Three Pacers Tabbed to PBC Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team

2009 PBC Women's Soccer All-Academic Team

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Peach Belt Conference office announced the 2009 PBC All-Academic Women's Soccer team on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and the team featured three USC Aiken women's soccer student-athletes.

USC Aiken's Nicole Westphal and Annie Whitley were tabbed to the first team, while Jennifer Goodwin was a fourth team selection. The trio are now two-time recipients of the award as they were also selected PBC All-Academic after the 2008 season.

The honor is the third postseason accolade for Whitley, who was also recently named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District III Women's Soccer Third Team and the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Women's Soccer All-Conference team as a second team defender.

Whitley (Neptune Beach, Fla./Duncan V. Fletcher) concluded her senior campaign in 2009 with five points on two goals and one assist. She acquired all five of her points in PBC games, scoring one goal each in USC Aiken's match with Flagler and the Pacers' win over Georgia Southwestern. Whitley had an assist in USC Aiken's win over Clayton State.

Whitley played in and started all 17 matches for the Pacers in 2009. A four-year starter, Whitley carries a 3.78 grade point average as a Biology and Chemistry major.

A three-year starter at goalkeeper for the Pacers, Westphal (Springfield, Va./Paul VI Catholic) posted a career-best four shutouts in 2009 to enter her senior season with nine shutouts in her career. The junior played in and started all 17 matches for the Pacers in 2009, making 78 saves. She had a career-low 1.56 goals against average in 2009.

In her sophomore season in 2008, Westphal secured a Peach Belt Conference-best 117 saves. She was second in the league in saves per game with an average of 5.85 shots saved per outing. 

A Communications major, Westphal currently owns a 3.82 grade point average.

A senior, Goodwin (Walterboro, S.C./Colleton County) played in and started in all 16 games in which she appeared in 2009. Goodwin finished her final season in a Pacer uniform with seven total points on two goals and three assists. Goodwin led the Pacers in total points as a sophomore (14) and junior (7).

Goodwin presently owns a 3.34 GPA as a Nursing major.

The 2009 PBC Women's Soccer All-Academic team is part of a season-long program recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of PBC student-athletes in the classroom as well as on the field. To be eligible for the All-Academic team, a student-athlete must 1) participate in at least half of his/her team's events and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and 3) completed at least one full academic year at his or her current institution. The Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Directors oversee and select the team.

Founded in 1991, the Peach Belt Conference is home to 28 NCAA Division II National Championships. 13 member institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama compete in 13 championship sports. 2009-10 members are Augusta State University, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Clayton State University, Columbus State University, Flagler College, Francis Marion University, Georgia College & State University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Lander University, University of Montevallo, North Georgia College & State University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the University of South Carolina Aiken.