Griffin Named NSCAA All-American

Griffin Named NSCAA All-American

12/9/2005

Griffin Named NSCAA All-American

Junior goalkeeper Tyler Griffin (Charlotte, N.C.) was named to the 2005 NSCAA/adidas Women’s Division I All-America Third Team. Griffin, who posted the finest season ever by a VU goalkeeper, is only the third Commodore ever included on the team.

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year set school records with 14 shutouts (also an SEC record) and a 0.45 Goals Against Average. She is in the top five of just about every goalkeeping career record after only two seasons as a Commodore, including shutouts (2nd. 17) and saves (4th, 137). She also broke the school record for consecutive scoreless minutes this season — three times. She pushed the old record from 450 to 515, then to 549 and finally to 559.

Griffin’s 2004 Goals Against Average of 1.04 ranked fourth all-time in VU history. This season, she posted a 0.45 GAA, ninth in the nation and better than Lauren Korff’s VU record 0.88 in 1990. Griffin is well below the career mark, which is currently Christy Barringer’s 1.12 set from 1992-96.

Griffin also won plenty of recognition for her part in VU’s best-ever team in terms of winning percentage (.795). The previous mark was set by the 1994 team that went 18-5 (.783) en route to a Sweet 16 berth.

Along with the SEC First Team selection and Defensive Player of the Year honors, she was also voted to the ESPN The Magazines Academic All-District team with her 3.55 GPA in economics. Twice this season she earned a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (once in Week Three, when she tied and then broke the school record for consecutive shutouts, and again in Week Six, when she was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week).

The All-America honorees will be invited to the NSCAA All-America Luncheon, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, as part of the 2006 NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, Pa.

2005 NSCAA/adidas Women’s Division I All-America Team

Pos., Name, Cl., School, Hometown

First Team
G, Erin McLeod *, Sr., Penn State, Vancouver, B.C.
D, Melanie Booth, Jr., Florida, Burlington, Ontario D, Stephanie Lopez, So., Portland, Elks Grove, Calif.
D, Jill Oakes *, Sr., UCLA, West Hills, Calif.
M, Lori Chalupny **, Sr., North Carolina, St. Louis, Mo.
M, Ali Christoph, Jr., Tennessee, Columbus, Ohio M, Lindsey Huie ***, Sr., Portland, Mission Viejo, Calif.
M, Ali Krieger, Jr., Penn State, Dumfries, Va.
M, Megan Rapinoe, Fr., Portland, Redding, Calif.
F, Christine Sinclair ***, Sr., Portland, Burnaby, B.C.
F, Katie Thorlakson *, Sr., Notre Dame, Langley, B.C.
F, Tiffany Weimer **, Sr., Penn State, North Haven, Conn.

Second Team
G, Valerie Henderson, So., UCLA, Orinda, Calif.
D, Carolyn Ford, Sr., Duke, Bethesda, Md.
D, Christen Karniski, Sr., Illinois, Iowa City, Iowa D, Marlene Sandoval, Sr., Cal State Fullerton, Placentia, Calif.
M, Danesha Adams, So., UCLA, Shaker Heights, Ohio M, Christina Huang, Jr., Yale, Potomac, Md.
M, Fran Munnelly *, Sr., Colorado, Arvada, Colo.
F, Meghann Cook, Sr., Boston University, Melrose, Mass.
F, Kerri Hanks, Fr., Notre Dame, Allen, Texas F, Heather O’Reilly **, Jr., North Carolina, East Brunswick, N.J.
F, Mallory Miller, Sr., Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
F, India Trotter, Jr., Florida State, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Third Team
G, Tyler Griffin, Jr., Vanderbilt, Charlotte, N.C.
D, Candace Chapman, Sr., Notre Dame, Ajax, Ontario D, Laura Georges, Jr., Boston College, Versailles, France D, Sue Weber, So., Hofstra, Islip, N.Y.
M, Sandra Anger, Sr., Virginia Commonwealth, Guguen, France M, Jennifer Buczkowski, Jr., Notre Dame, Elk Grove, Ill.
M, Sarah Huffman *, Sr., Virginia, Flower Mound, Texas M, Noelle Keselica, Sr., Virginia, Gaithersburg, Md.
F, Jaime Rendich Beck , Sr., Brigham Young, Canyon Country, Calif.
F, Amy Rodriguez, Fr., Southern California, Lake Forest, Calif.
F, Brittany Timko, Jr., Nebraska, Coquitlam B.C.
F, Megan Woods, Sr., Pepperdine, Carlsbad, Calif.
F, Angie Woznuk, So., Portland, El Cajon, Calif.

* indicates prior selection