Jan. 12, 2006

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette women's soccer team earned numerous regional and national accolades from Soccer Buzz magazine.

Head coach Markus Roeders earned Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, adding to his list of awards this past season. In his 10th season, Roeders also earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America Great Lakes and BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year honors.

For Roeders, who was never had a losing season in his 10 years at the helm of the Golden Eagles, it is his third coaching award this season. Prior to the league's championship, his peers in the BIG EAST voted him as their Coach of the Year - his third such conference coaching honor. Roeders was named Conference USA Coach of the Year, in 1996 and 2000, as well as being recognized as C-USA's Coach of the Decade. In 2000, he earned NSCAA Great Lakes Region honors. Earlier this season, he captured his 150th win at the helm of the Golden Eagles and has compiled a 152-57-2 overall record.

Sophomore goalkeeper Laura Boyer was tabbed as a Third Team All-America and First Team All-Great Lakes region selection. In her first season for the Golden Eagles, Boyer had an outstanding season in goal for the Golden Eagles. She started each of Marquette's 24 matches, allowing less than a goal per game (0.91 GAA), while playing a role in 11 shutouts. Boyer tallied 112 saves on the season. She was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 29 and earned numerous national accolades on Oct. 5, earning conference honors for a second time in addition to Soccer America and Soccer Buzz Teams of the Week and SA's National Player of the Week. Boyer earned honorable mention All-BIG EAST honors as well.

Joining Boyer on the All-Great Lakes First Team is Julie Thompson. The senior midfielder - who was also an NSCAA Great Lakes Region First Teamer - ranked fourth in scoring for the Golden Eagles this season. She tallied five goals and five assists, helping pace Marquette to one of its finest seasons in program history. Thompson was also a 2005 Second Team All-BIG EAST selection and was a Third Team NSCAA Great Lakes selection a year ago. Thompson was honored for her academic success by being named to both ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District team and the NSCAA/adidas College Women Scholar All-America First Team. Thompson

Senior Sarah Uyenishi was named to the Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes second team, while Michelle Pitzl was picked to the third team. Uyenishi, a 2005 honorable mention All-BIG EAST player, had an outstanding senior season for MU. She tallied three goals and an assist, including two golden goal against Miami on Sept. 11 and Syracuse on Oct. 21.

Pitzl tallied a goal and made two assists this season. She, along with Uyenishi senior Heather Goranson, and freshman Katie Kelly, made up one of the top defenses in the country this last season. For her outstanding efforts on the field, Pitzl earned Second Team All-BIG EAST honors this past season.

Kelly earned two honors from Soccer Buzz: Great Lakes Region All-Freshman and Honorable Mention Freshman All-America. The newcomer from Kansas City, Mo. scored three goals and registered five assists. Her goal in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament propelled MU to victory over Wisconsin on Nov. 12. She was selected as BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Sept. 12 and named to Soccer Buzz' Team of the Week on Sept. 14.

"Congrats to those individual players and our entire program. Our team reached new heights this past fall and certainly these five played a tremendous role in the team's success." said Roeders. "We are honored that Laura, Julie, Sarah, Michelle and Kelly received individual accolades from Soccer Buzz; it puts them in an elite group of nationally recognized players. Having shared this news with those players, it speaks volumes that they pass the credit on to the rest of our team, a true testament of our program's success."