NEWARK, Del. - - For only the third time in program history, the Wilmington University women's soccer team earned three All-Region honorees this season, as Jimena Garcia Risoto, Samantha Emmi, and Lauren Hoelke were named to the 2021 Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) Women's Soccer All-East Region Teams.
It is the first time since 2016 that the Wildcats place three on All-Region Teams, and the first time ever that the team had two First Team honorees as Samantha Emmi and Jimena Garcia Risoto were voted First Team All-Region. Lauren Hoelke was voted to the Second Team All-Region by the region's sports information directors.
Jimena Garcia Risoto (Madrid, Spain) came on strong down the stretch for the Wildcats, scoring 25 points in the final 10 games of the year. She scored 11 goals in the final month of play, including a stretch of eight goals in five games, scoring a hat trick in the CACC Tournament Semifinals against Georgian Court. Her 13 goals are tops in the CACC and second in the East Region overall. She also has accumulated 31 points, ranking second in the CACC and third overall in the East Region.
Samantha Emmi (Logan Township, N.J.) started all 20 games at the centerback position for the Wildcats, anchoring a defense that allowed a 0.97 goals against average on the year. She was also the main target on all set pieces for the Wildcats, either taking the set piece or getting on the receiving end, scoring all of her six goals from set pieces on the year. She finished third on the team with six goals, adding two assists to finish fifth on the team with 14 points. She scored two goals at Caldwell and the game-winning goal against Goldey-Beacom in the CACC Quarterfinal. She was named the CACC Defensive Player of the Year as well.
Lauren Hoelke (Blackwood, N.J.) also came on strong down the stretch for the Wildcats, scoring nine points in her final six games of the year. She scored two goals against Georgian Court and then had a goal in each of the first two CACC Tournament games against Goldey-Beacom and Georgian Court, respectively. She finished second on the team and 10th in the CACC with 17 points, scoring eight goals while adding one assist in her lone season as a Wildcat.
Molly's Lexi Verni was voted the 2021 D2CCA Women's Soccer East Region Player of the Year after finishing the season with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points for the 18-3 Lions.
The First Team honorees will now be nominated for D2CCA All-American Honors which will be voted on and announced in early December.
AGATE
2021 D2CCA Women's Soccer All-East Region Team
First Team
Pos. – Name – School – Year – Hometown
F – Lexi Verni – Molloy College – Jr. – Patchogue, N.Y.
F – Dana Poetzsch^% – Molloy College – Sr. – Hicksville, N.Y.
F – Mia Klammer – The College of Saint Rose – Fr. – Mahopac, N.Y.
F – Alyssa Ruggieri – Goldey-Beacom – Fr. – Hockessin, DE
MF – Allyson Patterson^ – Southern New Hampshire University – Sr. – Seekonk, Mass.
MF – Devin Sullivan – Thomas Jefferson University – Jr. – West Deptford, N.J.
MF – Jimena Garcia Risoto – Wilmington University – Jr. – Madrid, Spain
MF – Jacqueline Ziegler – Holy Family – Sr. – Feasterville, Pa.
D – Ai Inoue – Southern New Hampshire University – Sr. – Tokyo, Japan
D – Sanna Rein – The College of Saint Rose – So. – Jyväskylä, Finland
D – Samantha Emmi – Wilmington University – So. – Logan Township, N.J.
D – Sydney Cooper# – Mercy College – Sr. – Long Beach, Calif.
GK – Marika Laurendeau^ – The College of Saint Rose – Sr. – Sainte-Juile, Quebec
Second Team
Pos. – Name – School – Year – Hometown
F – Camryn Thompson – Stonehill – Sr. – Lincoln, R.I.
F – Lauren Hoelke – Wilmington University – Sr. – Blackwood, N.J.
F – Sarah Costanza – Caldwell University – Jr. – Morris Plains, NJ
F – Tatyjana Scalisi – Daemen – Jr. – Williamsville, N.Y.
MF – Ciera Lundy – The College of Saint Rose – Sr. – Welland, Ontario
MF – Janina Mueller – The College of Saint Rose – Jr. – Sinsheim, Germany
MF – Annie Coogan – Molloy College – Jr. – Merrick, N.Y.
MF – Nikki Bermudez – Mercy College – Sr. – Oceanside, N.Y.
D – Aino Martikainen – Franklin Pierce – Fr. – Järvenpää, Finland
D – Maura Kilkenny – Holy Family – So. – Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
D – Sarah Tappeto – Molloy College – So. – Merrick, N.Y.
D – Payton Cole# – Thomas Jefferson University – Jr. – Lumberton, N.J.
GK – Jackie Carty – Molloy College – Sr. – East Islip, N.Y.
^ = 2019 All-East Region First Team | # = 2019 All-East Second Team | % = 2017 All-East Region Second Team
2021 East Region Player of the Year: Lexi Verni, Molloy College