2018 USCAA Women's Soccer All-American and End of the Year Award Winners
By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Penn State Mont Alto junior Maddie Shirley (Biglerville, Pa. / Biglerville) and freshman Kara Newell (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) were both honored on the women's soccer All-American Honorable Mention Team from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association as announced by the governing body on Friday.
Both Shirley and Newell played instrumental roles in helping guide their team into the Penn State University Athletic Conference Playoffs as they finished their campaign falling to the eventual champions, PSU Brandywine in the semifinals match. Mont Alto finished the 2018 season with a 4-7 overall record and were 3-3 in the PSUAC matches.
In two seasons at Mont Alto, Shirley owns 15 career points as she has appeared in 27 matches over the course of her collegiate career. The Biglerville, Pa. native had a career year setting new highs in goals (5), shots (27), shots on goal (20), and points (12). Shirley was a reliable midfielder who also served as a captain and was often vocal helping her younger teammates who were learning to adjust to the speed of the game.
Kara Newell (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) had an outstanding first campaign for the Nittany Lions finishing second on the team with 10 points. The freshman was utilized both as a forward and in defense and had a knack for scoring long distance goals as she scored a pair of free kicks this season from 35-yards out. She finished the season with three goals, four assists and placed 25 shots on target.
Mont Alto freshman Shania Atherton (Saint Thomas, Pa. / James Buchanan) was also recognized earlier in the offseason by the PSUAC as she received the John Fritz Sportsmanship Award, which is given to a deserving student-athlete from each sport team within the conference that embodies the Penn State values and PSUAC philosophy.