Markus Roeders Named BIG EAST Coach of the Year
11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 5, 2009
Hartford, Conn. - Head women's soccer coach Markus Roeders was named the 2009 BIG EAST Coach of the Year and four other Golden Eagles were honored Thursday night by the BIG EAST Conference at its annual awards banquet preceding the semifinal games of the BIG EAST Championship in Hartford, Conn.
Sophomore Rachael Sloan earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors, sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Kulla was named to the second team, junior Rosie Malone-Povolny was named to the third team and freshman Ally Miller walked away with All-BIG EAST Rookie Team accolades.
"Congrats to our individual award winners," Roeders. "Rachael, Natalie, Rosie and Ally have enjoyed excellent seasons. They have played with great consistency and have been vital to our teams' success. But, they will be the first to tell you that they couldn't have done it alone. They rely on teammates to do their part so they can excel. These are unselfish players and that is a strong trait in each one of them. The BIG EAST is a fantastic league and to be named all-conference is truly a special honor."
Roeders, in his 14th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles, has guided his squad to a 14-4-2 overall record, a 7-2-2 league mark and the program's first BIG EAST American Division title this season. Roeders earned his 200th career win at St. John's on Oct. 25, the same day his Golden Eagles captured the division title and the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship.
It marks the fourth time Roeders has been honored with conference coaching honors. He was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2005 and earned similar accolades in Conference USA in 1996 and 2000.
"Receiving Coach of the Year honors is a testament of our entire team. Frankie, Hideki, Aleks and the whole support staff have done a great job for us to succeed. Each person plays their role and we have worked hard to be a team. Our players have bought into the training, wanting to excel and continuing to improve every day. We couldn't be more proud of them. Coaches are only as good as the players on and off the field, and it is as much their award as it is ours. We have enjoyed an incredible journey so far and would love to keep it going," added Roeders.
Sloan, one of Marquette's most dangerous forwards, leads the Golden Eagle offense with 15 points on five goals, four of which are game winners, and five assists. Three of her game winners came in BIG EAST play in wins over Seton Hall, Connecticut and Syracuse. She was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25 following her three-point performance in wins over Syracuse and St. John's that gave MU its first BIG EAST American Division title. This is Sloan's first all-conference recognition of her career and the first Marquette player to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors since MU joined the league in 2005.
Kulla, one of two goalkeepers to earn an all-conference nod, has played every minute of every match this season. She boasts a league-high and program record 14 shutouts, and has not allowed a goal in over 658 straight minutes. Kulla has registered 44 saves and owns the ninth-best goals against average in the nation, 0.48. She was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 25 after posting two shutouts to help MU secure the BIG EAST American Division title, and earned BIG EAST Honor Roll accolades on Sept. 7, Sept. 14, and Sept. 21. This is Kulla's first all-conference recognition of her career.
Malone-Povolny, a mainstay central midfielder, has started in all 20 games this season. She has three points on the season on one goal and one assist all of which recorded in BIG EAST play. She scored the lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Rutgers and assisted Sloan's game-winning goal in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Connecticut. This is Malone-Povolny's first all-conference recognition of her career.
Miller, who started 17 straight games before being sidelined with a foot injury the last three contests, has been a force in the stopper role for the Golden Eagles. She was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week following wins over Green Bay and Minnesota.
The American Division Champion Golden Eagles will take on No. 3 American Division seed West Virginia at Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn., at 5 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports with Ann Schatz and Tammy Blackburn calling all of the action from the pitch.
