Fresno State Athletics
Dogs Honor Seniors at Banquet
2/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Feb. 11, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State women's soccer team had a lot to celebrate at the annual awards banquet last season. The Bulldogs won the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Ruston, La. and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The banquet was a chance to recognize the accomplishments of the team, the graduating seniors and hand out team awards.
"Our banquet was a great tribute to a successful season," said head coach Brian Zwaschka. "We have built some special traditions which recognize the exceptional efforts of our student-athletes, on and off the field. It is an event that creates an especially warm and somewhat emotional send-off for our seniors and their families, the current players and staff alike."
The Dogs 11 seniors helped win the 2008 and 2010 WAC Championship and made two trips to the NCAA tournament.
"Though we're always working to foster a more competitive, challenging, and often difficult environment of excellence, our team culture is a unique balance of necessary hardness coupled with unwavering support and respect for one another while striving for our common goals," said Zwschka. "Our team has become a pretty close family program over the past two seasons and that played a huge part in getting through the toughest times to ultimately achieve our team's successes this year, as well as providing a tremendous environment for future success."
The award winners for the 2010 season were either given by the coaches or voted on by the players. The following honorees were selected by their teammates. The Players' Most Improved player was Nicole Duff. The senior led the team with six goals and 15 points. She also recorded three assists and was an All-WAC selection.
Players Player of the Year was Katie Lee. The senior scored the winning goal against Utah State to advance the Bulldogs to the final round of the WAC Tournament. Lee recorded three assists and was named the WAC Tournament MVP.
The rest of the awards were selected by the coaching staff. Coaches' Most Improved was freshman Tara Boynton. By the end of the season, Boynton made her way into the starting lineup and recorded nine starts. She recorded two assists for two points.
Most Consistent went to junior Molly Nizzoli. The junior made eight starts and had a total of four points this season. Nizzoli recorded a goal and two assists before her season was cut short due to an injury. She was able to return for the final game of the season against UCF.
Lauren Lindstrom, a freshman from Camarillo, Calif., was named Newcomer of the Year. She played in every game and started 21 in her first year. She recorded a team-high four assists. She also tallied four points.
The coaches selected Vanessa Gonzalez as their Player of the Year. The junior started 18 games and recorded two goals. The midfielder scored in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She recorded 34 shots.
The Bulldog Award winner was Kendall VanDine. The junior captain had a 4.0 GPA in the fall. VanDine is a leader for the Bulldogs on and off the field. She is a consistent player and always working to improve herself and others.
The Bulldogs also announced their academic achievements of a fall GPA of 3.275 and recipients of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Achievement Award (for team GPA above 3.0).
"We Are Your Team!" For up-to-date information on the Fresno State women's soccer team log on to gobulldogs.com.
