Eight wins, one loss and one tie. Three wins and no losses in Ivy League competition. Any way you look at it, that is not a bad way to start a season. Any team with eight wins in 10 games certainly has more than its fair share of star players who deserve awards at the end of the year.
Or maybe even before the end.
In that vein, welcome to the presentation of the women's soccer midseason awards. This is a chance to look at back at the Tigers' progress over the course of the first 10 games and single out those players that have helped put Princeton in first place in the league. We start at the beginning — with the freshmen.
Rookie of the (Half) Year
With so many outstanding freshman contributors, it's no surprise that head coach Julie Shackford was able to start four first-year players against Cal-Poly during the West Coast swing.
So how can you judge who has had the greatest impact? Could it be the Willis sisters — Rochelle and Janine — with their experience on the Canadian National Team and expert ball control skills? Or maybe it's Esmeralda Negron, who always seems to find her way to the ball at the right time.
There is one freshman, though, who is tied for the team lead in goals scored — five — and leads the team in game winning goals with three. That is why the Rookie of the Year award goes to forward Kristina Fontanez.
Best Defensive Player
Again, with the way Princeton has opened the season — allowing only five goals in 10 games — it is very difficult to single out one Tiger as the dominant defensive force. Junior defender Heather Deerin gets the nod, however, in a tight race against junior midfielder Alex Fiore. Both Deerin and Fiore have stayed tough in physical matchups against teams like Rutgers and Brown.
According to senior captain and midfielder Linley Gober, Deerin's leadership skills set her apart from the crowd.
"[She] has been extremely solid," Gober said. "She is our most consistent player and has done an incredible job of organizing a young defense."
Best Offensive Player
Balance is the hallmark of any strong offensive team. Princeton's offense has exhibited just that to date, with two Tigers — Fontanez and sophomore forward Theresa Sherry — tied for the team lead in goals. Eleven players have recorded at least one assist on the season.
In terms of recent production though, there can be no doubt that going into the second half of the season, Sherry has made the greatest impact. Her three goals in the past two games have sparked the Tigers to two vital wins over William and Mary and Brown.
"She has been really dangerous and catalyzed our attack whenever she's in the game," Gober said of Sherry.
Most Valuable Player
It seems almost wrong to select one player from such a unified team to place on the pedestal of MVP.
That is why, for this award, it made sense to turn to someone who leads the Tigers on the field, rather than just rely on the judgement of one writer who covers them from afar.
"Overall, [senior goalkeeper] Catherine Glenn has come up with huge saves and has been extremely solid in goal," Gober said. "Her experience and leadership have really helped to carry and organize the back line of defense."
Her intangibles aside, it wasn't until her sixth start that an opposing team managed to net a goal against Glenn. Since that Oct. 2 game at Rutgers, the Tigers have given up only four more goals, holding No. 2 UCLA scoreless in the first half for only the second time this season. Tennessee is the only other team to hold the Bruins scoreless for a half.
For her outstanding contributions to Princeton's rock solid first half, Catherine Glenn earns the Most Valuable Player award at the halfway mark.
On a team that most closely resembles one large supporting cast, these awards went to Tigers who have made some clearly measurable impact.
The obvious fact that each award had more than one possible winner speaks to the overwhelming depth Princeton enjoys. Wins in the second half — and maybe the NCAA Tournament — will be team efforts complemented by the performances of the next set of award winners.
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