Shaffer Leads Six UVA Players In Earning VaSID Honors
Dec. 20, 2016
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Senior midfielder Alexis Shaffer (Cary, N.C.) was named the state’s Player of the Year and led a group of six Virginia women’s soccer players recognized with VaSID honors by the Virginia Sports Information Directors, the organization announced with the release of its annual awards on Tuesday (Dec. 20).
Shaffer was named a first-team VaSID selection in addition to being the Player of the Year. She joined forward Veronica Latsko (Venetia, Pa.), defenders Meghan Cox (Springfield, Va.) and Kristen McNabb (Montville, N.J.), and keeper Morgan Stearns (San Antonio, Texas) in first-team honors. Freshman forward Taylor Ziemer (Santa Rosa, Calif.) was named a second-team selection.
A first-team All-America selection and semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, Shaffer paced the Cavalier offense in 2016 with a team-leading 13 goals, seven assists and 32 points. She hit three game-winning goals and notched her first hat trick of the season in a win over Pittsburgh. Her game-winners came against Michigan State, at No. 20 Notre Dame and Monmouth in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Latsko was second on the team in goals scored this season with eight, while adding three assists on the year. She hit a team-leading four game-winning goals as part of a prolific Cavalier offense.
Cox, McNabb and Stearns anchored a defense that posted 11 shutout victories on the season and set the school record for consecutive shutout minutes at 976. Cox provided a pair of game-winning assists and hit a game-winning goal on the season, while McNabb hit a pair of game-winning goals on the season on her way to All-ACC second-team honors.
Stearns set the school record for wins with 66 career wins after picking up 15 wins on the season and set the school record for consecutive shutout minutes by a keeper with 905.
Ziemer led all freshman on the squad with eight goals for the season, tying for second on the squad behind Shaffer and matching the number scored by Latsko. She also added two assists on the year.