By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech soccer team was well represented on this season's Ohio Valley Conference's postseason awards list, as a trio of Golden Eagles accounted for six of the league's honors, announced by the conference Wednesday morning.
Senior Isabelle Austin headlined Tech's position on the list after taking home the league's inaugural Goalkeeper of the Year award in addition to reserving a spot on the coveted All-OVC first team. Freshmen Selma Askildsen and Meredith Nye made their presence felt as well, with the youthful duo both recognized on the All-OVC second team to go along with spots on the All-OVC Newcomer team.
Austin's honor made it a sixth-straight season with a Golden Eagle on the All-OVC first team, while the Sylvania, Ohio native's Goalkeeper of the Year accolade marked the fourth time in six seasons in which Tech took home a "Player of the Year" award following Kari Naerdemann's run of three straight campaigns as the league's Defensive Player of the Year from 2015-17.
"It's great to see Izzie, Selma and Meredith all get recognized for their outstanding play this season," TTU head coach Steve Springthorpe said. "Even though the season didn't go quite the way we hoped for as far as our overall record and place in the standings, they were among some individuals that really stepped up and I'm happy that the three of them are being honored for that.
"Then you look at having two freshmen recognized on an All-OVC team and it shows the potential for the future of our program," Springthorpe added. "It shows that our freshmen class had an opportunity to play right away and were able to showcase their abilities from the get go. We played extremely well defensively over the course of the year and Meredith and Selma both stood out on that front. We had a couple of other freshmen that had a great season as well, and we would have liked to get some of them honored, but to have two on the list is an awesome accomplishment."
Isabelle Austin put together a banner spring season, pacing OVC goalkeepers in every major statistical category. The 5-foot-8 senior yielded only seven goals in nearly 940 minutes between the pipes, and led the league in goals against average (0.67), save percentage (.891) and finished tied for tops in the OVC in saves (57). Austin's impressive save percentage is the highest in program history, surpassing Kari Naerdemann's .890 mark in 2017, while her goals against average is third-lowest on the school's single-season list.
"Izzie really had a breakout year for us and I am happy that she was recognized by the conference for her huge spring," Springthorpe noted. "As a team we had some struggles in terms of giving up goals in 2019, which was certainly not all on Izzie, but I thought she learned and grew from those experiences coming into this year. She trained hard, was a great leader and played an instrumental role in helping guide our back line. Izzie had an awesome season and is deserving of the Goalkeeper of the Year award."
Selma Askildsen did not leave the pitch during the season, accumulating 938 minutes as a key member of TTU's back line. The Hosle, Norway native played a significant role in helping lead a Tech defense that surrendered an OVC-fewest seven goals in 10 matches. The Golden Eagles ended the season as the only team in the conference to not allow more than one goal in a match, and after back-to-back shutouts against Morehead State and Eastern Illinois, Askildsen was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week on Mar. 14.
"Selma came in here after we had a number of players from our back line graduate from 2019, and from day one, it was pretty evident to us that she was probably going to fill one of those spots," Springthorpe said. "Selma had a really consistent season and for a freshman that doesn't always happen. There may have been a couple of games that she didn't necessarily play her best, but Selma's overall body of work for a team that gave up the fewest goals in the conference speaks for itself. She played a huge role in holding our back four together and did a great job as a new player this season. I'm excited about her future with us and only expect Selma to get better as her career progresses."
Meredith Nye started all 10 matches in her rookie season, tallying 885 minutes on the pitch to rank fourth among field players on the squad. The Jackson, Tenn. product kicked off her collegiate career in grand fashion behind a game-winning goal in a 1-0 nod at Austin Peay on Mar. 2. Overall, Nye notched eight shots, four of which were on-goal for a .500 shot on-goal percentage. Defensively, the 5-foot-6 midfielder played a pivotal role in helping guide the Golden Eagles to the league's best goals against average mark at 0.67.
"Meredith is just a workhorse for our program, who always went out there and got the job done," Springthorpe said. "Wherever the ball was, you'd look up and almost always see Meredith around the action. She is a skillful enough player offensively to have helped create a goal for us this year and knows how to keep possession out there. Meredith's work ethic is top notch and she has a 'let's win' type of attitude. I'm glad the conference recognized her play over the course of the season."
Photos by Jim Dillon
