Helgadottir, Seibert & McCluskey Named To Southeast Region Team

Dec. 9, 2003

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University senior Thora Helgadottir, junior Casey McCluskey and sophomore Kate Seibert were each selected to the 2003 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Southeast Region Soccer Team on Tuesday.

Helgadottir, a Kopavogur, Iceland native, was voted the top goalkeeper in the region as she was selected to the first team, which included 11 players (one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and four forwards). Both McCluskey and Seibert earned second team accolades.

A three-time first team All-ACC selection, Helgadottir started 17 games in goal for the Blue Devils and registered a 1.38 goals against average and four shutouts. In her career, Helgadottir ranked second on the Duke charts with 17 shutouts.

McCluskey took on a different role this season in the midfield for the Blue Devils, which cut down on her scoring, but the junior was an anchor for Duke in 2003. McCluskey finished the season with five goals and five assists and ranked tied for second on the team with 15 points.

Seibert, a defender from Downingtown, Pa., earned the honor after collecting six goals and two assists on the year. Her six goals ranked tied for second on the Duke squad. Seibert was a member of a Duke defense that collected nine shutouts on the season.

Both McCluskey and Seibert were each All-ACC selections in 2003 and headline a group of nine starters that will return for the Blue Devils in 2004 under Head Coach Robbie Church.

Duke finished the season with a 14-7-1 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to 17th-ranked Texas A&M.

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2003 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Southeast Region Soccer Teams

FIRST TEAM Position Name Year College Hometown Goal Keeper Thora Helgadottir SR Duke Kopavogur, Iceland Defender Melanie Booth FR Florida Toronto, Canada Defender Sandy Carnes SR Auburn Spring, Texas Defender Catherine Reddick SR UNC Birmingham, AL Midfield Lori Chalupny SO UNC St. Louis, MO Midfield Stephanie Freeman JR Florida Clearwater, FL Midfield Allison Graham SO Clemson Fayetteville, GA Forward Leah Gallegos SO Florida State Los Angeles, CA Forward Tara Kidwell JR Alabama-Bir. Leesburg, VA Forward Lindsay Tarpley SO UNC Kalamazoo, MO Forward Jessica Winton SR Georgia Atlanta, GA

SECOND TEAM Goal Keeper Megan Rivera JR Auburn Miami, FL Defender Katie Beal JR Florida State Alexandria, VA Defender Penny Perrott SR East Carolina Fort Lauderdale, FL Defender Kate Seibert SO Duke Downingtown, PA Midfield Crystal Frimpong SR Florida Vancouver, WA Midfield Robin Fulton SR Florida Cinncinnati, OH Midfield Casey McCluskey JR Duke Springfield, VA Midfield Kacey White SO UNC Arlington, TX Forward Courtney Foster FR Clemson Conyers, GA Forward Hilary McKay SO UNC-Asheville Candler, NC Forward Sarah Steinmann JR Auburn Lilburn, GA

THIRD TEAM Goal Keeper Joy McKenzie JR Florida State Houston, TX Defender Kristin Boyce SR Florida State Austin, TX Defender Paige Ledford JR Clemson Ooltewah, TN Defender Briana McCarty JR Alabama-Bir. Lawrenceville, GA Midfield Dena Floyd SR Florida Midlothian, VA Midfield Rhonda Jones SR Florida Atl. North Lanarkshire, Scotland Midfield Rakel Logadottir JR UNC-Greensboro Hafrnarfjordur, Iceland Midfield Andrea Velasco SR Georgia West Windsor, NJ Forward Rebecca Eshleman JR Central Fla. Akron, PA Forward Meghan McCallion SO East Carolina Long Island, NY Forward Emily Turgeon SR Furman Raleigh, NC