Despite the lack of a normal fall season for women’s soccer, the Lady Hawks found out monumental news on September 3. Five of their former players as well as Head Coach Krissy Turner were named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) 40th Anniversary Team. Among these players were Madie Gibson, Jess Johnson, Amanda Knaub, Anna Lazur, and Alexis McTamney.
“It is a tremendous credit to the success we have had since beginning play in the MAAC in 2013,” said Head Coach Krissy Turner. “It is an honor to be selected as one of the premier coaches in the league and I am super proud of the individual success so many of our players have had. The seven regular season titles are credited to the talented players we have had in our program but in particular the five players chosen for this recognition played a major role in those titles.”
These players all helped Monmouth win four straight MAAC Regular Season Championships while the majority of them also helped win four MAAC Tournaments and reach the NCAA Tournament.
Two-time MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year Amanda Knaub was deservingly on the list as the all-time conference leader in shutouts with 45. She not only leads in this statistical category but also in goals-against average at 0.56 and victories at 58. She has even reached national achievements such as leading the entire NCAA in goals-against average in 2019 at 0.202.
“Being named to the MAAC 40th Anniversary team is an immense honor,” said Knaub. “There have been so many amazing athletes that have come before me, and talented girls that I have had the opportunity to play with. This is a great honor because Monmouth has had a long tradition of exceptional teams and players. I have played with the other four girls named to this team, so it was nice to represent Monmouth with so many of my former teammates. This honor shows that all of the effort and hard work put in both on and off the field has paid off in the long run.”
Examples of these players include all four of Knaub’s former teammates who have also made the anniversary team such as the 2018 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Jess Johnson. The two-time team captain earned multiple All-MAAC First Team honors and an All-Championship Team.
Besides being a star on the field, Johnson was also awarded Monmouth’s 2019 Female Bill Boylan Award and the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. As the conference nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year Johnson is certainly no stranger to awards.
“Personally, this honor shows how the hard work, early mornings, sweat, tears, but most importantly triumphs, don’t go unnoticed,” said Johnson. “Coach Turner as well as other staff members, and most importantly my teammates, can attest to all the time and effort we put into creating and becoming a championship team.”
Johnson also made sure to credit those who came before her such as Alexis McTamney who helped shape her experience with Monmouth women’s soccer.
“We learn from those most experienced and then stepping into those shoes get to mentor those least experienced,” said Johnson. “Looking at the list of girls on this MAAC 40th Anniversary Team does not surprise me in the least because I know the effort the group has put into their time at Monmouth. I am grateful for everything Monmouth has given me and continues to provide for me. I’ve been allotted the room to grow with careful guidance on how along the way and for that, I say thank you to everyone that was there with me.”
Madie Gibson also played nearly her entire collegiate career alongside Johnson, Knaub, and Lazur. She is at the top of many Monmouth
offensive records with the fifth most career points at 102. She was the first ever Hawk to be named to three all-region teams and the second to be named First Team All-MAAC in
each of her seasons. Gibson was also the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2016 and the MAAC Championship’s Most Outstanding Player in 2018.
Coach Turner is the anchor that led all of these teams as the Monmouth women’s soccer head coach since 2013. She is a four-time MAAC Coach of the Year and has now won seven consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles. Not only does she coach them to victory on the field, but also emphasizes the importance in the classroom with an All-Academic roster. They have been awarded the Team Academic Award every season during her tenure.The two-time captain Lazur played defense for Monmouth earning conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019. Meanwhile, McTamney was only the second player in program history to be named conference Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. As a four-time All-MAAC First Team player she is sixth in program history in points scored with 89.
“The last four years playing for Monmouth Women’s Soccer has been an amazing experience,” said Knaub.
“I would not be the person I am today without the support and encouragement of those around me. Coach Turner has had one of the biggest impacts because she saw the potential in me that I did not as a freshman. Both Coach and my teammates pushed me to become the best player, student, and person that I could possibly be. It is amazing to look back and see how a simple game of soccer could have such a large impact on someone’s life.”
PHOTOS COURTESY of Monmouth Athletics
