November 3, 2008

Trio of Red devils named SLIAC All-Conferene

Three Eureka College women's soccer players received SLIAC All-Conference honors following a vote by the league's head coaches. Senior Kate Huizinga (Downers Grove, Ill./South) and junior KT Zapushek (Metamora, Ill./HS) were named to the Second Team, while first-year Red Devil Kelsey Baruzzini (Metamora, Ill./HS) received Honorable Mention.

Huizinga, a 5-9 forward, played at the top of the Red Devils (9-11, 3-5 SLIAC) attack, ranking as one of the top strikers in the conference this season. She tallied 21 points (eight goals, five assists) in eight SLIAC contests to tie for the league lead with Alicia Girbes-Pierce of Principia, who was named SLIAC Player of the Year. An Honorable Mention recipient last season, Huizinga tied for second place in goals scored with her teammate, KT Zapushek, and ranked tied for third in assists this year. Overall for the season, she set Eureka school records with 17 goals and 39 points. She helped the Red Devils to an 8-2 record in the 10 matches in which she scored a goal.

Zapushek was named to the SLIAC Second Team for the second year in a row after tying for second place with eight goals scored in conference play. The 5-5 midfielder showed a flair for the dramatic as she was responsible for the game-winning goal in each of Eureka's three SLIAC wins for the season. She finished tied for first in the league in game-winning goals and fourth in points with 18. Zapushek was the only athlete to earn back-to-back SLIAC Player of the Week awards, doing so from Sept. 22 to Oct. 5 during a stretch where she recorded game-winning goals in four consecutive matches. She finished with 14 goals, five assists, 33 points and a school record five game-winning goals overall for the season.

Baruzzini received the most votes among all first year defensive players in the conference. She was one of just six freshmen for receive all-conference recognition and is the first ever Red Devil to do so. Showcasing her blazing speed and tenacious spirit, Baruzzini was one of four Red Devils to start all 20 contests this season. She scored one goal, had one assist and put 11 shots on frame during the season, though her largest contribution came on the defensive side of the pitch as EC allowed 3.35 goals per match for the year, down from 4.19 last season.

As a team, the Red Devils increased their win total by two from last year, recorded a school record winning streak of four games and finished one rung higher in the SLIAC standings in sixth place

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For More Information Contact:

Bryan Moore
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bmoore@eureka.edu