Golden Knights get honored in California
In what is likely her last appearance representing the College of Saint Rose, which is closing in May, NCAA Division II Player of the Year and Scholar Player of the Year Mia Klammer was among those honored Saturday during the United Soccer Coaches AllAmerica ceremony in Anaheim, Calif. Klammer attended the ceremony, along with teammates Pia Bozic (Scholar All-America Second Team), Elina Seppala (All-America Second Team) and Sanna Rein (All-America Third Team).
Klammer, a junior forward and three-time AllAmerica, led the nation in points (53) and tied for first in assists (17). She tied for fifth in goals (18) and was named Division II Conference Commissioners Association East Region Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year. A childhood and special education major, Klammer also excelled in the classroom as evidenced by her career 3.47 grade-point average.
Bozic, a junior goalkeeper and psychology major, who was recognized for her academic achievements (3.54 GPA), also ranked 20th in DII with a 0.575 goals-against average this season.
Seppala, a graduate midfielder, was second in the NE-10 in points (29), tied for third in goals (9) and second in assists (11), while connecting on all six penalty tries for Saint Rose this season. Graduate defender Rein finished the season with two goals and five assists and anchored the Golden Knights’ defense, which produced a 0.54 overall goals-against average that tied them for 11th among DII teams. Klammer and her teammates’ efforts on the field this past fall helped the Golden Knights achieve the No. 1 ranking in Division II and a 20-0-2 record. And despite losing to Adelphi in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in a penalty shootout on Dec. 1, the 2023 Golden Knights will go down as the only team in program history to record 20 wins and no losses in a season.
Considering the school’s pending closure at the end of the academic year, it is unclear what lies ahead for juniors Bozic and Klammer, though the latter has indicated that she is looking to transfer to another school before the spring semester begins next week.
Golden Knights’ coach Laurie Darling Gutheil and assistant coaches Meeghan Arno, Kailey Egbert, Morgan Farnan and Jason Gutheil were presented with the award for being named the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer East Region Coaching Staff of the Year at a separate ceremony on Thursday in Anaheim.
The Saint Rose coaches were also featured on the United Soccer Coaches’ weekly podcast that will air on Thursday and is available on most streaming platforms.
The awards ceremony was the culmination of the annual United Soccer Coaches’ five-day convention, billed as the largest gathering of soccer coaches, administrators and partners in the world.
ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria — Sofia Goggia was a
ADELAIDE, Australia — Seventh-seeded Jiri Lehecka beat unseeded
American defender Donovan Pines has joined Barnsley of England’s third-tier League One, leaving Major League Soccer’s D.C. United after four seasons.