Dec. 17, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s soccer players Blakely Mattern and Darcel Mollon were named Second Team All-Southeast Region selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the NSCAA announced. Mattern and Mollon become the first Gamecocks recognized by the association since Melinda Carter earned third team honors in 2002.
“I’m excited for our team to be represented in the All-Region vote,” head coach Shelley Smith said. “Blakely and Darcel had a great year among others in our program and I’m happy for the recognition. It’s voted on by the coaches and there is a list of very strong players around the region, so it’s an honor.”
Mattern, a sophomore defender from Simpsonville, S.C., was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year this season, the first Gamecock to earn the award voted on by the league’s coaches. She anchored a Carolina defense that set a school record with 12 shutouts and recorded a 0.70 goals against average on the season. Mattern started every game for the Gamecocks and led the team in minutes played after only sitting 67 minutes in 23 games. She finished the season with two goals and two assists for six points. Her goal in the 66th minute against Duke tied the game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as she was instrumental in helping Carolina push the game into penalty kicks.
A First Team All-SEC selection, Mattern was a 2006 Freshman All-American and earned 2006 Third Team All-Region honors by Soccer Buzz.
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Mollon, a senior forward from Chauganas, Trinidad, became the first Gamecock since 1999 to register 10 goals or 20 points in a season after recording 10 goals and three assists for 23 points. Mollon led the team with three multi-goal games and hit the game-winner to help Carolina defeat Tennessee for the first time in school history in the SEC Tournament. She finished the season ranked in the top five in the SEC in points, goals and game-winning goals. Her 37 career points place her seventh on the South Carolina all-time scoring list despite playing only two seasons for the Garnet and Black. Last month Mollon was named a 2007 Second Team All-SEC selection.
This season marks the first time since 1999 that Carolina earned two NSCAA All-Southeast Region selections in the same year.
