Petta headlines CAA honors as Player of the Year
Nov. 5, 2009
Boston, Mass.

The Northeastern women’s soccer team took home three of the four major Colonial Athletic Association honors, the conference announced at its annual banquet Thursday night. Freshman forward Devin Petta (Whitman, Mass.) was selected as Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in voting by the league’s head coaches. She is the first in CAA women’s soccer history to take both awards simultaneously. Also awarded was head coach Ed Matz, who was named the 2009 Coach of the Year.

Petta was also placed on the All-CAA first team, while freshman defender Sandra Magnusdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland) and sophomore goalkeeper Stephanie Gordon (Rockland, Mass.) were named to the All-CAA second team, and junior midfielder Kristen Blake (Canton, Mass.) was named to the All-CAA third team. Petta and Magnusdottir also represented the Huskies on the CAA All-Rookie team.

In her remarkable season, Petta scored 14 goals and seven assists for 35 points in 18 games, breaking the long-standing Northeastern record for points in a season and matching the single-season goal and assist records. Petta’s scoring ranks second in the nation among freshmen, and her points per game average (1.94) is 11th overall among Div. I women’s soccer players.

Stephanie Gordon once again proved to be the backbone of the team. She started all 18 games this season, albeit leaving two due to injury, while allowing only 15 goals. Her 0.84 goals against average is currently the best season number in school history, and her .875 save percentage leads the CAA. Gordon’s 12-2-2 record is also the best regular-season finish in program history, over the course of which she made 105 saves and had six shutouts. With 13 career shutouts, she  is one shy of tying the all-time record.

Kristen Blake has had a breakout junior season, posting a 2-4-8 scoring line, with all of her points coming against CAA opponents. Prior to this season, Blake had not recorded a point in 39 games played. Her first career tally was the game-tying goal against Drexel on Sept. 24.

Freshman Sandra Magnusdottir has been a crucial part of the all-around outstanding freshmen class. Magnusdottir leads all defenders on the team in scoring, with a 3-4-10 scoring line. She has started all 18 games this season, and has rattled off 43 shots, second most on the team behind Petta. Magnusdottir’s talents are not confined to one area of the field, as she takes corners, often leads rushes, and has proven to be an excellent defender.

Matz was chosen as Coach of the Year after steering the women’s soccer team to its best-ever regular season record of 12-3-3 (7-1-3 CAA). The team won the program’s first CAA regular-season title last Saturday, an honor which comes with the right of hosting this week’s conference tournament. In their last seven matches, the Huskies are undefeated (5-0-2), and they have yet to lose a game at home this season (7-0-2).

Northeastern will take on James Madison in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament this Friday, Oct. 6, at Parsons Field (Brookline, Mass.) at 5:30 p.m. The winners of Friday’s two semifinal matchups will face each other in the CAA final, which will be held at Parsons Field on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m.

2009 CAA Women's Soccer Individual Award Winners

CAA Player of the Year
Devin Petta, Northeastern

CAA Coach of the Year
Ed Matz, Northeastern

CAA Defensive Player of the Year
Diana Weigel, William & Mary

CAA Rookie of the Year
Devin Petta, Northeastern