CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A trio of UNC Greensboro women's soccer players were named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association's University Division All-State Team, the NCCSIA announced Thursday. Lauren Lopez, Jenn Partenheimer and Tabitha Padgett were all honored by the organization.
UNCG's three selections tied with Charlotte for the most on the 11-member team. The Southern Conference was well-represented with six total selections, as Davidson had two and Elon one. UNC Wilmington and East Carolina had one pick each to round out the team.
Lopez nabbed one of the three defender spots on the team after an honor-filled senior season that saw her named one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and take second-team All-America honors by the organization. The Concord, N.C., native was recently named an NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second-Team pick and took first-team All-Southern Conference honors for the second year in row. Lopez was also named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team this season for the first time in her career. She scored five points on a goal and three assists this season and was part of a defense that posted 10 shutouts.
Partenheimer, who earned a spot on the All-Southern Conference First Team this season, was one of four midfielders on the all-state team. The junior from Apex, N.C., started all 20 games in the midfield for UNCG and was the team's fourth-leading scorer with nine points on three goals and three assists. Partenheimer scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at College of Charleston on Oct. 23, which put the Spartans back atop the SoCon standings to stay for the rest of the season. She also scored UNCG's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Wake Forest and assisted on the game-winning goals against Virginia Commonwealth and Elon. The win over the Phoenix locked up UNCG's fourth straight SoCon regular-season title.
Padgett, who was recently named to the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Third Team, was one of just two freshmen on the all-state team and one of three forwards on the squad. The Orange Park, Fla., native was the SoCon's Co-Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, becoming the first student-athlete to take both awards since 2000 and just the second in league history. Padgett scored 19 points on a team-best eight goals and three assists, earning first-team All-SoCon and SoCon All-Freshman honors in the process. She shared the league lead with five game-winning goals, including the only UNCG goals in 1-0 wins over then-No. 11 Duke and a regular-season SoCon title-clinching victory over Elon.
The all-state selections were the first for Lopez, Partenheimer and Padgett. The trio led UNCG to a 13-7 overall record and a 9-2 mark in the SoCon, helping the Spartans to their fourth consecutive regular-season league title.
UNCG placed three student-athletes on the all-state team for the fourth time in the six years of the all-state team's existence. The Spartans have had at least two selections each year.
2009 NCCSIA All-State Women's Soccer Team (University
Division)
Pos
Name
Class
School
Hometown
GK Lauren Brown
%
Senior
Charlotte
Frenchtown, N.J.
D Amanda
Flink
Junior
Davidson
Richardson, Tex.
D Lauren
Lopez
Senior
UNC Greensboro Concord, N.C.
D Elizabeth
Palmer
Freshman
Elon
Williamsburg, Va.
MF Hailey Beam
#
Senior
Charlotte
Cornelius, N.C.
MF Jenn
Partenheimer
Junior
UNC Greensboro Apex, N.C.
MF Megan
Novak
Junior
UNC Wilmington College Park, Md.
MF Bailey
Wilcox
Junior
East
Carolina
Spotsyvania, Va.
F Kyri
Bye-Nagel #%
Senior
Davidson
Hanau, Germany
F Tabitha
Padgett
Freshman UNC Greensboro
Orange Park, Fla.
F Whitney
Weinraub #
Junior
Charlotte
Holland, Pa.
# Denotes a 2008 NCCSIA Women's Soccer Squad Selection
% Denotes a 2007 NCCSIA Women's Soccer Squad Selection
- UNCG -