Vistnes, Rizzo and Fierro Pick Up ECC Awards; Seven Players Named All-Conference
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (Oct. 5, 2012) - On the heels of an unbeaten conference regular season record, the LIU Post Pioneers grabbed at least a share of every ECC Women's Soccer All-Conference major award, as voted on by the league's coaches. Freshman forward
Susanne Vistnes (Randaberg, Norway) was named both the Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year, senior
Nicole Fierro (East Hampton, N.Y.) has been tabbed the Goalkeeper of the Year and junior back
Karina Rizzo (Oceanside, N.Y.) shared the ECC Defensive Player of the Year honor with Dowling's Dominique DeFelice. LIU Post head coach
Mark Dawson rounds out the major award winners for the Pioneers with the Coach of the Year honor.
Vistnes was the most potent offensive player in the ECC, if not all of Division II, in 2012. The six-time ECC weekly honoree (two-time Player of the Week, four-time Rookie of the Week) led the conference in goals (19), assists (9), and points (47). Her point total is the most in the ECC since Vanessa Moreira of Dowling posted 52 in 2007. In addition to topping the ECC leader board, Vistnes' scoring numbers also rank near the top in the nation. She ranks among the top five in Division II in points per game (2.47), goals per game (1.0), total goals, and total points.
Rizzo and DeFelice were both the anchors of stingy back lines in 2012. Rizzo started all 19 games for a Pioneers squad that shut out seven opponents on the season and allowed only 17 goals. DeFelice also started every game, helping Dowling allow a conference low 12 goals on the year and ranked in the top 25 in Division II in goals-against average (.621) and shutout percentage (.556).
Fierro, who won the ECC Defensive Player of the Week five out of nine weeks, posted a 15-2-2 record in net for the Pioneers. She led the conference with 103 saves and tallied 6 shutouts on the year. Fierro paced the conference with a .858 save percentage and also ranked second in goals against (17) and goals against average (0.88).
Leading his team to an ECC Regular Season title and unbeaten record,
Mark Dawson has been voted the ECC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year by his peers. Dawson guided the Pioneers to a 15-1-2 regular season record with a 7-0-1 mark in conference play to earn the top seed in the ECC Tournament. The Pioneers have also risen to as high as the No. 3 spot in the NSCAA Division II National Poll under Dawson's tutelage.
Vistnes, Rizzo and Fierro are joined on the All-Conference First Team by fellow Pioneers
Alexa Niciforo (East Islip, N.Y.) and
Prudence Rydstrom (Islip, N.Y.).
Earning Second Team accolades from LIU Post are
Hanna Westerling (Alvadalen, Sweden) and
Jeanine Ambrogi (Greenlawn, N.Y.).
2012 ECC Women's Soccer All-Conference
First Team
F - Julia Colley, Bridgeport
F - Alexa Niciforo, LIU Post
F - Susanne Vistnes, LIU Post
M - Sarah Boucher, Queens
M - Gabriella D'Aprile, Dowling
M - Prudence Rydstrom, LIU Post
M - Becky Wallis, Bridgeport
B - Dominique DeFelice, Dowling
B - Alyssa Faller, Molloy
B - Karina Rizzo, LIU Post
GK - Nicole Fierro, LIU Post
Second Team
F - Brittany Kinmond, Roberts Wesleyan
F - Crystal Mena, Mercy
F - Hanna Westerling, LIU Post
M - Jeanine Ambrogi, LIU Post
M - Alexis Parrotta, Dowling
M - Gabby Reis, Bridgeport
M - Lorena Russi, Queens
B - Ashleigh Berg, Bridgeport
B - Lisa Cassata, Queens
B - Gabby Trombley, Bridgeport
GK - Allison Breakey, Queens
Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year: Susanne Vistnes, Fr., F, LIU Post
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Dominique DeFelice, Sr., B, Dowling & Karina Rizzo, Jr., B, LIU Post
Goalkeeper of the Year: Nicole Fierro, Sr., LIU Post
Coach of the Year: Mark Dawson, LIU Post