CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's soccer placed two players on the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State Team. Senior midfielder Julia Winter and sophomore defender Reily Nelson were both named to the second team. It is the first time either player has been honored by the NCCSIA in their career.
Winter, from Marietta, Ga., was a Southern Conference Second Team All-Conference selection to close out the Catamounts' 2019 season and her career.
She tied for the most goals in 2019 on the Catamount team with four knotted with teammate Regan Ward. Winter also led the team with four assists and, also paced the club with 12 points – the most by a Catamount since 2017 when Megan McCallister scored 26.
Nelson, from Wilson, N.C., was placed on the 2019 Southern Conference All-Tournament team. In the regular season, she was the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week selection on Oc. 22 after the Catamounts' wins over The Citadel and Mercer.
Nelson was part of the Catamounts' defensive backline that recorded six shutouts on the season. Nelson and the Western Carolina defense shutout three conference opponents on the season. She had one assist on the year offering up help on the 1-0 shutout of former Southern Conference member Davidson.
The No. 5 seed Catamounts lost a heartbreaker to No. 4 seed Mercer 1-0 in double overtime in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Championship.
Western Carolina's 11 wins this season are the most under Head Coach Chad Miller. The 11 wins are also the most for a Western Carolina club since the 2008 team ended the year with 13 victories.
