St. Paul, Minn. -- The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has named 12 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) women's soccer student-athletes to the 2009 NCAA Division III All-North Region Team. Six were named to the First Team, two were named to the Second Team, and four from the MIAC earned Third Team honors.
Those named to the All-Region First Team included: Concordia College junior defender Erika Swenson (Fargo, N.D./North), Macalester College senior defender Maddie Mette (Burnsville, Minn.), University of St. Thomas senior midfielder Kirsten Moran (Southlake, Texas/Carroll), Concordia College junior forward Sam Johnson (Fargo, N.D./North), University of St. Thomas senior forward Erin Sprangers (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray), and Macalester College junior forward Emily Bardwell (Denver, Colo./East).
Concordia College first-year goalkeeper Ali Nelson (Maple Grove, Minn.) and College of Saint Benedict sophomore defender Sami Meyman (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) both received Second Team All-Region recognition.
Gustavus Adolphus College senior defender Alison Dittmer (Plymouth, Minn./Osseo), Concordia College junior midfielder Sue Obermiller (Fargo, N.D./North), Carleton College sophomore forward Niki Tomita (Redwood City, Calif./Woodside), and St. Olaf College sophomore forward Lindsay Howard (Minnetonka, Minn.) were honored with Third Team All-Region status.
The 12 players from the MIAC that were honored is more than any other conference in the region.
NSCAA Release