NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four members of the Vanderbilt soccer program have been named All-SEC honorees Thursday with Haley Hopkins headlining the list in garnering first-team honors.
Hopkins earns First Team All-SEC honors for the second time in her career while both Ella Shamburger and Maddie Elwell picked up Second Team honors. Abi Brighton closes her first regular season with the program earning a spot on the All-Freshman team.
“I am really thrilled for these young ladies,” said head coach Darren Ambrose. “They have set themselves apart in a very tough league and had a great impact in our program this fall.”
Last but certainly not least, it’s a second First Team All-SEC nod in three years for Haley Hopkins.#SECSOC | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/iYv9RfFf7g
— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) November 12, 2020
Hopkins has now earned All-SEC honors in each of her three years with the program to date. She leads the team in 2020 with three goals, which also ties her for sixth-most in the SEC this season. Of her three goals, two of them have gone down as game winners. In the season opener, she scored Vanderbilt’s first and third goals to come back and earn a 3-2 win over the Wildcats. Last month, Hopkins also scored the winner in the 88th minute against No. 15 Georgia with a last-second header.
Another year, another Second Team All-SEC nod for Maddie Elwell here in 2020. #SECSOC | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/wVGUxMVLPO
— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) November 12, 2020
Elwell started all eight games in the Vanderbilt midfield during the regular season and played a key role on both sides of the ball. Tallying her lone assist of the season on the game-winning goal by Leila Azari at LSU last month, the honor gives Elwell back-to-back Second Team All-SEC accolades.
A captain and a stalwart on our back line, it’s a second consecutive Second Team All-SEC honor for Ella Shamburger.#SECSOC | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/UGZUS37IA7
— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) November 12, 2020
Another back-to-back Second Team All-SEC honoree, Shamburger has also started all eight games captaining the Commodore back line. Vanderbilt has recorded a pair of clean sheets thus far in 2020 – tying for the second most in the conference – with Shamburger’s leadership helping the team to a shutout streak of 314:34 of game action from Oct. 18 at Florida to Nov. 7 against Ole Miss.
Immediate impact from Abi Brighton, to say the least.
A big congrats on earning All-Freshman Team honors. #SECSOC | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/66gNGZv6Fy
— Vanderbilt Soccer (@VandySoccer) November 12, 2020
Brighton’s first year on West End has also seen the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, native start all eight games in Vanderbilt’s midfield. Playing at least 81 minutes in all eight of Vanderbilt’s outings thus far, Brighton has gone the distance three times and recorded her first-career point with an assist on the equalizing goal at Florida.
Vanderbilt will be back in action in the second round of the SEC Tournament Sunday afternoon at noon on SEC Network. Taking on 10th-seeded Mississippi State, the winner will move on to the quarterfinals Tuesday at noon to take on second-seeded Tennessee.
2020 SEC Soccer Awards
First Team All-SEC
Forward: Parker Goins, Arkansas
Forward: Anna Podojil, Arkansas
Forward: Jordyn Rhodes, Kentucky
Forward: Barbara Olivieri, Texas A&M
Midfielder: Abby Boyan, Georgia
Midfielder: Channing Foster, Ole Miss
Midfielder: Jyllissa Harris, South Carolina
Midfielder: Addie McCain, Texas A&M
Defender: Haley VanFossen, Arkansas
Defender: Anna Patten, South Carolina
Defender: Jimena Lopez, Texas A&M
Defender: Karlina Sample, Texas A&M
Goalkeeper: Ashley Orkus, Ole Miss
At Large: Haley Hopkins, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Forward: Riley Mattingly, Alabama
Forward: Rammie Noel, LSU
Forward: Julissa Cisneros, Missouri
Forward: Mackenzie George, Tennessee
Midfielder: Kayla McKeon, Arkansas
Midfielder: Alyssa Malonson, Auburn
Midfielder: Lauren Chang, South Carolina
Midfielder: Maddie Elwell, Vanderbilt
Defender: Sarah Houchin, Auburn
Defender: Cecily Stoute, Georgia
Defender: Maya Gordon, LSU
Defender: Ella Shamburger, Vanderbilt
Goalkeeper: Emory Wegener, Georgia
At Large: Parker Roberts, Florida
At Large: Kayla Bruster, Georgia
All-Freshman Team
Felicia Knox, Alabama
Ellie Podojil, Arkansas
Ava Tankersley, Arkansas
Anna Haddock, Auburn
Maddie Prohaska, Auburn
Maria Olsen, Kentucky
Maddy Anderson, Mississippi State
Catherine Barry, South Carolina
Jaida Thomas, Tennessee
Laney Carroll, Texas A&M
Barbara Olivieri, Texas A&M
Abi Brighton, Vanderbilt
Co-Coach of the Year
Colby Hale, Arkansas
G Guerrieri, Texas A&M
Forward of the Year
Anna Podojil, Arkansas
Midfielder of the Year
Addie McCain, Texas A&M
Co-Defender of the Year
Jimena Lopez, Texas A&M
Karlina Sample, Texas A&M
Goalkeeper of the Year
Ashley Orkus, Ole Miss
Freshman of the Year
Barbara Olivieri, Texas A&M
Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Chanel Thomas, Ole Miss
Lauren Chang, South Carolina
