Cafferky, Turley and Jackson Headline NEC Awards
Jennifer Cafferky was named Defensive Player of the Year, Nicki Turley Goalkeeper of the Year, and Carla Jackson Rookie of the Year.
The Central Connecticut women's soccer team claimed three of the six major individual awards and saw six players receive all-conference honors at the annual Northeast Conference pre-tournament awards banquet held Thursday night. Senior Nicki Turley wasawarded her third straight NEC Goalkeeper of the Year award, junior Jennifer Cafferky was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive year and freshman Carla Jackson was named this year's NEC Rookie of the Year.
OFFICIAL NEC RELEASE
Turley is the first goalkeeper in league history to be named Goalkeeper of the Year three times. In eight conference matches, Turley led the league in shutouts with six, goals against average at 0.50 per game and allowed just four goals in 720:00 of league action. Overall, the Henrietta, NY, native totaled 68 saves in 16 games played and posted eight shutouts, including a streak of over 544:00 without allowing a goal. The senior was acknowledged as the NEC Defensive Player of the Week three times during the 2016 campaign.
Cafferky, of Boras, Sweden, collected her third consecutive NEC Defensive Player of the year honor after anchoring a Blue Devils' defense that was first in the league in goals allowed, surrendering just four. Cafferky started 18 games during the 2016 regular season and scored a game-winning goal against UMass-Lowell en route to earning NEC Player of the Week recognition. Cafferky was also named the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2014.
Jackson was named the NEC Rookie of the Year after posting a team-high five goals, two of which were game-winners. The rookie was the NEC leader in goals per game averaging 0.50 in 10 games played and second in points per game averaging 1.1 per contest. Jackson ranked second in league play in both points (11) and goals (five), marks which were CCSU team-highs. The Glasgow, Scotland, native was named the NEC Rookie of the Week on three seperate occasions this year and scored goals in four straight games at one stretch.
Accompanying Turley, Cafferky and Jackson on the All-NEC First Team was junior forward Kelly Halligan. Halligan, from Lymm, England, ranked second in the conference in assists, setting up five goals over a course of 14 games. Halligan finished with seven points this season, including a goal in CCSU's home victory over Sacred Heart.
Jackson also earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie Team along with defender Shauny Alterisio and midfielder Emily Hogan. Alterisio was also named to the All-NEC Second Team after starting in 16 of her 19 games as a freshman this season. Alterisio was named to the TD Bank Classic All-Tournament Team early in the season, and dished out an assist against Providence on Sept. 15th.
Hogan appeared in 19 games and made 18 starts. She ranked second on the team and tied for sixth in the league in assists with three.
Central and Saint Francis U each had four All-NEC First Team representatives, followed by two from Fairleigh Dickinson as the only schools with multiple first team nods.
The Blue Devils finished the 2016 season as NEC Co-Champions, sharing the title with SFU. CCSU is seeded second in the NEC Tournament and will take the field against third-seeded Sacred Heart in the tournament's first semifinal match at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA.
