MONROE, La. – ULM senior
Theoni Zerva and junior
Courtney Marten earned First-Team All-Louisiana honors while freshman
Mara Grutkamp was named Honorable Mention All-Louisiana Thursday by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The All-Louisiana team consists of 11 players chosen by sports information directors at colleges and universities across the state.
The First Team honors for Zerva and Marten mark the first for ULM soccer on an All-Louisiana team since 2013, when Jenna Pillon was selected to the First Team. It is the second time the program has ever had two First-Team All-Louisiana selections, joining the 2004 club which had Kortney Harris and Rachel Marcom selected to the First Team.
Zerva started all 20 matches. The Kalamata, Messinia, Greece, native set program single season records with 32 points and 10 assists. Her 11 goals rank second most in a single season. She led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 24th nationally in points, led the SBC and ranked 25th nationally in assists, and also led the conference in assists per game (0.50) and shots on goal per game (1.75). She was second in the conference in points per game (1.60), shots per game (3.10) and total goals. She had at least one point in 13 of 20 matches, including a stretch of one point in six consecutive matches from Oct. 7-24, picking up four goals and four assists in the stretch. She scored the game-winning goal against Texas Southern, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy. She was a Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection.
Marten played in 18 matches with six starts. The Collinsville, Illinois, native set the single-season program record with 14 goals and five game-winning goals. Her 29 points ranks second in a single season behind Zerva. She led the SBC and ranked eighth nationally in goals per game (0.78) and was 14th nationally in total goals. She also led the SBC and ranked 23rd nationally in points per game (1.61). She was second in the SBC and 17th nationally in game-winning goals. She tallied two hat tricks, doing so against Alcorn and Coastal Carolina. She also had a brace and her only assist of the year against Mississippi Valley State. She scored the decisive goal against Grambling, MVSU, App State, Nicholls and UL Lafayette. She was a Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a two-time SBC Offensive Player of the Week.
Grutkamp played in 19 matches with 18 starts in her first season at ULM, scoring six goals with five assists for 17 points. She was named to the SBC All-Tournament Team after scoring a goal and adding an assist in ULM's run to the SBC semifinals. She picked up a brace in a win over defending and eventual SBC champion South Alabama. She had goals against Southern, Coastal Carolina, Troy and Arkansas State in the SBC quarterfinals. She notched two assists at Texas Southern and added an assist against Grambling, Nicholls and Georgia Southern in the SBC semifinals. Her five assists rank sixth in ULM single-season history and her 17 points are ninth in a season in program history.
The Warhawks went 8-12, compiling the fifth-most wins in program history while advancing to the Sun Belt Conference Championship semifinals for the first time. The club set single-season program records for points (146), goals (53) and shots (383).
2021 LSWA All-Louisiana Soccer Team
Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year: Martina Terra Garcia, Louisiana Christian
Newcomer of the Year: Alesia Garcia, LSU
Coach of the Year: Carla Tejas, Louisiana Christian
First Team
Tinaya Alexander, LSU – F, Sr., Reading, Berkshire, England
Karleen Bedre, UL Lafayette – MF, Jr., Norco, Calif.
Stephanie Doran, Louisiana Christian - MF/D, Sr., Colton, Calif.
Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State – F, Jr,, Pflugerville, Texas
Alesia Garcia, LSU – F, Sr,, Aurora, Colorado
Nicole Henry, Northwestern State – D, Sr,, Tomball, Texas
Courtney Marten, ULM – F, Jr., Collinsville, Illinois
Kailey Pena, Grambling State – F, Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.
Martina Terra Garcia, Louisiana Christian - F/MF, Fr., San Jacinto, Canelones, Uruguay
Theoni Zerva, ULM – MF, Sr., Kalamata, Messinia, Greece
Acelya Aydogmus, Northwestern State – GK, Sr., Cape Coral, Florida
Honorable Mention: Megan Gordon, Southeastern; Mya Guillory, Southeastern; Josie Studer, Louisiana Tech; Kristel Chaves Bello, Louisiana Christian; Chelsea Brown, LSU;
Mara Grutkamp, ULM, Anna Watson, McNeese; Isabella Campos Paniagua, Louisiana Christian, Lindsey Jacobs, Louisiana Christian; Molly Thompson, LSU; Keeley Morrow, McNeese; Rachel Young, McNeese; Mollee Swift, LSU.
