April 17, 2012
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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s soccer rising sophomore Sabrina D’Angelo (Welland, Ontario) can add a hometown honor to her impressive list of accomplishments from her stellar 2011-12 season after being awarded the H.L. Cudney Memorial Award at the 40th Annual Welland Sports Awards.
The H.L. Cudney Memorial Award is Welland’s top athletics honor and is given to an athlete with outstanding achievement in the past year by the Welland Sports Promotion Committee, an organization whose purpose is to recognize the achievements of Welland’s best amateur and professional athletes and coaches. D’Angelo is the youngest person to win the award since its inception in 1962.
“It’s an honor to get such a prestigious award and to be acknowledged for playing the game I love,” D’Angelo said. “I never really expected to win it at such a young age, but I loved being able to come home and get to see my family. It rejuvenated me a little bit.”
“She’s a remarkable young woman, and she’s had quite a year playing soccer, both for Canada internationally and at the university level,” Garret Smits, chairman of the award selection committee, said of D’Angelo’s selection.
D’Angelo, who in 2010 was presented with the Welland Sports Council trophy for Female Athlete of the Year, will next compete for the Canadian Under-20 National Team at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup that will be played in Japan from August 18 to September 9. Canada won the silver medal at last month’s CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship where D’Angelo earned the distinction of being just the second goalkeeper in the 10-year history of the international competition to post shutouts in all three group stage matches.
D’Angelo’s freshman season at South Carolina saw her named to the NSCAA All-South Region first team and the Soccer America All-Freshman First Team in addition to being picked as the SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year after solidifying herself as the goalkeeper of the year in the SEC as a freshman. D’Angelo was the first player in SEC history to earn two Player of the Year honors in the same season, and she was the only freshman named to the First Team All-SEC list in addition to being the only freshman goalkeeper in the nation to be named to an NSCAA All-Region team. She finished the season fifth among the nation’s freshmen in goals against average (0.80) and 10th in save percentage (.824). D’Angelo was the SEC’s leader in goals against average and set the South Carolina freshman records for goals against average, save percentage, matches played, matches started and wins. She was named a semifinalist for the All White Kit Rookie of the Year, International Player of the Year and Golden Glove awards at the conclusion of the 2011 season.
