Former Hofstra Women's Soccer Coach JoAnne Russell (pictured) was named the Big Apple Soccer Person of the Year and sophomore defender Sue Weber (Islip, NY/Islip High School) was named the Female Player of the Year, it was announced this evening at the Big Apple Soccer Awards Banquet at Nathan Hale's Restaurant in New York City.
Russell retired at the conclusion of the 2005 season, which saw the Pride win the Colonial Athletic Association championship and advance to its first-ever NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament. Russell was the only coach that the program has ever had, starting it from scratch in 1993 after previously coaching the club team for one season in 1992. She retired with a career record of 138-88-18 at the varsity level, and 150-91-18 including her one club season.
This year's team finished with an overall record of 14-4-3 and an 8-1-2 mark in the CAA, good for second place in the regular season standings. Russell announced her retirement during the final week of the regular season, and the Pride went on to defeat top-seeded Virginia Commonwealth 1-0 in the CAA championship game. It was the seventh year in a row that Hofstra had reached the semifinals of its conference tournament under Russell, including all four in the Colonial Athletic Association and its final three in the America East.
Weber, meanwhile, was one of the key elements in producing the Pride's championship run. She was a last-minute transfer from Georgia, where she played last season and earned a spot on the Southeast Conference All-Freshman team. Weber transferred to Hofstra in August, one week into the start of preseason camp, and had an immediate impact. She started every game for the Pride in the central defense, playing every minute of every game. She became the first player in Hofstra Women's Soccer history to earn All-America honors, when she was chosen to the third team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), who of only nine defenders in the entire country (out of over 300 schools) to earn that distinction.
In addition to earning All-America honors from the NSCAA, Weber was also named a third-team All-American by Soccer Buzz Magazine and was chosen the Defender of the Year in the CAA. She was also the Most Outstanding Player in the CAA Tournament and was selected the Newsday Female Athlete of the Year. Weber was a key part of a defense that allowed only three goals in 11 conference games, while tying a school record with 11 shutouts on the year.
Weber will return for her junior season next year under Simon Riddiough, who will become the second Head Coach in Hofstra Women's Soccer history. Riddiough has spent the last 10 seasons as an assistant under Russell, including the last four as Associate Head Coach.
