Women’s Soccer Lands Trio on United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team
Coming off its first season in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, Suffolk women’s soccer saw three players named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region II Team, with Allison Rodrigues, Gwen Owens and Hayley Long being honored.
2021 UNITED SOCCER COACHES DIVISION III WOMEN'S ALL-REGION TEAMS
BOSTON – Coming off its first season in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, Suffolk women's soccer saw three players named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region II Team, with Allison Rodrigues, Grace Owens and Hayley Long being honored.
Both Rodrigues and Owens landed on the second squad, while Long represented the Rams on the third team. The threesome is made up of all first-time honorees. They are the first Suffolk student-athletes to be recognized with all-region recognition for the first time since Taylor Miranda did so in 2013, while the three honorees in the same season are the most in a single-season in the Rams' record books.
The group was instrumental to Suffolk's 11-6-0 overall record, which sits second in the Rams' annuals for single-season victories. A spot it shares with the 2010 team (11-10-0) and falls behind the 2016 (13-4-1) squad. Additionally they aided to the blue-and-gold's 5-4-0 league ledger, which earned the blue-and-gold the fifth seeded in the CCC Tournament, which sent Suffolk to Gordon for the quarterfinals.
One of the best set of gloves in Suffolk history, Rodrigues, who calls North Andover, Massachusetts, home became the first goalie in program history to be named to a conference's first-team. The only keeper on roster she registered 11 victories, eight in shutout fashion, with a .893 save percentage and 0.76 goals against average with 108 stops.
Owens, a defender from Sutton, Massachusetts, was a staple on the backline in front of Rodrigues and started all 16 games to help contribute to the second-most cleansheets in a single-season in program history.
Long, an Exeter, New Hampshire, product, was a crucial contributor offensively with 12 points on five goals and two assists. Two of her strikes pushed the Rams to victory, including Suffolk's first-ever triumph over Lesley, a 2-0 decision, Sept. 11.
Suffolk's triad is a part of a baker dozen student-athletes from the CCC to pick up the regional distinction. The Rams are one of three conference programs to see three players recognized along with Endicott and the University of New England with Roger Williams and Western New England seeing a pair earn the award.