MILWAUKEE -- The Northern Athletics Conference released the awards for the 2011 women's soccer season today and Alverno College had three players honored, led by Second Team All-NAC selection Samantha Robinson.
In addition to Robinson (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper), sophomore Nava Moniriarani (Oak Creek, Wis.) received honorable mention for the second-straight season and Rachel Krueger (Port Washington, Wis.) was Alverno's selection to the NAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
"Sam had another great season for us and is very deserving of conference recognition," Alverno head coach Brittany Nikolic said. "We can rely on her to come up with big saves when the opportunities present themselves and other teams are taking notice. She is becoming a strong team leader and the foundation for our defense."
Robinson, a sophomore goalkeeper, was second in the league with 177 saves, which currently ranks 16th in NCAA Division III. She had a .747 save percentage, started in all 20 games and played every minute (1,809) at goal for the Inferno.
With a 2.99 goals against average, Robinson set a new single-season school record becoming the first Inferno keeper to break the 3.00 barrier. Additionally, she recorded four shutouts this season, also a school record.
"Nava is very skillful and always has the mentality that she is going to make things happen in the attack. She has continued to show she can score goals as well as set them up. Nava is the playmaker in the middle of the field pulling the strings and this is a well deserved honor."
Moniriarani put up double-digit assists again for the second time in her 2-year career. Her 10 assists were good for second in the conference and is currently 29th in the nation. The midfielder added eight goals, up from her total of six her rookie year, which included success on her first-career penalty kick.
The NAC All-Sportsmanship Team included one member from each school that was chosen based on the principles of sportsmanship as promoted by the NAC and NCAA. Krueger, a sophomore forward, had a team-high 29 points on 13 goals and three assists for the Inferno (6-14, 2-10 NAC).
"Rachel is a great competitor and contributed a lot to our front line this year. She had to play through pain (due to injury) during the majority of the season and still always showed heart and determination. We're looking forward to seeing her continue to grow as a player and being a big goal scorer for us in the future."
