The Missouri State women's soccer team placed six student-athletes on All-Missouri Valley Conference teams and two on the MVC All-Freshman team, the league office announced Thursday. Kate Hercules and Jackie Jasper were named to the first team, Kate Blair and Chelsea Anderson were selected to the second team and Lauren Heck and Caroline Sweeney were recognized as honorable mention picks. Samantha Aguilar was named Valley Freshman of the Year and was selected to the All-Freshman team along with Nicole Logan.
Hercules, earning her third all-conference honor, has started all 20 matches for the Bears this season. The senior has tallied eight points on three goals, including one game winner, and two assists. Hercules' defensive prowess has led the Bears to a 1.06 goals-against average and six shutouts.
Jasper, Missouri State's sophomore goalkeeper, earned first team honors for the second-straight season. Jasper has posted 108 saves on the year with six shutouts. The Lockport, Ill., native went 478 minutes without allowing a goal from Sept. 8-24 and recorded four consecutive shutouts. Jasper's 1.055 career goals-against average ranks #1 on MSU's career leaders list.
Blair, a junior from St. Louis, Mo., has scored four goals for the Bears this season, including two game winners. She has three assists and 11 points.
An Omaha, Neb., native, Anderson earned her third second-team all-conference honor. Anderson has started and played in 19 games this season and has eight points on three goals and two assists. The senior ranks second on the MSU career list for points with 45 and third on the career goals list with 17.
Heck, a junior midfielder, has started all 20 matches for Missouri State. She has one goal on the season which came in the second overtime period in a conference game against Evansville. She won the game for the Bears with just 2:13 left on the clock.
Sophomore Sweeney leads the Bears in points with 20 on nine goals and two assists. Sweeney scored the fourth ever hat trick in Missouri State history in a match against Northern Iowa on Oct. 1.
Aguilar is the second Bear in school history to earn the title of MVC Freshman of the Year. The Lenexa, Kan., native has seven points on the season with two goals and three assists. The only other MSU honoree was Hercules in 2003.
Logan has competed in all 20 matches for Missouri State this season. She has tallied three assists and three points.
The Bears will compete against Drake in the MVC Tournament Semifinals in Omaha, Neb., on Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. The championship match is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3:05 p.m. and will air live on ESPNU.
