BOCA RATON, Fla. – (Dec. 2, 2019) – After another historic season, the Florida Atlantic University women’s soccer team achieved further recognition on Monday, as for the first time in program history, four Owls have been awarded All-Region honors. The four FAU players bestowed the award by United Soccer Coaches also marks the most among all Conference USA squads.
Midfielder Mary O’Hara earned First Team All-South Region honors by the organization, while three players were rewarded for their efforts to the Second Team: defenders Alex Maxson and Luisa Daikeler, and forward Pernille Velta. The Owls previously have had three members twice receive this recognition, in 2005 and 2016, but never four.
“We are excited to hear that O’Hara, Velta, Maxson and Daikeler were selected to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches All-Region teams,” said head coach Patrick Baker. “The team had a remarkable year and set numerous records – having four players receive this level of recognition is really remarkable. We couldn’t be more proud of each of these young ladies and the individual seasons that they created. Our program hasn’t been built on one player and to see this many players achieve such a high standard of success makes you proud as a coach. O’Hara was brilliant in the midfield and scored so many important goals throughout the year. Velta played her best soccer during the fall and leaves as the second all-time assist leader. Maxson has started all four years at centerback and truly deserves the recognition for being the rock of our defense throughout her career. And for our German youth national team defender Luisa Daikeler to garner a spot as a freshman is pretty amazing. Great day for the girls, team, program and Florida Atlantic University.”
Here is more info on the four honorees:
Senior midfielder Mary O’Hara
O’Hara, the 2019 C-USA Midfielder of the Year, finished the season with the fourth-most goals scored among all conference players with 11, as just the seventh Owl ever to go over double digits in a single season. Her final goal also marked the 20th of her career, becoming only the 11th player to reach that plateau, while playing the most matches in program history (84) and placing fourth on the career list with seven game-winning goals. This is the second All-Region honor she has earned in as many years, as she was Third Team a season ago.
O’Hara on the honor:
“It is such an honor to be selected as First Team All-Region. This season was unforgettable and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing teammates and coaches. Every day, each player and coach gave 100% of their time and commitment to be the best and it paid off by being Conference USA regular season champions. It was an honor to be a part of the FAU women’s soccer program. I have made lifelong friends and memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
Senior forward Pernille Velta
Velta finished tied for fourth in C-USA this year with 25 points, setting career highs with both nine goals and seven assists (the point and assist totals both ninth in a single season in program history, the goals ranking her 11th). She earned the first conference honor of her career, to the league’s First Team, while seeing her name listed in multiple places on the program’s all-time ledger career-wise: second in assists (18) and matches played (82), seventh in shot attempts (122), and 10th in points (54) and matches started (74).
Velta on the honor:
“I’m so honored to receive this recognition. I want to thank my teammates and coaches for making this possible. We had a great season and I’m proud of the history we have made these past four years. I’m so thankful to have been a part of such an amazing team.”
Senior defender Alex Maxson
Maxson started all 21 matches and led the team with 1,885 minutes played during her senior season, for which she was named First Team All-C-USA. She was the Owls’ Iron Woman for the duration of her career, with 80 career appearances, 78 starts and 6,893 minutes, which rank her sixth, fifth and third, respectively, on the FAU women’s soccer program’s all-time list. Maxson also excelled off the field, becoming just the second Owl ever to earn three C-USA All-Academic honors.
Maxson on the honor:
“I am truly grateful and honored to be named Second Team All-Region. This recognition culminates an incredible season and career capped by winning our second consecutive conference championship. I appreciate all that my teammates, coaches and support staff have contributed to make this another great season for our team and university. I will graduate FAU with cherished memories and lifelong friends.”
Freshman defender Luisa Daikeler
Daikeler recovered from early-season injury to start 10 of 15 matches and 1,122 minutes while cementing one of the team’s two centerback positions. She would be rewarded as C-USA Co-Freshman of the Year, be named C-USA All-Freshman and to the All-C-USA Third Team, and also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after a weekend sweep over two tough conference foes in North Texas and Rice.
Daikeler on the honor:
“Being selected to the All-Region Second Team is more than I ever expected, and I am absolutely proud of my team and myself, for what we achieved this season. Having four players on the All-Region team is what this team deserves for an absolutely amazing season. Thanks to all my teammates and the coaching staff that made this success possible.”
Due to her First Team recognition – just the third in Owl history, after Ebba Blomqvist last year and Sidney Drinkwater in 2016 – O’Hara is now eligible to potentially earn All-American honors, which will be announced this Thursday at a banquet held in conjunction with the Women’s College Cup.
Additionally, the three seniors, among a class of 10, wrapped their careers with 50 wins and qualified for the C-USA postseason tournament all four years, with a title match appearance as freshmen and as seniors, and making it to the semifinals each of the middle two years. The returnees and newcomers will come together for the 2020 preseason next summer as two-time defending C-USA regular season champions, under Coach Baker, entering his eighth year atop the program.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
