Oct. 29, 2017
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference released its postseason awards Sunday following the conclusion of the 2017 regular season. Vanderbilt defender Stephanie Amack was named first team All-SEC, forward Simone Charley was selected to the second team All-SEC while defender Myra Konte was named to the All-Freshman team.
“I am extremely happy for the girls that received recognition,” said head coach Darren Ambrose. “I think it is great for our program and great for our team because at the end of the day, whoever gets an award is part of something that is much bigger. Those girls had a significant role this year in the success of the team.”
A graduate transfer from Danville, Calif., Amack started all 18 games for the Commodores this season. Naturally a midfielder, she made the switch to center back for the Dores and didn’t skip a beat as she was a key cog to the Commodores defensive success in the second half of the season.
She led the team with 1,595 minutes and played a part in the six shutouts throughout the season, including three against SEC competition. Amack did not leave the field in 15 of the 18 games and the Dores were 10-4-1 in those contests. She scored three goals on the year, including the game-winner against Lipscomb in the 71st minute.
Charley, a forward from Hoover, Ala., returned to the pitch after redshirting last year and didn’t skip a beat. She started 15 games for the Commodores and led the team in goals (4), assists (6) and points (14). In her final season for the black and gold, Charley became more of a distributor in the attacking third, which led to her career high six assists.
She scored or assisted on five game-winning goals for the Commodores this season. Her first came on the road against Boston College when she scored the only goal of the match in the 34th minute for a 1-0 win. In the next match that weekend, she assisted on the equalizer and then scored the game-winner against UMass in a 3-1 win. Her final game-winner came at home against Missouri. She assisted on the first two goals of the match and then scored the go-ahead goal in the 67th minute in the 5-3 win.
Konte, a defender from Woodbridge, Va., appeared in all 18 games in her first season for the black and gold. She started 17 of those contests and was another defensive stalwart that contributed to the six Commodore shutouts. She is third on the team in minutes and led all freshmen with 1,392. While she didn’t record a goal or assist this season, Konte was vital in setting up many Commodore attacks with runs up from left back. She drew a foul in the box that set up the opening goal in the Commodores 2-1 upset win over No. 11 Tennessee.
Amack, Charley, Konte and the entire Commodore team are on their way to Orange Beach for the 2017 SEC Tournament. Earning the four seed this season, the Dores are getting ready for a rematch with the No. 5 seed Tennessee Tuesday night. The quarterfinal match is set for a 7:30 pm CT start and will be broadcast nationwide on the SEC Network.
SEC Postseason Honors:
First Team All-SEC
Forward: Kristen Dodson, Auburn
Forward: Savannah McCaskill, South Carolina
Forward: Khadija Shaw, Tennessee
Forward: Ally Watt, Texas A&M
Midfielder: Gabby Seiler, Florida
Midfielder: CeCe Kizer, Ole Miss
Midfielder: Katie Cousins, Tennessee
Midfielder: Mikaela Harvey, Texas A&M
Defender: Celia Jimenez Delgado, Alabama
Defender: Caroline Babo, Auburn
Defender: Grace Fisk, South Carolina
Defender: Maya Neal, Tennessee
Defender: Stephanie Amack, Vanderbilt
Goalkeeper: Catalina Perez, Mississippi State
At-Large: Parker Roberts, Florida
At-Large: Deanne Rose, Florida
Second Team All-SEC
Forward: Abbie Boswell, Alabama
Forward: Channing Foster, Ole Miss
Forward: Sarah Luebbert, Missouri
Forward: Simone Charley, Vanderbilt
Midfielder: Emma Welch, Alabama
Midfielder: Mallory Eubanks, Mississippi State
Midfielder: Kaitlyn Clark, Missouri
Midfielder: Lindsey Lane, South Carolina
Midfielder: Anna Bialczak, Tennessee
Defender: Jessi Hartzler, Arkansas
Defender: Kristen Cardano, Florida
Defender: Rachelle Smith, Florida
Defender: Chiara Ritchie-Williams, LSU
Defender: Tatumn Milazzo, South Carolina
Defender: Kendall Ritchie, Texas A&M
Goalkeeper: Mikayla Krzeczowski, South Carolina
At-Large: Parker Goins, Arkansas
At-Large: MaKayla Waldner, Mississippi State
All-Freshman Team
Parker Goins, Arkansas
Alyssa Malonson, Auburn
Deanne Rose, Florida
Miranda Jimenez, Kentucky
Channing Foster, Ole Miss
Ryan Gareis, South Carolina
Jackie Schaefer, South Carolina
Luciana Zullo, South Carolina
Erin Gilroy, Tennessee
Addie McCain, Texas A&M
Myra Konte, Vanderbilt
Coach of the Year: Shelley Smith, South Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year: Savannah McCaskill, South Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Grace Fisk, South Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Deanne Rose, Florida
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Mallory Eubanks, Mississippi State