Larkin Thomason Named SoCon Player Of The Year; Six Bears Earn Postseason Honors
10/31/2024 3:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Six Mercer players received postseason SoCon honors
MACON, Ga. - Mercer sophomore forward Larkin Thomason was named the 2024 Southern Conference Player of the Year to headline six Mercer players who received SoCon postseason honors as announced by the league office Thursday afternoon.
Thomason was named First Team All-SoCon in addition to being named the Player of the Year. Four players were named Second Team All-SoCon in Kendall Cook, Lena Dykes, Sara Engels, and Jada Moorman.
Freshman defender Maggie Rollins was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.
Thomason is the first Mercer player to be named SoCon Player of the Year since 2019, when Nicole Icen earned the recognition.
Thomason, a Scottsdale, Arizona native had one of the best regular seasons of any player across the country. In 18 games over the regular season, she had conference best 14 goals with six assists for 34 points which was tied for fifth most in the country. Her 14 goals ranked tied for seventh in the nation and were tied for the most goals scored by a Mercer player under head coach Tony Economopoulos.
Thomason's 34 points were 11 more than the next closest player in the SoCon and her four game-winning goals were tied for the most in the conference.
Graduate midfielder Kendall Cook earned her first career All-Conference selection to go with being named to the All-Freshman team in 2020-21. Cook had a team best and conference tying eight assists on the season setting a single-season career high.
Junior defender Lena Dykes also earned her first career All-Conference selection. She has been a staple along the back line for the Bears and also chipped in offensively with two goals and four assists for a career high eight points during the regular season. Both of her goals were game-winning goals coming in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Senior midfielder Sara Engels is the third Bear to earn her first career All-Conference selection. Engels started all 18 games in the midfield for the Bears and also had a career season on the stat sheet with four goals and four assists for 12 points which ranked third on the team behind Thomason and Moorman. Two of her four goals were game-winning goals.
Junior forward Jada Moorman has now been named an All-Conference selection all three years with the Bears. Moorman continued her scoring prowess this season with nine goals to go with two assists. She has 26 goals and 10 assists over three seasons. She finished right behind Thomason in goals and points (20). Her 20 points were tied for fourth most in the SoCon. Moorman enters the SoCon Tournament on a bit of a hot streak with three goals over her last two games.
Freshman defender Maggie Rollins earned a starting spot on Mercer's back line and played nothing like a freshman defender on her way to earning a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman Team. Rollins led all players on the team in minutes played at 1,561 minutes over 18 games or 86.7 minutes per game which also ranks third in the conference among all players in minutes played per game. She scored her first career goal in the win over Berry back in August.
2024 Women's Soccer All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Larkin Thomason, So., F, Mercer
Defensive Player of the Year – Ava Robitaille, Jr., M, Western Carolina
Coach of the Year – Chad Miller, Western Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Merle Greulich, F, UNCG
First Team
F - Larkin Thomason, Mercer
F – Isabella DeMarco, Western Carolina
F – Milla Syska, Western Carolina
M – Nieva Gaither, Furman
M – Whitaker Buchanan, Samford
M – Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
M – Ava Robitaille, Western Carolina
D – Miya Poplin, Furman
D – Ella Simpson, Samford
D – Becca Campbell, Western Carolina
GK – Leanne Trudel, Western Carolina
Second Team
F – Tara Katz, Furman
F – Jada Moorman, Mercer
F – Layton Glisson, Samford
F – Caroline Richvalsky, Chattanooga
M – Kendall Cook, Mercer
M – Sara Engels, Mercer
M – Rachel Poplin, UNCG
D – Madi Hook, ETSU
D – Lena Dykes, Mercer
D – Brenna Swiger, Chattanooga
GK – Ashton Blair, ETSU
All-Freshman Team
Charlotte Seay, The Citadel
Jada Cooper, ETSU
Reese DeJong, Furman
Sarah Sexton, Furman
Maggie Rollins, Mercer
Merle Greulich, UNCG
Alex Parr, Samford
EG Dillard, Chattanooga
Sophia Mize, Chattanooga
Malia Roberts, Western Carolina
Kate Markey, Wofford
Thomason was named First Team All-SoCon in addition to being named the Player of the Year. Four players were named Second Team All-SoCon in Kendall Cook, Lena Dykes, Sara Engels, and Jada Moorman.
Freshman defender Maggie Rollins was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.
Thomason is the first Mercer player to be named SoCon Player of the Year since 2019, when Nicole Icen earned the recognition.
Thomason, a Scottsdale, Arizona native had one of the best regular seasons of any player across the country. In 18 games over the regular season, she had conference best 14 goals with six assists for 34 points which was tied for fifth most in the country. Her 14 goals ranked tied for seventh in the nation and were tied for the most goals scored by a Mercer player under head coach Tony Economopoulos.
Thomason's 34 points were 11 more than the next closest player in the SoCon and her four game-winning goals were tied for the most in the conference.
Graduate midfielder Kendall Cook earned her first career All-Conference selection to go with being named to the All-Freshman team in 2020-21. Cook had a team best and conference tying eight assists on the season setting a single-season career high.
Junior defender Lena Dykes also earned her first career All-Conference selection. She has been a staple along the back line for the Bears and also chipped in offensively with two goals and four assists for a career high eight points during the regular season. Both of her goals were game-winning goals coming in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Senior midfielder Sara Engels is the third Bear to earn her first career All-Conference selection. Engels started all 18 games in the midfield for the Bears and also had a career season on the stat sheet with four goals and four assists for 12 points which ranked third on the team behind Thomason and Moorman. Two of her four goals were game-winning goals.
Junior forward Jada Moorman has now been named an All-Conference selection all three years with the Bears. Moorman continued her scoring prowess this season with nine goals to go with two assists. She has 26 goals and 10 assists over three seasons. She finished right behind Thomason in goals and points (20). Her 20 points were tied for fourth most in the SoCon. Moorman enters the SoCon Tournament on a bit of a hot streak with three goals over her last two games.
Freshman defender Maggie Rollins earned a starting spot on Mercer's back line and played nothing like a freshman defender on her way to earning a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman Team. Rollins led all players on the team in minutes played at 1,561 minutes over 18 games or 86.7 minutes per game which also ranks third in the conference among all players in minutes played per game. She scored her first career goal in the win over Berry back in August.
2024 Women's Soccer All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Larkin Thomason, So., F, Mercer
Defensive Player of the Year – Ava Robitaille, Jr., M, Western Carolina
Coach of the Year – Chad Miller, Western Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Merle Greulich, F, UNCG
First Team
F - Larkin Thomason, Mercer
F – Isabella DeMarco, Western Carolina
F – Milla Syska, Western Carolina
M – Nieva Gaither, Furman
M – Whitaker Buchanan, Samford
M – Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
M – Ava Robitaille, Western Carolina
D – Miya Poplin, Furman
D – Ella Simpson, Samford
D – Becca Campbell, Western Carolina
GK – Leanne Trudel, Western Carolina
Second Team
F – Tara Katz, Furman
F – Jada Moorman, Mercer
F – Layton Glisson, Samford
F – Caroline Richvalsky, Chattanooga
M – Kendall Cook, Mercer
M – Sara Engels, Mercer
M – Rachel Poplin, UNCG
D – Madi Hook, ETSU
D – Lena Dykes, Mercer
D – Brenna Swiger, Chattanooga
GK – Ashton Blair, ETSU
All-Freshman Team
Charlotte Seay, The Citadel
Jada Cooper, ETSU
Reese DeJong, Furman
Sarah Sexton, Furman
Maggie Rollins, Mercer
Merle Greulich, UNCG
Alex Parr, Samford
EG Dillard, Chattanooga
Sophia Mize, Chattanooga
Malia Roberts, Western Carolina
Kate Markey, Wofford
Players Mentioned
F/M
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
F
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