Oct. 31, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
For the second successive year, the University of North Carolina women's soccer team has had three players named to the ESPN The Magazine District 3 All-Academic Team as senior defender Kristi Eveland indvidually earned honors for the third year in a row while being joined this year by senior defender Whitney Engen and senior goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris who were also named to the 11-woman first-team squad.
District 3 covers nominees in the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Last year, Eveland was joined by Anna Rodenbough and Yael Averbuch on the first team district squad. Eveland was a second-team All-District choice in 2007 as she earned honors all three years she was eligible for the award (only sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible). Altogether, in the last five seasons, UNC has had 13 first-team and one second-team selection to the Academic All-District Team. That total is out of a maximum of 15 potential nominations during those five seasons.
Eveland, Engen and Harris are now amongst the 88 players nationally (11 in each of eight districts) eligible to be voted on to the first, second and third teams. Eveland was a first-team ESPN The Magazine national All-America choice last season. Since 2005, UNC has had 10 selections to the national first, second and third teams (three first-teamers, five second-teamers and two third-teamers) as well as two who earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americas of the Year for women's soccer - Heather O'Reilly in 2006 and Yael Averbuch in 2008.
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Eveland, Engen and Harris have played together on a UNC defense which last year led the Tar Heels to the national championship and this year has UNC ranked No. 4 in the Soccer America national rankings with a 13-3-1 record. The Tar Heel defense has been stellar this year, allowing a mere 10 goals in 17 matches for a goals against average of 0.57. The UNC defense has recorded 10 shutouts. Eveland is in her fourth year as Carolina's starting right back and Engen is the starting center back for the second straight year after starting at forward in 2006 and 2007. Harris was the co-starter at goal with Rodenbough in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and is now the full-time starter.
Harris was named as the sole goalie on the District 3 Team. The fifth-year senior from Satellite Beach, Fla., has a 3.48 grade point average in communication studies.
Eveland is a native of Southlake, Texas. She was one of four defenders named to the first-team district squad along with Engen. Eveland is enrolled in UNC's nationally-renowned Kenan-Flagler School of Business and she has a 3.86 grade point average.
Engen is from Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. She has a 3.52 grade point average in political science.
North Carolina closes out it regular season on the field Sunday with a big match at No. 8 Maryland at 1 p.m.
