NATCHITOCHES – Coaches across the Southland Conference recognized the talent and accomplishments of the Northwestern State soccer team on Tuesday with the release of its 2021 All-Conference award selections.   

Ten NSU athletes earned All-Conference recognition -- a league-high figure -- and the most in program history. Five Lady Demons earned their second career selection or more, with five others earning their first.  

NSU took home six of the eight SLC superlative awards, including Player of the Year and Forward of the Year (Olivia Draguicevich), Defender of the Year (Nicole Henry), Goalkeeper of the Year (Acelya Aydogmus), Freshman of the Year (Caroline Hilliard) and Coach of the Year (Stu Gore). 

Draguiceivch earned the league's top honor following a dominant season leading the NSU offense, which resulted in her being tied for third nationally in game-winning goals (6) and 18^th nationally in total goals scored (12). At Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 19, Draguicevich tied an NSU record with four goals in a single match and led the SLC with 26 total points. 

For the third consecutive season, senior Nicole Henry was named Southland Conference Defender of the Year.  

Henry is the first player to win consecutive SLC Defender of the Year honors since the tradition began in 2016, and only the second in league history to earn awards of the same category in three consecutive years. Henry has served as the anchor to an NSU defensive unit which has proven to be one of the best in program history with a record 10 shutouts. 

Senior Acelya Aydogmus was named Southland Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight season. Aydogmus, with the help of an All-Conference back line, pitched a program-best 10 shutouts throughout the season -- a mark good for second in the nation.  

NSU's all-time leader in career shutouts clinched the record on Sept. 19 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and since has logged five more, strengthening her grip on a record (25) that had previously held since 2001.  

Aydogmus, who has played every minute in the net this season for the Lady Demons, sports a goals against average of .73. The figure is good for the second-best in program history behind her own .41 set this spring. 

Aydogmus, Draguicevich, and Henry, by merit of their respective awards, were also awarded an automatic All-Conference first team selection.  

Hilliard, the SLC Freshman of the Year, is the newest addition to a vaunted Lady Demon defensive core. She's started 11 of 12 conference matches and posted the second-highest minutes on the pitch of positional players (1,535). 

NSU's designated thrower has lived up to the position, earning three assists on the season from throw-ins. The freshman defender has played a significant role within a defensive unit that has earned the 10th-best shutout percentage in the nation (.588), and only allowed two league opponents to score against NSU through the duration of conference play. 

Aside from superlative winners Aydogmus, Draguicevich and Henry, NSU had two other first-team selections in junior defender Hallie Field and sophomore midfielder Kyle Nolen. 

NSU's five first-team selections were a league-high as was the 10 selections overall. 

Three Lady Demons were named to the second team (Hilliard, midfielder Delaney Wells and forward Natalee Henry) while two more were third-teamers (senior forward Kalee Williams and junior defender Jayme Haynes). 

Field continues her All-Conference streak, having earned first team honors for the second straight season and All-Conference recognition for her third consecutive. Field earned starts in all 12 league matches and played every minute in conference play.  

NSU has shutouts in five of their last six matches and in nine of 12 league contests. Through that stretch, Field has played part on a defense that has allowed only four goals against league opponents.  

Offensive midfielder Kyle Nolen earned her first all-conference award of her career.  

Nolen, an emergent leader for the Lady Demons, has carved out a niche as the Lady Demons' go-to for corner kicks. The sophomore is tied for league lead in assists with five, two of which were corner-kick assists. Nolen is also tied for second in the league in assists per game (.42). 

Senior Natalee Henry earned her second straight second team all-conference berth, but this time as a forward instead of her usual defender role.  

Natalee Henry seamlessly transitioned from the back line to the attack early in the season, where she relentlessly pressures opponents into turnovers. Natalee Henry produced four goals and four assists, with three goals and all four assists in league play. She netted two goals and an assist versus Nicholls and logged a game-winning goal versus Incarnate Word on Oct. 17^th. Natalee Henry's four assists is tied for fourth in the league and is sixth in the conference in total points.  

Wells, a defensive-minded midfielder who has played a role in NSU's 10 shutouts, is an all-conference pick for the first time. Wells is a connector who has an offensive role as well. She tallied two goals and three assists on the season – a game winning goal versus Incarnate Word, and the equalizer in a tie with HBU that turned into a forfeit win. All three of Wells' assists came on game winning goals in league play. 

Kalee Williams earned all-conference honors for the first time in her NSU tenure. A physical forward who is tied for fourth in the league with four assists, Williams is part of NSU's pressure package that forces opponents into turnovers. Williams served up two assists at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and one against Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist. Williams started nine of the 11 conference games in which she's played, and took eight shots on the season, four of which were on goal.  

Jayme Haynes' third-team award rounds off NSU's claim to an all-conference back line. Haynes serves as the team's top performer in free kicks and has logged one goal with a header off a corner kick on Oct. 17 against Incarnate Word and an assist against Houston Baptist on Oct. 1^st. Haynes' 20 shots on the season is good for tenth in the league. 

Gore, whose team won its first regular season title since 2000 in his first season as head coach, took the Coach of the Year award – the first to earn the superlative in an inaugural season since 2001. Gore, along with associate head coach Melissa Sherwood, fostered a buy-in from an NSU squad that included eight seniors, and captained an historic season for the Lady Demons after taking on the job late in the summer.  

"I'm extremely proud of this team -- they have worked incredibly hard and these conference rewards are well deserved," Gore said. It's a unique challenge, adjusting to new coaches in such a short amount of time, and they've done so phenomenally." 

The first-seeded Lady Demons are slated for a quarterfinal match in the Southland Conference Tournament on Friday, where they will play the winner of the 4/5 matchup between Southeastern Louisiana/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 

Player of the Year:  Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year:  Caroline Hilliard, Northwestern State
Newcomer of the Year: Kelsey Crosby, McNeese 

Defender of the Year: Nicole Henry, Northwestern State
Midfielder of the Year: Megan Gordon, Southeastern
Forward of the Year:  Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State
Goalkeeper of the Year: Acelya Aydogmus, Northwestern State
Coach of the Year: Stuart Gore, Northwestern State
  

2021 Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference Teams
 
First Team 

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
D	Eve Clarkson2	UIW	Jr.	Whalley, Lancashire, England
D	Hallie Field3	Northwestern State	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
D	Nicole Henry3	Northwestern State	Sr.	Tomball, Texas
D	Keely Morrow2	McNeese	Sr.	Nevada, Texas
MF	Isabella Beletic3	UIW	Gr.	Corpus Christi, Texas
MF	Megan Gordon2	Southeastern	Sr.	Clophill, England
MF	Kyle Nolen	Northwestern State	So.	Richardson, Texas
MF	Anna Watson	McNeese	Sr.	Spring, Texas
F	Olivia Draguicevich2	Northwestern State	Jr.	Pflugerville, Texas
F	Mya Guillory2	Southeastern	Jr.	St. Amant, La.
F	Sierra Wannamaker2	UIW	So.	San Antonio, Texas
F	Rachel Young	McNeese	So.	Surprise, Ariz.
GK	Acelya Aydogmus2	Northwestern State	Sr.	Cape Coral, Fla.

 
Second Team 

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
D	Payton Adams	UIW	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
D	Emma Crump	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	Fr.	Wylie, Texas
D	Darby Gillette	Southeastern	Sr.	Meridian, Miss.
D	Caroline Hilliard	Northwestern State	Fr.	Corinth, Texas
D	Morgan Schooley	McNeese	Fr.	St. Augustine, Fla.
MF	Ryan Ford	HBU	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
MF	Kiana Kukaua	McNeese	So.	Valencia, Calif.
MF	Katie Marker	HBU	So.	Friendswood, Texas
MF	Delaney Wells	Northwestern State	So.	Flower Mound, Texas
F	Noor Abukishk	HBU	Sr.	Cairo, Egypt
F	Natalee Henry2	Northwestern State	Sr.	Tomball, Texas
F	Havana Johnson4	McNeese	Sr.	Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
F	Samantha Palomino	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	R-Jr.	Helotes, Texas
GK	Nadine Maher	Southeastern	Sr.	Dublin, Ireland

  

Third Team 

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
D	Jayme Haynes	Northwestern State	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
D	Megan Mielke	McNeese	So.	Bellowflower, Calif.
D	Mia Salas	HBU	So.	San Antonio, Texas
MF	Kelsey Crosby	McNeese	Jr.	Spokane, Wash.
MF	Reaghan Lang	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	Sr.	Fort Collins, Colo.
MF	Madison McComasky	UIW	Sr.	Sydney, Australia
MF	Talin Rizo	HBU	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas
F	Keeley Ayala2	UIW	Sr.	Wichita Falls, Texas
F	Maggie Murray	Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	So.	Cranford, N.J.
F	Ellie Williams	Southeastern	Jr.	Frisco, Texas
F	Kalee Williams	Northwestern State	Sr.	Frisco, Texas
GK	Jackie Kelly	McNeese	Fr.	Benicia, Calif.

2 – Two-time all-conference selection
3 – Three-time all-conference selection 

4 – Four-time all-conference selection