Taliaferro Earns Daktronics All-Region First Team Honors, Lee and Penston Named to Second Team
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The North Georgia College & State University women's soccer team has enjoyed a great run of success the past four seasons that has seen the program achieve a record of 55-18-6. Three of the players who have helped the program achieve that record, Cicely Taliaferro, Taylor Lee and Kelly Penston, were recognized Monday as members of the 2012 Daktronics All-Southeast Region teams.
Taliaferro was named a first team selection and is up for consideration for All-Amerca honors while Lee and Penston were named to the second team.
In total, 14 players from the Peach Belt Conference were named as either first or second team nominations with Armstrong Atlantic State University's Morgan Mitchell earning Southeast Region Player of the Year honors. Columbus State University had the most players named to the two squads with six – four first team and two second team selections.
Taliaferro is a sophomore midfielder who started all 22 games for the Saints this season. She finished the year tied for third on the team with nine goals that, when coupled with four assists, gave her 22 points which was good enough for fourth on the team.
An All-Peach Belt Conference Second Team selection this season, Taliaferro scored the game-winner in the Saints' season finale against USC Aiken. For the season, she took 41 shots with 27 being on goal.
Lee, a graduating senior from McDonough, Ga., is a two-time Peach Belt Conference All-Tournament selection who led the team this season with 10 assists – good enough for second-most assists recorded in a single season in school history. It is the second season in a row that she has led the team in the category and her 17 career assists leaves her second all-time in school history for the category.
Earlier this month, Lee was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 3 team and is also a two-time PBC All-Academic selection.
Penston joins former women's soccer great Casey Smith as the only two players in North Georgia's NCAA era to earn multiple all-region plaudits as she was also named to the 2011 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Southeast Region Second Team. Smith was a three-time all-region selection.
A redshirt junior from Suwanne, Ga., Penston is a three-time All-Peach Belt Conference selection, including being named to the first team in 2012. She was also named to the PBC's Preseason All-Conference team prior to this season.
In her four years with the program, Penston has ascended to second all-time in school history with 58 points and 24 goals. She is just 12 points shy of first place and needs just six goals to tie first place in that category. Her 12 goals this season is also tied for second all-time while her 28 points is the third-best point total in a single season.
2012 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Team
First Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
GK Mary Mancin Columbus State Sr. Gainesville, Ga.
F Morgan Mitchell Armstrong Sr. Lilburn, Ga.
F Jade Montgomery Wingate So. Monroe, N.C.
F Amalia Arvidsson UNC Pembroke So. Boras, Sweden
F Leah Mullins Lenoir-Rhyne Fr. Kissimmee, Fla.
MF Stephanie Lowery Columbus State Sr. Sandy, Utah
MF Nadima Skeff Armstrong Sr. Brasilia, Brazil
MF Gabrielle Brodie Newberry So. Rolleston, New Zealand
MF Cicely Taliaferro North Georgia So. Marietta, Ga.
D Emily Cattanach Armstrong Sr. Ft. Myers, Fla.
D Kansas Bayly Columbus State Jr. Lilburn, Ga.
D Kayla Brown Columbus State Sr. Lawrenceville, Ga.
D Brianna Belsky Lenoir-Rhyne Fr. Egg Harbour Township, N.J.
Second Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
GK Caitlyn Scruggs Lenoir-Rhyne Sr. Torrance, Calif.
F Tramicka James Tusculum Sr. Wilson, Fla.
F Kelly Penston North Georgia Jr. Suwanee, Ga.
F Natalia Valentine Clayton State Sr. Bocksburg, South Africa
F Gabriela Reid Limestone So. Birmingham, England
MF Hanna Keibel Lenoir-Rhyne So. Parker, Colo.
MF Carley Griffin Lenoir-Rhyne Sr. Fresno, Calif.
MF Kaitlyn Kerrigan Lees-McRae Jr. Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
MF Catherine Lovin Columbus State Sr. Griffin, Ga.
D Taylor Lee North Georgia Sr. McDonough, Ga.
D Kelly Moldenhauer Wingate Sr. Mint Hill, N.C.
D Shelby Rolling Columbus State Fr. Stayner, Ontario
D Amber Madriaga Lenoir-Rhyne Fr. Wailuku, Hawai'i
Southeast Region Player of the Year: Armstrong senior forward Morgan Mitchell (Lilburn, Ga.)