Click here to view the NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-American Teams
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Junior goalkeeper Bianca Henninger added yet another accolade to her lengthy list of accomplishments on Friday, earning NSCAA/Performance Subaru First-Team All-American honors. The NSCAA All-American teams are selected by member coaches of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Henninger becomes Santa Clara's 25th overall all-American with her selection and the first Bronco NSCAA first-team pick since Leslie Osborne in 2004.
Her all-American selection solidifies an already impressive athletic resume. The Los Gatos, Calif.-native was awarded the prestigious adidas Golden Glove prior to the 2010 collegiate season in August at the conclusion of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany, honoring her as the best goalkeeper in the tournament. Henninger played for the United States, who was defeated in the quarterfinals by Nigeria in a penalty-kick shootout on July 25.
Her Golden Glove award was even more impressive because rarely does a goalkeeper who doesn't at least make the semifinals win the award, attesting to the impact she had for the U.S. side throughout the tournament. Henninger posted two shutouts and 27 saves in four games, including 14 saves against Nigeria.
The netminder followed up her outstanding 2009 sophomore season, her first as the full-time starter for SCU, with an equally-impressive junior season in 2010 for the Broncos. She was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Year - Second Team and made good on her WCC Preseason All-Conference team selection by being an All-WCC First Team selection at the end of the season. Henninger led the WCC in overall saves (90) and save percentage (.865) and was the conference-only leader in saves (20) and co-leader in shutouts (3). She finished the season with a 13-6-2 record, a WCC second-best eight shutouts, and a 0.67 goals-against-average.
Henninger was a critical component of the Santa Clara defense and single-handedly kept the Broncos in several games, including a 12-save performance against Long Beach State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that tied a Santa Clara NCAA record set by Sue Wall at North Carolina in 1992. She was also included on the all-tournament teams at the Notre Dame and Santa Clara tournaments.
Henninger was named to the 2010 MAC Hermann Award trophy watch list, given annually to the best collegiate women's soccer player, and is still eligible to be named a semifinalist for the award. She was also nominated for the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year, which currently can be voted on by fans at http://www.ussoccer.com/Best-of-Awards/2010-Athlete-of-the-Year/Young-Female-AOY.aspx.
Along with excelling on the field, Henninger posted a 3.65 GPA in accounting through her first two years at Santa Clara and earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team honors.
