SEWARD, Neb. – A program record three Bulldogs made their way onto the United Soccer Coaches NAIA Women’s Soccer All-Plains Region Teams, as announced by the soccer coaches’ association on Tuesday (Dec. 5). This year’s honorees from the outright GPAC regular-season champion Concordia University women’s soccer team are freshmen defender Chelsea Bright, sophomore goalkeeper Lindsey Carley and junior midfielder Maria Deeter. All three were placed on the all-region first team.
Voted the team MVP three years running (2015 through 2017), Deeter has been named an all-region selection in each of her first three collegiate seasons. She was also a finalist for the GPAC Offensive Player of the Year honor this fall and made her second-straight appearance on the GPAC’s first team after collecting second team recognition as a freshman in 2015. This season the Seward native set career highs for goals (10) and assists (10) while starting all 21 games. Over 63 career games played, Deeter has totaled 23 goals and 21 assists.
Carley nets all-region accolades for the first time on the heels of becoming the second player in program history to earn a conference player of the year award (the first was Jennifer Davis in 2003). It’s been a remarkable defensive run for Carley and the Bulldogs. A three-time GPAC player of the week this season, Carley starred for a squad that allowed just one goal during the entire 10-game GPAC regular season run. A native of Urbandale, Iowa, Carley ranked ninth nationally in goals against average (0.490). While starting 17 games and playing nearly 1,500 minutes, Carley posted a .909 save percentage (80 saves) and was credited with seven shutouts.
Bright, who hails from Van Meter, Iowa, quickly acquitted herself in her first season as a collegiate player. Bright served as another major reason why GPAC opponents struggled mightily to score on Concordia. Bright started all 21 games at center back, alongside senior Leah Shohat. As a team, the Bulldogs ranked 15th nationally in terms of fewest goals allowed per game (0.67).
Bright, Carley and Deeter were three of the eight members of the team to collect all-conference accolades after leading the Bulldogs to a 15-2-4 overall record as part of the conference championship run. Greg Henson earned GPAC Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.