Nov. 18, 2014 MVC Release
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Missouri State topped the list with five women's soccer players named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete teams, the league announced on Tuesday (Nov. 18). Senior Kelsey Fouch along with juniors Molly Brewer and Cassie Le earned first team honors while fellow juniors Lauren Fussell and Alix Opfer picked up honorable mention accolades.
Fouch earns her initial first team selection after receiving honorable mention honors each of the previous two seasons. A second-time All-MVC first team selection, Fouch was the vocal defensive leader who played the most minutes on the team this season (1,733) and was one of four players to start every match. This season, she was second on the team with five assists and scored her first career goal, the game-winner, at UNI in the MVC Tournament quarterfinal. Fouch was twice named MVC Defensive Player of the Year this season (Sept. 9 and Oct. 7), was named to the 2014 MVC All-Tournament team and was named to the Capital One Academic All-District VI first team. Fouch holds a 3.66 grade point average as an exercise and movement science major.
Brewer pockets her second-straight first team honor. She earned her second-consecutive All-MVC second team laurel this season. She was named MVC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 3) and MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 4) after scoring a goal in back-to-back matches in Tulsa. She led the Bears with eight assists and was second on the team with six goals. Her 14 career assists ranks are tied for second in school history and her 40 career points is the fourth-best total in program history. Brewer also earned Capital One Academic All-District VI first team honors this year. She is undecided on major with a 4.00 cumulative GPA.
Le garners her second-consecutive first team nod. She also received her second-straight Capital One Academic All-District first team selection earlier this year. She started 16 of 17 matches she played this season while filling roles in the holding midfield and outside back positions. A two-time MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award recipient, Le holds a 3.93 grade point average as a biology major at MSU.
Fussell picks up her first academic league honor. She was an MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award recipient in 2013 and 2012. She tied for third on the team with three goals scored this season, a career high. Fussell converted her lone penalty kick attempt of the season in MVC Tournament semifinals. She had three assists and nine points, tied for third on the team this season. She started a career-high 17 of 18 matches played this season. Fussell is a criminology major with a cumulative 3.75 GPA.
Opfer earns her second-straight honorable mention award. She picked up her first league honor since being named to the MVC All-Freshman team in 2012 with an All-MVC honorable mention accolade this season. The versatile junior played significant minutes both in the midfield and on the back line. She scored her first career goal this season, a game-tying tally late in an eventual draw against Oral Roberts (Aug. 31). Opfer knocked home a header shot in the MVC Tournament semifinals and earned All-Tournament team honors as a result. She has started 55 of 56 career matches through three seasons. Opfer holds a 3.66 grade point average as an undecided major.
To be eligible, nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale). Also, students must have participated in at least 75 percent of the regular-season matches or the MVC Championship. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.
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