Nov. 5, 2013
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three University of Iowa soccer student-athletes — Cloe Lacasse, Melanie Pickert and Amanda Lulek — have earned All-Big Ten recognition for the 2013 season, the Big Ten office announced Tuesday. Lacasse and Pickert were named second team All-Big Ten, while Lulek was tabbed as an All-Freshman Team honoree.
“These are great individual awards for Cloe, Melanie, and Amanda,” said UI head coach Ron Rainey. “They are a reflection of how the team performed this season.”
Lacasse earned her first career All-Big Ten honor after leading the Hawkeyes in goals (six), assists (seven) and points (19) as a junior. The forward scored game-winning goals in three contests, including the triumphs over No. 16 Penn State and Purdue in the regular-season finale. Lacasse was an All-Freshman team selection in 2011.
Pickert garnered her first All-Big Ten nod as a defender after scoring five goals (two game-winners) and tallying four assists in 2013. The Canton, Mich., started every game for the Hawkeyes as a junior, where she was a key member of an Iowa defense that posted eight shutouts and surrendered just 10.2 shots per game.
Lacasse and Pickert are the sixth and seventh Iowa players all-time to earn second team All-Big Ten recognition. The pair are Iowa’s first All-Big Ten honorees since 2011 (Morgan Showalter).
Lulek was named to the All-Freshman team after playing in all 19 games with 16 starts. The defender began the season as a reserve before being inserted into the starting lineup Sept. 1 at Pacific. She has played 1,634 minutes for a Hawkeye defense that has registered eight shutouts. Lulek was credited with her lone assist at Illinois on Sept. 27.
The Geneva, Ill., native is the eighth player in program history and the first since 2011 to receive All-Freshman team honors. Lacasse and junior Caitlin Brown earned the recognition that season.
Senior midfielder Alex Melin was Iowa soccer’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. The distinction is presented to student-athletes who display sportsmanship and ethical behavior, are in good academic standing and demonstrate good citizenship outside of athletics.
The Hawkeyes tied a school record with 13 victories in 2013 and finished in a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten standings with a 5-5-1 mark. The finish is the third top-five showing in program history.
Iowa opens Big Ten Tournament play Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. (CT) against second-seeded Michigan. The game will be held at the Illinois Soccer Stadium in Champaign, Ill., and will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network.