University of Georgia Athletics
Carrie Patterson Named SEC Freshman Of The Year
October 31, 2006 | Soccer
“We are very excited for all three young ladies that received recognition today,” said Georgia head coach Patrick Baker. “Carrie has been the most productive attacking player in the SEC all year and has a very exciting future. Randi has been playing at such a high level all year and when she plays well individually, we play well as a team. Michelle has had a solid freshman campaign and continues to improve with training and valuable game minutes.”
Patterson becomes the first Georgia player to ever earn Freshman of the Year honors. The Bulldogs have now had a player of the year honor bestowed upon them two years in a row, as Patterson follows in the footsteps of 2005 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Ali Williams. Incidentally, the back-to-back awards are also the first and second of their kind in program history.
“This is really exciting and surprising,” said Patterson. “The fact that it is an award that is voted on by the league’s coaches makes it that much more of an honor because they are my opponents, so they are not necessarily my biggest fans. To know that they respect me as a player feels really good. I have definitely exceeded any expectations I had coming into the year. I was just hoping to earn a place on the team and contribute any way I could. This award is more than I could have ever hoped for as a freshman.”
Patterson and Bruso earned first-team All-SEC accolades while Patterson and Betos were voted to the All-Freshman squad. Georgia has placed two players on the All-Freshman team for the first time. Additionally, Betos became Georgia’s first All-Freshman goalkeeper.
“It is a great feeling to receive this honor in a conference like the SEC,” said Betos. “I have to give so much credit to the whole team and especially the back line. They make my job easier. I knew Lauren Church was a great keeper when I got here so I didn’t know what roll I would play. I just wanted to help the team, whether it was backing up Lauren or Beth and pushing them to be better, or, if I got the call, to just do the best I could.”
Bruso has been named a first-team performer two straight years. She becomes just the second Bulldog to do so joining Stephanie Yarem, who did so in 1997 and 1998. Bruso is also just the third Georgia player to become a two-time first-team selection, joining Yarem and Andrea Velasco (2001 and 2003).
“This is a really nice honor to receive considering the way I started the season with my injury,” said Bruso. “I was definitely hoping I would be able to play well enough to earn first-team All-SEC again this year. I feel like I have been able to have some kind of impact on the program and on the teams I played on, so that makes me feel very good as well. And, the fact that the SEC coaches select the teams means a lot. It is nice because they have seen me play for four years and to know that they hold me in such high regard as a player of first-team caliber is awesome.”
Patterson becomes just the second freshman in school history to be voted to the all-conference first team, joining Velasco in 2001.
The Georgia soccer program has had a major SEC accolade bestowed upon one of its players in four consecutive years. In both 2003 and 2004, Ashley Lindley was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, followed by Williams’ Offensive Player of the Year award in 2005 and now Patterson’s 2006 Freshman of the Year honor.
The three All-SEC selections mark the third time in program annals that UGA has placed three players on all conference squads in the same year.
Patterson, Bruso, Betos and the rest of the Bulldogs will take on Florida in the first round of the SEC Tournament at 6 p.m. eastern Wednesday from Orange Beach, Ala. A live audio broadcast of the game will be carried on GXtra, Georgia’s premium subscription website.
