ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Five members of the UCF women's soccer team received All-Southeast Region recognition from United Soccer Coaches Association.
Vera Varis, Kathellen Sousa and Morgan Ferrara were First Team selections, while Kayla Adamek and Dina Orschmann earned Second Team honors. UCF was tied with South Carolina and FGCU with the most selections across the three all-region teams.
UCF tied its program-best with five selections, reaching the mark for the fourth time in program history. Five Knights also earned all-region recognition in 1989, 2010 and 2011.
Varis allowed just four goals all season, compiling a goals against average of 0.27 that ranks third in the nation. The junior from Vantaa, Finland, was named the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year as she tallied five shutouts with just one goal allowed in nine league matches.
Sousa added to her postseason accolades with the all-region selection. The Sao Vincente, Brazil, native was named The American Co-Defensive Player of the Year after a solid campaign on the back line. Moving to centerback in the season opener, Sousa helped the Knights to 10 shutouts during their 16-match unbeaten streak.
Ferrara paced the sixth-ranked UCF scoring offense with 13 goals. Her six game-winning goals ranks eighth nationally. The Tampa native was tabbed The American Offensive Player of the Year. She racked up 23 points with 10 goals and a trio of assists in league play.
Adamek and Orschmann also sparked the UCF offense. The pair ranked second and third, respectively, in goals. Adamek tallied a career-best 10 goals on the season and was named The American Midfielder of the Year. Orschmann finished her freshman campaign with 20 points, scoring six goals with a team-leading eight assists. The Berlin native was named The American Rookie of the Year.
The Knights finished the 2017 campaign with a 13-2-3 record, the most wins since the 2014 campaign. Returning to the United Soccer Coaches poll, UCF climbed as high as No. 6 and finished the regular season ranked eighth. The Knights posted a 16-match unbeaten streak, the longest since the 2013 campaign, and captured the American Athletic Conference regular season championship for the third time under head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
COLLEGE CUP
The pinnacle of college women's soccer will be co-hosted by UCF and the Central Florida Sports Commission, and held at the new Orlando City Soccer Stadium from Dec. 1-3, 2017. Purchase your tickets by clicking here.
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