Four All-Big South Honorees Highlight Awards Banquet
11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2009
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Coastal Carolina University women's soccer team had two players make both the All-Big South Conference First and Second Teams as well as an All-Academic selection as the conference handed out its individual and team awards Nov. 4 in Charleston, S.C. The awards were given out prior to the start of the 2009 Big South Women's Soccer Championships.
Junior Anna Tupy (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) and senior Dana Gentile (Utica, N.Y./Herkimer C.C.) both were named to the All-Big South First Team, while seniors Maegen Hellberg (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) and Sarah McPartlan (Crystal Lake, Ill./Loyola (Ill.)) were both Second Team selections. Morgan Thomas (Simpsonville, S.C./Southside Christian) was named to the All-Freshman Team. Hellberg also was named to the Big South's All-Academic Team.
Tupy is one of three Chanticleers to start all 20 games this season, having scored five goals and assisting on four others for 14 points. The points mark is second on the team and 10th in the Big South. She most recently scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Winthrop Oct. 31. Tupy also had two goals and an assist in the 5-1 win over USC Upstate. She had a goal apiece in Big South games against UNC Asheville and Presbyterian and assisted on the game-winning goal in the 2-0 win over Gardner-Webb. Tupy earns her first All-Big South First Team honor after being named to the Second Team in 2008.
Gentile is second in the Big South and leads the team with 11 goals and 22 points. She has four game-winning goals on the season and three multi-goal games. She had a hat trick in the 5-1 win over USC Upstate and had multi-goal games in wins over Gardner-Webb and VMI. Gentile's 11 goals are tied for fourth in the single-season goals scoring list at Coastal Carolina. A two-time Big South Player of the Week, she scored the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Radford Oct. 12. She also converted on a penalty kick in the 2-1 season-opening win over Jacksonville. Gentile earns her first All-Big South First Team selection.
Hellberg, who has a 3.437 grade-point average in biology/pre-med, has played in 19 games at sweeper for the Chanticleers this season. She has helped a defense to six shutouts and a 1.56 goals-against average. Hellberg scored the game-winning goal in the 3-0 win over VMI Oct. 10 and broke Coastal Carolina's all-time games started record with 81. She will tie the games played record at Coastal in Thursday's quarterfinal match against VMI. This is Hellberg's third All-Big South Second Team selection.
McPartlan also has started and played all 20 games for the Chanticleers this season. She has played up front, in the midfield and on defense this season and has an assist in the 5-1 win over USC Upstate Sept. 21. She has five career assists at Coastal. She has attempted 30 shots on the season, five of which came in the win over UNC Asheville. This is McPartlan's second All-Big South Second Team selection.
Thomas has played in all 20 games for the Chanticleers, with six starts. She scored her first career goal against George Mason Sept. 13. She has attempted 12 shots on the year, with a season-high three at High Point Oct. 3.
In other Big South specialty awards, Charleston Southern's Marky Boyce was named the Player of the Year, Radford's Mary Wiley was the Freshman of the Year, Liberty's Jessica Hain was the Coach of the Year and VMI's Audrey Falconi was the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Coastal Carolina will open the 2009 Big South Women's Soccer Championships Thursday, Nov. 5 against VMI. The game starts at 11:30 a.m., at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
