ROCK HILL, S.C. - On the eve of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals, a school-record five Anderson University women's soccer players have earned all-conference honors, as announced by the league office Thursday morning.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kaitlyn Neipp was named first-team All-SAC, while forward Jessica Kleinberg, midfielder Allie Waters and defenders Marissa Johnson and Adrienne Lough earned second-team accolades.

Anderson (9-9-1, 5-4 SAC) tied for third in league standings, while earning the fourth seed in the conference tournament and eclipsed the three Conference Carolinas all-league honorees in garnered in 2009.

The Trojans advanced past fifth-seeded Tusculum on penalty kicks in a dramatic shootout Tuesday afternoon at Trojan Stadium to move into the final four.

"It's a great honor for our players to be recognized in a conference as competitive as the SAC, and they are certainly deserving of it," said Anderson head coach Samar Azem. "We have had a breakout season and that is attributed to the work that every player has put into competing this season. Every single one of these young women has been committed to the culture we are creating, and with and through each other, we are able to have some talented players recognized, which is tremendous."

Neipp, a native of Anderson, ranks 41st nationally with her .835 save percentage and
66th in the country with her 0.987 goals-against average, while anchoring a Trojan defense that set a new school record for shutouts with seven clean sheets.

"Kaitlyn has been outstanding this season," said Azem. "She started out very hesitant, but as the season went on, came out of her shell and it has been a tremendous pay-off. It's great for Kaitlyn to be recognized as first-team all conference. I certainly agree that she is by far the most talented goalkeeper in the conference and I'm even more proud of her for pushing herself to reach her potential. She has had some outstanding saves this season and consistently showed why she is a first team pick, I'm proud of Kaitlyn for a great season and for allowing us to stay in games by her stellar performances."

Kleinberg, a junior from Hamilton, Ohio, is 30th in the nation with her four game-winning goals on the season and, along with Waters, recorded a team-high six goals during the regular season and dished out a pair of assists. She also earned conference Player of the Week honors in mid-September.

Waters posted two game-winning scores in her six-goal tally, while being named SAC Player of the Week following her three-goal effort in shutout wins past Brevard and Tusculum.

"I'm so proud of Jess and Allie for their recognition in the attack and midfiefld," added Azem. "They are both very hard working players and well deserving of the recognition. They both do a great job of standing out as attacking threats and have risen to a number of challenges this season."

Johnson and Lough have helped anchor a defense that set the school record for shutouts and led a defensive unit that has held teams to a 1.072 goals-against average.

"Adrienne and Sissa are both very different defenders, but they've both provided us with steady and consistent performances this season," added Azem. "Both center backs are very smart and competitive young women and have played a critical role in our defensive success, which has led to a lot of our overall success. They are usually the players that go without a lot of recognition, so for the conference to honor them with two second-team picks is tremendous and I'm proud of them for it."

Lenoir-Rhyne senior Catherine Hauck was named SAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year for the second-straight season. Hauck also earned a spot on the All-SAC defender first team. The Lake Mary, Fla., native finished in the conference's top 10 in nearly every major statistical category, including points (fifth), goals (fourth), assists (seventh) and shots (ninth). Hauck also tallied three game-winning goals for the SAC regular-season champion Bears, good for fourth in the league.

Another L-R standout, Hanna Kiebel, was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, and took home second team All-Conference midfielder honors. In all, the Bears, who finished the regular season a perfect 9-0 in SAC play, placed eight student-athletes on the All-Conference team. Joining Hauck on the first team were forward Laura Linehan - who finished third in the SAC in points and tied with Hauck for fourth in assists -- midfielders Carley Griffin and Mariel Mena, and defender Jessica Schob. L-R head coach Adrian Blewitt was also named the league's Coach of the Year after leading the Bears through a regular season in which they lost just a single match.

Wingate, runners-up in the SAC regular-season standings, had a total of five All-Conference selections, including four on the first team. The Bulldogs' selections included first-teamers Kelly Adams, who led the SAC in assists, Jade Montgomery, Kelly Moldenhauer and Casey King.

Tusculum forward Tramicka James, the SAC's leader in shots, points and goals, was the Pioneers' lone first-team selection, joining two others on the All-Conference second team.

Rounding out the All-Conference first team were Carson-Newman forward Trenna Howell, who was second in the SAC in points and goals, and Lincoln Memorial midfielder Leanne Reid.

Newberry, which finished tied for third in the SAC's regular-season standings with Anderson and Tusculum, had two second-team selections, while Catawba and Mars Hill each placed one on the second team.

The SAC Fair Play Award, which recognizes the team that averaged the fewest number of red and yellow cards in conference play, ended in a three-way tie this season between Anderson, Lincoln Memorial and Wingate.

Anderson squares off against fifth-ranked and top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne in the tourney semifinals on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Manchester Meadows Soccer Complex in Rock Hill, S.C.

SAC Player of the Year: Catherine Hauck, Lenoir-Rhyne
SAC Freshman of the Year: Hanna Kiebel, Lenoir-Rhyne
SAC Coach of the Year: Adrian Blewitt, Lenoir-Rhyne

All-SAC First Team

Forward
Trenna Howell, Carson-Newman
Laura Linehan, Lenoir-Rhyne
Tramicka James, Tusculum
Jade Montgomery, Wingate

Midfielder
Carley Griffin, Lenoir-Rhyne
Mariel Mena, Lenoir-Rhyne
Leanne Reid, Lincoln Memorial
Kelly Adams, Wingate

Defender
Catherine Hauck, Lenoir-Rhyne
Jessica Schob, Lenoir-Rhyne
Casey King, Wingate
Kelly Moldenhauer, Wingate

Goalkeeper
Kaitlyn Neipp, Anderson

All-SAC Second Team

Forward
Jessica Kleinberg, Anderson
Kaelia Frazier, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sarah Taylor, Lincoln Memorial
Mary Stanton, Newberry

Midfielder
Allie Waters, Anderson
Hanna Kiebel, Lenoir-Rhyne
Monica Perez, Tusculum
Chandler Murphy, Wingate

Defender
Marissa Johnson, Anderson
Adrienne Lough, Anderson
Anna Toole, Catawba
Casey McDonnell, Lenoir-Rhyne
Grace Lancaster, Mars Hill
Cassie Smith, Newberry

Goalkeeper
Sarah Tompkins, Carson-Newman

Statistical Champions

Goals per Match: Tramicka James (Tusculum), .830
Points per Match: Tramicka James (Tusculum), 1.89
Assists per Match: Kelly Adams (Wingate), .750
Goals Against Average: Ashlyn Hardie (Wingate), .930
Shutouts: Ashlyn Hardie (Wingate); Marissa Williams (Tusculum); Kaitlyn Neipp (Anderson), 6
Save Percentage: Becca Sellars (Mars Hill), .863
Team Points per Match: Wingate, 8.06
Team Goals per Match: Wingate, 2.88
Team Assists per Match: Wingate, 2.31
Team Shutouts: Wingate, 9
Team Goals Against Average: Wingate, 1.05
Team Winning Percentage: Lenoir-Rhyne, .938