Jan. 9, 2004
BERKELEY, Calif. - Santa Clara University women's soccer team member Leslie Osborne was named a Soccer America MVP, following last week's selection as a CSTV All-American.
A junior from Menomonee Falls, Wis., Osborne was a leader for the Broncos this past season. She was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, marking the sixth time in the last seven years that the honor has been received by a Bronco. She was also named to All-WCC first team, becoming only the 10th player in the league to earn the honor three times.
A team captain, Osborne was one of three players that started all 24 contests. She played mostly at holding midfielder, but also saw time at forward, and netted11 goals and six assists for a team-leading 28 points this past season. She earned her first career hat trick against seventh-ranked Pepperdine. Against Portland, Osborne scored in the 24th minute, becoming only the second opponent to notch a first-half goal against the Pilots, while also marking the 100th point of her career.
North Carolina's Lindsay Tarpley was named Soccer America's Player of the Year, and is one of four Tar Heels chosen as a Soccer America MVP and is joined by Catherine Reddick, Lori Chalupny and Heather O'Reilly.
Also chosen is Kristen Graczyk of Connecticut, Lindsey Huie of Portland, Penn State's Joanna Lohman, UCLA's Nandi Pryce, Aleisha Rose of BYU and Texas A&M's Kati Jo Spisak.
Patrick Baker, who guided Florida State to its first College Cup appearance, was honored by the magazine as College Women's Coach of the Year.
2003 Soccer America's Women's Soccer MVPs
LORI CHALUPNY (NORTH CAROLINA)
Sophomore midfielder from Chesterfield, Mo.
Nation's best flank sided midfielder, a U-19 world champion and burgeoning full national-teamer, contributed 11 goals and 12 assists -- with five NCAA tournament assists -- as Carolina won the Atlantic Coast Conference titles and dominated its NCAA opposition.
KRISTEN GRACZYK (CONNECTICUT)
Junior forward from Albuquerque, N.M.
Scored 20 goals -- six in the NCAA tournament, including late winners vs. Boston U. and Central Connecticut State, plus both goals in the semifinal victory over Florida State -- to lead the unfancied Huskies into the NCAA final.
LINDSEY HUIE (PORTLAND)
Sophomore midfielder from Laguna Woods, Calif.
Crafty central midfielder orchestrated the Pilots' attack, contributing 12 goals and 13 assists as a young, grieving team missing its best player -- redshirting Canadian national-teamer Christine Sinclair -- went unbeaten in regulation and finished 18-3-2.
JOANNA LOHMAN (PENN STATE)
Senior midfielder from Silver Spring, Md.
U.S. Under-21 star, the top central midfielder in college soccer, scored 19 goals -- eight of them gamewinners -- and dished off six assists to lead the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten Conference title and NCAA quarterfinals.
HEATHER O'REILLY (NORTH CAROLINA)
Freshman forward from East Brunswick, N.J.
U-19 world champion and top recruit of 2003 shook off injuries that kept her out of the Women's World Cup and scored eight of her 16 goals in the NCAA tournament -- including three in the College Cup, earning offensive MVP honors -- as the Tar Heels won their 17th NCAA crown.
Leslie Osborne (SANTA CLARA)
Junior midfielder-forward from Menomonee Falls, Wis.
College soccer's most versatile performer, another U-19 world champion and burgeoning full national-teamer, provided a target up top when injuries slowed Broncos' attack, then led their late-season surge from midfield, scoring 11 goals with six assists as Santa Clara won the West Coast Conference title and reached the NCAA quarterfinals.
NANDI PRYCE (UCLA)
Senior defender from Casselberry, Fla.
Tall central back, a U-21 standout with full national-team experience, dominated opposing defenders and contributed five assists as the Bruins won the Pacific-10 Conference championship and reached their second NCAA College Cup, dropping just two games, both to North Carolina.
CATHERINE REDDICK (NORTH CAROLINA)
Senior defender from Birmingham, Ala.
College soccer's Honda Award winner returned from a solid World Cup to score six goals with five assists in 13 games while anchoring a defense that shut out all six NCAA tournament opponents en route to the national championship.
ALEISHA ROSE (BRIGHAM YOUNG)
Senior midfielder from Lakewood, Colo.
Former U.S. national-teamer and college soccer's top holding midfielder, a 2001 MVP under her maiden name (Cramer), scored six goals and dished out 13 assists to lead the Cougars to the NCAA quarterfinals in their finest season.
KATI JO SPISAK (TEXAS A&M)
Sophomore goalkeeper from Manchester, Mo.
Big (6-foot-2) netminder made huge saves, organized a solid defense, contributed to the Aggies' attack with long kicks and punts, took North Carolina to overtime, notched nine shutouts and posted an 0.93 goals-against average to lead a Texas A&M side that had lost crucial players to a 13-6-3 record and the third round of the NCAA tournament.
LINDSAY TARPLEY (NORTH CAROLINA)
Sophomore forward-midfielder from Kalamazoo, Mich.
NCAA Division I scoring and assist leader netted hat tricks vs. Washington State, Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest and orchestrated an attack featuring O'Reilly, Chalupny, Alyssa Ramsey and Kacey White to 113 goals, 32 in the NCAA Tournament.