SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Throughout the summer, the Sacramento State athletics department will take a look back and honor the student-athletes who have made the biggest impact on their sport over the last 10 years.
To be eligible for the all-decade team, a student-athlete must have competed at least one year in their sport between the 2000-01 and 2009-10 academic years, and must have completed their eligibility as a Hornet, or be an active member of the team.
Today marks the announcement of the women's soccer all-decade team. The squad consists of a goalkeeper, four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards, composing a full 11-woman team.
GOALKEEPER
Savannah Abercrombie (2008-Pres.)
In two seasons minding the Sacramento State net, Abercrombie has already set the school's all-time shutout mark with 16 for her career. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, Abercombie posted eight shutouts and a 0.68 goals against average in 13 starts, the lowest in school history. The Sacramento native earned second team all-Big Sky honors as a sophomore, posting a 0.70 goals against average and eight shutouts in 18 starts. Her career 0.69 goals against average ranks number one in program history, and Abercrombie is the only goalkeeper in school history with an under one goal a game average. Her career record in goal is 15-9-6 entering her junior campaign.
DEFENDERS
Katie Burton (2003-07)
A three-time all-Big Sky selection, Burton capped off her five years in the Green and Gold with a first team all-conference honor in 2007, while leading the Hornets to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. An anchor of the Hornets defense playing on both the back line and defensive midfield, Burton was also a threat to score, connecting on three career goals, including a game-winning golden goal as a senior against Weber State. She made an immediate impact as soon as she joined the club in 2003, earning team co-MVP honors as a freshman. After missing the 2004 season due a knee injury, Burton came back in 2005 to score her first goal and appear in a limited capacity in 17 matches. As a junior in 2006, the Las Vegas, Nev., native earned second team all-Big Sky honors.
Mandi Siller (2002-05)
A two-year captain and two-time all-Big Sky performer, Siller appeared in 71 career matches and made 54 starts on the Hornets' backline. A strong player in the air and on the ball, Siller scored five career goals, including a game-winner in the team's 1-0 victory over UC Davis in 2005. She was twice named honorable mention all-Big Sky (2003 and 2005), and was named Sacramento State's defensive MVP in 2003 and 2004. The Sacramento native earned team MVP honors as a senior.
Kara Taylor (2005-08)
A four-year letterwinner, Taylor finished her career as one of the most decorated players in program history after being named first team all-Big Sky on three occasions. As a senior, Taylor was one of just two unanimous selections by the league's eight coaches. She became just eighth player in Big Sky history to earn first team honors three times, joining former teammate Katie McCoy after she started all 19 matches as a senior, while also scoring her first career goal to defeat Iona 1-0. The Eugene, Ore. native finished her career first in program history in matches played and started with 80, and became the program's first player to start every match the team competed in over their four-year career.
Christina Trenton (2006-09)
A three-time all-Big Sky honoree, Trenton was a feared defender during her four year career, utilizing her speed and deceptive strength to make many a tackle despite her 5-foot-2 frame. Trenton earned second team all-Big Sky honors as a senior after the Hornets posted a 0.68 goals against average, the lowest in school history. The San Juan Capistrano native started 43 career matches, and appeared in 58 in the defensive backfield.
MIDFIELDERS
Sarah Howard (2005-08)
A four time all-Big Sky performer, Howard ranks in a tie for first in Hornet history in matches played with 80, while ranking second in matches started at 77. A player who lived in the air, Howard was the team's primary ballwinner from the defensive midfield position. Howard was also a threat on the offensive side of the pitch, totalling nine career goals and seven assists, including a career-best four goals as a sophomore in 2006. The Chino, Calif., native was also known as a big match performer, twice earning all-Big Sky Tournament honors. As a sophomore, Howard scored in both the semifinals and finals of the Big Sky Tournament, leading the Hornets to a second place finish in the tournament that they would win one year later.
Katie McCoy (2004-07)
McCoy was a four-year letterwinner for the Hornets, and finished her career as the school's all-time leader in assists (22). A dynamic striker as well distributor, she ranks second in career points (76) and third in career goals (27). McCoy was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP as a senior in 2007, scoring a school-record 14 goals while dishing out a school-record tying seven assists. A native of La Mesa, Calif., McCoy was the first soccer player to be named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week three times in a row, and set a new mark by earning the award four times during her senior season and six times in her career. She was just the seventh player in conference history to earn first team all-conference honors for three straight seasons after being named a second team selection as a freshman.
Maggie Murphy (2003-06)
A native of Walnut Creek, Calif., Murphy was a four-year letterwinner who played in the wide midfield during her final three seasons after starting her career as a forward. A two-time all-Big Sky selection, which includes a second team honor as a junior in 2005, Murphy ranks in a tie for third in school history with 12 assists. She posted a career-high tying five during her senior campaign while leading the team to the championship match of the Big Sky Tournament. Murphy appeared in 75 career matches, and made 68 starts in the Green and Gold. She was named the team's offensive MVP as a freshman in 2003 after scoring three goals and adding five assists.
Linda Sanchez (2002-05)
A two time all-Big Sky honoree, Sanchez started 66 matches and appeared in 68 during her four-year career. Known for her playmaking ability in the central midfield, Sanchez collected six career goals and six assists. A native of North Highlands, Calif., Sanchez led the team in scoring with two goals and three assists in 2004, and added a game-winning goal against Fresno State in 2006 to her scoring column. Sanchez was the team's rookie of the year in 2002.
FORWARDS
Kim Kemper (2006-09)
A four-year letterwinner, Kemper was a two-time first team all-Big Sky Conference honoree who appeared in 79 career matches, which ranks fourth in school history. Kemper was a semifinalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS award and an ESPN The Magazine first team District VIII academic all-region selection as a senior. A four-time Big Sky all-academic selection, Kemper provided one of the biggest goals in program history as a sophomore, scoring the game-winning goal in the Big Sky title match, sending the women’s soccer team to its first NCAA Tournament. A native of Orangevale, Calif., Kemper totalled 15 career goals, and added 13 career assists which rank fifth and third, respectively, in school history. She was twice named team offenive MVP, while earning team MVP honors as a junior in 2008.
Lisa Wrightsman (1999-2002)
One of the top strikers in school history, Wrightsman tallied 32 career goals during her four-year career in the Green and Gold. A two-time first team all-Big Sky honoree, the Elk Grove, Calif. native had a breakout sophomore campaign, scoring 12 goals which are the third most in a single season in program history. Wrightsman followed with nine goals and three assists as a junior and a senior season that saw her score seven goals and tally two assists. She ranks second in school history in goals scored and third in career points with 55.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Throughout the summer, the Sacramento State athletics department will take a look back and honor the student-athletes who have made the biggest impact on their sport over the last 10 years.
