FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - CAC champion Christopher Newport swept the major awards and had a conference-best seven players earn all-star recognition to lead the 2017 All-CAC Women's Soccer Team. CNU junior Gabby Gillis collected Player of the Year honors, freshman Riley Cook earned Rookie of the Year, and head coach Dan Weiler was selected as Coach of the Year for the second-straight season.
Gillis, a junior midfielder for the Captains, becomes the third CNU player to claim the conference's top honor as Player of the Year. Gillis ranks second in the CAC in points (32) with 13 goals and six assists on the year entering this week's NCAA Tournament. She joins former Captains Victoria Perry (2014) and Bupe Okeowo (2013) as Player of the Year recipients from CNU.
Cook leads the conference in scoring this season with 34 points on 15 goals and four assists, earning Rookie of the Year for her efforts. She joins teammate Keiley McCarthy (2016) and former Captains Kira Warner (2014) and Sam Rabinek (2013) as Rookie of the Year winners for CNU.
Weiler collected Coach of the Year accolades for the second-straight season and third time overall after guiding CNU to a perfect overall and CAC record (18-0-1, 9-0 CAC), its fifth straight regular season crown and the tournament title for the second consecutive year. Weiler is the just the third coach in CAC history to secure Coach of the Year honors at least three times, along with York's Vickie Sterner (2001, 2003, 2007) and former Mary Washington head coach Kurt Glaeser (1995-2000, 2004).
All seven CNU all-stars were selected to the All-CAC first team. Along with Gillis and Cook, sophomore forward Carson Pokorny, sophomore midfielder Sydney Rife, sophomore defender Keiley McCarthy, senior defender Danielle Pratt, and senior goalkeeper Carly Maglio picked up first-team accolades for the Captains. Gillis (1st in '16, 2nd in '15), Maglio (1st in '16, 2nd in '15), Pratt (1st in '16), McCarthy (1st & ROY in '16), and Pokorny (2nd in '16) were repeat all-stars, while Rife claimed the first All-CAC honors of her career.
Salisbury landed five players on the All-CAC squad, including three on the first team. Senior forward Ruthie Lucas led the Sea Gull honorees as a repeat first-team pick. Senior defender Jamie Tacka and sophomore midfielder Dana Gordon were named to the first team, while senior goalkeeper Hope Knussman and freshman defender Kayla Homeyer picked up second-team honors for SU.
Frostburg State and St. Mary's each placed three on the All-CAC team. The Frostburg State trio of sophomore forward Brooke Shehade, senior midfielder Melanie Bell, and junior defender Alyssa Malanik were each named to the first team and were all repeat selections for the Bobcats. Shehade and Bell earned back-to-back first-team recognition, while Malanik was a 2015 first-teamer and 2016 second-teamer.
The St. Mary's trio of senior defender Lane Brooks, junior midfielder Emily Huey, and freshman forward Emmey German each received All-CAC second-team accolades. Brooks was also a second-team pick in 2016, while Huey was a first-team all-star in 2016 for the Seahawks.
Penn State Harrisburg and Southern Virginia each placed two players on the all-conference second team. For Penn State Harrisburg, junior forward Kristen Stark (2nd in '16, 1st & ROY in '15) made her way onto the All-CAC team for the third-straight season, with sophomore defender Madison Hemler nabbing the first all-star honor of her career. The Southern Virginia duo of senior midfielder Kora Jewell and junior defender Anne Powell were named CAC all-stars for the first time.
Mary Washington, Marymount, Wesley, and York were each represented by one player on the All-CAC second team. Wesley junior midfielder Janiah Moore was named a second-team all-star for the third straight season, while Mary Washington freshman midfielder Brooke Bauman, Marymount sophomore forward Karen Reyes, and York junior forward Caitlin Rankin earned the first all-star awards of their careers.
2017 CAC Player of the Year: Gabby Gillis, Christopher Newport
2017 CAC Rookie of the Year: Riley Cook, Christopher Newport
2017 CAC Coach of the Year: Dan Weiler, Christopher Newport (2nd-straight year, 3rd time overall)
2017 All-CAC Women's Soccer First Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | TEAM | HOMETOWN/HS | PREVIOUS ALL-CAC HONORS |
| Riley Cook | Fr. | For | Christopher Newport | Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee | |
| Ruthie Lucas | Sr. | For | Salisbury | Ellicott City, Md./Centennial | 1st in '16 |
| Carson Pokorny | So. | For | Christopher Newport | Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette | 2nd in '16 |
| Brooke Shehade | So. | For | Frostburg State | Odenton, Md./Arch. Spalding | 1st in '16 |
| Melanie Bell | Sr. | Mid | Frostburg State | Sykesville, Md./Century | 1st in '16 |
| Gabby Gillis | Jr. | Mid | Christopher Newport | Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County | 1st in '16, 2nd in '15 |
| Dana Gordon | So. | Mid | Salisbury | Phoenix, Ariz./Notre Dame Prep | |
| Sydney Rife | So. | Mid | Christopher Newport | Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam | |
| Alyssa Malanik | Sr. | Def | Frostburg State | Sykesville, Md./Century | 2nd in '16, 1st in '15 |
| Keiley McCarthy | So. | Def | Christopher Newport | Clifton, Va./Robinson | 1st & ROY in '16 |
| Danielle Pratt | Sr. | Def | Christopher Newport | Chesapeake, Va./Atlantic Shores Christ. | 1st in '16 |
| Jamie Tacka | Sr. | Def | Salisbury | Linthicum, Md./North County | |
| Carly Maglio | Sr. | GK | Christopher Newport | Richmond, Va./Cosby | 1st in '16, 2nd in '15 |
2017 All-CAC Women's Soccer Second Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | TEAM | HOMETOWN/HS | PREVIOUS ALL-CAC HONORS |
| Emmey German | Fr. | For | St. Mary's | Lutherville, Md./Towson | |
| Caitlin Rankin | Jr. | For | York | Joppa, Md./Edgewood | |
| Karen Reyes | So. | For | Marymount | Reston, Va./South Lakes | |
| Kristen Stark | Jr. | For | Penn State Harrisburg | Lancaster, Pa./Donegal | 2nd in '16, 1st & ROY in '15 |
| Brooke Bauman | Fr. | Mid | Mary Washington | Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle | |
| Emily Huey | Jr. | Mid | St. Mary's | Pocomoke City, Md./Snow Hill | 1st in '16 |
| Kora Jewell | Sr. | Mid | Southern Virginia | Highland, Utah/American Fork | |
| Janiah Moore | Jr. | Mid | Wesley | Dover, Del./Caesar Rodney | 2nd in '16, 2nd in '15 |
| Lane Brooks | Sr. | Def | St. Mary's | Middletown, Del./Bohemia Manor | 2nd in '16 |
| Madison Hemler | So. | Def | Penn State Harrisburg | Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs | |
| Kayla Homeyer | Fr. | Def | Salisbury | Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park | |
| Anne Powell | Jr. | Def | Southern Virginia | Salt Lake City, Utah/Olympus | |
| Hope Knussman | Sr. | GK | Salisbury | Easton, Md./Easton |