Sage garners four Empire 8 Women's Soccer All-Stars

Sage garners four Empire 8 Women's Soccer All-Stars

Hilton, NY — The Sage Colleges' women's soccer team had four players saluted with the release of the 2019 Empire 8 Women's Soccer All-Conference Teams.

Sage's forward Natalie Ricci (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) earned a selection to the First Team after leading the Gators with her 25 points on 10 goals with five assists. She had two game-winning goals along the way and was also two citations as the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week. Along the way in 2019, Ricci added a number of impressive single-game performances. Her 3 goals in the Gators' contest with Alfred ranks tied for second at Sage in single-game records, while her 3 assists against Elmira ranks second as well. She finished with 7 points against Elmira this fall, which is tied for third best in single-game scoring marks.

Sage's sophomore midfielder Angela Gonzalez (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) was placed on the Honorable Mention Team with senior tri-captain Maegan Villa (Marlboro, NY/Washingtonville).  Gonzalez started 17 of 18 matches played and collected six points on two goals with a pair of assists. She added one game-winning goal for the Gators in 2019. Villa also started 17 of matches in 2019 and also had six points on two goals and two assists with a game-winning goal.

A senior on the team, Villa is a four-year letterwinner and closes her career ranked 10th with her 12 career assists. Along the way, Villa played in 73 career games, which is second all-time to Joleen Marfone's (2015-2018) 74 appearances. Villa started 67 games, which is tied for third most, while adding 32 career points on 10 goals with 12 assists and had four game-winning goals.

Sage's rookie goalie Kallan Shertzer (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) earned a selection to the Empire 8 Women's Soccer Sportswoman Team. A one-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week honoree this past fall, she wrapped her first collegiate campaign with a 7-11 record with 142 saves and a .840 saves percentage. She added five shutouts with a 1.48 goals against average along the way.  Her single-game saves included a pair of 14 saves against Keene State and Cortland State, which ranks tied for 8th in single-game efforts. She added two 13 save games as well and is tied for 11th in single-game records at Sage.