Three seniors from Stanford’s national championship women’s soccer team were named first-team All-Americans by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America on Friday.
Defender Camille Levin, midfielder Teresa Noyola, and forward Lindsay Taylor – all members of a senior class that went 95-4-4 over four years and reached four NCAA College Cups — received first-team honors. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Oliver was named to the third team.
The three first-teamers are the most for Stanford since 2002 when Nicole Barnhart, Marcia Wallis, and Callie Withers were honored.
Noyola becomes the second Stanford player to receive three first-team honors, following four-time selection Julie Foudy from 1989-92. Noyola scored 9 goals, with none more important than her last – a 53rd-minute header to give Stanford a 1-0 victory over Duke in the NCAA College Cup final on Sunday in Kennesaw, Ga., and cap a 25-0-1 season.
Noyola, out of neighboring Palo Alto High, also had 15 assists, finishing second in the Stanford record book in career and season assists.
The first-team selection was the second for Taylor, but first since her freshman season. Taylor, the Castilleja grad, scored 20 goals and had 7 assists, leading the Pac-12 in scoring and being named as the conference’s Player of the Year.
Levin had never before been honored among any of the NSCAA’s three teams and becomes Stanford’s 11th first-team All-America all-time and sixth under ninth-year coach Paul Ratcliffe.
Levin was an outside right back who often used overlapping runs to become a winger. It was in this role that she provided the decisive play of the national final, overcoming three tackle attempts to serve in the cross that resulted in Noyola’s goal. Levin had 4 goals and 7 assists and contributed to Stanford’s 18 shutouts.
Oliver was credited with 12 shutouts and led the nation in goals-against average, at 0.23. This was her first All-America honor as well.
UCLA freshman Abby Dahlkemper, a graduate of Sacred Heart Prep, also was named to the third team.
With Oliver, 2010 third-teamer Courtney Verloo, and 2009 third-teamer Mariah Nogueira, Stanford will return three NSCAA All-Americans among its seven returning starters next season.
By Dave Kiefer/Stanford Sports Information
By Dave Kiefer/Stanford Sports Information
By Dave Kiefer/Stanford Sports Information