Sept. 2, 2014

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo and center back Taylor Leach have been selected as two of thirty candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award ® in women’s collegiate soccer, the organization announced today. South Carolina is one of three schools to have a pair candidates selected to the list.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Of the 60 candidates, 30 men and 30 women, 35 have grade point averages of 3.5 or higher, four are returning All-Americans and nine are on the preseason watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, which recognizes the top player in collegiate soccer. D’Angelo is one of the four returning All-Americans and one of the nine also named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.

An exercise and sports science major, D’Angelo has been a mainstay on the SEC Academic Honor Roll and earned National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) First-Team Scholar All-America accolades last season. A strong leader on the team, D’Angelo has been an integral part of two of the three best seasons in Gamecock history. A two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the Welland, Ontario, native became the program’s first MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist last year and is one of four 2013 semifinalists to be named to the 2014 Watch List. The netminder frequents local camps and clinics and stays after each home match to sign autographs for fans. She has also logged community service hours at the Ronald McDonald House and local hospitals.

Leach has been an vital member of the Gamecocks both on and off the field during her time in the Garnet and Black as well. Since suffering an ACL tear before her freshman season began, Leach has worked hard both on and off the field to overcome the set back. She saw the product of her efforts last season as she anchored the SEC’s top defense and earned First Team All-SEC honors along with NSCAA All-Region recognition. Planning to pursue a career in physical therapy, Leach, who is regularly on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, has put in nearly 230 hours of community service at the local Lexington Medical Center and at other physical therapy clinics.

Both seniors helped set the tone as the women’s soccer team was named the University’s Community Outreach Team of the Year with over 1300 hours of community service in the 2013-14 academic year.

The two candidate classes will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplify excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cup® championships in December.

For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

Women’s Soccer Candidates
Cassie Black, Eastern Washington
Caroline Brawner, Colgate
Jessy Brown, UMBC
Nichole Calder, Kennesaw State
Melissa Chapman, Drexel
Sabrina D’Angelo, South Carolina
Abby Dahlkemper, UCLA
Kylie Davis, Memphis
Alex Doll, Stanford
Emily Dzik, Eastern Michigan
Kristen Eriksen, American
Kelsey Fouch, Missouri State
Anna Grant, Siena
Kylee Hathaway, Alabama State
Kelsey Haycook, La Salle
Sarah Killion UCLA

Elise Kotsakis, Butler Lauren Lazo, Princeton
Taylor Leach, South Carolina
Aislinn McIlvennyh, Manhattan
Brooke Moody, Montana
Chelsey Patterson, Cal State Fullerton
Riley Ridgik, Wake Forest
Taryn Rose, Utah State
Kate Schwindel, West Virginia
Sam Scolarici, Hofstra
Ashleigh Shim, Florida International
Meghan Streight, Texas A&M
Taylor Uhl, Stanford
Stephanie Verdoia, Seattle