Women’s soccer tabbed SC ESPY Team of the Year
INDIANOLA, Iowa – Leaders on the field, in the classroom and in the community, the Simpson College women's soccer players and coaches have one more accolade to add to their 2022-23 resume - SC ESPY Team of the Year.
A year after putting together what was the best season in the last decade, the Simpson women's soccer program continued to make waves within the conference and region in 2022. The Storm boasted an overall record of 12-6-1 and went 6-2 in American Rivers Conference action, earning the No. 3 seed in the league tournament.
Simpson defeated Central 2-1 on the opening night of postseason play to set up a semifinal match at Wartburg. Having not beat the Knights in 11 years, the Storm knew a tall task awaited in Waverly. However, thanks to some late-match and overtime heroics from soon-to-be All-American Cassie Nash, Simpson found itself back in the conference championship match for the first time since 2009. The Storm ultimately fell to nationally-ranked Loras in the title game, but the loss didn't overshadow the strides Simpson made all season under fifth-year head coach Jeremy Reinert.
The team collected a number of accolades following the successful season highlighted by Nash becoming the first All-American in program history. She was selected to the United Soccer Coaches Third Team as well as the D3soccer.com Third Team. Additionally, the senior brought home A-R-C Offensive Player of the Year honors and was selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team.
Fellow senior Lizzie Arnburg joined Nash on the all-region ballot, marking the first time in team history multiple players were tabbed all-region. Arnburg and Nash were named first team all-conference performers along with Hailey Kowzan, Megan Roberts and Brissa Valadez. Abby Cozzoni and Lani Mears earned honorable mention recognition as well, giving the team a program-record seven honorees.
Finally, Reinert was voted A-R-C Co-Coach of the Year. He is the first coach in program history to earn multiple coach of the year honors after earning the same title at the conclusion of the 2019 season. Under Reinert's direction, the Storm totaled 91 points on 34 goals and 23 assists during league play, with the 34 goals being the most by any conference squad since 2011. Nash was responsible for 14 of those goals in A-R-C action, the most by anyone in the conference since 2004.
The Storm excelled just as much in the classroom and were recognized at the All-Sports Banquet for having the highest large team grade point average in the department for the 2022 calendar year. Six players were named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators and 19 total players earned academic all-conference accolades. In the history of the academic all-conference award, the Simpson Athletic Department has never had more than 15 athletes from the same team recognized in the same season.
Along with team success on the field and in the classroom, the women's soccer program led the Simpson Athletic Department in community service hours, earning the Whalen Community Service Award for the second year in a row. This year, the team hosted clinics in central Iowa and Central America and raised money and awareness for pediatric cancer during their season.
The final SC ESPYs of the year, Male and Female Athlete of the Year, will be announced on Friday.
2022-23 SC ESPYs
Women's Soccer - Team of the Year
Heath Moenck - Coach of the Year
Easton Darling - Male Newcomer of the Year
Elle Street - Female Newcomer of the Year
Andrew Gibb - Male Record-Breaking Performer of the Year
Kate Minette - Female Record-Breaking Performer of the Year
