ROSEMONT, Ill. – Nine members of the Penn State women's soccer program were honored by the Big Ten with postseason awards, as announced by the conference office on Friday, Oct. 26. Highlighting the plaudits for Penn State, head coach Erica Dambach was named the Coach of the Year, Emily Ogle was tabbed the Midfielder of the Year, and Kaleigh Riehl garnered Defender of the Year honors.
Though the award is officially named 'Coach of the Year', Coach Dambach has acknowledged the award as 'Staff of the Year' for the hard work of the entire Penn State women's soccer staff. This is the fourth time Coach Dambach has been honored with Coach of the Year plaudits by the Big Ten.
"This is an award for the entire program, representing the hard work and dedication of our players, coaches, support staff and administration," Dambach said. "We faced numerous challenges throughout the year, but I'm proud of how everyone has worked together to win the Big Ten regular season title."
In addition to the yearly honors, six Nittany Lions were tabbed with All-Big Ten honors, Kim Dubs was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Laura Suero received the Sportsmanship Award for Penn State.
The All-Big Ten first team featured Ogle, Riehl, and Frankie Tagliaferri. This is the first appearance on the All-Big Ten first team for the trio.
Ogle, a redshirt senior, has started every match during the 2018 regular season, and has 15 points on five goals and five assists. Heading into the Michigan match this weekend, Ogle has played in 93 career matches, which leads active NCAA DI women's soccer student-athletes.
Riehl, a redshirt junior, has been a mainstay on the Nittany Lion backline while donning the Blue & White. Riehl has helped anchor a tough Nittany Lion defense that recorded nine shutouts in the regular season.
Tagliaferri, a sophomore forward, finished the regular season with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. In conference-only matches, she recorded 14 points on five goals and four assists. Tagliaferri's 14 points in Big Ten play were tied for second in the league in 2018.
The Nittany Lion duo of Alina Ortega Jurado and Charlotte Williams were named to the All-Big Ten second team. This is the first All-Big Ten honor for Ortega Jurado, while Williams was tabbed to the All-Big Ten third team in 2016 and '17.
Ortega Jurado, a senior, has started all 18 matches for the Nittany Lions on the backline. In 2018, she has helped the Nittany Lions tally nine shutouts and offensively, she has recorded two assists.
Williams, a senior midfielder, has netted 12 points on three goals and six assists on the year. With the 2018 regular season in the books, Williams ranks 15th all-time in assists at Penn State with 23.
Sophomore forward Kerry Abello rounds out the All-Big Ten honors for Penn State with a spot on the All-Big Ten third team. After not recording a point in 2017, Abello is currently tied for the team lead in goals (seven) and points (19).
As mentioned earlier, Dubs, a forward, was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. In her first year donning the Blue & White, she played in all 18 matches during the regular season and has tallied five points on two goals and one assist.
Suero, a junior defender, receives the Sportsmanship Award for Penn State for the second straight season. In 2018, Suero has played in 15 matches and has helped bolster the Nittany Lion backline.
The No. 16 Nittany Lions are back in action on Sunday, Oct. 28, against the Michigan Wolverines in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Jeffrey Field. There will be free parking and free admission for fans.