Soccer Earns Seven All-WIAC Honorees

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Posted: Wednesday, November 8, 2006

MADISON - The UW-Eau Claire women's soccer team earned seven All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) selections in addition to earning the Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year, it was announced today by conference sports information director Matt Stanek.

The seven All-WIAC selections are the most ever in one season by the Blugolds and the most by any WIAC team since Stevens Point in 2001. The Blugolds won their second straight WIAC regular season and tournament titles in addition to earning a birth to the NCAA post-season tournament.

Named to the All-WIAC team was Player of the Year forward Maria Iaizzo (Sr.-White Bear Lake, MN), Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete midfielder Emily Meisinger (Sr.-Green Bay/Notre Dame Academy), midfielder Liz Kooistra (So.-Lakeville, MN), goalie Allie Rivard (So.-Plymouth, MN/Wayzata), defender Allison Smith (So.-Bloomington, MN/Jefferson), forward Amy Smith (So.-Bloomington, MN/Jefferson) and defender Becky Westbrock (Sr.-Oakdale, MN/North St. Paul). Head coach Sean Yengo earned his second consecutive WIAC Coach of the Year award.

Iaizzo leads the conference with eight game-winning goals and ranks second with 10 assists and fourth with 40 points and 15 goals. Iaizzo had a season-high three goals against UW-Whitewater on Sept. 23 and has registered at least one point in 17 of 23 matches played. She becomes the first player in school history to win the women's soccer player of the year honor. In her career at UW-Eau Claire, Iaizzo has compiled 27 goals and 13 assists for 67 points.

Meisinger secured All-WIAC status for the third time in her career after ranking seventh in the league with seven assists and ninth with 23 points. She has also added eight goals. Meisinger is the fourth Blugold to earn the soccer Scholar-Athlete award joining Sarah Pierringer (2001), Tracy Roever (1997) and Carrie Seipp (1996).

Kooistra, a two-time All-WIAC choice, is sixth in the conference with 10 goals and eighth with 24 points. She has chipped in four assists and tallied four game-winning goals.

Amy Smith ranks fourth in the WIAC with eight assists and sixth with 28 points and 10 goals. She has produced five game-winning goals.

Rivard leads the conference with a 0.08 goals against average and .971 save percentage. Her .08 goals against average is on pace to break the conference single-season mark of 0.23 set by UW-Stevens Point's Abby Rabinovitz in 2000.

Westbrock and Allison Smith lead a Blugold defense that has posted a school-record 16 shutouts and tops the WIAC with a 0.34 goals against average. Westbrock is a three-time All-WIAC pick who has one goal and three assists for five points, while Smith is a two-time selection who has added three assists for three points.

UW-Eau Claire head coach Sean Yengo was voted the Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, becoming the third coach in league history to accomplish the feat. UW-Stevens Point's Sheila Miech won the award in 2000 and 2001, while UW-River Falls' Sean McKuras was recognized in 2002 and 2003.

Yengo has directed the squad to a school-record 21 victories, the WIAC regular season title, the WIAC tournament crown and a spot in the NCAA tournament. Yengo is in his 10th year with the Blugolds and has accumulated a 132-60-15 record. His 132 victories rank second on the conference's all-time list.