Three Rebels Earn SEC Awards From Soccer Coaches

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. - As the No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels prepare for Wednesday's first-round Southeastern Conference Tournament matchup against Auburn, three Rebels received postseason awards from the league coaches on Tuesday.

Senior midfielder Danielle Johnson was named to the All-SEC first team, becoming the first player in school history to receive all-league accolades in all four seasons. Senior forward Hannah Weatherly made the All-SEC second team, and midfielder Arielle Cohen was tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman team.

A native of Baton Rouge, La., Johnson was a second-team all-league pick as a freshman and has been tabbed to the first team for the last three seasons. She moved from defender to the midfield this season and flourished with five goals and four assists, as well as maintaining a major role in Ole Miss' defense that ranks second in the SEC with a 0.56 goals-against average. Johnson enters the league tournament having started all 79 matches of her career, which are the fifth-most starts by a player in school history.

Weatherly received All-SEC honors for the first time in her career as the Tupelo, Miss., native has scored nine goals this season, the most by a Rebel since Brittney Potts had 10 in 2004. Weatherly is tied for the SEC lead with five game-winning goals and ranks second in the conference with 0.6 goals per game. Her 21 career goals are tied for 10th-most in school history.

In her first collegiate season by way of Wellington, Fla., Cohen has started all 19 matches in the midfield and produced three goals and three assists on the year. She opened her Rebel career by scoring three goals in her first three collegiate outings. She also dished out assists on back-to-back game-winning goals against Arkansas and Kentucky.

Ole Miss has now produced 29 All-SEC selections since 1996, all under Steve Holeman, the only head coach in school history. The team has had at least one all-league player every year since 1996. The Rebels boast seven SEC All-Freshman picks since those awards began in 2003.

South Carolina's Shelley Smith was named SEC Coach of the Year, while Gamecock defender Blakely Mattern earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. LSU's Malorie Rutledge and Florida's Lauren Hyde were named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, and Georgia's Laura Eddy garnered honors.

2009 SEC Women's Soccer Awards

First Team All-SEC

Katy Frierson M So. Auburn

Katie Fraine GK Jr. Florida

Lauren Hyde* D Sr. Florida

Carrie Patterson F Sr. Georgia

Chelsea Potts D Sr. LSU

Malorie Rutledge* M Sr. LSU

Danielle Johnson M Sr. Ole Miss

Kayla Grimsley* F So. South Carolina

Blakely Mattern* D Sr. South Carolina

Mick Imgram M Sr. Tennessee

Megan Forester D Sr. Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC

Justine Bernier GK So. Alabama

Kim Schleif D Sr. Arkansas

Becca Howell F Sr. Auburn

Sammy Towne D Jr. Auburn

Lindsay Thompson F So. Florida

Laura Eddy D Fr. Georgia

Allysha Chapman D So. LSU

Melissa Clarke M Sr. LSU

Hannah Weatherly F Sr. Ole Miss

Samantha Diaz-Matosas D Sr. South Carolina

Kim Miller M Sr. South Carolina

Molly Kinsella M Jr. Vanderbilt

All-Freshman Team

Allie Chandler F Arkansas

Amy Howard GK Auburn

Brooke Thigpen M Florida

Erika Tymrak* M Florida

Kat Williamson D Florida

Susannah Dennis M Georgia

Laura Eddy* D Georgia

Carlie Banks F LSU

Arielle Cohen M Ole Miss

Amy Harrison M Tennessee

Chelsea Stewart M Vanderbilt

Coach of the Year: Shelley Smith, South Carolina

Offensive Player of the Year: Malorie Rutledge, LSU

Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Hyde, Florida

Freshman of the Year: Laura Eddy, Georgia

Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Blakely Mattern, South Carolina

*unanimous selection

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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