Season in Review: 2016 Women's Soccer
12/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
• Team Captains: Jessica Heifetz, Madisson Lewis, Ani Sarkisian
• Record: 10-5-5 overall, 6-3-2 Big Ten Conference (4th place)
• Big Ten Tournament: Semifinals
• NCAA Tournament: First Round
Under the direction of ninth-year head coach Greg Ryan, the Wolverines recorded their fifth straight 10-win season, finishing 10-5-5 overall. Despite being without three key starters for the entire season due to injury and international competition, Michigan got off to its best Big Ten start in program history with a 5-0-0 mark. The Wolverines finished conference play with a 6-3-2 record, finishing fourth in the regular-season standings, and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the second straight season, falling, 1-0, to eventual Big Ten Tournament champion Minnesota. U-M earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, returning to the tournament for the first time since 2013, where it lost a heartbreaker in penalty kicks to Illinois State (T, 2-2; ISU won in PKs 5-4).
Team Highlights
• Michigan had key wins against two ranked opponents, defeating No. 12 Notre Dame, 2-0, and No. 19 Rutgers, 3-2, in double overtime.
• The Wolverines strung together the best Big Ten start in program history, beginning conference play with five straight wins against Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan State, Rutgers, and Maryland.
• Michigan was 7-1-5 at U-M Soccer Stadium, giving the Wolverines a 47-5-8 record at home over the past five seasons.
• Michigan finished fourth in the Big Ten and advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the second straight season, falling 1-0 to eventual Big Ten Tournament champion Minnesota.
• The Wolverines advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 and earned the right to host a first-round match, where they played to a 2-2 draw with Illinois State and then coming up short, 5-4, in a penalty shootout.
• Michigan had a successful season despite starting the year without three key starters -- midfielders Taylor Timko and Kelly Sweeney missed the season due to knee injuries, while outside back Sura Yekka was training with the Canadian U-20 Women's National Team in preparation for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Individual Highlights
• Sophomore Reilly Martin had a breakout season for the Maize and Blue, leading the team with 24 points on seven goals and 10 assists. Her 10 assists ranked tied for first in the Big Ten, while her 24 points were tied for sixth. Martin was named to the All-Big Ten second team and Academic All-District Five Team for her efforts off the field and in the classroom.
• Senior Nicky Waldeck recorded her second career hat trick in a 3-2 win over No. 19 Rutgers (Sept. 29), making her the third player in program history to notch two career hat tricks. She was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Hero Sports Hero of the Week following the three-goal performance. Overall, Waldeck was second on the team in points, with nine goals and three assists, and was selected to the All-Big Ten second team.
• Starting in goal for 18 of the 20 matches this season, junior/sophomore Sarah Jackson allowed only 19 goals, while making 78 saves. Impressive showings against Ole Miss (Sept. 2), Wisconsin (Oct. 13), and Minnesota (Oct. 16) earned Jackson two Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 6, Oct. 18). She posted a career-high 11 saves in a draw with No. 15 Minnesota.
• Four players represented Michigan on the All-Big Ten second team -- Reilly Martin, Ani Sarkisian, Anna Soccorsi, and Nicky Waldeck. Martin, Waldeck and Sarkisian accounted for 62 of U-M's 100 total points, while Soccorsi anchored the back line that allowed just 1.15 goals per game.
Honors and Awards
Reilly
Martin
Ani
Sarkisian
Anna
Soccorsi
Nicky
Waldeck
Big Ten Conference
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Reilly Martin, Ani Sarkisian, Anna Soccorsi, Nicky Waldeck
Sportsmanship Award: Jessica Heifetz
All-Tournament Team: Nicky Waldeck
College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA)
Academic All-District V (First Team): Reilly Martin
Big Ten Player of the Week
Defensive Player of the Week: Sarah Jackson (Sept. 6, Oct. 18)
Offensive Player of the Week: Nicky Waldeck (Oct. 4)
Academic All-Big Ten
Ashley Calcagno, So., LSA undeclared, Vero Beach, Fla.
Alyssa Dillon, Jr., movement science, Plymouth, Mich.
Bailey Haydock, Sr., industrial & operations engineering, Tulsa, Okla.
Jessica Heifetz, Sr., communication, Warren, N.J.
Megan Hinz, Jr., health and fitness, Eldersburg, Md.
Sarah Jackson, Jr., sport management, Southborough, Mass.
Abby Kastroll, So., business administration, Naples, Fla.
Melissa Kreutz, Sr., biopsychology, cognition & neuroscience, Northridge, Calif.
Madisson Lewis, Sr., sport management, Canton, Mich.
Reilly Martin, So., movement science, Carmel, Ind.
Rosalind Porritt, Sr., cognitive science, San Diego, Calif.
Anna Soccorsi, Sr., environment, Yardley, Pa.
Rubina Veerakone, Jr., biopsychology, cognition & neuroscience, Caledonia, Mich.
Jackie White, So., business administration, Livonia, Mich.
Communications Contact: Whitney Vojtkofsky
