Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004

Springfield, Missouri......For Release: Upon Receipt

Rachel Sutcliffe, junior midfielder from Parker, Texas (Plano East High School), was named to the Missouri Valley All-Conference Second Team. Sutcliffe was the lone Panther to earn All-Conference honors. A look at the Valley release announcing the 2004 All-Conference honors follows.
All-Conference Women's Soccer Team Announced: Drake's Schmitz Named MVP
After leading her team to its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title, Drake’s Andrea Schmitz has been voted the league’s Most Valuable Player by conference coaches. Schmitz, a junior forward, topped the Valley in overall points (23), goals (8) and assists (7). Her performance in league action is just as impressive, as the Colorado native owns 13 points with five goals and three assists. Playing for Drake’s three-year-old program, Schmitz has broken into the conference record books in just her third year. Her 24 career assists tie her for fourth in the Valley, while her 68 career points put her 10th in the Valley. The 2002 MVC Freshman of the Year, Schmitz is on pace to break into the Valley’s top 10 career goal scorers as well.

This season, Schmitz and the Bulldogs earned a perfect 7-0 mark in conference play, to become just the third team to go undefeated in league competition and the first since 2001. Along with the MVP award, Schmitz joins the All-Valley First-Team for the third-straight season, another feat only accomplished by six other Valley student-athletes.

The Defensive Player of the Year is a repeat performer. Southwest Missouri State’s Sarah Guenther earned the honor for the second time. A senior, Guenther and the Bears concluded their season in the first round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship with a 1-1 (2ot) tie at Illinois State. The contest was decided on penalty kicks with the Redbirds prevailing. Guenther’s defense helped SMS secure eight shutouts and the 29th best goals-against-average in the NCAA (1.727). Besides Schmitz and Guenther, the only All-Conference First-Team repeat performer is Indiana State senior midfielder Ashlie Voerg.

No. 1 Drake and No. 4 Illinois State each landed three student-athletes on the All-Conference First Team while the rest of the squad was rounded out with a pair of players from Indiana State, and a representative from Creighton, UNI and Southwest Missouri. Indiana State’s Lauren Podolski earned Freshman of the Year honors. A forward, Podolski is the league’s only first-year player voted to the All-Conference First Team.

Drake head coach, Corbin Stone, and Indiana State head coach, Vernon Croft, shared Coach of the Year accolades. Just a third-year program, Stone directed the Bulldogs to an overall record of 12-4-3, plus the No. 1 seed in the Valley Tournament. Predicted to finish sixth, Croft led his Sycamores to a No. 3 tourney seed and the program’s first trip to the semifinals in ISU’s five-year soccer history.

2004 Soccer Women’s All-Conference (First Team)
Andrea Shaw, Illinois State
*Sarah Guenther, Southwest Missouri State
Ivonne Valentin, Creighton
Lindsey Portincaso, Drake
Kanisha Campbell, Illinois State
Melissa Nelson, Drake
*Ashlie Voerg, Indiana State
*Andrea Schmitz, Drake
Lauren Podolski, Indiana State
Robyn Brady, Illinois State
Shanon Dechant, UNI
*Repeat first team selection

2004 Soccer Women’s All-Conference (Second Team)
Alexis Stormo, Southwest Missouri State
Heather Forsyth, Illinois State
Kate Hercules, Southwest Missouri State
Brooke Orcutt, UNI
Tami Callison, Evansville
Emily Munn, Creighton
Rachel Sutcliffe, Drury
Sarah Foote, Drake
Nichole Tiggs, Indiana State
Franny Hylock, Creighton
Heidi Gray, Evansville

2004 Soccer Women’s All-Conference (Honorable Mention)
Jennie Brown, Drake
Karisa Vandello, Drake
Lauren Kahlenbeck, Illinois State
Erin Wille, Indiana State
Candice Divoky, UNI
Kate Blair, Southwest Missouri State
Angela Parsons, Southwest Missouri State

2004 Soccer Women’s All-Freshmen Team
Lauren Podolski, Indiana State
Kristine Willrett, Creighton
Tristan Moser-Bleil, Creighton
Sarah Foote, Drake
Sinead Brown, Drake
Heidi Grey, Evansville
Shannon Duggan, Illinois State
Rachel Rudzis, Indiana State
Amy Seubert, UNI
Kate Blair, Southwest Missouri State
Lauren Heck, Southwest Missouri State

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Andrea Schmitz, Drake

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Sarah Guenther, Southwest Missouri State

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Lauren Podolski, Indiana State

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR:
Corbin Stone, Drake
Vernon Croft, Indiana State

For more information contact Dan Cashel in the Drury Office of Sports Information at (417) 873-7222 or Eric Pannell at (417) 873-7374. Or visit the Drury web page at: www.drury.edu