Valencia Earns All-MIAA Second Team Honor

ROYAL OAK, Mich. - For the second consecutive season, Saint Mary's midfielder Mollie Valencia was named to the All-MIAA Second Team by the conference's soccer coaches for her efforts during the 2011 campaign.


Mollie Valencia looks forward in the
Belles' home win against Albion.The sophomore was a starter in each of the Belles' 20 contests in 2011. Overall, she had three goals and a pair of assists as Saint Mary's won 10 games for the first time since 2005. Two of her three goals were game-winners. Her penalty kick against Albion turned out to be the deciding score in the Belles 2-1 victory against the Brits on October 26. Both of her assists came in conference play as she assisted the game-winning goal against Olivet on September 14 and was credited with the helper on the Belles' first goal in a 2-1 win against Albion in September.

In just her second season, Valencia becomes the sixth soccer player in program history to earn All-MIAA honors multiple times in a career. Moreover, it is the eleventh consecutive season that the Belles have had at least one player earn all-conference accolades at the end of the season.

All-MIAA Honors

Most Valuable Player
Sam Barker, Adrian (sophomore from Temperance/Bedford HS)

All-MIAA First Team
GK - Monica Witt, Alma** (senior from Clio/Clio HS)
F - Sam Barker, Adrian** (sophomore from Temperance/Bedford HS)
F - Jackie Short, Kalamazoo** (junior from Troy/Athens HS)
F - Carly Reising, Alma** (senior from Otsego/Otsego HS)
F - Francesca Smith, Calvin** (junior from Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South HS)
F - Elaine Cunningham, Alma* (junior from Ada/Forest Hills Central HS)
F - Liz Cancel, Calvin* (junior from St. Clair Shores/Fraser HS)
MF - Erin Weide, Adrian* (freshman from Madison Heights/Bishop Foley HS)
MF - Becky Marton, Alma* (senior from Williamston/Williamston HS)
D - Kellie Irwin, Adrian** (senior from Kentwood/East Kentwood HS)
D - Jordan Meeth, Kalamazoo* (sophomore from Three Rivers/Three Rivers HS)
D - Patti Vaassen, Adrian* (junior from Ann Arbor/Saline HS)
* - indicates number of years All-MIAA First Team

All-MIAA Second Team
GK - Chayna Wallace, Adrian (junior from Bedford/Bedford HS)
GK/F -  Jen Wall, Trine (senior from New Haven, Ind./New Haven HS)
F - Danielle Petzak, Hope (senior from Zeeland/Zeeland West HS)
F - Cara Johnson, Hope (sophomore from Chelsea/Chelsea HS)
F - Erin Jipping, Hope (freshman from Holland/West Ottawa HS)
MF - Megan Martinez, Kalamazoo (junior from Golden, Colo./Golden HS)
MF - Mollie Valencia, Saint Mary’s (sophomore from West Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne Central Catholic HS)
MF - Taryn Handyside, Alma (sophomore from Montrose/Hill-McCloy HS)
MF - Danielle Carter, Calvin (sophomore from DeWitt/DeWitt HS)
D - Rachel Pitzer, Kalamazoo (senior from Brighton/Brighton HS)
D - Brittany Dulyea, Alma (junior from Kentwood/East Kentwood HS)
D - Kylie Clark, Hope (junior from Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville HS)