WSOC: Galton Wins Second Straight CAA Player Of The Year Award

By: By Brian Bohl

Leah Galton won the CAA Player of the Year award for a second straight season

Women's Soccer | 11/5/2014 8:04:00 PM

Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra junior forward Leah Galton won her second straight Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year award, the league announced tonight.

Galton, who was the 2013 Player of the Year and the 2014 Preseason Player of the Year, earned the conference's top individual honor again in a vote by the league's head coaches.

Two of the three forward spots on the All-CAA First Team went to Hofstra players with Galton and senior Sam Scolarici earning the nod. Junior midfielder Jeannine Molleda was also tabbed to the first team while fellow junior midfielder Chloe Dale garnered third-team and All-CAA Academic Team-honors. Freshman defender Rhian Cleverly was selected the All-Rookie Team.

Northeastern, the CAA regular-season champion, swept the other top women's soccer honors as senior defender Bianca Calderone was named Defender of the Year, freshman midfielder Hannah Lopiccolo was chosen as Rookie of the Year and Tracey Leone was selected as the Coach of the Year.

Galton becomes just the fifth player in CAA history to earn multiple Player of the Year honors. The junior leads the CAA and ranks ninth in Division I with a career-high 16 goals and she also tops the conference with 36 points, which ranks 13th nationally. The Harrogate, England native is coming off back-to-back hat tricks and has compiled nine goals and two assists over the last five games.

It is the third major award for Galton in as many seasons after she was named the 2012 CAA Rookie of the Year and the Player of the Year in each of the last seasons. She already has registered 90 career points, which trails only Scolarici for the program's top mark.

Scolarici was a first-team pick for a second consecutive season. After leading the league in goals in 2013, Scolarici's 15 goals was tied for 14th in Division I entering Nov. 3. The Aldie, Virginia native has 33 points in 19 games and four game-winning goals.

Molleda (Clifton, VA) picked up her first first-team award after starting all 19 games and notching two goals and four assists while contributing to a Hofstra defense that shut out five opponents. Dale (Birmingham, England) started all 19 games and compiled three assists.

Cleverly (Newport, Wales) was Hofstra's lone selection to the rookie team. After stepping in for the injured freshman Kristin Desmond, Cleverly has been an impact player at full back in helping Hofstra post a plus-21 goal differential (49-28).

The third-seeded Pride (12-6-1) will face the second-seeded James Madison Dukes in the CAA Tournament semifinals on Friday at 3 p.m. at Northeastern's Parsons Field.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Kristin Desmond: F/D; 5' 3"; Freshman

#3 Rhian Cleverly: D/M; 5' 5"; Freshman

#21 Leah Galton: F; 5' 7"; Junior

#8 Chloe Dale: M; 5' 6"; Junior

#13 Jeannine Molleda: F/M; 5' 2"; Junior

#19 Sam Scolarici: F/M; 5' 3"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#10 Kristin Desmond
: 5' 3"; Freshman
: F/D

#3 Rhian Cleverly
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: D/M

#21 Leah Galton
: 5' 7"; Junior
: F

#8 Chloe Dale
: 5' 6"; Junior
: M

#13 Jeannine Molleda
: 5' 2"; Junior
: F/M

#19 Sam Scolarici
: 5' 3"; Senior
: F/M