Becca Mackenzie '09 has been named the Grinnell College women's soccer team's most valuable player for the 2008 campaign.

Miki Nakamura '10 and Kelly Brouse '09 were named the team's most valuable attacker and most valuable defender, respectively. Other awards went to Kirsten Louthan '12 (most improved player within the season), Maia Olsen '11 (most improved player from last season) and Cynthia Dominguez '12 (rookie of the year).

Nakamura, Ellie Deal '11 and Lara Meyer '11 were named team captains for next season.

A total of 361 teams earned the award, 259 women's squads and 102 on the men's side. Squads must have a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher to be honored. Grinnell's women ranked 28th among all teams, while the Pioneer men were 32nd.

The Grinnell women are coached by Heather Benning and the men by Brian Jaworski.
See national academic teams

For the third season in a row, Grinnell College women's soccer players Becca Mackenzie '09 and Miki Nakamura '10 have been named to the All-Midwest Conference first team.

Mackenzie (upper left0, a defensive midfielder, is an all-conference pick for the fourth time in her career after earning second-team honors in her first year. She had seven goals and an assist in 2008. Nakamura (upper right), a forward, led the league with 22 goals and 52 points while also coming up with eight assists.

Two other Pioneers, forward Kim Durinick '09 (lower left) and defender Ellie Deal '11 (lower right), were second-team selections. Durinick finished the year with 10 goals, fifth best in the MWC, and six assists, while Deal had an assist.

Jessica Schadrie of St. Norbert College was the MWC Offensive Player of the Year, while Dani Myszewski of Carroll University was Defensive Player of the Year. Jason Bretzmann of Carroll was named Coach of the Year.
2008 All-Midwest Conference Women's Soccer Teams

A goal by Rachelle Barina in the late stages of the game sent St. Norbert College to a 1-0 win over Grinnell College in the Midwest Conference Women's Soccer Tournament semifinals Friday afternoon in De Pere, Wis.

Grinnell, the fourth seed in the tourney, fell to 14-5 on the season while the top-seeded Green Knights moved to 12-6-1 and will play Carroll University in Saturday's championship contest. That winner earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Friday's first half was scoreless, as was most of the second, before Barina hit the eventual game-winner in the 85th minute. St. Norbert outshot Grinnell 12-3, with the Pioneers' shots coming from Miki Nakamura '10 - who had two - and Kirsten Louthan '12. Grinnell keeper Laura McElroy '11 had two saves on the day.
Box Score

The Grinnell College women’s soccer team finished off regular-season play Saturday afternoon by stopping Knox College 5-0 in Galesburg, Ill.

The Pioneers finish the MWC slate at 7-2 and will be the third or fourth seed in next weekend’s league tournament. Grinnell is 14-4 overall.

The Pioneers led 4-0 at halftime. Kim Durinick ’09 scored in the first minute off an assist by Sydney Stoker ’09, Katherine Ni ’09 got a goal in the 19th minute on Lara Meyer’s 11 assist, Kelly Brouse ’09 scored in the 26th minute on a penalty kick and Frances Leslie ’10 got a goal in the 37th minute. Miki Nakamura ’10 added a goal in the 46th minute off Stoker’s assist to complete the scoring. Nakamura now has 22 goals on the season.

Grinnell outshot the hosts 30-1, with Ni and Durinick getting five shots apiece, Stoker taking four and Nakamura three. Keepers Laura McElroy ’11 and Ingrid Wennerberg ’11 shared duties for Grinnell. Wennerberg had a save.

The MWC Tournament is at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., and the Pioneers will play either the hosts or Carroll University in Friday’s semifinals.
Box Score

The Grinnell College women's soccer team's defense was challenged Friday night against regionally-ranked Augustana College, but stook toe-to-toe with the Vikings for more than 100 minutes.

But in the 104th minute, the Vikings' MaryPat Holtrop broke the scoreless tie with a goal to provide the hosts with a 1-0 non-conference double-overtime victory in Rock Island, Ill. Grinnell was outshot 25-0 on the night as the hosts improved to 15-3. Grinnell dipped to 13-4.

Pioneers' keeper Laura McElroy '11 had a huge game with 11 saves. Grinnell closes out the regular season with a Midwest Conference contest against Knox College at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Galesburg, Ill. The Pioneers' season will continue the following weekend as they take part in the MWC Tournament at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis.
Box Score

Grinnell College defender Becca Mackenzie '09 added another big honor to her resume as she has been named to the College Division District 7 Academic All-District women's soccer first team.

The award is presented by ESPN the Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America. By being named to the first team, Mackenzie is now in contention for Academic All-America recognition.

Mackenzie, an anthropology and chemistry major from St. Paul, Minn. (Central HS), has been named All-Midwest Conference three times, including twice to the first team, and has also been tabbed as the MWC Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Central Region first-team honors.

Mackenzie, a two-year team captain, has also earned Academic All-Conference honors twice, has been named MWC Player of the Week three times during her career and recently became a finalist for the Watson Award. She has seven goals and an assist this season while helping the Pioneer defense to a stifling 0.94 goals against average.
Click here to see Academic All-District Women's Teams