Dec. 5, 2008
A Quick Rundown of UCF's NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I Awards
All-America Second Team and All-Southeast Region First Team - Fr. GK Aline Reis
Reis is one of 12 Knights in the history of the program to be named an NSCAA All-American. That list includes four-time honoree Michelle Akers.
Reis also is one of just three freshmen in the country that earned All-America First or Second Team accolades.
All-Southeast Region Second Team - Jr. D Nikki Moore
All-Southeast Region Second Team - Jr. M Becca Thomas
All-Southeast Region Third Team - Sr. F Danielle Dos Santos
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF women's soccer freshman Aline Reis received a very high honor Friday, as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America selected the goalkeeper to the NSCAA/adidas Division I All-America Second Team. A native of Campinas, Brazil, Reis became the first Knight since 1995 to be recognized as an All-American, and she was one of just three freshmen in the nation on either the First or Second Teams.
"Aline is the total package, but a small package at 5-foot-3," said assistant coach and goalkeeper coach Donna Fishter. "I just didn't think in her freshman year that something like this would happen. It's unexpected but obviously we are really happy. Aline is a hard worker and definitely a student of the game. I can only imagine what her future holds."
Along with her spot on the All-America squad, Reis joined senior Danielle Dos Santos (Campinas, Brazil) and juniors Becca Thomas (Burlington, Wash.) and Nikki Moore (Virginia Beach, Va.) to the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Teams. That marks just the fourth time in UCF history that the Black and Gold had at least four players be named NSCAA all-region.
The foursome helped UCF post a 14-6-3 overall record this year and make its 13th trip to the NCAA Tournament, eventually reaching the Second Round. The Knights were ranked as high as 18th in the country in 2008.
Sitting out 2007 with a medical redshirt, Reis opened the 2008 campaign as one of UCF's shortest players at 5-foot-3. However, that did not stop her from being tabbed as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week four times and voted onto both the All-C-USA Second Team and the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
Reis completed her stellar season with six shutouts in 21 starts. She also had a 1.26 goals-against average, a .793 save percentage and 107 saves, which tied for fifth on UCF's single-season chart. Those 107 stops already put her within two of ninth place on the school's career save leaderboard.
UCF's first starting freshman goalkeeper since 1995, Reis' accolade was the 15th time a Knight was named an NSCAA/adidas All-American, but she was the first since midfielder Amy Jones in 1995. Before that, Knights' current volunteer assistant coach Michelle Akers picked up First Team honors in 1988 before dominating on the worldwide stage as one of the best players in women's soccer.
Moore and Thomas were both voted onto the All-C-USA First Team, and they each grabbed a spot on the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second Team. For Moore, it was the second time she received the award. The defender tallied two assists this season while holding opponents to just 29 goals in 23 matches.
Thomas continued her impressive play in 2008, routinely setting up scoring chances for the Knights' attack. She ranked third on the team with 16 points on five goals and six assists. It was her first appearance on the all-region squad.
Dos Santos wrapped up her career with some eye-popping numbers in the second half of the 2008 campaign to jump onto the All-Southeast Region Third Team. The forward racked up a team-high 21 points thanks to eight goals and five helpers, but had only three points in the first 12 matches. In her final 11 contests, dos Santos collected seven goals and four assists.
For the complete listing of this year's NSCAA/adidas award winners, check out NSCAA.com.
And for the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.