Dec. 8, 2011
NSCAA: All-Region Awards | Final Poll
BOSTON - After helping the Boston University women's soccer team capture a program-record 19 victories and fifth straight America East title, five Terriers have earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region accolades, the organization announced Thursday afternoon.
For the second time in program history and first since 2005, three BU women - seniors Lina Cords, Brittany Heist and Jessica Luscinski - were named to the First Team. Classmate Katherine Donnelly and sophomore Kylie Strom received Second Team honors, as the Terriers led the region with the most award recipients, followed by Marquette at four.
Finishing the season at 19-3-1 (.848), the Terriers claimed their seventh straight NCAA bid and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third time in program history after earning a 3-0 victory at Nickerson Field over Ivy League champion Harvard.
Though the school-record 14-game win streak came to an end at top-seeded and 2011 College Cup participant Wake Forest, the Terriers earned their highest-ever end-of-the-year RPI ranking at No. 31 and NSCAA poll ranking at No. 17.
Leading the way on the offensive end was two-time AE Striker of the Year Jessica Luscinski, who sat atop the BU statistical categories with 26 points off nine goals and eight assists. Named to the second team in 2010, she finished her collegiate career second all-time at BU in points with 82 and in assists with 24.
Earning her first-ever All-Region First Team award, AE Defender of the Year Lina Cords anchored a backline that finished 12th nationally in goals against average at 0.56. A third team recipient in 2010, she helped the Terriers shut out 14 opponents, just one shy of tying last year's program record.
A team captain alongside Cords, AE Midfielder of the Year Brittany Heist served as the starting point for an attack that led the America East and ranked 19th nationally with a school-record 54 goals in 23 games (2.35 gpg). Earning her first-ever All-Region award, she finished tied-for-second in the league with seven assists while also adding five goals.
An All-Conference First Team honoree, Katherine Donnelly started all 23 games this season and tallied three assists from the backline. She was key on the defensive end, helping BU earn shutout wins over Washington and then-No. 8 Portland to claim the Husky/Nike Invitational.
Also named to the America East All-Conference First Team, Kylie Strom was second on the squad in points with 19 off eight goals and three assists. She recorded five game-winning goals on the season with two coming against Harvard during the regular season and NCAA tournament.
