2013 Northeast Conference Women's Soccer Postseason Awards
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - LIU Brooklyn freshman Jenn Peters became the second Blackbird in program history to be named Northeast Conference Women's Soccer Rookie of the Year at the annual NEC Tournament banquet on Thursday evening.
In addition, four other LIU Brooklyn student-athletes picked up hardware including senior Shino Kunisawa who was named to the All-NEC First Team. Junior defender Shannon O'Connor picked up second-team honors along with Peters, while freshmen Madison Gomez and Asha Mohiddin joined Peters on the All-Rookie Team.
The top scoring threat for the Blackbirds this season, Peters joins former NEC Player of the Year and the program's all-time leading scorer Ariana Calderon as the only LIU players to be named the top rookie in the NEC. Peters has scored six goals and registered three assists this year, leading all NEC rookies with 15 points and ranking fourth in the conference in both goals and points.
In NEC play, the three-time NEC Rookie of the Week honoree picked up her play and totalled four goals and nine points over the eight-game schedule. Peters scored the game-winning goal in a road victory at Sacred Heart, and had two goals and tallied an assist in a crucial home win over Robert Morris.
One of the top playmakers in the league, Kunisawa registered a team-high 37 shots and finished the season with a flourish. After playing one of her best all-around games of the season against Robert Morris, the Kochi, Japan product found the back of the net on a beautiful free kick against Bryant to help LIU to a 3-2 win.
Last weekend, Kunisawa saved the Blackbirds season as she pounced on a loose ball in the box to score the game-winning goal in overtime against Mount St. Mary's. The goal propelled LIU into its ninth straight NEC Tournament.
After struggling through injuries last season, O'Connor has been a staple in the backline this year and has played in all 18 matches, starting 17. The Venetia, Pa. native has been the linchpin of a youthful backline that features a freshman, sophomore and junior.
The third of three sisters who have played at LIU Brooklyn, Shannon joins her older sister Ashley in earning All-NEC accolades. Ashley was a second-team recipient as a freshman and earned first-team honors as a senior, helping the Blackbirds to a NEC Tournament title.
Joining Peters on the All-Rookie Team were Gomez and Mohiddin. A midfielder from California, Gomez stepped right into a starting role and scored the first goal of her career against UNLV on Sept. 1. Gomez is also tied for the team lead with four assists.
Mohiddin secured a starting role in the defensive backfield in preseason and has not left the lineup since, starting all 18 matches and playing in 1,604 minutes to rank second on the team and first among field position players. The Ottawa, Ontario native recorded her first career assist in a 3-2 win over Robert Morris.
LIU Brooklyn enters the NEC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, and will face No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. The contest can be seen online at www.necfrontrow.com.