Williams, Smither headline All-Summit League selections

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FARGO, N.D. – Maggie Smither has been named The Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year; Annie Williams was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year; and Brock Thompson earned Coach of the Year honors while seven Jackrabbits were named to the All-Summit League teams, announced Thursday by the league office.

Williams and Smither joined Nicole Hatcher, Tori Poole and Leah Manuleleua as first-team nods while Alexa Hepner was named to the second squad and Kaitlin Zabel earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

Williams, Manuleleua and Zabel are first-time honorees.

"We are excited about the recognition our players received," SDSU head coach Brock Thompson said. "We strongly believe that when one Jackrabbit is recognized, all of us are recognized."

Williams is a key reason the Jackrabbit defense ranks atop the Summit League with one goal allowed in league play and six league-match shutouts. The Cottage Grove, Minn., native started all 18 games for the Jacks this season, playing 1,466 minutes in the regular season on the back line. Williams is third on the team in total points, notching three goals and a pair of assists on the year with a game-winning goal at Western Illinois. She is the third Jackrabbit to be named the Summit League's Defensive Player of the Year, joining Kelly Larson (2007) and Kerstyn Farrell (2008).

Smither has been rock-solid between the pipes this season, allowing just 14 goals while posting an 0.80 goals against average. She started 17 of 18 regular-season contests and posted six complete shutouts, combining with fellow keeper Taylor Lock for another two. From Sioux Falls, S.D., she has 83 saves on the season and ranks 23rd nationally with a .956 saves percentage (as of Oct. 30). With an 11-4-3 record on the season, Smither picked up seven victories in league play and has not allowed a goal in over 560 minutes of game action. She was a member of the All-Freshman team a year ago, and is the first-ever Jackrabbit to be named Goalkeeper of the Year.

Hatcher is one of the top players in The Summit League this season, leading the team to nine consecutive victories, an 11-4-3 mark and a perfect 7-0 record in league play. Out of Sioux Falls, S.D., she leads the team with 21 points (third-most in The Summit League), netting seven goals with seven assists over 1,373 minutes played. Hatcher has put 16-of-29 shot attempts on goal and has two game-winning goals (Northern Colorado and Bellevue). The senior set the school's career assist record (23) during the year and ranks fourth in program history with 61 career points. She is a two-time All-Summit League First Team selection.

Poole has been named to the Summit League's first team all four years at SDSU, becoming the first Jackrabbit to accomplish the feat. She has started 17-of-18 games on the year and played 1,302 minutes in the midfield. The South Saint Paul, Minn., native is fourth on the team with four points for the year, scoring one goal with two assists. Poole has fired 39 shots on the year with 13 on goal and assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime at Creighton.

Manuleleua earned first-team honors in her first season at SDSU, matching Hatcher for the team lead in goals (six) while adding three assists. She ranks second in the program and fourth league-wise with 17 points for the season, shooting a Jackrabbit-best 42 shots on the year with 26 on goal over 1,121 minutes played. Her .619 shot-on-goal percentage is second-best among forwards on the team. She has two game-winning goals, coming at Creighton and against Fort Wayne, and strung together a string of five consecutive games this season recording a point.

Hepner has started all 18 games and leads the team in minutes played for the second straight season. On the field for all but 50 minutes of game action, she has logged 1,631 minutes on a defensive front that limited opponents to 179 shots (9.9 per game) this season, and 10 times kept a team from reaching 10 shots in a game. From Prior Lake, Minn., she was named to the Summit League's All-Freshman team last year.

Zabel has been the part of a standout defensive unit as well in her first season wearing the yellow and blue. She has started 16 games this season and played in all 18, tallying 1,468 minutes for the Jacks. The team has posted eight shutouts with Zabel's assistance this season and given up a league-low 15 goals in the campaign.

In his first season at the helm, Thompson has led the program to new heights after spending eight seasons prior as the assistant coach.

The Jacks completed a perfect league season for the first time in school history and are in the midst of their longest unbeaten streak ever (11). The current nine-game winning streak is the second-longest in school history and the nation's fifth longest active streak.

State now has 33 All-Summit League First Team, 19 Second Team and 17 All-Freshman/ Newcomer Team members since joining the league in 2007.

Seven all-league honors are the most for a Jackrabbit team since 2013 when the league honored eight from SDSU.

The Jackrabbits open Summit League Championship play Thursday as the top seed. SDSU will take on No. 4 seed and host North Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. in a semifinal bout from Dacotah Field

2017 ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAMS

First Team

Hannah Adler (M), Denver

Makenzie Bothner (D), Denver

Jessie Dancy, (F), Denver

Brooklyn Eardley (D), Oral Roberts

Nicole Hatcher (F), South Dakota State

Jordan Langebartels (F), Oral Roberts

Leah Manuleleua (F), South Dakota State

Malley O'Brien (M), North Dakota State

Tori Poole (M), South Dakota State

Maggie Smither (GK), South Dakota State

Annie Williams (D), South Dakota State

Second Team

Anna Gornell (M), Oral Roberts

Meg Halvorson (M), Denver

Alexa Hepner (D), South Dakota State

Taryn Labree (F), South Dakota

Nelly Mamabolo (M), Oral Roberts

Abby Meader (D), Omaha

Kallianne Mogler (F), Fort Wayne

Hanna Norman (D), North Dakota State

Taylor Parker (D), Denver

Kellee Willer (F), South Dakota

Brittany Wilson (GK), Denver

All-Freshman Team

Danielle Algera (M), North Dakota State

Macee Barlow (F), Denver

Emma Gaggioli (GK), Fort Wayne

Meg Halvorson (M), Denver

Brittney Lewis (M), Denver

Brianna McGowan (M), Oral Roberts

Jessica Misquez (D), Oral Roberts

Amogelang Motau (F), Oral Roberts

Taylor Parker (D), Denver

Jessica Schoenfeldt (F), Fort Wayne

Kaitlin Zabel (D), South Dakota State

Offensive Player of the Year

Jessie Dancy, Denver

Defensive Player of the Year

Annie Williams, South Dakota State

Goalkeeper of the Year

Maggie Smither, South Dakota State

Freshman of the Year

Meg Halvorson, Denver

Coach of the Year

Brock Thompson, South Dakota State