Dec. 17, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior defender Blakely Mattern earned her fourth All-America honor Thursday when she was named to the Soccer America MVP first team, the organization announced. The honor comes one week after Mattern was named a first team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and the Lowe’s Senior CLASS organization.
She was also selected as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team member last month, the second consecutive season she earned the honor. Mattern is one of two players in the nation to earn first team honors by all four organizations this season, the other being Soccer America’s national player of the year, Kelley O’Hara from Stanford.
Mattern ends her career with a total of seven All-America citations in four years at South Carolina. In addition to her four honors this season, she was a 2006 Soccer Buzz Freshman All-American, a 2007 Soccer Buzz All-America fourth team selection and a 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team selection.
The 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-SEC First Team selection, Mattern had perhaps her best season this year in leading her team to the SEC Championship and a berth in the NCAA Round of 16. She was captain of a defense that led the SEC in every defensive category including having 15 shutouts and a 0.55 goals against average. She also contributed seven goals and an assist for 15 points to finish her career eighth on the South Carolina all-time scoring list with 38 points. In her final season, Mattern led the SEC in shot percentage with a .333 clip (min. 0.5 shots/game).
Highlights from Mattern’s final season included scoring two goals at Clemson to lead the program to its first victory at Historic Riggs Field, and hitting the tying goal against LSU in the SEC Tournament Final with only two minutes remaining in regulation. She also hit a penalty kick in the shootout and was named SEC Tournament MVP. She has also earned numerous weekly honors this season, including becoming the second Gamecock to ever earn NSCAA National Player of the Week honors. She twice earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors, four times was named to the Soccer America national team of the week, twice was named to the CollegeSoccer360 Primetime Performer team of the week and also earned a Top Drawer Soccer national team of the week nod.
SOCCER AMERICA MVPS FIRST TEAM
G Kristin Olsen, USC, Sr.
F Lauren Cheney, UCLA, Sr.
D Whitney Engen, North Carolina, Sr.
F Michelle Enyeart, Portland, Sr.
M Tobin Heath, North Carolina, Sr.
F Melissa Henderson, Notre Dame, Soph.
D Blakely Mattern, South Carolina, Sr.
F Tiffany McCarty, Florida State, Soph.
F Kelley O’Hara, Stanford, Sr.
F Christen Press, Stanford, Jr.
M Sophie Schmidt, Portland, Jr.
SOCCER AMERICA MVPS SECOND TEAM
G Jillian Mastroianni, Boston College, Soph.
D Jordan Angeli, Santa Clara, Sr.
M Mandi Back, Dayton, Sr.
D Becky Edwards, Florida State, Sr.
F Kaley Fountain, Wake Forest, Sr.
F Danielle Foxhoven, Portland, Soph.
F Sydney Leroux, UCLA, Soph.
F Casey Nogueira, North Carolina, Sr.
D Ali Riley, Stanford, Sr.
F Jasmyne Spencer, Maryland, Soph.
D Brittany Taylor, Connecticut, Sr.
