NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - Following a revitalizing regular season which saw the Wilmington University women's soccer team finish 10-4-3 overall, the Wildcats placed five student-athletes on the All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Teams, including a program's first Major Award.

As voted by the league's head coaches, sophomore centerback Samantha Emmi earned the program's first ever Defensive Player of the Year award as well as a spot on the First Team. She is joined by graduate student Lauren Hoelke as a CACC First Team member.

The Wildcats also had three student-athletes earn Second Team All-CACC, as seniors Krysta Memis and Kasie Lambert, as well as junior Jimena Garcia Risoto were tabbed All-Conference.

The last Major Award won by a Wildcat was when Kiersten Williams was named the 2017 CACC Goalkeeper of the Year. The Wildcats have had two Coaches of the Year (2010 and 2012), two Players of the Year (2004 and 2007), and one Rookie of the Year (2007). Samantha Emmi is the first CACC Defensive Player of the Year in program history.

Emmi (Logan Township, N.J.) has helped anchor a defense that has allowed 0.91 goals per game. She also got into the offensive mix as well, being a main target on set pieces if she wasn't taking them herself. She's scored five goals and added two assists for 12 points in the regular season. She had a season's best two goals, both off corners, at Caldwell.

Lauren Hoelke (Blackwood, N.J.) has made the most of her lone season with the Wildcats, earning First Team All-CACC after being named First Team All-PSAC in 2019 as a senior at Bloomsburg. She finished the regular season with six goals and an assist for 13 points, ranking among the top in the CACC with 55 shots. She scored a season's best two goals against Georgian Court.

Krysta Memis (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) earns her first All-CACC honors of her career after finishing second on the team with 15 points. She scored five goals while finishing in a tie for the team lead with five assists. She had a season's best five points with two goals and an assist against Nyack. Her first goal against Nyack and her goal against Georgian Court counted as game-winners.

Jimena Garcia Risoto (Madrid, Spain) has poured it on late in the year, finishing third in the CACC with nine goals and tied for second with 23 points. She scored four goals in the final three games of the regular season, adding two assists for 10 points down the stretch. She's scored seven goals and 17 points in the final seven games of the regular season. She's had a season high four point in three games, first with a goal and two assists against Nyack, the same against Georgian Court, and two goals against Chestnut Hill. Her goals at Goldey-Beacom, against Staten Island, at Felician, and against Chestnut Hill went as game-winners.

Kasie Lambert is the only repeat All-CACC performer for the Wildcats, also earning Second Team accolades in her first season with the Wildcats in 2019. She finished the regular season with 13 points, scoring four goals while dishing out five assists. She has gone 3-for-3 from the penalty spot and has three game-winning goals as well. She had a season's best three points with a goal and an assist against Chestnut Hill. Her goals against Daemen, Bloomfield, and Holy Family went down as game-winners.

Thomas Jefferson's Devin Sullivan was named the CACC Player of the Year while Goldey-Beacom's Alyssa Ruggieri was voted as the CACC Rookie of the Year. By virtue of being the First Team goalkeeper, Holy Family's Alayna McSeed was named the Goalkeeper of the Year while Dominican's head coach Sean McCarthy was voted the CACC Coach of the Year by the league's sports information directors. Felician took home the Team Sportsmanship Award as well.

2021 CACC Women's Soccer All-Conference Teams:

First Team:
F Sarah Costanza (Caldwell University)
F Alyana Gonel (Dominican College)
F Lauren Hoelke (Wilmington University)
F Maddie Jimenez (Chestnut Hill College)
F Alyssa Ruggieri (Goldey-Beacom College)
M Melayna Immediato (Goldey-Beacom College)
M Devin Sullivan (Thomas Jefferson University)
M Jacqueline Ziegler (Holy Family University)
D Payton Cole (Thomas Jefferson University)
D Samantha Emmi (Wilmington University)
D Maura Kilkenny (Holy Family University)
GK Alayna McSeed (Holy Family University)

Second Team:
F Lydia Asamoah (Post University)
F Laural Erick (Thomas Jefferson University)
F Krysta Memis (Wilmington University)
M Danai Chimedza (Dominican College) 
M Teaghan Darling (Caldwell University) 
M Jimena Garcia Risoto (Wilmington University)
M Kasie Lambert (Wilmington University)
D Ava Albergo (Thomas Jefferson University)
D Grace Joyce (Holy Family University)
D Kelly Mejia (Goldey-Beacom College)
D Erin Wimmer (Georgian Court University)
GK Noel Talbot (Goldey-Beacom College)

2021 CACC Player of the Year: Devin Sullivan (Thomas Jefferson University)
2021 CACC Rookie of the Year: Alyssa Ruggieri (Goldey-Beacom College)
2021 CACC Defensive Player of the Year: Samantha Emmi (Wilmington University)
2021 CACC Goalkeeper of the Year: Alayna McSeed (Holy Family University)
2021 CACC Coach of the Year: Sean McCarthy (Dominican College)
2021 CACC Team Sportsmanship Award: Felician University