Usta Nabs Two Major Awards as Five Lady Bears Land on AD3I All-Independent Teams

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Capping an outstanding freshman campaign where she led the NCAA in goals, Cansu Usta (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) was named the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Co-Rookie of the Year as the All-Independent Women's Soccer Teams were announced today.

Along with Usta, senior Daniela Semilia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) and juniors Shannon Fahy (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) and Pamela Chernyakhovsky (Brooklyn, N.Y./Leon M. Goldstein) earned AD3I All-Independent First Team honors. Senior Shannon Rom (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) was named to the All-Independent Second Team.

Usta compiled an NCAA-leading 36 goals this season. The rookie scored in 11 out of 16 games, recorded six hat tricks, and tallied six goals on two separate occasions. Usta, a two-time AD3I Player of the Week and four-time HVIAC Rookie of the Week, also finished third in the NCAA with 79 points and set a single season NCAA Division III record with a 2.25 goals per game average.

Fahy, last year's AD3I Offensive Player of the Year, receives an All-Independent First Team nod for the second consecutive season. This year, the junior was a one-time AD3I Player of the Week and tallied 19 goals, which ranked third in the Association and second highest on the Lady Bears. She also tallied 44 total points and six assists.

Chernyakhovsky has been named to the All-Independent First Team the last three seasons. Her 14 assists led the Lady Bears and was the fourth highest total in NCAA Division III. The junior also finished third on the team with 16 goals and second with 46 total points.

Semilia earns AD3I honors for the second season in a row. She was the anchor of St. Joseph's defense and contributed six goals and five assists on the offensive side.

This is Rom's second All-Independent selection. The senior earned First Team honors after her sophomore campaign. Rom tallied three goals and was second on the team with 10 assists.

All six Lady Bears helped lead St. Joseph's (11-5, 2-2 HVIAC) to an appearance in the HVIAC playoffs and their highest regular season win total in school history.

Women's soccer coaches from the Association of Division III Independents member schools selected the All-Independent Women's Soccer teams. 

First Team

Forward – Emily Ristow, Junior, Mount Mary University
Forward – Cansu Usta, Freshman, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Forward – Sara Sadler, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Midfielder – Kacie Ring, Sophomore, University of California, Santa Cruz
Midfielder – Pam Chernyakhovsky, Junior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Midfielder – Shannon Fahy, Junior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Midfielder – Marissa Rechlicz, Freshman, Mount Mary University
Defender – Alexis Dracker, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Defender – Daniela Semilia, Senior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Defender – Rachel Gordon, Junior, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Defender – Amanda Cameron, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Goalkeeper – Madi Francis, Sophomore, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Goalkeeper – Becky Onan, Freshman, Mount Mary University

Second Team

 Forward – Anna Dahl, Freshman, Maranatha Baptist University
Forward – Natascha Vinz, Sophomore, Maranatha Baptist University
Forward – Sam Nadeau, Freshman, University of Maine-Presque Isle
Midfielder – Makensie Thaller, Senior, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Midfielder – Elizabeth Kaufman, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Midfielder – Jenna Herse, Junior, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Midfielder – Harmony Lorch, Junior, Maranatha Baptist University
Midfielder – Nicole Cyr, Junior, University of Maine-Presque Isle
Defender – Dru Dowis, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Defender – Shannon Rom, Senior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Defender – Shelby Knorr, Junior, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Defender – Lindsey Archer, Sophomore, University of California, Santa Cruz
Goalkeeper – Gabby Trujillo, Junior, University of California, Santa Cruz