Dec. 5, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky women’s soccer standout Arin Gilliland was named a 2014 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) second-team All-American on Friday afternoon, becoming the first player in UK women’s soccer history to achieve that honor. Gilliland also becomes the first player in UK program history to win All-American status three times, as she was named All-America each of her final three seasons in Lexington.
Gilliland joins program greats Allison Peppers (1999, third team) and Anne Ogundele (2006, third team) as the three players in program history to achieve All-America status.
In her illustrious four-year career, Gilliland played over 7,000 minutes on the field, scored 30 goals, and charted 25 assists for 85 career points. Gilliland set new UK records with 278 shots, with 81 of them coming on goal, and a new UK-record eight career game-winning goals.
She served as a captain on the two most successful seasons in program history, as the Wildcats went 31-13-2 in her final two years in charge of the team, helping lead UK to four-straight NCAA Tournaments, four-straight hosting bids, two wins over top-10 teams, the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance, six wins over teams in the top 25, and a 17-3-2 (.818) record when playing at home.
No other player in UK women’s soccer history has ever made more than two all-region teams in their careers before Gilliland earned that honor each year during her four-year stay in Lexington from 2011-14. The Lexington native who was also the 2014 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year and four-time All-SEC honoree, scored seven goals and had eight assists this season, for 22 points as an outside back.
Gilliland also leaves Lexington with a full trophy case, as she was named All-SEC four times, SEC All-Tournament Team in 2014, the Honda Inspiration Award winner in 2014, seven-time SEC Player of the Week, two-time team captain, two-time MAC Hermann Award finalist, and much more.
Gilliland has spent time on the United States U23 Women’s National Team, and is soon to get looks to the full team. She is projected right now to be a top-five pick in January’s National Women’s Soccer League College Draft, where she will start her professional soccer career in the spring with a club.
The 2015 NWSL college draft will take place on Jan. 16, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. ET at the Philadelphia Convention in Philadelphia, Pa. The Houston Dash carry the top pick in the draft, followed by Sky Blue FC and the Western New York Flash (2). Rounding out the top five picks will be the Chicago Red Stars.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
