Barker, Murray Earn Scholar All-Region Honors
December 10, 2018 | Soccer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fighting Illini senior Katie Murray and junior Alicia Barker were honored by the United Soccer Coaches Association on Monday, as the organization announced its 2018 Scholar All-Region Teams. Murray and Barker were named to the Scholar All-America North/Central Region Second Team. The recognition honors standout student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.
Studying Kinesiology, Murray led Illinois in goals and points this season, netting eight goals on the year while racking up 20 points. A staple in the Illinois midfield, Murray also added four assists on the year. She scored two game-winning goals during the season, helping Illinois to a 1-0 victory over Michigan State and a 3-1 win over Purdue. Murray was a standout in Illinois' 8-0 victory over Northern Illinois, as she tallied six points by carding two goals and two assists, and also posted the assist on the game-tying goal in Illinois' Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match at Wisconsin. Murray fired 35 shots on the year and put 21 of those on goal.
Barker is majoring in Bioengineering, and also stands out as an anchor on the Illini defense. Barker earned the start in all 20 of Illinois' games on the year and played the full time in 18 matches. A native of Woodinville, Washington, Barker remains a calm but strong presence on Illinois' back line. She helped Illinois to seven shutouts on the year and an 11-8-1 record overall.
To earn United Soccer Coaches Scholar honors, student-athletes must have at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA throughout their career, be a junior or above in academic standing, start more than 50 percent of all games and be a significant contributor to the team.
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