November 6, 2009

RILEY, BOUCHARD EARN SECOND TEAM ALL-CAA HONORS
Full Teams

RICHMOND, Va. – Both the offensive and defensive side of the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s soccer team were represented on the Colonial Athletic Association All-Conference squads with senior Jasmine Riley (Arlington, Va.) and junior Myriam Bouchard (Quebec City, Quebec) both earning second team honors.

“It’s great to have two upperclassmen receive this recognition,” Co-Head Coach Tim Sahaydak said. “With such a young squad this year, both of these veterans had times during the year where they really stepped up and were vital for our team.”

Bouchard was the anchor of the Black & Gold defense that notched seven shutouts and held their opponents to no more than one goal in 12 of VCU’s 19 contests this fall.

“In my mind, Myriam’s one of the top two defenders in the conference,” Sahaydak added. “Her toughness and ability to neutralize the opponent’s offense is second to none.”

It marks the second time that the VCU captain has earned an All-CAA honor, with the first coming in 2007 when she was named to the All-CAA Third Team.

Riley was firepower of the Rams offense, tallying nearly a third (18) of the entire team’s points (60). She led the team in goals with six, assists with six, shots with 50 and shots-on-goal with 22.

“Jasmine’s a dynamic player and when she turned it on, it was tough for anyone to stop her,” Sahaydak said.

The speedster started the year off with a bang, notching eight points within the first three games of the year, thanks to back-to-back games with a goal and an assist. Her game of the year came at Bucknell when she had a hand in all three of the Rams’ goals, scoring two and assisting on the third in VCU’s 3-0 road victory.

This is also Riley’s second all-conference honor, with the veteran earning All-CAA Third Team honors in 2007.