NAC Announces 2007 Women’s Soccer Post Season Awards

AURORA, Ill. November 15, 2007 - The Northern Athletics Conference announced its 2007 women’s soccer All-Conference Team and postseason awards. The Aurora University Spartan women’s soccer team, winners of the NAC Women’s Soccer Championship for the second consecutive season, had sophomore forward Jessica Novickas (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park H.S.) named Offensive Player of the Year and freshman defender Cait Hartman (Parker, CO/Ponderosa H.S.) named Rookie of the Year as well as Head Coach Kanute Drugan being named Coach of the Year.

The Spartans also placed five players on the First-Team All-Conference Team, one player on the Second-Team and one player on the All-Rookie Team. The AU women’s soccer program made its fifth NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship appearance in the last seven seasons and third consecutive. AU captured the Northern Athletics Conference championship with a 12-0 regular season record and went 2-0 in the NAC tournament.

On the season, the Spartans out-scored their opponents 77 to 15 (23 games). AU finished the regular season with a 19-3-1 overall record and captured their ninth conference title in the last 13 seasons. The Spartans set school or tied records for wins (19), consecutive games with a goal scored (22), consecutive wins (19), team shutouts (12) and lowest goals against average (0.65).

Novickas was named the NAC Offensive Player of the Year after posting 18 goals, six assists and five game-winning goals on the season, including 14 goals, four assists and five game-winning goals. Her 18 goals tied for fourth in the AU women’s soccer single season record book.

Hartman was named the NAC Rookie of the Year and to the NAC All-Rookie Team, having started in all 23 games for the Spartans in her first collegiate season at the important sweeper position in the AU defense. Hartman helped lead an AU defense that set school records for shutouts and lowest goals against average. She also chipped in one goal and one assist, both coming in conference play.

The Coach of the Year Award marked Drugan’s sixth time being named a conference Coach of the Year in his 11 years as head coach at AU. Four of his previous Coach of the Year awards came when AU was a member of the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference. In 11 seasons, Drugan has led AU to eight conference championships, five NCAA tournament appearances and has a record of 163-62-12 (.713).

Those garnering NAC women’s soccer All-Conference First-Team recognition were Novickas, Hartman, junior forward Allison Bailey (Dixon, IL/Dixon H.S., 12 goals, nine assists and three game-winning goals), senior defender Alex Contreras (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield Central H.S., three goals, five assists and two game winning goals) and sophomore midfielder Nikki Counsell (Oconomowoc, WI/Oconomowoc H.S., four goals and 10 assists).

Spartans sophomore goalkeeper Jenny Jarvis (Naperville, IL/Naperville Central H.S.) joined the postseason award honors as she was named NAC Second-Team All-Conference. Jarvis went 11-0 with eight shutouts, 17 saves and allowed just three goals in NAC play. On the season, she had an 18-3-1 record, a single season record 12 shutouts, 62 saves and a 0.65 goals against average.

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