Liz Wicks, Ashlin Yahr Garner Women's Premier Soccer League Postseason Honors
8/12/2011 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Columbia women's soccer team will begin its 2011 campaign in just a few short weeks, but a pair of Lions have been honored recently for their standout play this summer.
Rising seniors Liz Wicks and Ashlin Yahr were first team all-conference selections in both the East (Wicks) and Pacific (Yahr) conferences of the Women's Premier Soccer League. In addition, Yahr was one of 14 players named to the All-WPSL first team.
Wicks, an honorable mention All-Ivy League selection a season ago, was one of the top players on a NYAC club who went 7-1-2 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time in its history.
NYAC pushed the reigning WPSL national champion Boston Aztec to the brink in the first round of the playoffs, before falling 1-0 in double overtime. Boston would go on to the WPSL Final Four in Chicago two weeks later.
The Hungerford, England native was named to the WPSL's Team of the Week on July 12 after scoring four goals and an assist to help lead NYAC to two wins that week.
Yahr, a three-time All-Ivy League selection at Columbia including a first-team nod last year, was the top goal scorer for the San Diego SeaLions during the regular season. The SeaLions went 8-1-1 to clinch a playoff berth, and avenged their lone loss to the Orange County Waves with a 1-0 win on June 25.
In the playoffs, Yahr continued to be a force offensively, scoring once in a 3-2 win over the Bay Area Breeze in the regional finals, and again to knot the score in the second half against the Waves in the Pacific Conference championship.
The Waves went on to defeat the SeaLions in a penalty shootout, overtake the Aztec in the national semifinals and won the 2011 WPSL Championship with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars. The SeaLions were the only team all season to defeat the Waves.
Yahr also warranted WPSL weekly honors on July 5, as The Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. native had two goals in a 5-1 win over the San Francisco Nighthawks on July 2, then added another score the following day in a 2-1 triumph against the California Storm
Joining Yahr on the All-WPSL First Team were former Florida All-American Stacy Bishop, former Notre Dame standout and Women's Professional Soccer player Michele Weissenhofer and former WPS All-Star and Santa Clara graduate Brittany Klein.
Columbia opens its 2011 season at the St. John's NYC Classic on Friday, Sept. 2 against Hofstra at 4 p.m. The Pride are receiving votes in the preseason NSCAA Top 25 poll.
