BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Six members of the Howard women's soccer team have earned 2016 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) All-Conference honors, as announced on Wednesday.
Sophomore Kendall Hamilton was named Defensive Player of the Year and junior Gabrielle Emilienwas voted Goalkeeper of the Year. Hamilton and Emilien were joined by Kela Gray, Noelle McCullom, Sara Vaughan and Carmen Suarez on the All-SWAC First Team.
Hamilton led Howard in minutes played (1,672) and helped anchor a Bison defensive unit that produced six shutouts, which tops the SWAC. She also started all 18 matches this season and it is the second time she has received All-SWAC honors.
Emilien led the conference with a .889 save percentage – which ranks sixth in the NCAA Division I standings – and recorded five shutouts while in goal. She finished the regular season with the 16th-best goals against average in the nation (0.56).
Gray flourished in the second half of the season as she scored in eight of the last 11 games. She is making her second straight appearance on the All-SWAC First Team as she leads the squad with four game-winning goals. She tallied three points (1g, 1a) twice and posted the lone goal in Howard's 1-0 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff to clinch the 2016 SWAC Regular Season Championship.
McCullom has continued to find ways to score for the Bison as she topped the team with nine goals and 20 points. She recorded her first career hat trick on Oct. 21 when Howard defeated Grambling State, 6-0.
Vaughan started the last 12 games of the regular season for Howard. She tallied a goal in wins over Alcorn State and Jackson State, both of which were game-winners. She was also an important part of the Bison defense that kept six opponents scoreless. This is Vaughan's second time as an All-SWAC honoree after making the second team last year.
Suarez has been in the right place at the right time on many occasions throughout the season. She notched four assists and attempted 11 shots of her own.
Head coach Brent Leiba was selected as Coach of the Year for the third-straight season as he guided the Bison to a 12-4-2 overall record. Howard finished unbeaten in SWAC play with a 9-0-1 record. It is the first time in league history that the honor was voted on prior to the tournament.
The No. 1 seed Bison will begin play in the 2016 SWAC Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. ET against No. 8 seed Southern University.
HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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