All-ACC Women’s Soccer Teams and awards announced for 2022 season

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Duke sophomore forward Michelle Cooper and Notre Dame junior defender Eva Gaetino have been voted the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, by the conference’s head coaches.

Fighting Irish sophomore Korbin Albert was voted Midfielder of the Year, while Florida State junior Cristina Roque was tabbed Goalkeeper of the Year. Duke forward Kat Rader was named Freshman of the Year and Notre Dame’s Nate Norman was voted Coach of the Year.

Cooper is the first Blue Devil to claim Offensive Player of the Year honors since Imani Dorsey in 2017. She is the third Duke player to receive the honor since the award was created in 2004. The Clarkston, Michigan, native leads the ACC with 13 goals and ranks second with 10 assists. Against conference opponents, the striker has scored seven times and handed out six assists, which slot her second in both categories. She scored four goals and recorded three assists in her last three games, including a key tally in Duke’s first-round ACC Championship win over Virginia last Sunday. Cooper was named Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

Gaetino is the first Notre Dame player to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Dexter, Michigan, native leads a defense that ranks second in the ACC and 19th nationally in goals-against average at .604. Gaetino and the Irish have posted 10 shutouts this season, including seven against conference opponents. Gaetino’s defensive efforts have also limited opponents to just 8.89 shots on goal per contest, which leads the ACC and ranks 10th in the nation.

Albert becomes the first Notre Dame player to claim the Midfielder of the Year award since the honor was introduced in 2014. The Grayslake, Illinois, native is one of five players in the ACC with double-figure goals with 10 on the season. With her four assists on the year, Albert currently ranks fifth in the conference with 24 points and 1.41 points per game. She is a perfect 2-for-2 from the penalty spot this year, and she was named Offensive Player of the Week in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Roque is the first-ever ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, as she totaled 36 saves and seven victories between the posts this season. The Winter Garden, Florida, native leads the conference and ranks 40th nationally with a .837 save percentage. The goalkeeper totaled four shutouts this season, headlined by a 10-save effort in a key conference victory at Virginia on Oct. 6. With that effort, Roque was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 11.

Rader becomes Duke’s second-straight Freshman of the Year after Cooper earned the honor a season ago. The Stuart, Florida, native leads all freshmen and ranks second in the ACC with 11 goals this season, including seven against ACC opponents. She recorded two multi-goal games headlined by a two-goal effort in a 2-1 win over Wake Forest on Oct. 6.

Norman becomes Notre Dame’s first ACC Coach of the Year, as he led the Irish to a 14-2-2 overall record and a 7-2-1 conference mark this season. Notre Dame has reached as high as No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and played the eighth-toughest schedule in the country. On the defensive end, the Irish have posted 10 shutouts, headlined by seven against ACC foes, while on the offensive side, Notre Dame leads the conference and ranks 10th nationally in shots on goal at 8.89. After Sunday, Notre Dame advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Championship for the first time since 2016.

The league also announced the 2022 all-conference teams on Wednesday, which are listed below. The all-conference teams are voted on by the head coaches.

The ACC Women’s Soccer Championship continues Thursday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Fifth-seeded Duke takes on top-seeded North Carolina at 5:30 p.m., while third-seeded Notre Dame meets second-seeded Florida State at 8 p.m. Earlier this week, the Blue Devils edged Virginia, 2-1, while the Fighting Irish advanced in penalty kicks against Pitt, 1-1 (5-4). Both semifinal matchups will air live on ACC Network.

Thursday’s winners will square off on Sunday, Nov. 6 at noon in the final on ESPNU.

2022 All-ACC Women’s Soccer Honors

Offensive Player of the Year: Michelle Cooper, So., F, Duke
Defensive Player of the Year: Eva Gaetino, Jr., D, Notre Dame
Midfielder of the Year: Korbin Albert, So., M, Notre Dame
Goalkeeper of the Year: Cristina Roque, Jr., GK, Florida State
Freshman of the Year: Kat Rader, Fr., F, Duke
Coach of the Year: Nate Norman, Notre Dame

First Team All-ACC
Michelle Cooper, So., F, Duke
Olivia Wingate, Grad., F, Notre Dame
Korbin Albert, So., M, Notre Dame
Jenna Nighswonger, Sr., M, Florida State
Lia Godfrey, Jr., M, Virginia
Jody Brown, Jr., F, Florida State
Sam Meza, Jr., M, North Carolina
Ally Sentnor, R-Fr., F, North Carolina
Cristina Roque, Jr., GK, Florida State
Eva Gaetino, Jr., D, Notre Dame
Tori Hansen, Sr., D, North Carolina

Second Team All-ACC
Haley Hopkins, Grad., F, Virginia
Hal Hershfelt, Sr., M, Clemson
Clara Robbins, Grad., M, Florida State
Onyi Echegini, Sr., M, Florida State
Avery Patterson, Jr., F, North Carolina
Sophie Jones, Sr., M, Duke
Leilanni Nesbeth, Sr., M, Florida State
Megan Bornkamp, Jr., D, Clemson
Kat Rader, Fr., F, Duke
Delaney Graham, Grad., D, Duke
Ruthie Jones, Sr., GK, Duke

Third Team All-ACC
Maggie Cagle, Fr., F, Virginia
Jameese Joseph, Sr., F, NC State
Alexa Spaanstra, Sr., F, Virginia
Heather Payne, Sr., D, Florida State
Landy Mertz, Sr., F, Pitt
Maddie Mercado, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Maliah Morris, Sr., F, Clemson
Taylor Price, Fr., F, Virginia Tech
Tesa Dellarose, Fr., D, North Carolina
Mackenzie Wood, Grad., GK, Notre Dame
Beata Olsson, Jr., F, Florida State (tie)
Caroline Conti, Sr., M, Clemson (tie)

All-Freshman Team
Kat Rader, F, Duke
Maggie Cagle, F, Virginia
Tessa Dellarose, D, North Carolina
Leah Klenke, D, Notre Dame
Taylor Price, F, Virginia Tech
Heather Gilchrist, D, Florida State
Maddie Dahlien, F, North Carolina
Caiya Hanks, M, Wake Forest
Jill Flammia, M, Virginia
Shea Vanderbosch, GK, Syracuse
Katie Zailski, D, Pitt