Holden, Hodges Earn Top C-USA Offensive, Defensive Honors

DENTON, Texas - North Texas' Rachel Holden and Kelsey Hodges headlined the 2013 Conference USA soccer superlatives. The Mean Green duo earned the C-USA Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards, respectively, while Vanessa Ibewuike was named to the C-USA third team All-Conference.

"I'm so proud of these two," said North Texas head coach John Hedlund. "C-USA is a tough league from top to bottom. Every game is a battle. For Rachel and Kelsey to come away with the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year is a great honor and speaks volumes of their play all season."

Holden, the only player in C-USA to earn two Offensive Player of the Week awards, ranks second in the league with 13 goals on the season, including the game-winning and No. 2 seed clinching goal against UTEP on Thursday. She also was named the Freshman of the Year, and earned a spot on the C-USA first team All-Conference and the All-Freshman team.

Hodges, who also earned a first-team All-C-USA nod, enters this week's C-USA Tournament as one of the most decorated players in Mean Green history. She notched a goal in the clinching game against UTEP to give her 31 for her career, which ranks eighth in NT history. She also ranks in the top 10 in school history in converted penalty shots, minutes, shots on goal, game-winning goals and starts.

No stranger to league accolades, this is the third straight year Hodges has been named to a first-team all-conference.

Ibewuike earned her first career all-conference nod thanks to a five goal and six assist campaign in 2013. The senior was named C-USA Player of the Week last month after a four-point outing at Tulsa, and her disruptive style of play kept opponents on their heels all season.

North Texas earned the West No. 2 seed in the C-USA Tournament and will take on East No. 3 FIU on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in Houston.

Conference USA All-Conference Awards

Offensive Player of the Year
Rachel Holden, North Texas

Defensive Player of the Year
Kelsey Hodges, North Texas

Midfielder of the Year
Kaeli Vandersluis, Colorado College

Freshman of the Year
Rachel Holden, North Texas

Coach of the Year
Geoff Bennett, Colorado College

All-Conference First Team
F: Rachel Holden, North Texas
F: Holly Hargreaves, Rice
F: Lauren Hughes, Rice
F: Azia Nicholson, UTEP
MF: Jessie Ayers, Colorado College
MF: Kaeli Vandersluis, Colorado College
MF: Quinney Truong, MF, Rice
D: Katie Uyenishi, Colorado College
D: Caitlin Hite, East Carolina
D: Olivia Mbala, Florida Atlantic
D: Kelsey Hodges, North Texas
GK: Kate Scheele, Colorado College

All-Conference Second Team
F: Ashleigh Shim, FIU
F: Claire Emslie, Florida Atlantic
F: Jade Babcock, UTEP
MF: Amanda Jones, Charlotte
MF: Kate Loye, Middle Tennessee
MF: Jordan O'Brien, Tulsa
D: Monica Trickett, Charlotte
D: Kecia Morway, Colorado College
D: Tori Martyn, UTEP
GK: Caitlin Updyke, Louisiana Tech
GK: Bubba Makela, UTSA

All-Conference Third Team
F: Sarah Schweiss, Colorado College
F: Kendall Frey, East Carolina
F: Vanessa Ibewuike, North Texas
F: Danica Roberts, Southern Miss
MF: Kim Lopez, FIU
MF: Paige Hanks, UAB
MF: Jasmine Kauka, UAB
MF: Aleah Davis, UTEP
D: Danielle Romano, East Carolina
D: Alyssa Cathey, Marshall
D: Emily Jorgenson, Middle Tennessee

All-Freshman Team
Nicole Anderson, D, Charlotte
Chanisse Hendrix, F, Colorado College
Caitlin Hite, D, East Carolina
Katie Englert, MF, Florida Atlantic
Majolein Timmermans, D, Louisiana Tech
Rachael Figg, F, Middle Tennessee
Rachel Holden, F, North Texas
Jenny Fichera, D, Rice
Brittany Taylor, GK, Southern Miss
Lana Bermel, MF, Tulsa
Morgan Key-Adams, MF, UAB
Kim Fincher, MF, UAB
Aleah Davis, MF, UTEP
Bubba Makela, GK, UTSA

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