Dec. 18, 2007

Four members of the Illinois soccer team garnered postseason honors for their outstanding individual efforts during the 2007 season. Senior forward Ella Masar, senior defender Mary Therese McDonnell and junior defender Emily Zurrer each earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Region honors. In addition, Masar and Zurrer, along with freshman defender Danielle Kot, were named to TopDrawerSoccer's teams of the season.

For Masar and Zurrer, it marks back-to-back seasons that the pair received recognition from both organizations. Each earned second team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region and second team TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Season accolades this year. In 2006, both were named NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region first team and also garnered All-America honors from the NSCAA and TopDrawerSoccer. Masar, a product of Urbana, Ill., led the team this season with 27 points and a career-high 12 goals. Zurrer, a Vancouver, B.C. native, was a force at center back for the Illini, playing all but two minutes of the season and tallying a career-high four goals.

McDonnell earned her first NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region honor as she was named to the third team. The Orland Park, Ill., native started all but one match for the Illini and was a crucial part of a back line that produced 12 shutouts this season. The senior defender notched one goal and two assists this season.

Kot received her second postseason award, earning a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer All-Rookie first team. Earlier this year, the Brookfield, Wis., native received Big Ten All-Freshman honors after starting all but one match on the back line and producing one goal and three assists for the Illini.

Along with the individual awards, the team earned the NSCAA Academic Award for posting a GPA above 3.0. The 2007 squad maintained a 3.09 GPA. -ILLINI-