Cooper Snags W-League All-Eastern Conference Honors
Fanta Cooper earns All-Eastern Conference honors
Robyn McNeil
Jersey Sky Blue defender Fanta Cooper was named among the elite of the W-League today with United Soccer Leagues selecting the team captain to the All-Eastern Conference team. Sky Blue's team leader, Cooper helped the second--year franchise to an 8-4-2 mark just missing out on the playoffs in the tough Northeast Division.
In her second season with Sky Blue, Cooper appeared in 10 games playing both center back and left back. The W-League Defender of the Year with the Chicago Cobras in 2003, Cooper led the way for a very strong Sky Blue defense that allowed just 10 goals in 14 regular season games.
In other awards announced by USL today, Sarah Steinmann of the Atlanta Silverbacks finished as the Scoring and Goal Scoring Champion for the season with a league-leading 40 points and 19 goals, a breakout performance for the sixth-year W-League veteran. The numbers were triple what she posted last season when she notched only six goals in a season in which she played the fewest games (eight) in her career. They were twice what she registered in her best season, an eight-goal campaign in 2006. Steinmann originally began her W-League career with the Charlotte Lady Eagles in 2003-04 before moving to Atlanta. She had 25 goals in her previous five seasons in the league.
Laura Del Rio of the FC Indiana Lionesses finished as the W-League Assist Leader with nine on the season. Combined with her 13 goals on the season, Del Rio also finished second in the league in points with 35.
In goal, it was Pali Blues netminder Valerie Henderson winning the GAA Champion award with the league’s lowest goals against average of 0.142. Henderson posted shutouts in six of her seven games played, allowing just one goal on the year.
Among the W-League All-Conference selections were several players who have received the honor several times. Charlotte’s Tina Murphy and Seattle’s Michelle French are both being recognized for the fourth time in their careers (both in 2004, 2006 and 2007) while Tiffeny Milbrett was selected for the third straight year.
Being honored for a second time are Sky Blue's Cooper (2004), Chicago’s Jen Buczkowski (2006), Washington’s Lori Lindsey (2007) and Pali trio Kendall Fletcher (2004), Amy LePeilbet (2005) and Jill Oakes (2007).
| W-LEAGUE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS | ||
| Eastern Conference | ||
| G | Mallori Lofton-Malachi | Tampa Bay Hellenic |
| D | Fanta Cooper | Jersey Sky Blue |
| D | Therese Luckner | Boston Renegades |
| D | Sue Weber | Long Island Rough Riders |
| M | Stacey Bishop | Tampa Bay Hellenic |
| M | Lori Lindsey | Washington Freedom |
| M | Tina Murphy | Charlotte Lady Eagles |
| M | Lyndsey Patterson | Atlanta Silverbacks |
| F | Sarah Steinmann | Atlanta Silverbacks |
| F | Fortuna Velaj | Connecticut Passion |
| F | Christie Welsh | Washington Freedom |
| Central Conference | ||
| G | Erin Kane | Chicago Gaels |
| D | Ashley Kennedy | Ottawa Fury |
| D | Marie-Eve Nault | FC Indiana Lionesses |
| D | Cindy Walsh | Laval Comets |
| M | Jen Buczkowski | Chicago Gaels |
| M | Chelsea Cline | Minnesota Lightning |
| M | Alicia Donaldson | Toronto Lady Lynx |
| M | Julianne Sitch | FC Indiana Lionesses |
| F | Brittany Bisnott | Toronto Lady Lynx |
| F | Laura Del Rio | FC Indiana Lionesses |
| F | Shay Powell | Ottawa Fury |
| Western Conference | ||
| G | Valerie Henderson | Pali Blues |
| D | Kendall Fletcher | Pali Blues |
| D | Amy LePeilbet | Pali Blues |
| D | Afton Sauer | Real Colorado Cougars |
| D | Katrin Schmidt | Vancouver Whitecaps |
| M | Michelle French | Seattle Sounders |
| M | Katie Hooker | Real Colorado Cougars |
| M | Jill Oakes | Pali Blues |
| F | Danesha Adams | Pali Blues |
| F | Katie Erikkson | Fort Collins Force |
| F | Tiffeny Milbrett | Vancouver Whitecaps |
Also announced were the players who received the most votes for each team not represented among the All-Conference selections. They were:
Central Conference: Jessica Rostedt (Cleveland), Shaylin Mannino (Michigan), Jennifer Gaylor (Kalamazoo), Shannon Lynn (Fort Wayne), Irie Dennis (West Michigan), Brittany Kinmond (Rochester), Chelsea Spencer (Hamilton), Kacey Busque (Western Mass), Treena Ferguson (London), Patty Spielman (Vermont).
Eastern Conference: Mercy Akide (Hampton Roads), Jane Alukonis (Carolina R), Nikki Krysik (Richmond), Hailey Beam (Carolina D), Shannon Aitken (Bradenton), Marisa Kanela (West Virginia), Kelly Hammond (Northern Virginia), Gemma Davison (New York), Robyn Jones (New Jersey), Nicky Davies (Fredericksburg).
Western Conference: Brittany Massro (Los Angeles), Casey Moore (Ventura County).