Dec. 4, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three University of Kentucky women’s soccer players were honored with spots on the 2013 National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-South Region team, as Arin Gilliland was named to the first team, with Stuart Pope and Cara Ledman placed on the third team, it was announced on Tuesday night.
For Gilliland, this award marks the second-straight season that the junior has captured the honor as a first-team member, as she was also placed on the 2012 NSCAA All-South Region.
Gilliland scored a team-high 34 points in 2013, collecting 12 goals and 10 assists in the regular season, both team highs as well. Gilliland recorded two hat tricks on the season in conference play, scoring three times in Kentucky’s 4-1 win over Tennessee, and also collecting three goals in the Wildcats’ 4-2 win at Alabama later in the month of October.
With double-digit goals and assists, the Lexington, Ky., native joined 2011 graduate Kelsey Hunyadi as the only player in program history to accomplish that. A MAC Hermann Award finalist, Gilliland also had the game-winning goal in the NCAA Tournament first round match against Ohio State in Lexington.
For Pope and Ledman, this marks the first NSCAA honor for both players.
Ledman, a second team All-Southeastern Conference member, earned her first-career NSCAA honor by being placed on the third team. Ledman played and started in all but one game as a left back for the Wildcats, scoring seven points on two goals and three assists throughout the season.
The Brentwood, Tenn., native played over 1,700 minutes during the regular season, trailing only freshman Kaitlin Miller in that category. Ledman, a converted forward, tallied 16 shots and took a handful of corner kicks on the year for UK.
A 2013 CoSIDA Academic All-American, Pope was named to the third team, becoming Kentucky’s first midfielder to be placed on an All-SEC team since Kelsey Hunyadi in 2011. Pope led the team in goals for the majority of the season, scoring 10 goals and sprinkling in seven assists in 2013. Pope scored a team-high five game-winning goals, which is tied for fourth best in the SEC. The junior started all 18 games that she appeared in and took 39 shots with 20 of them being on goal.
With three players placed on the All-South Region teams, Kentucky sets a new program best, surpassing the previous program record of two in 1999 and most recently in 2011.
For continuing coverage of UK women’s soccer, log on to UKathletics.com.
