Women's Soccer Trio Earn NSCAA Regional Honors
Dec 05 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers women's soccer players Kim Brandao (Rahway, N.J.), Gina DeMaio (Parsippany, N.J.), and Alicia Hall (Port Republic, N.J.) were recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as Brandao was named first-team All-Mid-Atlantic, while DeMaio and Hall were named to the second and third teams, respectively.
Brandao, one of the Scarlet Knights' senior captains in 2006, earned all-regional honors for the second time in her career, having been named to the third-team during the 2003 campaign. During the 2006 season, Brandao anchored a Rutgers defense that allowed just 0.50 goal per game. On the offensive end, Brandao scored two goals, including one in Rutgers' nationally-televised victory over Princeton.
During her final season "On the Banks," Brandao was named to Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week, as well as earning BIG EAST Honor Roll honors, both for the period ending Oct. 16. Brandao closed out her career with three goals, including one gamewinner.
DeMaio led the Scarlet Knights in points in her rookie season, scoring five goals and tallying a team-high eight assists. DeMaio's eight assists rank her fourth in program history for assists in a single season, and it marks the first time since 2001 that a Rutgers player tallied eight or more assists in a season, as Erica Schubert recorded 10 during that campaign.
The Parsippany native posted two three-point performances in 2006, recording both a goal and an assist in Rutgers' wins over Marquette (Sept. 29) and South Florida (Oct. 1). For her efforts that week, DeMaio was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week. At the BIG EAST Championships, the league announced DeMaio as a second-team all-conference selection, the first post-season honors of her career.
In her sophomore season, Hall led the team in goals with eight, and also had one assist. She scored three game-winners, including the first in Rutgers' nationally-televised victory over Princeton (Oct. 4). Hall also recorded a goal in the Scarlet Knights' BIG EAST tournament win over West Virginia (Nov. 3), as Rutgers overcame a two-goal deficit to advance to the league championship game.
Playing center midfielder, Hall was part of one of the top midfields in the country, a group that contributed 13 goals and 14 assists in 2006.
The same trio also earned All-BIG EAST second team honors, announced at the awards dinner during the league championship tournament. Rutgers finished the season with a program-best 16-3-4 record, including a mark of 8-1-2 in regular-season conference play. With 16 shutouts, the Scarlet Knights broke the single-season record for shutouts in a season and also posted the most wins in school history. Earning a spot in the BIG EAST Championship playoffs, Rutgers advanced to the title game for the first time in program history, falling to top-ranked Notre Dame, 4-2. The Scarlet Knights also earned their fourth bid to the NCAA Championship tournament in 2006, advancing to the second round.
