered a 152-62-17 record.  The 152 victories rank second on the WIAC all-time list.

Named to the inaugural All-Sportsmanship Team were:  UW-Eau Claire’s Anna Talbot, UW-La Crosse’s Erin Oilschlager, UW-Oshkosh’s Amanda Matzke, UW-Platteville’s Anna Allen, UW-River Falls’ Tracy Olson, UW-Stevens Point’s Liz Kidd, UW-Stout’s Laura Howard, UW-Superior’s Andrea Beck and UW-Whitewater’s Alyssa Spaude.  The team was selected for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season.  It included one member from each school as selected by that school.

2007 All-WIAC Women’s Soccer Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Caitlin Casey, Oshkosh, Freshman, Midfielder, Waukesha (West)
Becky Cera, Whitewater, Sophomore, Midfielder, Wauwatosa (West)
Amy Cory, La Crosse, Senior, Forward, Crystal Lake, Ill. (South)
Jenny Drott, Oshkosh, Junior, Defender, Mukwonago
Sarah Gengler, Platteville, Junior, Defender, Hartford
Dana Gudel, Oshkosh, Senior, Midfielder, Middleton
Liz Kidd, Stevens Point, Senior, Midfielder, Shorewood
Liz Kooistra, Eau Claire, Junior, Forward, Lakeville, Minn.
Michelle Lizotte, Stout, Senior, Forward, Racine (Horlick)
Haelee Maurer, Eau Claire, Freshman, Midfielder, Appleton (West)
Allison Muer, Eau Claire, Junior, Midfielder, Minneapolis, Minn. (South)
Tracy Olson, River Falls, Senior, Defender, Rosemount, Minn.
Amanda Prawat, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, Oregon
Allie Rivard, Eau Claire, Junior, Goalkeeper, Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata)
Allison Smith, Eau Claire, Junior, Defender, Bloomington, Minn. (Thomas Jefferson)
Amy Smith, Eau Claire, Junior, Forward, Bloomington, Minn. (Thomas Jefferson)
Alyssa Spaude, Whitewater, Junior, Defender, Hartland (Arrowhead)
Julie Sperstad, River Falls, Senior, Midfielder, Eau Claire (Memorial)
Anna Talbot, Eau Claire, Senior, Defender, Apple Valley, Minn. (Eastview)
Laurie Trifone, Platteville, Senior, Goalkeeper, Dubuque, Iowa (Wahlert)
Kaylee Weise, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, Brookfield (East)
Ramsey Weyenberg, La Crosse, Junior, Midfielder, Appleton (East)

All-Sportsmanship Team
Anna Allen, Platteville, Freshman, Defender, Salina, Kan. (Salina Central)
Andrea Beck, Superior, Senior, Midfielder, Superior
Laura Howard, Stout, Junior, Midfielder, Hudson
Liz Kidd, Stevens Point, Senior, Midfielder, Shorewood
Amanda Matzke, Oshkosh, Junior, Midfielder, Green Bay (Preble)
Erin Oilschlager, La Crosse, Junior, Defender, Appleton (West)
Tracy Olson, River Falls, Senior, Defender, Rosemount, Minn.
Alyssa Spaude, Whitewater, Junior, Midfielder, Hartland (Arrowhead)
Anna Talbot, Eau Claire, Senior, Defender, Apple Valley, Minn. (Eastview)

Player of the Year: Anna Talbot of Eau Claire
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete:  Meredith DeCaluwe of Stevens Point
Coach of the Year:  Sean Yengo of Eau Claire

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