Dec. 4, 2013
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Five Penn State women's soccer players have been named to the NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Great Lakes Region team, the NSCAA announced on Wednesday. Seniors Maya Hayes (West Orange, N.J.) and Taylor Schram (Cannonsburg, Pa.) headline the group as first team selections while Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.) and Mallory Weber (Novi, Mich.) earned second team accolades and Raquel Rodriguez (San Jose, Costa Rica) received third team honors.
A M.A.C. Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Hayes led the Nittany Lions' offensive attack with a team-high 19 goals in 2013. The forward ranked second in the Big Ten and is tied for eighth in the nation in points (44) and goals while also adding six assists. Hayes' efforts during the regular season were awarded as she earned first team All-Big Ten laurels for the third consecutive season. The senior finished out her career with the Blue and White with a Penn State third-best 71 goals and 163 points. She leads all active Division I players in goals and ranks second in points. This is Hayes' third time on the All-Great Lakes first team.
Schram is a two-time All-Great Lakes honoree as she earned second team plaudits in 2011. The midfielder registered five goals, including two game-winners, and eight assists en route to second team All-Big Ten honors. For her career, Schram tallied 24 career goals and finished just outside of Penn State's all-time assists ledger with 24 helpers.
Church makes her second consecutive appearance on the regional team after anchoring the Nittany Lion backline this season. The junior was named to the All-Big Ten second team after logging nearly 2,000 minutes as she helped guide Penn State to six shutouts. Church also contributed on the offensive end, turning in four goals and one assist. The Ashburn, Va. native scored the game-winner in PSU's double overtime victory over Northwestern in the regular season, earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week laurels.
Weber had a stellar sophomore campaign, earning first team All-Big Ten accolades for her work in the regular season. A native of Novi, Mich., Weber posted seven goals and eight assists for 22 points this year. She notched two game-winners for PSU, including the winning goal against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament.
Rodriguez has earned a spot on the third team for the second straight year after leading the Blue and White in assists this season. The sophomore registered six goals and nine assists for a total of 21 points. Rodriguez is already closing in on Penn State's all-time assists rankings, having doled out 19 helpers in just two seasons.
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