By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
MURRAY, Ky. – In the midst of one of its best seasons in program history, the Tennessee Tech soccer team took home a slew of All-Conference honors during Thursday evening's OVC Awards Banquet.
Headlined by freshman Kari Naerdemann, who was named the 2015 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, three Golden Eagles were recognized during Thursday's ceremony. Junior Abi Gearing and sophomore Karigan Owens joined Naerdemann as the trio of Tech players that secured conference hardware.
Gearing accompanied Naerdemann on the All-Conference first team list, while Owens was named an All-OVC second teamer. Naerdemann also took home a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer Team.
Naerdemann becomes the fourth Golden Eagle to be named Defensive Player of the Year and first since Kelli McCoy hoisted the honor back in 2000. McCoy was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 1999, and Holly Wildman captured the award in 1998. Tech has had one Offensive Player of the Year, Jenn Hoffman in 2009.
Naerdemann and Abi Gearing become the first Tech players to seize first-team recognition since Kris Cambron and Jen Hoffman in 2009, a year that saw TTU's last OVC Tournament appearance.
"First I'm excited for our team. Anytime we get some recognition from the coaches of the conference and from the media of the other schools in the OVC, it's an honor," Tech head coach Steve Springthorpe claimed. "I told the team this year that there is no one player that carries us and every award that we earn is a testament to our group. It's all about everyone doing their part on the field, which allows others to stand out. In a way, these honors represent team awards."
Naerdemann burst onto the scene as a freshman, anchoring a Tech defense that finished its OVC campaign tied with Murray State for the least amount of goals allowed with seven in 10 conference matches, while the Golden Eagles' 0.68 goals against average in OVC play was the lowest in the 11-team league.
Overall, Naerdemann wrapped up the regular season second in the conference with an impressive .857 save-percentage, second with a 0.83 goals against average, and tied for first with seven shutouts.
"It's definitely great to see the conference honor Kari for Defensive Player of the Year, especially because we were known for being a defensive team this season," Springthorpe said. "She had a fantastic year and made a huge impact as a freshman this season. Kari made a number of great saves in key moments throughout the year. She's been a calm presence all season long. Part of that is her personality and part of that is certainly her experience. We are excited for Kari and she is deserving of this honor."
Junior Abi Gearing came up huge during TTU's record-setting conference campaign that saw the Golden Eagles capture a program-best six wins during the 2015 OVC season. The Libertyville, Ill. native paced Tech with four goals and 11 points this season, registering all four scores and all 11 points during conference action.
"Abi Gearing has been solid all year long for us. She made a position change from an attacking spot to more of a defensive and midfield position and has embraced the change from the get go," Springthorpe noted. "Abi has made a huge impact for us, not only in scoring some goals and getting some assists, but also in terms of settling the play and switching the play. She's just had a really good year and I'm happy for her."
Among the highlights for Gearing, the 5-foot-9 junior scored the game-winner in Tech's regular season finale, a 1-0 victory over Morehead State on Oct. 29 that clinched the No. 2 seed, and in the process, a first round bye and spot in the OVC Tournament semifinals.
Sophomore Karigan Owens enjoyed similar success during conference play, rattling off two goals and four assists throughout TTU's 10 OVC affairs. Overall, Owens notched five assists on the year, a mark that put the La Grange, Ky. native in a tie for fifth in the conference.
"Karigan's played really well for us in the back and for her to be recognized as a sophomore is great for her and great for our program," Springthorpe said. "She battled injures coming into the season and didn't get to play a lot during the non-conference schedule until she was healthy. During the conference campaign, Karigan had a number of key moments for us and is our set piece specialist. She has a great work ethic and brings a lot of excitement and athleticism to our back line, which has been extremely helpful to us this season."
No. 2 Tech will square off with No. 6 Southeast Missouri in the first OVC Tournament semifinal on Friday at 11 a.m. CT. The winner will hook up with the No. 5 Morehead State-No. 1 Murray State victor in the championship match on Sunday at 1 p.m.
