Martin, Nagri, Simmons Earn All-GNAC Honors

Martin, Nagri, Simmons Earn All-GNAC Honors

BOSTON Suffolk women's soccer juniors Jennifer Martin and Alexandra Nagri, along with senior Shannon Simmons, collected All-GNAC individual honors, as announced by the conference office Monday.

Martin was a first team selection, while Nagri earned a spot on the second team. Simmons rounded out the all-conference trio as the Rams representative on the all-sportsmanship team, which was established to honor one player from each team in the conference for outstanding dedication to sportsmanship and for their portrayal of good sportsmanship, fair play and positive attitude.

Martin and Simmons also picked up All-Tournament team recognition for their superb play in the conference championships. Martin netted the game-winner in the quarterfinals to push seventh-seeded Suffolk to a 2-1 upset over second-seed Johnson & Wales, while Simmons held down the Rams' back line.

The laurels come on the heels of the program's most successful season since 2011, one which saw the Rams finish 11-10-0 (5-6-0 GNAC), which marks the second-most victories in the program's 10-year history. The threesome of Rams, who played in the most games (21) in a single season for Suffolk women's soccer, earned the all-league distinction for the first time in their careers.

Martin was second on Suffolk's squad with 34 points and 16 goals throughout the season to earn first team honors. She lifted the Rams to victory six times on game-winners, which is the second most in the conference and New England and ties for the 11th most across NCAA Division III. The Higganum, Connecticut, native ranked fifth in the goals and points in the GNAC and was named the conference's Player of the Week Oct. 31. Martin became the first Ram to garner first team accolades since Leslie Hayden did so in 2011 and is the fourth Suffolk player to do so with the program's fifth overall first team honor.  

Nagri finished 2016 as the Rams' leading scorer and a Second Team All-GNAC nod. The junior from Salem, New Hampshire, racked up a team-best 44 points coming off a squad-leading 19 goals and six assists. The forward's 19 scores rank third in the conference,  fourth in New England and 15th across NCAA DIII, while her point total of 44 sat third in the league, fifth in New England and 21st in NCAA DIII. She totaled three game winners as one of the GNAC's best set piece finishers. Nagri's second team nod was the first time a Ram grabbed a spot on the squad since Taylor Miranda in 2013.

2016 ALL-GNAC WOMEN'S SOCCER

First Team
F – Kyra Selner, Johnson & Wales
F – Megan Cullen, Lasell
F – Haley DaGraca, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
M – Angelina Piccirillo, Albertus Magnus
M – Carly Zdanek, Lasell
M – Kashka Gammon, Simmons
M – Jennifer Martin, Suffolk
B – Nadine Simpson, Johnson & Wales
B – Erika Badger, Lasell
B – Mack Kingman, Lasell
GK – Colleen Lynch, Johnson & Wales

Second Team
F – Danielle Polvan, Albertus Magnus
F – Maggie Cohoon, Rivier
F – Alexandra Nagri, Suffolk
M – Maggie Carey, Emmanuel
M – SaraKate Matthews, Johnson & Wales
M – Sarah Comtois, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
M – Ciara Forde, Simmons
B – Alexis Mack, Albertus Magnus
B – Taylor Rotella, Albertus Magnus
B – Emily DeLuca, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
GK – Sarah LaClair, Lasell

Third Team
F – Deja Hursey, Johnson & Wales
F – Jessica Spezzano, St. Joseph (Conn.)
F – Rachel Gilbert, Simmons
M – Molly McCormack, Johnson & Wales
M – Devon Day, Lasell
M – Sabrina Morais, Lasell
M – Desiree Parent, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
B – Toni Simpson, Johnson & Wales
B – Tasha Friedman, Simmons
B – Jessie Pratt, Simmons
GK – Brooke Troup, Saint Joseph's (Maine) 

Offensive Player of the Year – Haley DaGraca, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Co-Defensive Players of the Year –
Nadine Simpson, Johnson & Wales; Mack Kingman, Lasell
Rookie of the Year –
Colleen Lynch, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Goalkeeper of the Year –
Colleen Lynch, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Coach of the Year – Jenelle Harris, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Mount Ida College

All-Sportsmanship Team
Erin Daly, Albertus Magnus
Paige Leighton, Anna Maria
Molly Keefe, Emmanuel
Gianna Esposito Johnson & Wales
Chloe Shugrue, Lasell
AnnaMarie Seiler, Mount Ida
Ashley Carvalho, Norwich
Megan Hamel, Rivier
Shelby Tallman, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Desiree Parent, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Elise Nothacker, Simmons
Shannon Simmons, Suffolk

All-Tournament Team
Megan Cullen, Lasell
Casey Meissner, Lasell
Sarah LaClair, Lasell
Carly Zdanek, Lasell
Mack Kingman, Lasell (MVP)
Danielle Polvan, Albertus Magnus
Taylor Rotella, Albertus Magnus
Alexya Alves, Albertus Magnus
Haley DaGraca, St. Joseph's (Maine)
Emily DeLuca, St. Joseph's (Maine)
Jennifer Martin, Suffolk
Shannon Simmons, Suffolk