The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) released its postseason awards, naming Southwestern head women's soccer coach Linda Hamilton the 2021 Coach of the Year, freshman Samantha Hazen the Newcomer of the Year, and nine Pirates across three all-conference teams.
Hamilton won her third SCAC Coach of the Year award in seven years, having won in 2016 and 2018. She led her squad to the program's first-ever SCAC regular-season title with an unbeaten conference mark of 7-0-1, securing the top seed at last weekend's SCAC Tournament, where the Pirates advanced to the championship match for the third time in four years. Southwestern also earned its first national ranking in program history, climbing as high as No. 21.
On Oct. 10, Hamilton led Southwestern to a 2-1 victory over Trinity. The win snapped the Tigers' historical run of 133-straight SCAC regular-season victories that dated back to 2008.
In her last three full seasons (excluding the COVID-19 shortened spring 2020-21 season), Hamilton has led the Pirates to 10-plus wins each year, marking the first time Southwestern has won 10-plus games in three consecutive seasons since accomplishing the feat from 2007-2009. In addition, the Pirates' .861 winning percentage (15-2-1) is the best in program history.
Hazen, a first-year forward from Northbridge, Mass., immediately impacted Southwestern in her rookie year, starting all 18 games for the Pirates this season.
She led Southwestern and finished in the top three in the SCAC in nearly every offensive statistical category. Hazen finished with nine goals and eight assists for a total of 26 points – all marks good for third in the SCAC. Her nine goals are the most for a SCAC freshman since Stephanie Segovia scored 23 in 2011. Hazen also led the Pirates and finished second in the SCAC with 53 shots – with 34 of those on goal – and accounted for four game-winning goals.
Hazen opened her career by scoring a goal in four-straight games to start the season and posted two multiple-goal efforts in SCAC wins over Centenary (Oct. 15) and Austin College (Oct. 22), which included the game-winner against the 'Roos. Hazen is the fourth Southwestern player to earn Newcomer-of-the-Year honors, following Laura Kromann (2006), Sarah Bevins (2013), and Mary Cardone (2016).
Hazen is one of four Pirates to earn All-SCAC First Team honors, along with senior defender and team captain Sam Davis, freshman midfielder Breana Trevino, and sophomore goalkeeper Johnna Campbell.
This marks the second season in a row Davis earned All-SCAC First Team honors after anchoring the second-stingiest defense in the conference, allowing only .076 goals per game and posting a league-best 10 shutouts. She was the SCAC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9, and also contributed three goals.
Campbell earned the top goalkeeper all-conference spot after leading the league in wins (14), shutouts (10), and finishing second in goals-against average (0.76), saves (68), and save percentage (.829). In addition, she was a two-time SCAC Defensive Player of the Week this season, winning in Week 2 and Week 8. This is her second all-conference award after earning All-SCAC Second Team last season.
Trevino was a force as a defensive center-mid, connecting the back four defenders with the front five. She was fantastic at controlling the game and changing the point of attack.
Senior defender Hanna Sanderson, junior forward Juliet Pridgen, and freshman midfielder Yamila Lara earned All-SCAC Second Team honors. This is Sanderson's third All-SCAC award after earning All-SCAC Honorable Mention in 2018 and 2020. Along with anchoring the defensive line alongside Davis, Sanderson contributed seven points on three assists and two goals. In addition, she was instrumental in the Pirates' regular-season win over Trinity, winning the SCAC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 6.
This is Pridgen's third All-SCAC selection, earning Second Team last season and Honorable Mention in 2019. She was the SCAC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 4, scoring the game-winning goal over St. Thomas and assisting on another goal in a win over Centenary. She finished the season with 13 points, scoring five goals, including two game-winners, and three assists.
Lara finished the season with four points, scoring two goals with both game-winners and an assist in Southwestern's win over Texas Lutheran in the SCAC semifinals.
Freshman defender Lilly Van Meter and freshman midfielder Abrianna Morales earned All-SCAC HonorableMention. In addition to excellent defense, Van Meter assisted on one goal and scored a game-winner. Morales scored three goals in her first season. Van Meter, Trevino, and Hazen were all named to the SCAC All-Freshman team.
Defenders
First Team
Bailey Meyer – Trinity
May Lien Le – Dallas
Sam Davis - Southwestern
Second Team
Ashlyn Zingelmann – Trinity
Hanna Sanderson – Southwestern
Michelle Macintyre - Dallas
Honorable Mention
Lilly Van Meter – Southwestern
Kelly Wolfe – Texas Lutheran
Reese Wallace – Trinity
Kelsie Droptini – St. Thomas
Midfielders
First Team
Camryn Beall – Trinity
Alex Walsh – Trinity
Claire Reed – Dallas
Breana Trevino – Southwestern
Second Team
Monique Sierra – Texas Lutheran
Mary Pham – St. Thomas
Liliana Avila – Texas Lutheran
Yamila Lara – Southwestern
Avery Seaman – Dallas
Celeste Muniz – Centenary
Honorable Mention
Abrianna Morales – Southwestern
Kyra Stafford – Trinity
Forwards
First Team
Kaity Ward – Trinity
Samantha Hazen – Southwestern
Molly Sheridan – Trinity
Alyssa Mencacci - Dallas
Second Team
Karson Funderburk – St. Thomas
Juliet Pridgen – Southwestern
Cassie Bowers – Trinity
Honorable Mention
Sydney Bascomb – Centenary
Brooke Le – St. Thomas
Samantha Martinez – Texas Lutheran
Goalkeeper
First Team
Johnna Campbell – Southwestern
Second Team
Kaitlyn Vess - Dallas
Honorable Mention
Charleigh Phipps – Texas Lutheran
SCAC Men's Soccer All-Freshman Team
Defenders
Isabel Makulski – Trinity
Lilly Van Meter – Southwestern
Kayla Tomlinson – St. Thomas
Midfielders
Breana Trevino – Southwestern
Claire Reed – Dallas
Taylor Campbell - Trinity
Forwards
Samantha Hazen – Southwestern
Michaela Bosco – Trinity
Britney Zapata – Dallas
Allison Avery – Texas Lutheran
Brooke Le – St. Thomas
Goalkeeper
Kaitlyn Vess – Dallas