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The highest-scoring forward tandem in Hutchinson Community College women’ soccer history earned All-America status this week.
Freshman Danielle Sheehy was named to the first team and sophomore Melissa Hetherington was named to the second team of the 2012 NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer All-America team.
Sheehy and Hetherington blew up the Lady Dragon record books, scoring a combined 68 goals, 43 assists, 179 points and 12 game-winning goals. .
Sheehy becomes the second first-team All-American in Lady Dragon history, joining Hetherington, who was a first-team selection in 2011. Hetherington becomes just the second two-time All-American in program history, joining Alicia Robinson (2010-11).
Sheehy and Hetherington are the seventh and eighth All-Americans in Lady Dragon soccer history. The duo led the 2012 Lady Dragons to a 16-2 record, a second-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference and a Region VI runner-up finish.
DANIELLE SHEEHY
From her Lady Dragon debut against Neosho County – four goals, three assists, 10 points – it was clear that the Limerick, Ireland, native was going to be a force for Hutchinson this season.
Sheehy set six-single-season records in 2012: Goals scored – 38, Points – 99; Shots taken – 162; Shots on goal taken – 86; multi-point games – 13; multi-goals games – 12 and hat tricks – 8. Her 23 assists ranked second on the single-season list.
Sheehy’s incredible season also placed her high in several Lady Dragon career statistical lists. Sheehy is tied for third in career points, tied for fourth in goals scored, tied for sixth in career assists, third for third in game-winning goals, second in multi-goal games, tied for seventh in multi-point games, tied for fifth in game-winning assists, tied for fourth in multi-assist games, fifth in shots taken and eighth in shots on goal taken.
She had four goals four times (Neosho County, Kansas City, Allen and Coffeyville), three games of 10 or more points (10 vs. Neosho County, 11 vs. Kansas City and 10 vs. Coffeyville) and seven multi-assist games with a high of four against Independence.
Sheehy led the NJCAA in points scored, was second in goals scored and fourth in assists. She was also named the Jayhawk Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
MELISSA HETHERINGTON
The sophomore forward from Burnley, England, became not only Hutchinson’s record holder for goals in a game, but the program’s career record-holder as well.
Hetherington broke her own single-game record for goals and points when she tallied seven goals and 16 points in a lopsided victory over Independence Sept. 7. Two days later against Hesston, Hetherington reached the career goals mark with her 49th career goal. She finished her Lady Dragon career with 66 goals.
Her 80 points ranked fourth in the NJCAA, her 30 goals tied for sixth and her 20 assists were sixth in the nation this season.
This season, Hetherington had 30 goals, 20 assists and 80 points. She is the only Lady Dragon player in program history with back-to-back 30-goal seasons. Her 80 points rank third, her 30 goals rank third and her 20 assists rank third on Hutchinson’s single-season lists. She also had six game-winning goals and tied a team single-season record with five game-winning assists.
Hetherington owns eight career records, two single-season records – she had six before Sheehy moved past her – and two single-game records.
Her career records are: Points –166; multi-point games –22; goals scored – 66; game-winning goals – 14; multi-goal games – 13; game-winning assists – 7; shots taken – 233; shots on goal taken – 142. Her 34 career assists rank No. 2.
(HCC Sports Information)
2012 NJCAA WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First Team
Stephanie Cabrera, Phoenix College Fr. Forward
Jessica DeLeon, Paradise Valley CC So. Midfield
Marina Galaz, Iowa Western CC Fr. Forward
Mikaela Howell, Monroe College So. Midfield
Courtney Hueston, Brevard CC So. Midfield
Indira Ilic, Iowa Western CC Fr. Defense
Stacie Owers Tyler Junior College So. Midfield
Danielle Sheehy Hutchinson CC Fr. Forward
Alexandria Truitt, Georgia Perimeter College Fr. Defense
Kathryn VanMeter, Tyler Junior College Fr. Goalkeeper
Jahmela Williams, Tyler Junior College So. Forward
Second Team
Chloe Crook, Monroe CC So. Goalkeeper
Lois Edvardsson, Brevard CC So. Forward
Kathryn Foytlin, St. Louis CC So. Forward
Jocelyn Gaughran, College of Lake County Fr. Defense
Melissa Hetherington, Hutchinson CC So. Forward
Maria Mardones Saez, Laramie County CC Fr. Defense
Caitlin McGarry, CC of Rhode Island So. Midfield
Nikita Morris, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College So. Forward
Nugene Nugent, Navarro College So. Midfield
Allison Sharpe, Monroe CC Fr. Forward
Samhia Simao, Northwest College So. Forward
Honorable Mention
Vanessa Barcelleiro Batista, Iowa Central CC Fr. Forward
Miranda Burroughs, Kaskaskia College So. Forward
Alexandra Doller, Paradise Valley CC So. Forward
Courtisha Ebanks, South Georgia College Fr. Goalkeeper
Kendra Eitniear, Owens CC So. Forward
MacKenzie Knepper, Southwestern Illinois College So. Midfield
Teresa Offerman, Butler CC So. Defense
Happy Orere-Amadu, Monroe College So. Midfield
Deysla Reyes Delgado, Laramie County CC So. Defense
Jessica Scales, Louisburg College Fr. Forward
Pamela Usry, Hinds CC So. Midfield
For the third-straight season, the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team will close the season ranked in the NJCAA Top 10.
Despite coming up one victory short in a quest for a third-straight Region VI championship, the Lady Dragons finished ninth in the final NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Poll, released on Wednesday.
The Lady Dragons lost to No. 4 Butler 2-1 in the Region VI championship game on Sunday in Topeka. Butler remains No. 4 in the final poll. Hutchinson closed the season with a 16-2 record.
HCC started the season ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll, but shot up to No. 3 before attaining the No. 1 spot on Sept. 12. The Lady Dragons sat at No. 1 for five weeks before an Oct. 14 loss at Butler.
HCC has now been ranked in 12 consecutive polls, the longest run in the national poll in team history.
In each of the last two seasons, the Lady Dragons finished No. 3 in the final NJCAA poll.
(HCC Sports Information)
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SOCCER POLL
Record Points Last Week
1. Brevard CC (4) 11-1 99 1
2. Paradise Valley CC (1) 19-0-1 95 2
3. Iowa Western CC 17-1-1 91 3
4. Butler CC 21-2 84 4
5. Tyler Junior College 15-2-2 79 5
6. Monroe College 12-0 77 6
7. Monroe CC 15-1 68 7
8. Navarro College 14-2-2 65 7
9. Hutchinson 16-2 56 8
10. Laramie County CC 13-2 49 11
11. Heartland CC 14-2-2 47 18
12. Darton State College 13-5 44 NR
13. College of Lake County 13-1-1 37 19
14. Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa 13-5 33 17
15. Scottsdale CC 16-3-1 27 13
16. Delta College 12-5-1 24 NR
17. Otero Junior College 14-4-1 22 15
18. Pearl River CC 11-2 20 20
19. St. Louis CC 15-3-1 12 NR
20. Cisco College 11-3-3 7 7
Others receiving votes: CCBC-Essex (9-6-1); Iowa Central CC (15-2-1); Barton CC (15-4-1); Louisburg College (11-6-1).
TOPEKA – The No. 7 Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team’s bid for a third-consecutive Region VI championship came up short as the fourth-ranked Butler Grizzlies converted a penalty kick with 17:02 remaining in the second half to defeat the Lady Dragons 2-1 on Sunday in the regional title game at Hummer Park in Topeka.
The Lady Dragons, who were ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Poll for five weeks, finishes their season at 16-2.
Looking for its first-ever trip to nationals – the Region VI champion received an automatic bid this season – the Lady Dragons drew first blood when sophomore Melissa Hetherington scored her 10th goal of the regional tournament and 30th of the season in the 10th minute to give the Lady Dragons a 1-0 lead.
Butler made some defensive adjustments in the midfield and HCC started to struggle to find any consistent offense from that point forward.
The Grizzlies (22-2) tied the game at 1-1 in the 42nd minute when Morgan Foster launched a laser beam from just inside the box past HCC sophomore goalkeeper Eunice Figueroa.
HCC thought it took a 2-1 lead just minutes into the second half when Hetherington blasted a shot that hit the crossbar and went straight down onto the goal line. The officials, none of whom had a direct look down the goal line, ruled that the ball did not entirely cross the line, thus no goal was awarded.
From that point, Butler controlled possession.
In the 78th minute, Butler created a scoring chance from its left side. The ball tricked through the goal mouth from to Figueroa’s left. A Butler player went down in the scramble for the ball and a penalty kick was awarded to the Grizzlies. Butler goalkeeper Aisling Dyer knocked the ball past Figueroa in the lower right corner of the net for the go-ahead goal with 17:02 remaining in the game.
The Lady Dragons mounted one last offensive threat. Dyer made two saves on Hetherington shots and time ran out on HCC’s two-year run as Region VI champions.
Figueroa was stellar in goal for Hutchinson, setting a new single-game record for saves with 16.
Butler out-shot the Lady Dragons 31-7 and 18-5 in shots on goal. The 18 shots on goal tied an opponents’ team record against the Lady Dragons.
GAME NOTES – HCC is now 3-2 in Region VI championship games and 16-5 overall in the Region VI Tournament. … This was Butler’s first postseason victory over Hutchinson in five meetings. … Melissa Hetherington finishes with playoff records 24 points and 11 goals. … Danielle Sheehy, who was credited with the assist on Hetherington’s goal, had four postseason assists, which ties for second.
(HCC Sports Information)
