By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – On an evening that saw the Tennessee Tech soccer team capture several pieces of prominent hardware at the first ever Golden Wings Awards, head coach Steve Springthorpe also announced his team awards in recognition of Tech's remarkable 2015 campaign.
Freshman goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann was recognized as the team's Most Valuable Player, an honor voted on by the club's 24 members, while sophomore Lauren Brewer took home the Coach's Award, given to the student-athlete(s) whom the coach feels contributed the most to the team during the season, taking elements of dedication, character, and overall impact into account.
"I want to personally congratulate both players on their awards," TTU head coach Steve Springthorpe said. "This is a team game played by many individuals and these two awards that are given in recognition for their outstanding seasons are a direct result of the team coming together, helping each other, supporting each other, and creating a chemistry that allowed everyone to play at the highest level possible. Without the help of their teammates, both Kari and Lauren know they would not have had the opportunity to be recognized for their individual achievements."
Naerdemann's latest accolade bolsters an already stout resume for the 5-foot-9 rookie after the Herne, Germany native was already honored by the OVC as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to securing spots on both the All-OVC first team and conference's all-newcomer team.
"Kari made such a huge impact for us this season, proving to be one of the best goalkeepers in the conference in only her first year," Springthorpe claimed. "Her caliber of play helped our team move to a level of competitiveness that allowed us to get the opportunity to play for a conference championship, and the improvement of our team can be attributed to our great play defensively as we were one of the leaders in the OVC in most defensive statistics."
The Golden Eagles yielded only seven goals in 10 OVC matches, tied for the least amount in the conference, while Tech's 0.68 goals against average in OVC play was also the lowest in the 11-team league. Overall, TTU surrendered a measly 17 goals in 19 regular season contests, the fewest in one season in program history, punctuated by seven shutouts, the highest total in nearly 15 years.
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 those seven blankings.
"Though it was a group wide effort in moving to that competitive level, I believe the team understood the importance of having Kari on the club, and with that, recognized her as team MVP," Springthorpe said.
As far as Lauren Brewer is concerned, the Crestwood, Ky. native collects the Coach's Award after compiling a stellar sophomore campaign as one of the anchor's of Tech's sturdy defense.
"Over the past two seasons, Lauren has made major strides going from a player who played minimal minutes as a freshman, to a player who was not only a starter, but a major contributor in helping move the team to a more competitive and successful level," Springthorpe noted. "Lauren worked hard to improve her physical attributes as well as both her mental approach and ability to play the game. I can confidently say that she was vital to our team and her abilities helped us become one of the best in the OVC this past season."
The proof is in the pudding as the 5-foot-6 sophomore started in all 20 contests from the back line, proving to be a durable force after playing in all but eight minutes throughout the entire year. Brewer shined in the postseason as well for the Golden Eagles, reserving a spot on the OVC all-tournament team after appearing in all 90 minutes in TTU's conference tournament semifinal match against Southeast Missouri, Tech's first playoff bid in six years.
"Lauren is a leader both in the classroom and on the soccer field," Springthorpe added. "She has shown leadership qualities that put her in a position to lead this team to an even higher level of play in the upcoming years. I am thankful for Lauren's dedication to the program and her leadership within the team."
Naerdemann and Brewer's honors tied a ribbon on a night that featured a whole host of accolades for Golden Eagle soccer at the inaugural Golden Wings Awards. The squad took home the large team Academic Team of the Year award, determined by the highest percentage of the roster to be included on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each of the past two semesters.
Sophomore Karigan Owens was the recipient of the Play of the Year award, seizing the honor behind her game-winning free kick from about 35 yards out in a 2-1 double overtime thriller over Austin Peay on Oct. 15.
Head coach Steve Springthorpe was presented with the Coach of the Year honor after helping take Tech Soccer to its most conference wins in one season in school history, highest OVC finish in 15 years, and a regular season winning record for the first time in over a decade.
