Otahks gain honors, chase bigger goal this weekend

Southeast Missouri State University soccer players won the Ohio Valley Conference's top two individual awards Thursday night -- but a major team accomplishment this weekend is what they're really shooting for.

Valerie Henderson and Jenny Hamilton, honored as the OVC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year during Thursday's awards banquet at Southeast's University Center, hope to lead the Otahkians to their first NCAA Tournament berth.

Southeast, the OVC regular-season champion, is the top seed and host for the conference tournament today and Sunday at Houck Stadium. The winner earns a spot in the NCAA tournament.

"The NCAA Tournament has been my goal for four years," Hamilton said. "That would be much bigger than winning this."

Added Henderson, "I would trade this for the NCAA Tournament any day. That's our goal, and right now we're just worried about our first game" tonight against Tennessee Tech.

Hamilton, a senior defender who has been a key member of Southeast's program since its inception four years ago, won her second straight OVC Defensive Player of the Year award. She led an Otahkian defense that allowed just 12 goals all season as Southeast captured its second consecutive OVC regular-season title.

"Of course I was surprised. You don't expect anything like this," Hamilton said. "To win it two years in a row, I'm very honored."

Henderson, a junior midfielder, recorded a conference-best five game-winning goals. Overall, she scored six goals and had four assists for 16 points, which tied for the team lead.

"I'm very surprised. I never expected this," Henderson said. "But anybody on our team could have won it."

Joining Hamilton and Henderson on the all-OVC first team -- Hamilton has made it three times in her college career and Henderson twice -- is Southeast's Heather Reding, a sophomore defender who helped Hamilton and others lead the Otahkians' stellar defense in addition to recording one goal and one assist.

Six other Southeast players received mention on the three all-OVC squads, including Marla Gianino and Erin Slattery on the second team.

Gianino, a sophomore midfielder who was a first-teamer last year, scored three goals and added one assist. Slattery, a junior forward and also a first-teamer last season, contributed two goals and one assist.

On the third team are junior forward Erika Todd, junior midfielder Julie Wunderlich, sophomore defender Laura Hauskins and sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Wrzos.

Todd led the Otahkians with seven goals and she tied with Henderson for the team scoring lead with 16 points.

Wunderlich, a Jackson High School product, had three goals and one assist. She scored both goals during the Otahkians' final regular-season game, a 2-1 overtime win over Murray State that wrapped up a perfect conference season for Southeast.

Hauskins was also part of Southeast's stout defense while Wrzos, the Otahkians' last line of defense, compiled an 0.61 goals-against average and had two shutouts. She combined with fellow keeper Lauren Fabbro for eight more shutouts.

"I couldn't be happier for Jenny, Valerie and all our players who got awards," Southeast coach Heather Nelson said. "With nine players being honored, I think that's a reflection of the depth of our program."

Tennessee-Martin's Nathan Pifer won OVC Coach of the Year after leading his team to a 9-6-3 record and third place in the conference. The Skyhawks won just seven games in the previous four years.

Tennessee Tech's Jill Burns won Freshman of the Year. She scored 15 goals and had 32 points.

Voting was done by the OVC's seven head soccer coaches.

mmishow@semissourian.com

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