Illini Soccer Hosts 2018 Season Celebration
February 26, 2019 | Soccer
Fighting Illini Soccer hosted its 2018 Postseason Banquet over the weekend, looking back on the year, honoring the senior class and announcing postseason team awards.
The Illini bid farewell to the senior class, including Katie Murray, Morgan Maroney, Lauren Ciesla, Caroline Ratz, Sarah Warren and Patricia George.
Illinois also awarded several players at the end of the season. Junior goalkeeper Jaelyn Cunningham was named the teams MVP for the second consecutive season. She played in all 20 of the team's games and tallied 71 saves on the year while shutting out six opponents.
Senior Katie Murray was named the season's Offensive MVP. Murray led the Illini with eight goals, four assists and 21 shots on goal this season, and she will be continuing her soccer career in Finland beginning in March. Junior Alicia Barker earned Defensive MVP honors for the second season in a row, as she anchored the Illini defense throughout the season, starting in all 20 games.
Sophomore Maggie Hillman earned the team's Most Improved award at the banquet. She appeared in all 20 of Illinois's matches on the year, and earned 12 starts. Hillman tallied three assists and helped Illinois to a 3-1 victory with a goal against Purdue.
Junior Lexi Carrier was awarded the annual Jeremy L. Daly Award, an honor given to the player who exhibits outstanding character and commitment to excellence . It is selected by the coaches and is awarded to the individual who exemplifies excellence as a player, teammate and student-athlete at the University of Illinois. Developed by the program's first head coach, Jill Ellis, the award honors a young man who was an inspiration to those who knew him and a constant source of happiness to those who loved him. Despite being born with a rare disease, Jeremy embraced life; he was never without a big grin on his face and was always quick to offer a hug. He loved all sports and was an excellent swimmer and diligent student. Jeremy and his family were close friends of Ellis, who was the women's soccer head coach at Illinois in 1997 and '98.
Seniors Morgan Maroney and Murray tied for this year's C.H.A.M.P. award. Both were key contributors for the Illinois' squad this season, combining for 10 of the team's 34 goals. Both earned the start in all 20 of Illinois' matches.
In its third season, Illinois awarded the inaugural Laura Redmond Ramirez Legacy and Inspiration Award to alumni, Kristyn Hidden Miller. Created in honor of alumni Laura Redmond Ramirez, the award will be given annually to an Illini player who exhibits the traits that Redmond developed and demonstrated during her time at Illinois, courage, resiliency and fortitude, and the traits that she continues to exhibit during her battle with Leukemia. Award winners are nominated and voted on by current and former Illini, with representatives spanning from 1997 to the present.
Kelly Maday was chosen as the recipient of the Laura Redmond Ramirez Memorial Scholarship, an honor in its second season with the program. Also created in Redmond Ramirez' honor, the fund is dedicated to providing assistance with scholarship, educational, and student-athlete welfare costs for members of the University of Illinois soccer team. Each year, the Illini soccer program will designate a current soccer student-athlete as the Laura Redmond Ramirez Memorial Scholarship Fund recipient. The selected student-athlete will be one who best represents the legacy left by Laura Redmond Ramirez, one of courage, discipline and dedication, combined with an incredible sense of caring for those around her.
Illinois also presented the United Soccer Coaches (NSCAA) Team Academic Award, which the program earned with a combined grade point average of 3.44. The recognition is given annually to teams across the country for exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2017-18 academic year. Teams must have a minimum composite GPA of 3.0. Illinois has earned the Team Academic Award for 18 consecutive years.
2018 Soccer Banquet Award Recipients
Team MVP: Jaelyn Cunningham
Offensive MVP: Katie Murray
Defensive MVP: Alicia Barker
Most Improved: Maggie Hillman
CHAMP Award: Katie Murray & Morgan Maroney
Jeremy L. Daly Award: Lexi Carrier
Laura Redmond Ramirez Legacy and Inspiration Award: Kristyn Hidden Miller
Laura Redmond Ramirez Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Kelly Maday
