KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- Two ODAC standouts earned recognition in the final set of awards announced by the United Soccer Coaches (USC) on Thursday night. Randolph-Macon forward Gabby Nelson and Washington and Lee defender Emily Roche' earned Second Team All-America laurels.
A total of 95 players (47 men, 48 women) in NCAA Division III soccer receive All-America recognition this year. This year's All-Americans will be formally acknowledged for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020 at the Baltimore Convention Center in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.
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Nelson, a senior from Clover, Va., is the ninth All-American in Randolph-Macon women's soccer history. She joins a list that includes Jenn Kohler (1992, 1994, 1995), Julie McCrary (1993), Erin Hamm (1994, 1995, 1996) and Aimee Beightol (1996). Nelson, the 2019 ODAC Player of the Year and First Team All-Region selection, led the ODAC and is third in the nation with 27 goals and nine game-winning goals. Nelson is fourth in the country with 62 points. She is second in program history in goals and points in a season, trailing only Jennifer Foster's 32-goal 78-point campaign in 1989. Nelson was named to the 2019 ODAC All-Tournament Team and to the 2019 Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team by CoSIDA.
Roche', a senior from Ashburn, Va., becomes the first W&L women's soccer player to earn All-America laurels since Kat Lawson '12 claimed first team recognition in 2011, and is just the fifth player in program history to be named an All-American. A Second Team All-Region and First Team All-ODAC performer in 2019, Roche' appeared in 19 games for the Blue and White, with 17 starts, and led the defensive unit to allowing just 10 goals in 20 games. The team notched a 0.50 goals-against average (GAA), 17th-best in Division III, and recorded 13 shutouts, the most since 2014 (13). Roche' also provided an offensive punch, adding three assists on the season, including two in a 4-0 win over Ferrum in the ODAC Quarterfinals.