HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana senior forward Maiya Cooper and senior goalkeeper Lacey Bockhaus were named to the first team to highlight an eight-player Lady Lion contingent on the 2012 All-Southland Conference Soccer Teams, which were announced by the league office on Tuesday.
 
Cooper and Bockhaus were joined by second team selection and Southeastern junior midfielder Kelsey Salcido. Senior midfielder Karly Dagys, senior midfielder Lauren Stillians, junior defender Shaynce Shaw, freshman defender Cheyenne Maxwell and freshman forward Kayla Vera were named to the team as honorable mention selections.
 
“We are excited to have such a high number earn All-Southland honors,” Southeastern head coach Blake Hornbuckle said. “We're especially pleased to see Lacey and Maiya earn first team recognition. All of our honorees are receiving well deserved honors. We are fortunate to have Kelsey, Shanyce, Cheyenne and Kayla back for next year.
 
Cooper, who hails from Hawthorne, Calif., is the second Lady Lion and fifth player in Southland history to earn first team All-Conference honors four times. Cooper joins Southeastern Athletics Hall of Famer Becca Weingartner (1998-01), Stephen F. Austin senior midfielder Kylie Louw, as well as former Texas State Bobcats Marva Bailey (1999-02) and Kendra Kade (2001-04).
 
The first player in school history to post four seasons of double-digit goals, Cooper leads the team with 10 goals. She ranks second in school history in career goals (47), points (110) and game-winning goals (13).
 
“Maiya's honor is significant given this is the fourth year she's been named first team All-Conference,” Hornbuckle commented. “She has an internal drive to finish the ball and create opportunities for her team. She produces in big games with big performances.”
 
Bockhaus made history of her own with her third first-team All-Southland nod and her fourth All-Southland selection overall. Bockhaus, Cooper, Weingartner, and Southeastern Athletic Hall of Famers Courtney Coutu (2001-03), Allison Holliday (1997-99) and Kim McNally (2002-04) are the only three-time first team All-Conference selections in school history.
 
After missing the 2011 season, the San Leandro, Calif. native returned to form in 2012. She is second in the Southland with nine shutouts, running her Southland Conference record career shutout total to 39. She has a 0.93 goals against average and ranks third in school history with 308 career saves.
 
“Lacey caps off a fantastic career in goal that sets an extremely high standard for future keepers at Southeastern,” Hornbuckle stated. “Her accomplishments will certainly be the benchmark. She brings a strong mentality which is paramount in anchoring the team.”
 
Salcido earned her second All-Southland nod, after earning first team accolades a season ago. The Lakewood, Calif. native is second on the team with five goals to go with three assists.
 
“Kelsey plays a major role in the team's success,” Hornbuckle stated. “She sets the standard in the midfield. She is a relentless warrior on challenges and finds a way to succeed.”
 
Highlighting the honorable mention selections is Dagys, who was named All-Southland for the fourth consecutive year. With two goals and two assists on the season, the Oakville, Ont. native is the school's career leader with 27 assists, while also ranking among the school's career leaders in goals (21, 8^th), points (69, 6^th), game-winning goals (nine, 4^th) and shots (179, 4^th). She, Weingartner, Natalie Santana and Candice Wallace are the only players in school history to have 20-plus goals and 20-plus assists in their careers.
 
“Karly's honor is a fitting way to cap a successful career, as she will leave as the career assist leader in school history,” Hornbuckle commented. “She is a threat up top and out wide and can strike a clean ball with both feet.”
 
Another of Southeastern's senior was recognized on Tuesday, as Stillians was selected All-Southland for the second time in her career. The versatile Manhattan Beach, Calif. native has a goal and three assists in 2012, while also ranking fifth in school history with 19 career assists.
 
“Lauren is versatile and can play anywhere on the field,” Hornbuckle said. “She is strong in the air, distributes well and gets to balls that many can't.”
 
Shaw joins Stillians and Salcido as two-time All-Southland Conference honorees. The Ajax, Ont. native led a defense that shutout five of its final six opponents of the regular season, including the final four foes.
 
“Shanyce has been a steady presence the entire year at left back,” Hornbuckle stated. “She is difficult to beat, reads the game well and gets into the attack. We are happy she is back next year.”
 
Making their first appearance on the All-Southland team are freshmen Maxwell and Vera. Maxwell, a native of Sacramento, Calif., made her presence early in the season in the midfield. After an injury felled fellow freshmen Erin Christ for several matches, Maxwell made a seamless transition to the back, keying a 4-1-1 stretch to close the regular season.
 
“Cheyenne has been a rock in both the midfield and the back,” Hornbuckle said. “She embraces going in strong on challenges, cuts out attacking opportunities and is instrumental in establishing our flow of play.”
 
Vera rounds out the Southeastern All-Southland contingent. The Vancouver, Wash. native was an immediate impact player up top during the regular season, sitting at second on the team with five goals to go with a team-high six assists.
 
“Kayla's attacking abilities impact the game each time as she grows in her development,” Hornbuckle commented. “She will be an absolute terror for opponents to deal with in future games. When Kayla turns it on, she is hard to track and we're excited to watch her continue to thrive over the next three years.”
 
Louw was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year for an unprecedented third straight year. Louw and the Ladyjacks won the regular season title for the second straight season under Southland Coach of the Year Tony Amato. The league's leading goal scorer, Adriana Lucar of Central Arkansas was named Newcomer of the Year, while Sam Houston State goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton was tabbed the Southland's top freshman.
 
Southeastern will open the Southland Conference Tournament on Thursday in Lake Charles. The third-seeded Lady Lions will take on host McNeese State at 7 p.m. at Cowgirl Field. Live video and stats will be provided by the Southland Conference and can be accessed at www.LionSports.net.
 
2012 All-Southland Conference Soccer Teams
 
First Team
Name – School – Pos. – Class – Hometown/Previous School
Maiya Cooper – Southeastern Louisiana – F – Sr. – Hawthorne, Calif./Bishop Montgomery HS
Chelsea Raymond – Stephen F. Austin – F – So. – Irving, Texas/MacArthur HS
Zuri Prince – Stephen F. Austin – F – So. – Beaumont, Texas/Kelly HS
Adriana Lucar – Central Arkansas – F – So. – Lima, Peru/Harding University
Kylie Louw – Stephen F. Austin – MF – Sr. – Discovery, S. Africa/University of Johannesburg
Laura Sadler – Stephen F. Austin – MF – Sr. – Coppell, Texas/Coppell HS
Jennifer Abernathy – Oral Roberts -- MF – Jr. – Broken Arrow, Okla./Union HS
Lauren Parks – Oral Roberts – D – Sr. – Edmond, Okla./Home-schooled
Breanne Vernon – Stephen F. Austin – D – Sr. – Calgary, Alb./Ernest Manning HS
Megan Dunnigan – Stephen F. Austin – D – So. – Round Rock, Texas/Vista Ridge HS
Lacey Bockhaus – Southeastern Louisiana – GK – Sr. – San Leandro, Calif./Arroyo HS
Lacey Lee – Stephen F. Austin – GK – Jr. – Bedford, Texas – Euless Trinity HS
 
Second Team
Name – School – Pos. – Class – Hometown/Previous School
Sarah LaLanne – McNeese State – F – So. – Cypress, Texas/Cypress Creek HS
Megan Giles – Oral Roberts – F – So. – Tulsa, Okla./Broken Arrow HS
Jannet Hernandez – Lamar – F – Fr. – Houston, Texas/MacArthur HS
Kelsey Salcido – Southeastern Louisiana – MF – Jr. – Lakewood, Calif./Los Alamitos HS
Kristin Bos – Lamar – MF – So. – Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS
Katie Ferrara – Sam Houston State – MF – Fr. – Round Rock, Texas/McNeil HS
Kirby Zak – Sam Houston State – MF – Sr. – Weatherford, Texas/Aledo HS
Leslie Shurtleff – Stephen F. Austin – D – Sr. – Southlake, Texas/Oklahoma
Amber Thornhill – Lamar – D – Jr. – Katy, Texas/Morton Ranch HS
Kayla Anderson – Sam Houston State – D – Sr. – Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch HS
 
Honorable Mention: Kayla Vera, F, SLU;  Kimberly Albeno, F, LU; Kayla Keller, F, ORU; Spencer Valdespino, F, NICH; Whitney Booth, F, ORU; Ashley Savona, F, NWLA; Tricia Mallory, F, SHSU; Lauren Stillians, MF, SLU; Karly Dagys, MF, SLU; Lisa Topping, MF, LU; Becky Johnson, MF, SFA; Cheyenne Maxwell, D, SLU; Shanyce Shaw, D, SLU; Allison Hall, D, ORU; Amanda Biega, D, SHSU; Alejandro Amador, D, LU; Megan Snelling, D, MCN; Kylie Hambleton, GK, SHSU; Bailey Fontenot, GK, LU; Helen Erb, GK, ORU.
 
Player of the Year – Kylie Louw, Stephen F. Austin
Freshman of the Year – Kylie Hambleton, Sam Houston State
Newcomer of the Year – Adriana Lucar, Central Arkansas
Coach of the Year – Tony Amato, Stephen F. Austin