Five Columbus State Players Earn Women's Soccer All-Conference Honors

AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference has released 26-member women’s soccer All-Conference team from a banquet in Evans, Ga., site of the 2009 Tournament. Armstrong Atlantic State’s Kristin Burton was named the PBC Player of the Year for the third time. North Georgia’s Kelsey Martin was named the Freshman of the Year while her coach, Chris Adams, was named the PBC Coach of the Year.

Burton becomes the first women’s soccer player ever to earn a third PBC Player of the Year award. The senior from Ocala, Fla., became the PBC’s all-time goal scoring leader in 2009 with 90 in her career. The 2009 season was her most productive yet as she scored a career-best and league-leading 26 goals. She also led the league in assists. Burton will leave the PBC as its most decorated women’s soccer player having earned the 2006 PBC Freshman of the Year award to go with her three Player of the Year honors.

Kelsey Martin becomes the first North Georgia player to be named the Freshman of the Year. She led the Saints and was tied for seventh in the PBC with nine goals during the season; she was also tied for eighth in the league in points. The Dallas, Ga., native had three game-winning goals, including the lone score in a 1-0 upset of then third-ranked Columbus State. She started in 11 games as a freshman and played in all 16 for North Georgia.

Chris Adams earns his first PBC Coach of the Year award after leading North Georgia to a 10-5-2 overall record in 2009. In his seventh season at NGCSU, Adams led the program from the NAIA to the Division II level and this season pulled off their biggest win with a 1-0 victory against Columbus State, then ranked #3 in the nation. The Saints were the #5 seed after turning in their most conference wins in any season as a part of the Peach Belt.

Five CSU players were named either First Team or Second Team All-PBC. Gina Goforth, Jill Walthall, and Laurel McKenzie were tabbed as First Team selections, while Kim Gaughan and Kelly Nimmo earned Second Team honors.

Goforth had another outstanding season for CSU, leading the team with 12 goals, four of which were game-winners. She also contributed three assists to give her a total of 27 points on the year. She currently stands tied for fifth all-time in the PBC with 47 goals in her career.

Walthall, a team captain and the anchor for CSU in the midfield, scored five goals and had one assist this season for the Cougars. Two of her goals were game-winners during the year and she was responsible for a majority of the team's corner kicks from the left corner. She now has 10 goals and 15 assists in her CSU career.

McKenzie was a huge factor in the Cougars's stellar defensive efforts in the 2009 season. She and her backline mates kept pressure off goalkeeper Kelly Nimmo and were responsible for a shutout streak which lasted for well over six games. She finished the regular season with one goal and one assist on the year.

Gaughan, a defender, worked with McKenzie to keep the pressure off CSU goalkeepers and in getting the ball back into the possession of the CSU offense. She finished the year with one assist and no goals with the majority of her work coming in defensive efforts. She helped to spearhead the CSU shutout streak and helped lead a defense which allowed just 9 goals on the entire season.

Nimmo was nothing short of spectacular in her senior season. Having played as a backup for three years, Nimmo made the most of her starting opportunity, posting a 14-2-2 record between the pipes. She collected 46 saves on the year and allowed just five goals in 20 games for a miniscule 0.34 goals-against average, leading the nation for much of the year in that category.

CSU tied with GCSU for the most players on the All-Conference teams with five, and tied North Georgia for the league lead in First-Team selections with three.

The 2009 All-Conference team is listed below as selected by the league’s head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Forwards

First Team
Kristin Burton, Armstrong Atlantic St.
Gina Goforth, Columbus State
Kelsey Martin, North Georgia
Cherie Sayon, Clayton State

Second Team
Christina Barbour, Lander
Britney Joiner, UNC Pembroke
Paige Scott, Montevallo
Anna Svensson, UNC Pembroke

Midfielders

First Team
Morgan Mitchell, Armstrong Atlantic St.
Kelly Penston, North Georgia
Tiffany Urquhart, Flagler
Jill Walthall, Columbus State

Second Team
Natalie Martineau, Montevallo
Christin Moss, Lander
Daria Owen, GCSU
Ally Treat, GCSU

Defenders

First Team
Morgan Cobb, GCSU
Laurel McKenzie, Columbus State
Carey Patterson, Armstrong Atlantic St.
Casey Smith, North Georgia

Second Team
Jessica Binkowski, GCSU
Kim Gaughan, Columbus State
Tawny Moffat, GCSU
Annie Whitley, USC Aiken

Goalkeepers

First Team
Mary Rob Plunkett, GCSU

Second Team
Kelly Nimmo, Columbus State

Player of the Year
Kristin Burton, Armstrong Atlantic State

Freshman of the Year
Kelsey Martin, North Georgia

Coach of the Year
Chris Adams, North Georgia