Women’s Soccer Holds Annual Awards Banquet

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The Fordham women's soccer team had its annual awards banquet to celebrate a successful 2015 season, which saw the team reach the Atlantic 10 Championship game for the third time in team history.
 
Head coach Jessica Clinton and the rest of the coaching staff handed out five awards for student-athlete performance for both on and off the pitch, as well as to the team, which boasted 25 student-athletes above a 3.0 GPA.  

The first award was the Most Improved Player Award, which was given to sophomore Carlie Wagner.  After recording one assist as a freshman, Wagner stepped up her game in year two, netting three goals and three assists in 17 games.  She started 15 of those 17 contests and netted two game-winning goals, which came against Manhattan and Saint Joseph's. 

 
Freshman Brooke Salmon, who played in all 22 contests in her first season, received the team's Rookie of the Year Award.  She was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team after starting 20 games and notching a goal and an assist in her inaugural campaign.  Her goal was an opportune one, as it was the game-winning goal in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinal against VCU.
 
The Ram Pride Award, given to an outstanding member or members of the Fordham Women's Soccer Community that exemplifies the core values, passion and pride of a Ram, was presented to both fifth-year senior Kristina Maksuti and junior Turner Block.
 

Maksuti overcame a number of injuries over the past two seasons to return to the pitch this season. Her diligence in her own training, attention to detail and team first attitude was terrific, and earned her Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2015, after notching seven goals, five of which were game-winners, and three assists.  Her ability to make training and games easy, made it feel like there was another coach on the field, and her connection to the younger players was instrumental in the team's success.  

 

Block, who recorded one assist in 10 games this season, was in charge of the team's community service committee, along with Bryce Debolt, and is one of the women's soccer representatives on Fordham's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).  She constantly did the little things to make herself and her teammates better, and is always there to lend a helping hand.  One of the hardest working players on and off the field, Block is often seen running extra sprints, coming out early or staying late after sessions to do the little things.  Her positivity was infectious and one can't help but smile when she is around.  

Two MVP awards were also handed out for this past season's on-field performance.  Midfielder Jessica Widmann earned the Most Valuable Offensive Player Award and defender Nicole Bates was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player.

 
 
Widmann had an outstanding final campaign at Fordham, as she was honored by four different organizations, receiving awards from the Atlantic 10 (First Team All-Atlantic 10, Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team), the NSCAA (First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region), the ECAC (Second Team All-Star) and CoSIDA (Third Team Academic All-American®, First Team Academic All-District).
 
She led the team in goals (12), assists (5), and points (29), while tying for the team-lead in game-winning goals with five. The 12 goals and 29 points tied for the third-most by a Ram in a single season, and climbed into top six all-time at Fordham in career goals (6th – 19), assists (T2nd – 14), points (6^th – 52), and games started (T1st – 75).
 

Bates, a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Academic selection, helped anchor a Rams' defense, which set the school record for shutouts in a season with 11.  The Rams allowed less than a goal per game at 0.85, which was the second-best mark in team history.  Bates added one assist on the offensive end in 22 games on the year, while academically she held a 3.83 GPA, majoring in Applied Accounting & Finance and is a two-year member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.