Colorado Pride’s Andrews & Eckerstrom Lead Award Winners
Soccer News: The W-League announced its 2015 regular season honors, with four of the five winners participating in the 2015 W-League Championship presented by Nike. The league announced the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year at its Awards Banquet in Laval, Quebec. Voting was conducted by W-League coaches and general managers. Here are the 2015 W-League Award Winners:
MVP – Tara Andrews, Colorado Pride
The runaway leader in both goals and points in 2015 with 18 goals and three assists, Andrews was the league’s most dynamic offensive threat. After helping the Pride reach the Western Conference championship in their inaugural season in 2014, the Australian made sure Colorado advanced to the championship weekend this season by scoring both goals in the Pride’s 2-1 conference final victory against Seattle, and she added another goal in Friday night’s championship semifinal victory against Laval.
Coach of the Year – Marc Mounicot, Quebec Dynamo ARSQ
Mounicot took over the Dynamo a year ago and after a sub-par 2014, orchestrated the league’s biggest turnaround as the Dynamo ARSQ posted an 8-2-2 mark to claim the Northeastern Conference crown and reach the championship weekend for the first time since 2012. A longtime coach at McGill University in Montreal, Mounicot oversaw the women’s program for 15 years before taking the helm of the men’s team in 2013.
Defender of the Year – Amanda Naeher, Charlotte Lady Eagles
The veteran captured her second consecutive Defender of the Year award while leading Charlotte to a 9-1-2 mark, one point short of the conference champion Washington Spirit Reserves. A former midfielder who dropped back into defense in 2014, Naeher tallied three goals in 990 minutes while the Lady Eagles put together yet another impressive season.
Rookie of the Year – Imani Dorsey, Washington Spirit Reserves
The NSCAA National High School Player of the Year in 2014 and a member of the U.S. U-19 Women’s National Team, it’s no surprise that Dorsey stood out in her first W-League season, finishing tied for the team scoring lead with eight goals and two assists in 10 matches. Entering her sophomore season at Duke University, Dorsey played in all 18 matches for the Blue Devils in 2015, tallying three goals and two assists, and will feature in Sunday’s championship game after Washington’s 1-0 win against Quebec on Friday.
Goalkeeper of the Year – Britt Eckerstrom, Colorado Pride
In her fourth W-League season and second with the Pride, Eckerstrom was a big reason Colorado captured its first Western Conference title. With a 0.636 goals-against average in 10 matches, the Penn State captain finished in the league’s top four in every defensive category, with her four shutouts tied for the league lead. Eckerstrom rose to the occasion in last Saturday’s conference final, making seven saves in the 2-1 win in Seattle, and will likely play a key role in Sunday’s W-League Championship Game against Washington.
The 2015 W-League Championship presented by Nike continues on Sunday, July 26 as the Washington Spirit Reserves face the Colorado Pride in the championship match at 2:30 p.m. ET at Desjardins Stadium. The Spirit Reserves took a 1-0 win against the Quebec Dynamo ARSQ in Friday’s semifinals, while Colorado swept to a 4-0 victory against hosts Laval to advance to its first final.
The championship will stream live on the W-League YouTube channel.
