Five Gamecocks Grab United Soccer Coaches All-Region Honors
Nov. 29, 2017
United Soccer Coaches All-Region Teams
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Five South Carolina women’s soccer players have earned United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region honors, the coaching organization announced Tuesday night. Seniors Savannah McCaskill and Lindsey Lane and sophomore Grace Fisk were named to the All-Southeast First Team, while second-year players Mikayla Krzeczowski (Second Team) and Tatumn Milazzo (Third Team) were also recognized.
Carolina’s three first team honorees led all teams in the southeast region, and its five overall selections equaled the program’s single-season record that was set in 2009 and 2016. The Gamecocks have placed at least three players on United Soccer Coaches All-Region teams in five of the last six years.
McCaskill, a three-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, leads Carolina in points (25) and goals (8) this season. The 2017 SEC Offensive Player of the Year has served as the primary catalyst for the Gamecock attack, and her nine assists in 2017 lead the SEC and rank 22nd in NCAA Division I. McCaskill has netted a team-high five game-winners this year, including the decisive goal in Carolina’s 1-0 victory over Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament Third Round on Nov. 19.
Tuesday’s accolade marked the fist All-Region honor for Lane, who has started all 22 matches for Carolina this season. The midfielder ranks fourth on the team in points (10), and her four assists stand as the second-best mark among Gamecocks. The Lusby, Md., native, who has totaled four of her 10 points this year in the NCAA Tournament, notched a goal and an assist in Carolina’s 2-0 NCAA Quarterfinal victory over Florida last week.
Fisk, the 2017 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, has anchored a Gamecock defensive unit that ranks as one of the best in the country. Carolina’s 0.40 goals against average stands as the seventh-best mark in Division I, and the team’s shutout percentage (.727) ranks fourth nationally. Fisk has also contributed on the offensive end with three goals and an assist. She has netted two game-winners, and her seven points lead all Gamecock defenders.
Krzeczowski grabbed an All-Region laurel for the second-straight season. The goalkeeper from Douglasville, Ga., has enjoyed another solid year in net, leading the SEC and ranking eighth in the country with a 0.41 goals against average. She conceded just three goals in SEC play this year, and her 14 shutouts in 2017 are one shy of the program single-season individual record.
Milazzo has served as a versatile piece in Carolina’s defensive unit after seeing time as a central defender and right back this season. The Orland Park, Ill., native helped the Gamecocks record a clean sheet in eight of their 10 SEC matches, and she tallied her first point of the year in Carolina’s NCAA Tournament win over Santa Clara after setting up an early score by McCaskill.
The Gamecocks return to action later this week when they face Stanford in the NCAA Women’s College Cup on Fri., Dec. 1. The match between the pair of No. 1 seeds, which is set to take place at 5 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, Fla., will air on ESPNU.
