Dec. 5, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Senior goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo became the first Gamecock in program history to earn two First-Team All-America nods in her career when the Continental Tire NCAA Division I Women’s All-America teams were announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America today.
D’Angelo and Kayla Grimsley are the only Gamecocks to garner two All-America certificates in their careers while D’Angelo and Blakely Mattern hold the only first-team certificates in program history.
D’Angelo, a Welland, Ontario, native, notched 10 shutouts this season to bring her career total to 29, just two behind school record holder Mollie Patton. Allowing just 0.58 goals a game this season (14th nationally), D’Angelo surrendered more than one goal just twice in 2014 (3-2 W vs. No. 5 Florida, 2-2 T at No. 6 Texas A&M). In all, just 13 goals were scored on the netminder this year, a total that topped the SEC. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, D’Angelo posted a clean sheet vs. rival Clemson and made two pivotal saves in the penalty kick shootout to advance the Gamecocks to the second round. The unforgettable performance would be her last in the Garnet and Black as injury prevented the four-time All-SEC honoree from playing in South Carolina’s final three NCAA contests.
This season, D’Angelo has also been named Senior CLASS Award finalist and collected first-team All-SEC honors for the third time in her career. Second in South Carolina history in goals-against average (0.76), shutouts (29) and saves (241), D’Angelo has earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors twice and made an all-conference team in all four seasons. She’s logged the most minutes of any Gamecock goalkeeper in women’s program history.
D’Angelo’s success isn’t limited to the field. A two-time Capital One Academic All-District 4 honoree, she received a first-team Capital One Academic All-America nod this fall. The Gamecock also collected NSCAA Scholar All-America first-team recognition in 2013 and is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
South Carolina advanced to the program’s first NCAA Quarterfinal after shutting out No. 6 North Carolina, 1-0, to advance to the program’s second-ever Round of 16. The Gamecocks finished the season 14-6-5.
