Dec. 21, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team had four members named to the Soccer Buzz All-Southeast Region team, the publication announced Friday. Sophomore defender Blakely Mattern picked up first team honors while seniors Ashley Kirk and Darcel Mollon earned spots on the third team. Freshman defender Brittiny Rhoades rounded out the honors as an All-Freshman Team selection.

South Carolina’s three selections to the first, second and third teams ties for third most of the 54 teams in the Southeast region. The honors are the second for Mattern and Kirk who both were named to the third team in 2006. Last week, Mattern and Mollon earned NSCAA Second Team All-Southeast Region honors.

Mattern (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. A First Team All-SEC selection, Mattern was acknowledged as a Soccer Buzz Freshman All-American last season and becomes the first Gamecock to ever earn first team honors by the publication. Mattern started every game for the Gamecocks and 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.

Kirk (Macon, Ga.) was a First Team All-SEC selection at midfielder this season, becoming the first Gamecock to earn All-SEC honors all four seasons of her career. A former SEC Freshman of the Year, Kirk recorded two goals and five assists for nine points on the season. The team captain played the season hurt yet finished her career tenth on the USC all-time scoring list with nine goals and 13 assists for 31 points.

Mollon (Chauganas, Trinidad), a Second Team All-SEC selection at forward, 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. 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.

Rhoades (Wilmington, Del.) established herself as arguably Carolina’s top lockdown defender, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team and the Top Drawer Soccer All-Rookie Team. Rhoades finished the season with four assists, two coming on game-winning goals, a third on the game-tying goal against Duke in the NCAA First Round and the fourth on the insurance goal to defeat Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. Rhoades played at left back and handled corner kicks and set pieces as well.