2023 CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT - WOMEN'S SOCCER
MINNEAPOLIS -- Six Augsburg University women's soccer players -- forward
Phoebe Alva Rosa (SO, Jackson, Wyo./Jackson Hole HS), defender
Grace Dickerson (SO, Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS), midfielder
Hannah Hatfield (SO, Rogers, Ark./Rogers HS), midfielder/defender
Malia Neumann (JR, Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS), forward
Jayla Ponce (SR, Kuna, Idaho/Kuna HS) and goalkeeper
Iz Shuster (SR, Waconia, Minn./Waconia HS) -- were named to the Academic All-District Women's Soccer Team, as selected by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), it was announced on Tuesday.
Alva Rosa is a physics major with a 3.97 grade-point average, Dickerson is a biology major with a 4.00 GPA, Hatfield is a psychology/economics major with a 4.00 GPA, Neumann is a midfielder with a 4.00 GPA, Ponce is a business administration/economics major with a 4.00 GPA, and Shuster is a dietetics major with a 3.91 GPA. Neumann and Shuster were both Academic All-District selections last year. Shuster is a two-time Academic All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honoree, while Neumann earned Academic All-MIAC honors last year.
Alva Rosa had a breakout year as a forward in 2023, scoring seven goals with nine assists for 23 points, tied for
seventh-most among MIAC players, tied for second in assists and fifth in points. Starting all 19 games (1,347 minutes played, 70.9 minutes per-game), Alva Rosa had a goal or assist in 10 games, including a two-goal effort in Augsburg's 3-3 tie with St. Olaf on Oct. 14, a goal and assist in a 3-2 win at Bethany Lutheran on Sept. 9, and a goal and assist in Augsburg's 2-0 win at St. Scholastica on Oct. 21. In her 37 career games (2,718 minutes, 73.5 minutes per-game), Alva Rosa has seven goals and 10 assists for 24 points.
Dickerson was a key wing defender off the bench for the Auggies, playing in 18 games (six starts) with 906 minutes played (50.3 minutes per-game). She scored her first collegiate goal in the 42nd minute in Augsburg's 2-1 win over Gustavus on Sept. 30. Dickerson has played in 25 games (991 minutes played, 39.6 minutes per-game) in her collegiate career.
Hatfield had a strong season as a defensive midfielder, starting all 19 games (1,495 minutes, 78.7 minutes per-game). She contributed four assists on the season -- in a 5-0 win over Crown on Sept. 2, a 3-3 draw against St. Olaf on Oct. 14, a 5-0 win over UW-River Falls on Oct. 18, and in a 1-1 draw with Macalester on Oct. 28. Hatfield has played in 29 games (1,701 minutes, 58.7 minutes per-game) in her collegiate career.
Neumann earned
MIAC All-Playoff Team honors in 2023 for her strong efforts in Augsburg's two conference playoff games -- a 3-1 win at Macalester on Oct. 30 and a 3-0 loss at Carleton on Nov. 2. On the year, she played in all 19 games, compiling 1,548 minutes (81.5 minutes per-game) as a defensive midfielder, the most minutes of any Auggie this season. She scored one goal on the year, a goal in Augsburg's 3-3 tie against St. Olaf on Oct. 14. Neumann has played in 54 games (4,222 minutes, 78.2 minutes per-game) in her three seasons as an Auggie, with one goal.
Ponce earned All-MIAC honors for the second year in a row in 2023. She was one of the best all-around players in the MIAC this season, both as a dynamic scorer and playmaker. She finished her second season as an Auggie, after transferring from Division II Fort Lewis (Colo.), with team highs of 11 goals, 14 assists and 36 points,
leading the MIAC in assists while standing second in goals and points. Her 14 assists, the second-most in a single season in Augsburg history, are currently
fifth-most among all NCAA Division III players nationally, with her 0.74 assists per-game average fifth-best. Her 36 points are 39th among NCAA Division III players nationally. Playing in all 19 games, she played 1,533 minutes (80.7 minutes per-game), the third-most minutes of any Auggie. She had a goal or assist in 14 games, with three multi-goal games, including a three-goal, one-assist effort in Augsburg's 5-0 win over Wisconsin-River Falls on Oct. 18. Playing in 37 games in two seasons as an Auggie (2,995 minutes, 80.9 minutes per-game), Ponce scored 17 goals (tied for 12th in Augsburg history) with 22 assists (ninth) for 56 points (11th) in her Auggie years.
Shuster shined as Augsburg's starting goalkeeper this season, finishing 11-4-4 in 1,530 minutes played, with 77 saves (.819 save percentage) and a 1.00 goals against-average, fourth among MIAC players in saves, seventh in save percentage and seventh in goals against-average. She had six shutouts this season, tied for fourth-most among MIAC goalkepeers. Her 11 wins are tied for sixth-most in a season in school history, with her six shutouts tied for 14th-most. Shuster played in 57 career games as an Auggie (4,517 minutes), with a 21-21-8 reocrd, 10 shutouts, 227 saves (.769 save percentage) and a 1.35 GAA. Her 21 career wins are seventh-most in Augsburg history, with her 1.35 GAA 11th-best and her 10 shutouts tied for seventh-most.
Under first-year head coach
Clara Webby, Augsburg finished 11-4-4 overall, 4-3-3 in MIAC play in 2023, its 17th double-digit win season and program history, and ninth since the 2012 campaign. Augsburg made its 13th appearance in the MIAC postseason playoffs since 2004, and ninth playoff appearance in the last 11 full seasons.
The CSC Academic All-District team is part of the
CSC Academic All-America program. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.50 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in early December.
The Division III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the Division III Academic All-America teams program.
(NOTE: Story includes information taken from CSC Academic All-District release and All-MIAC women's soccer release.)
