Beauchamp Named GNAC Soccer Rookie of the Year, Five Sharks Earn All-Conference Honors

In the consolation game of the 2009 Wellesley Soccer Invitational, Salem State used two first half goals to defeat Simmons, 2-1. The win improves the Vikings to 3-1 while Simmons falls to 3-3-1. Simmons soccer athletes Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.), Rachel Elliot (Amherst, N.H.) and Allie Megna (North Hampton, N.H.) have all earned a spot on this week?s Great Northeast Athletic Conference Honor Roll for their athletic achievements last week, the conference announced on Monday. Fifth seeded Simmons Soccer upset fourth seed Emerson College, 3-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament First Round game at Emerson's Rotch Field on Sunday. The Sharks rode two goals from freshman Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.) to take the victory and advance to Wednesday?s semifinal game at Saint Joseph?s Maine. Simmons freshman midfielder Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, the GNAC announced Friday Evening. The honor comes after a 2009 first year season in which Beauchamp started every game for Simmons, and ranked in the top 10 in the conference for shots. Beauchamp also earned Third Team All-Conference honors.
Posted: Nov 07, 2009

Simmons freshman midfielder Justine Beauchamp (Exeter, N.H.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, the GNAC announced Friday Evening. The honor comes after a 2009 first year season in which Beauchamp started every game for Simmons, and ranked in the top 10 in the conference for shots. Beauchamp also earned Third Team All-Conference honors.

"I am pleased to see five of our athletes on the all-conference rosters," said Head Coach Erica Mastrogiacomo. "They all are talented individuals that contribute consistently to our program's success."

Junior defender Katie Foley (Rochester, N.H.) and junior midfielder Brooke MacKenzie (Mansfield, Mass.) both earned spots on the First Team, while senior goalkeeper Rachel Elliott (Amherst, N.H.) was named to the Second Team All-Conference. Senior Jenn Kmietek (Middletown, Conn.) was honored with a spot on the All-Conference Sportsmanship Team.

MacKenzie was named Player of the Week twice this fall. She leads the league in shots (107), and ranks in the top five of the conference for goals and top two for game winning goals.

Foley played every minute of every conference game as a center back in 2009, and guided team to four shutouts and held conference opponents to 12 goals against.

Elliott recorded 4 shut outs this season, and earned GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week once and made the honor roll twice this fall. She missed two games this season due to a broken nose and returned fearlessly as soon as she was cleared. Elliott has played almost every minute of every game for Simmons since her freshman year.

"Rachel Elliott has had a tremendous season, and her work combining with central defender Katie Foley has provided our team with stability and confidence," said Mastrogiacomo. "Brooke was a force in the midfield in the conference. Her ability to score on free kicks and to completely take over a game stands her apart from the rest. Justine had a fantastic season and was a powerhouse among the freshmen in the conference."

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