Photo by: WG Sports, Willis Glassgow
Melanee Smith Garners Spot on Soccer Buzz National Team of the Week
8/28/2008 10:43:23 AM | Women's Soccer
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
DAVIDSON, N.C. – After guiding the Davidson women's soccer team to a season-opening 2-1 home win over Virginia Tech, senior Melanee Smith (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) became the fourth different Wildcat in the past four years to earn a spot on 11-member Soccer Buzz magazine's Elite Feet National Team of the Week as announced Aug. 27.
Smith joins Kara Koehrn (2005), Suzanne Sittko (2006) and Nancy Haskell (2007) to have each earned a nod on the team in the past four years.
Davidson opened the year with the program's fourth win all-time against the Hokies thanks to the foot of Smith. The senior defender set up the first goal of the game when she sent a though ball to junior Kyri Bye-Nagel (Hanau, Germany), who was just past midfield. Bye-Nagel then raced past her defender, and the Hokie goalkeeper, to score the first Davidson goal.
Then a minute and half later in the 38th minute off a corner kick, Smith gathered in a rebound shot in the six-yard box and easily chipped the ball into the open net for the game-winning goal.
The goal and assist for the former 2005 SoCon Freshman of the Year was her fifth and seventh in her Wildcat playing career.
Davidson earned some national notice in the polls this week as the Wildcats found themselves ranked ninth in the first NSCAA/adidas Southeast Regional rankings and 11th in the Soccer Buzz Southeast Regional rankings.
The Wildcats, winners of seven of their past eight games dating back to last year, will look to stay in the national rankings when they play the first of back-to-back in-season tournaments by heading to Macon, Ga. this weekend to participate in the LQ Cup. They first play host Mercer on Friday at 7 p.m. and then close out the tournament with a 12:30 p.m. contest against Kennesaw State, the first time the two schools have ever met.
Last year Davidson earned its first win all-time against Mercer when the Wildcats defeated the Bears by the count of 3-1 at Alumni Stadium. Kennesaw State is coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Atlantic Sun with a mark of 17-4-0 last season.
Smith joins Kara Koehrn (2005), Suzanne Sittko (2006) and Nancy Haskell (2007) to have each earned a nod on the team in the past four years.
Davidson opened the year with the program's fourth win all-time against the Hokies thanks to the foot of Smith. The senior defender set up the first goal of the game when she sent a though ball to junior Kyri Bye-Nagel (Hanau, Germany), who was just past midfield. Bye-Nagel then raced past her defender, and the Hokie goalkeeper, to score the first Davidson goal.
Then a minute and half later in the 38th minute off a corner kick, Smith gathered in a rebound shot in the six-yard box and easily chipped the ball into the open net for the game-winning goal.
The goal and assist for the former 2005 SoCon Freshman of the Year was her fifth and seventh in her Wildcat playing career.
Davidson earned some national notice in the polls this week as the Wildcats found themselves ranked ninth in the first NSCAA/adidas Southeast Regional rankings and 11th in the Soccer Buzz Southeast Regional rankings.
The Wildcats, winners of seven of their past eight games dating back to last year, will look to stay in the national rankings when they play the first of back-to-back in-season tournaments by heading to Macon, Ga. this weekend to participate in the LQ Cup. They first play host Mercer on Friday at 7 p.m. and then close out the tournament with a 12:30 p.m. contest against Kennesaw State, the first time the two schools have ever met.
Last year Davidson earned its first win all-time against Mercer when the Wildcats defeated the Bears by the count of 3-1 at Alumni Stadium. Kennesaw State is coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Atlantic Sun with a mark of 17-4-0 last season.
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