Lady Saints Front and Center at PBC Awards Show

AUGUSTA, GA – The North Georgia women’s soccer team was front and center when the Peach Belt Conference released the 2009 All-Conference squad as Kelsey Martin was named PBC Freshman of the Year, while Chris Adams earned PBC Coach of the Year Honors.

The Peach Belt Conference released it’s 26-member women’s soccer All-Conference team from a banquet in Evans, Ga., site of the 2009 Tournament Friday evening, and while Armstrong Atlantic State’s Kristin Burton was named the PBC Player of the Year for the third time, North Georgia took the stage, bringing home two of the top three honors in the league.

Kelsey Martin becomes the first North Georgia player to be named the Freshman of the Year. She led the Lady Saints and was tied for seventh in the PBC with nine goals during the season; she was also tied for eighth in the league in points. The Dallas, Ga., native had three game-winning goals, including the lone score in a 1-0 upset of then third-ranked Columbus State. She started in 11 games as a freshman and played in all 16 for North Georgia.

Chris Adams earns his first PBC Coach of the Year award after leading North Georgia to a 10-5-2 overall record in 2009. In his seventh season at NGCSU, Adams led the program from the NAIA to the Division II level and this season pulled off their biggest win with a 1-0 victory against Columbus State, then ranked #3 in the nation. The Lady Saints were the #5 seed after turning in their most conference wins in any season as a part of the Peach Belt Conference.

Earning her third straight All-Conference selection on defense, Casey Smith anchored the North Georgia defense in 2009, earning PBC Defensive Player of the Week on four different occasions, more than any other player in the league. The junior was second in the league with nine assists, and second in the PBC in assists per game at 0.53. Smith has played in all 17 games for the Lady Saints, starting 16 of those and logging 1316 minutes of action. She has six goals and nine assists for 21 points, while recording one game-winning goal. The Stockbridge, Ga., native had 25 shots, with 14 shots on goal for a .560 shots on goal percentage.

Earning the respect of coaches all over the league, true freshman Kelly Penston was named First-Team All-Conference at the forward position, playing and starting in all 15 games for the Lady Saints in 2009, while tallying six goals and four assists for 16 total points. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native recorded 1118 minutes of action, while picking up a game-winning goal and attempting 22 shots, with 14 of those on goal for a .636 shot on goal percentage.

The 2009 All-Conference team is listed below as selected by the league’s head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Forwards
First Team
Kristin Burton, Armstrong Atlantic St.
Gina Goforth, Columbus State
Kelsey Martin, North Georgia
Cherie Sayon, Clayton State
Second Team
Christina Barbour, Lander
Britney Joiner, UNC Pembroke
Paige Scott, Montevallo
Anna Svensson, UNC Pembroke

Midfielders
First Team
Morgan Mitchell, Armstrong Atlantic St.
Kelly Penston, North Georgia
Tiffany Urquhart, Flagler
Jill Walthall, Columbus State
Second Team
Natalie Martineau, Montevallo
Christin Moss, Lander
Daria Owen, GCSU
Ally Treat, GCSU

Defenders
First Team
Morgan Cobb, GCSU
Laurel McKenzie, Columbus State
Carey Patterson, Armstrong Atlantic St.
Casey Smith, North Georgia
Second Team
Jessica Binkowski, GCSU
Kim Gaughan, Columbus State
Tawny Moffat, GCSU
Annie Whitley, USC Aiken

Goalkeepers
First Team
Mary Rob Plunkett, GCSU
Second Team
Kelly Nimmo, Columbus State

Players of the Year
Kristin Burton, Armstrong Atlantic State
Freshman of the Year
Kelsey Martin, North Georgia
Coach of the Year
Chris Adams, North Georgia