NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Christopher Newport University senior Victoria Perry was named the Player of the Year Thursday with the release of the 2016 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) College Division All-State Women's Soccer Teams. Shenandoah forward Emily Yergin was named the State Rookie of the Year, and CNU's Dan Weiler collected Coach of the Year honors.
Nine different programs from across the Commonwealth were represented in the annual awards presented to the best women's soccer players in the state at the Division II, III or NAIA level. Christopher Newport and Lynchburg College led the way with five total selections, including four first team nods for the Captains. Twelve players from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference were selected, followed by seven from the Capital Athletic Conference and three out of the USA South Athletic Conference.
The two major awards for Christopher Newport snap a long run of dominance from Lynchburg that saw the Hornets collect eight straight state Player of the Year, and nine straight Coach of the Year designations.
Perry (Purcellville, Va. / Woodgrove HS) capped one of the finest seasons in program history with her first career All-American recognition when she was tabbed a second team NSCAA All-American earlier this week. The senior forward was a first team All-South Atlantic Region pick, as well as a first team All-Conference selection for the third consecutive season. Perry became CNU's all-time leading scorer (109 pts) and all-time leader in assists (31) during another banner season at the top of a potent CNU attack. She scored 10 goals and ranked in the top 20 nationally with 12 assists for a 32-point season. She is the first player at CNU to register three straight 30-point seasons and capped her tenure as the all-time leader in game-winning goals scored, with 16. Perry is just the third State Player of the Year in program history, and the first since 2010 (Sam Ciaravino).
Perry and the Captains won the program's first Capital Athletic Conference Championship, and earned the team's third trip to the NCAA Tournament in four years. Led by Dan Weiler, Christopher Newport won the most games (17) and had the finest winning percentage (.833) in program history. Weiler picks up his first career VaSID Coach of the Year laurels after guiding CNU back to the NCAA Tournament and earning a win in the postseason for the first time since 2004. CNU finished the season with a 17-3-1 overall record, while capturing the program's fourth straight regular season conference crown.
Yergin (Warrenton, Va. / Kettle Run HS) was named the ODAC Rookie of the Year in 2016 after leading the conference in scoring with 21 goals and nine assists for 50 points. She collected NSCAA All-Region honors, picked to the third team, and became the first Shenandoah player in the past 15 years to earn All-Region accolades. Yergin, the first VaSID Rookie of the Year in program history, was also the first Hornet to earn ODAC Rookie of the Year honors. She earned first team All-League plaudits and was also named first team All-State.
Perry and Yergin make up two-thirds of the first team forwards, and were joined by Lynchburg's Caitlin Mertens. The first team midfielders are Megan Engeland (Washington & Lee), Maryfay Jackson (Mary Washington), and Isabella Weigel (Bridgewater). On the defensive side, Lynchburg and CNU split with two first team defenders each; Lynchburg's Emily Maxwell, the 2015 VaSID Player of the Year, was joined by teammate Natalie Deacon, along with CNU's Keiley McCarthy and Danielle Pratt. Finally, the first team All-State goalkeeper is Christopher Newport junior Carly Maglio.
VaSID names 27 all-state teams in 15 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Members in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a University or conference in the state of Virginia.
2016 VaSID College Division Women's Soccer All-State Teams
First Team
F – Caitlin Mertens (Lynchburg)
F – Victoria Perry (Christopher Newport)
F – Emily Yergin (Shenandoah)
MF – Megan Engeland (Washington & Lee)
MF – Maryfay Jackson (Mary Washington)
MF – Isabella Weigel (Bridgewater)
D – Natalie Deacon (Lynchburg)
D – Emily Maxwell (Lynchburg)
D – Keiley McCarthy (Christopher Newport)
D – Danielle Pratt (Christopher Newport)
GK – Carly Maglio (Christopher Newport)
Second Team
F – Tricia Jessee (Washington & Lee)
F – Annalies Jobsis (Averett)
F – Payton Stuart (Ferrum)
MF – Marina Clark (Lynchburg)
MF – Gabby Gillis (Christopher Newport)
MF – Isabella Krider (Bridgewater)
MF – Emily Whitaker (Roanoke)
D – Corinne Carson (Mary Washington)
D – Michelle Krause (Shenandoah)
D – Ae'Neisha Mar (Ferrum)
GK – Tess Frelick (Lynchburg)
Player of the Year: Victoria Perry, Christopher Newport
Rookie of the Year: Emily Yergin, Shenandoah
Coach of the Year: Dan Weiler, Christopher Newport