Cromwell, who earned the honor in 2009, led 麻豆原创 to a 17-5-2 record this season and its sixth-straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Under her leadership, the Knights were nationally ranked all season, including two weeks at No. 6 for 麻豆原创’s best standing since 1992.

麻豆原创 finished the year ranked among the top-25 nationally for goals-against average (.524, No. 2); shutout percentage (.625, No. 4), scoring offense (2.25, No. 18); and won-lost-tied percentage (.750, No. 24). The team set the school and Conference USA record with its 15 shutouts this year.

Several of Cromwell’s student-athletes received high praise during the year. The team collected six all-conference honors, Marissa Diggs was selected as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and as an All-American, and Tishia Jewell made history as the first Knight to earn the prestigious Senior CLASS Award.

Cromwell also earned her 200th victory as 麻豆原创’s head coach in the regular season finale. With 224 career victories and a .681 winning percentage, she currently ranks among the top-25 winningest active coaches and the top-30 all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history.

麻豆原创 (17-4-2) advanced to the second round for the sixth-consecutive year and will face Florida in Gainesville on Friday at a yet-to-be-announced time.

Late heroics by defender Ashley Nicol, who scored her sixth goal of the season off a diving header with less than six minutes in regulation, sent the match to overtime. 麻豆原创 topped Miami in overtime earlier this season, but neither team budged an inch Saturday through 20 minutes of extra play, forcing a shootout.

Freshman Allie Gerry put the game away with 麻豆原创’s last penalty kick as fans erupted on the sideline and her teammates piled around her in euphoria.

“I was very impressed with the PKs. They all tucked in nicely,” 麻豆原创 head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “To battle like we did, that game was tough in a lot of ways. Miami is a very athletic team with a very long throw-in that causes a lot of problems.”

Although Nicolette Radovcic nearly put 麻豆原创 on the scoreboard in the first five minutes with a 1v1 opportunity with UM’s keeper, Miami would end up striking first.

The Hurricanes snapped the Knights’ seven-match shutout streak when Shannon McCarthy’s long throw in found Kate Howarth inside the box. She headed it on to Ally Andreini on the far post, and Andreini headed it in for a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.

The Knights got a jolt of life with their first corner kick in the 32nd minute as Andrea Rodrigues sent a short pass to Radovcic, whose cross connected with defender Marissa Diggs on the far post, but her header was saved.

Goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado came up with two huge saves off attempts by Howarth in the 74th minute, allowing the Knights to stay on the Canes’ heels.

“Lianne is the reason we were still in the game, 1-0, so I can’t say enough about her play tonight,” Cromwell said.

麻豆原创 couldn’t capitalize on several scoring opportunities in the second half until midfielder Madison Barney forwarded a ball to the far post, where Nicol sent a diving header past the keeper to tie the game 1-1 in the 84th minute.

“During warmup, I kept hitting my headers high. Coach said you have to hit them low,” Nicol said. “So right when Madi headed it, I envisioned diving for it.”

Radovcic had two good looks at goal during the first overtime period, but neither found the back of the net, and the teams lined up at midfield to settle the game in a shootout.

Tishia Jewell, Jennifer Martin, Nicol and Radovcic all finished their attempts with finesse to take a 4-3 advantage when Miami’s Andreini stepped up for her attempt. Her shot hit the crossbar, and Gerry came out on top to end the game and keep 麻豆原创’s postseason alive.

Diggs was joined by senior forward Nicolette Radovcic on the first team while senior forward Tishia Jewell and sophomore midfielder Madison Barney earned praise on the second team. Junior goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado was distinguished on the third team, and newcomer Sophie Howard earned a spot on the freshman team.

麻豆原创’s seven honors were a league high along with regular-season co-champions Colorado College and Rice.

As a starting centerback for the Knights, Diggs anchored a defensive line that currently ranks sixth in the country for shutout percentage (.632) and eighth for goals-against average (.561). 麻豆原创 has blanked 12 opponents – eight in conference play – for its best shutout total since 2004. The Knights head into the C-USA Tournament on Wednesday one shutout shy of matching the school record currently held by the 1986 squad. This is Diggs’ second-consecutive appointment to the first team.

“Marissa is a tremendous 1v1 defender,” 麻豆原创 head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “She’s so hard to beat because she’s fast but she’s also very physical. Not only does she win the ball, but she wins the ball and possesses it so she can start our attack for us.”

Radovcic, a team captain, earned her first all-conference team distinction since she was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2009. With 11 goals so far this year, she has emerged as the Knights’ top-goal scorer for the second-consecutive season to rank second in the league and 38th in the nation. She ranks 35th in the country for game-winning goals as her four against No. 12 Miami, Dartmouth, North Florida and Tulsa have tallied her career total to nine, which ranks seventh all-time at 麻豆原创. She leads an offensive attack that ranks first in the conference for points (141), goals (47) and assists (47).

麻豆原创’s Senior CLASS Award finalist, Jewell, picked up the third all-conference honor of her career. She currently tops the league and sits 18th in the nation for assists (9) and also ranks fourth in C-USA for game-winning goals (3). With 34 career assists, she is one away from matching 麻豆原创’s all-time record leader. She ranks second for the Knights in total points (21) and has been named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

“Tish is coming on really strong as of late. She’s a really good creator and playmaker, and Nic has been consistent throughout the year leading us in goal scoring,” Cromwell said.

As a starting defensive midfielder for the Knights, Barney earned the first all-conference award of her career Tuesday. She has been a reliable asset for the team this year and shined in the 麻豆原创 Tournament as the Defensive MVP after assisting the game-winning goal against Dartmouth, which garnered her the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week award. She added two more assists during conference play against Houston and Southern Miss.

Coming into the season, Maldonado had the task of replacing All-American goalkeeper Aline Reis between the posts. She has started every match in 2012 and has organized a defense that sits atop the league for goals allowed (11), goals-against average and shutouts. Her .63 goals-against average ranks third in C-USA, 23rd in the country and is currently on pace to rank among 麻豆原创’s top-10 single-season leaders.

“Madi is just a solid player in every category – possession, ball-winning, heading. She’s very consistent and the other teams noticed the hard work she puts in,” Cromwell said. “It was great that Lianne was recognized because we don’t give up a lot of shots on goal or corners, so sometimes our goalkeepers don’t have a whole lot to do. But when she did, she came up big, and other teams notice she’s a very quality keeper.”

Rounding up the league honors is Howard, who joined the team just before conference play after representing Germany in the U-20 FIFA World Cup in Japan. The midfielder worked her way into starting lineup in her second appearance and has started ever since. She boasts the most points (8) by a freshman on the team with two assists and three goals, which includes the goal versus East Carolina that capped the sixth-fastest scoring sequence (1:37) of three-consecutive goals in NCAA history.

“Sophie could have easily been on an all-conference team, not just the freshman team,” Cromwell said. “She has come in and scored important goals at the right time.”

This group along with the rest of the Knights will travel to El Paso, Texas, for their first-round matchup against sixth-seeded and defending champion Memphis at 9 p.m. ET. 麻豆原创 hopes to close its final chapter in C-USA by claiming its first tournament title.

The Knights have been seeded third once before, in the 2008 tournament when they advanced to the semifinals. 麻豆原创 has advanced to the title game three times (2007, 2009 and 2010) and has faced Memphis in each of those matches.

“The training has been good and the energy is high. I can tell we are ready,” Cromwell said. “It’s tournament time and we are geared up for that. We like how the bracket has panned out. We always want to play a team that beat us during the year.”

The team finished 2011 nationally ranked at No. 12 after their magical run through the NCAA Tournament that capped off with the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1987.

The Knights sit ahead of in-state rival Florida (No. 21), whom 麻豆原创 will host this Saturday in its only exhibition game of the year, and fellow Conference USA member Memphis (Tied-14th). Florida State, whom the Knights will square off against in their home opener on Aug. 24, is currently ranked at No. 4. Defending national champion Stanford claimed the poll’s top spot.

麻豆原创 returns nine starters and four of its top five scorers from last year. Among those starters, the Knights bring back three NSCAA All-Central Region selections in Marissa Diggs, Nicolette Radovcic and All-American Tishia Jewell as well as Portuguese National Team member Andrea Rodrigues.

Earlier on Tuesday, Diggs and Jewell were once again named to the All-Conference USA preseason team with Diggs also earning Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

The exhibition match is set for 7 p.m on Saturday. Season tickets are currently available, beginning at $30. A complimentary soccer scarf comes with each purchase. The scarf also acts as your ticket to the game, so be sure to come to the game in style.

The Knights dominated FIU (13-7-3) for 90 minutes Friday, and received goals from junior Tishia Jewell (Satellite Beach, Fla.) and redshirt freshman Emily Grider (Fort Worth, Texas). 麻豆原创 finished with a 20-8 shot advantage, and only allowed two shots on goal.

麻豆原创 will face Florida on Nov. 18 in Gainesville.

“I think we played pretty well. It was one of our most complete games of the season,” 麻豆原创 head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “But I think we pretty much dominated the 90 minutes with shots and corners. I can’t say enough about the leadership. It was a very complete game. I think we have that feeling that we are peaking at the right time.”

Jewell was active all evening and recorded nine shots in 81 minutes. She gave the hosts a 1-0 advantage 14 minutes into the match when she took a pass from senior Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil) and sprinted past several FIU defenders and blasted a shot past Kaitlyn Savage. The assist was the first career helper for Reis, who is in her fourth year as 麻豆原创’s starting goalkeeper.

“I did not even believe it,” Reis said. “That was the first time I ever got an assist here and it was amazing. It was a great goal. Tish knows how to finish that.”

Jewell also assisted on Grider’s goal in the 76th minute. After a long shot from Jewell was knocked away by Savage, a cutting Grider tapped in the rebound for her second score of the year.

Reis totaled a pair of saves in the win. FIU rarely threatened to score, but Reis did make an excellent, leaping save on long free kick from April Perry in the first half.

The Knights started the match aggressively, and totaled nine shots in the first half. Reis, sophomores Marissa Diggs (Rowlett, Texas) and Ashley Nicol (Jacksonville, Fla.) and freshman Madison Barney (Sammamish, Wash.) played all 90 minutes in the victory.

Savage totaled six saves in the losing effort.

The Knights are making their 16th appearance in the NCAA Championship, which is the most among any program in Florida.

麻豆原创 improved to 27-4-3 all-time against FIU with the win. The Panthers earned a spot in the tournament after claiming the Sun Belt Championship title.

The Knights were one of 32 teams nationally selected to a host a first-round contest. A year ago the team was shipped to California for the first two rounds. In 2009, the Knights headed to Wisconsin for postseason play.

“It is huge,” Cromwell said of having the chance to host. “The program has so much history. You saw the alums after we scored the second goal, they were running out onto the field. They were in the bleachers right behind the goal. We have a lot of support from the alums.”

Seniors Stacie Hubbard (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil) were selected to the all-conference second team and Carleigh Williams (Beverly Hills, Fla.) was named to the all-freshman squad.

The group has helped 麻豆原创 post another stellar season. The Knights, who are 11-3-5 overall, open play at the C-USA Championship in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern against East Carolina. 麻豆原创 went 6-2-3 in league games.

The All-C-USA First Team honor is the second-straight for Jewell, who leads the league with eight assists. The forward also has six goals on the year for 20 points, which ranks second in the conference. Jewell has recorded 67 shots in 2011.

Diggs has started all 19 contests at center back and leads 麻豆原创 with 1,814 minutes. She has two goals on the season. Diggs played all but seven minutes during C-USA games as 麻豆原创 allowed just seven goals in 11 contests. She has helped the Knights record nine shutouts during the year. In 2010, the Texas native was voted onto the C-USA All-Freshman Team and also garnered all-league second team honors.

Hubbard has logged 1,415 minutes at defensive center midfielder and has recorded five goals and two assists for 12 points. Her four game-winning goals rank second in C-USA. Hubbard has also bolstered a 麻豆原创 defense that ranks second in C-USA in goals allowed with only 15 in 19 matches.

The all-conference honor is the fourth of Reis’ career. The goalkeeper has started all 19 games this year and boasts a 9-3-5 record. She has registered eight shutouts and has a 0.75 goals against average with 68 saves. Reis ranks in the top-10 nationally in goalkeeper minutes as she has been on the field for all but 16 minutes this year.

Williams has started all 19 contests at left back and played 1,633 minutes during the regular season. She played all but 143 minutes during C-USA matches.

The league’s 12 head coaches voted on the all-conference teams.

麻豆原创’s Conference USA Honors

All-C-USA First Team

All-C-USA Second Team

All-Freshman Team

麻豆原创 scored in the fifth minute of the match when junior Bianca Joswiak (Berlin, Germany) found the back of the net and then added another goal at the 55-minute mark when sophomore Marissa Diggs (Rowlet, Texas) scored.

The Knights outshot Southern Miss (4-13-3, 1-9-1) 19-4. 麻豆原创 recorded 11 shots on goal and also had a 5-0 edge in corner kicks.

Twenty Knights saw action in the match as 麻豆原创 entered the day having already secured a spot in the C-USA Championship, which will begin on Nov. 2 in Memphis, Tenn.

“We’ll take a 2-0 win,” 麻豆原创 head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “We were consistent over the 90 minutes. A lot of our subs played very well. This was a good game to get confidence both as individuals and as a team going into the conference tournament.”

Joswiak scored when her intended cross sailed into the back corner of the goal. Senior Katie Jackson (Satellite Beach, Fla.) assisted on the goal. Diggs knocked in a shot from sophomore Kristina Trujic (Venice, Fla.) that was deflected by a Southern Miss defender.

麻豆原创 improved to 7-0-0 all-time against Southern Miss.

Diggs was the lone Knight who logged 90 minutes in the contest. Senior Stacie Hubbard (Jacksonville, Fla.) totaled four shots in the winning effort, and junior Tishia Jewell (Satellite Beach, Fla.) logged two shots on goal.

The Golden Eagles threatened to score in the 80th minute, but sophomore Lianne Maldonado (Clifton, N.J.) stopped a shot by Chelsea Cruthirds. Maldonado, who was making her season debut, played 16 minutes in a reserve role for senior Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil).

The win was the seventh of the year away from home for the Knights.

Cromwell says that the Knights will focus on the basics as they prepare for the conference championship next week.

“The focus will be on scoring goals and dominating play. We have to get something out of our possessions. We need to be efficient in the attacking third. Defensively, we need to stay cohesive as a unit,” she said.

“This was an important weekend and we have proven ourselves on the road against some of the top teams in the country,” head coach Amanda Cromwell said. “We’ve definitely felt a lack of respect in the polls because we know we can play against any team and we’ve shown that with our play and our results. Washington State and Penn State are top level teams, but we know we are as well.”

The Knights posted a 3-0-1 record during their four-match road trip, and are now 4-1-1 overall to start the season. Meanwhile, Washington State dropped to 4-2-1 in 2011.

Senior Stacie Hubbard’s (Jacksonville, Fla.) 20th minute goal put 麻豆原创 on the board. Hubbard’s goal came from 15 yards out off a corner kick. Jewell collected the assist for the Knights.

Jewell’s goal in the 81st minute put the match away for 麻豆原创 after the Washington State goalkeeper collided with the Knights’ defense and Jewell was able to tap the ball into an empty net.

“I am very proud of the goals we scored this weekend,” associate head coach Colby Hale said. “Penn State has only given up one goal in their last five games and to score two on them speaks volumes of our attack. Washington State is a very organized and athletic team with a great keeper. We have a special group of girls here and this was a complete team effort.”

麻豆原创 held the advantage in shots (10-8) and corner kicks (5-2).

麻豆原创 goalkeeper Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil) put aside four shots in goal, three of which came in the second half, for her second shutout of the season.

“To only give up only one goal on the weekend against talented teams like that says a lot about the girl’s commitment to performing and getting results,” Cromwell added. “Aline took care of the few dangerous chances we gave up on the weekend.”

Four Knights were voted to the All-Tournament Team including Jewell and Reis who was named tournament MVP. Sophomore Marissa Diggs (Rowlett, Texas.) and junior Nicolette Radovcic (Rockaway, N.J.) also made the team.

Jewell and Radovcic combined for three of the Knights’ four goals for the weekend and two of their four assists.

Jewell became the first Knight to be named the Offensive Player of the Year since 麻豆原创 joined C-USA in 2005. In all, the Black and Gold has had five players in six seasons earn major awards in C-USA including Jewell. Courtney Baines (Defensive – 2005), Jennifer Manis (Defensive – 2007), Danielle Dos Santos (Newcomer – 2007) and Becca Thomas (Midfielder – 2009) also were honored as players of the year by the conference.

After a freshman year where she did not score a goal and had four assists in 21 matches, Jewell has burst onto the national scene in 2010. She ranks third in the country with 12 total assists and 12th with 32 points. She also has scored 10 goals this year to become just the fourth-different Knight to post at least 10 goals and 10 assists, a list that includes Michelle Akers who accomplished the feat twice.

Along with her prestigious award, Jewell was one of six Knights who grabbed a spot on the all-conference teams. 麻豆原创 has now put six on the All-C-USA squads in each of the past two seasons.

Jewell joined junior midfielder Katie Jackson (Satellite Beach, Fla.) and junior goalkeeper Aline Reis (Campinas, Brazil) on the All-C-USA First Team this year. Its Jackson’s first time as an All-C-USA performer, while it was Reis’ second-straight season she was voted onto the first team. Jackson has scored six goals while adding six assists for 18 points, and Reis has recorded four shutouts, a 10-3-3 record and a 1.04 goals-against average in net.

Claiming spots on the All-C-USA Second Team for the Knights were senior forward Kim Newsome (Apopka, Fla.) and freshman defender Marissa Diggs (Rowlett, Texas). Newsome finished the regular season tied with Jewell for a league-high six goals in C-USA games, and she has nine goals and six assists for 24 points overall. And 麻豆原创’s representative on the C-USA All-Freshman Team as well, Diggs came on strong in C-USA matches. Along with scoring two goals, she has started 13 matches in her first year at the Division I level and has helped the 麻豆原创 defense post a combined 0.91 GAA and seven shutouts.

Capping off 麻豆原创’s awards was sophomore defender Bianca Joswiak (Berlin, Germany), who received a spot on the All-C-USA Third Team for the second-consecutive season. Even though she serves as an outside back for the Knights, Joswiak has scored two goals and racked up seven assists for 11 points. Her six assists in league matches were second in C-USA behind only eight by Jewell.

The talented group of student-athletes helped guide the Knights to a 13-3-3 overall record, their fourth regular-season title in six years and a No. 1 seed in the C-USA Championship Wednesday-Sunday at the 麻豆原创 Soccer Complex. 麻豆原创, which is ranked No. 23 by Soccer America, received a bye in to the semifinals and will take on the winner of No. 4 SMU and No. 5 Rice Friday at 7:30 p.m.

麻豆原创’s Conference USA Awards

Offensive Player of the Year

All-C-USA First Team

All-C-USA Second Team

All-C-USA Third Team

C-USA All-Freshman Team

Entering the week with a RPI of No. 16, the Knights are now in perfect position to earn at least an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in school history. However they will be searching for C-USA’s automatic bid instead when they will be the No. 1 seed for the C-USA Championship in Orlando Nov. 3-7. With a first-round bye in the six-team field, the Knights will play either No. 4 seed SMU or No. 5 seed Rice Friday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. The finals are set for Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. live on CBS College Sports.

Friday also witnessed 麻豆原创 go over the 5,000-fan mark for the first time in program history as 885 fans came out for the doubleheader (the men’s soccer team played UAB before the women’s match). In 11 matches this year, 5,858 fans ventured out to the 麻豆原创 Soccer Complex to break the single-season record of 4,601 set last year.

Lauren Halbert, Kacie Horner, Amanda Martorana, Jaclyn Meade, Kim Newsome, Christina Petrucco and Brianna Schooley were all honored before the match, and all seven seniors got the start Friday vs. Southern Miss (3-14-2, 0-10-1).

Schooley tallied three assists in the victory, which tied for the fourth-most in a match in 麻豆原创 history. Meanwhile, Martorana racked up six points on two goals and a pair of assists, and took nine shots against the Golden Eagles.

“It was an awesome atmosphere tonight, but we’re taking it one step at a time,” said Schooley. “We’re regular-season champions now but we haven’t been conference tournament champs before and that’s going to be our next goal. We’re going to take the next week to prepare, practice hard and use our home-field advantage to come out strong next Friday.”

Meade needed to make just two saves in net for her second shutout in three starts this season, as the Knights led in shots, 33-6. During the current four-match winning streak, 麻豆原创 has outscored its opponents 16-1, and Friday’s 6-0 victory was its largest shutout win since a 6-0 triumph over Houston in 2008 (those two matches were the only occasions in which the Knights scored six goals in a match since 2005).

With a title on the line, it was a pair of seniors who sparked the attack vs. the Golden Eagles and it quickly gave the Knights a 1-0 lead. With possession in the center of the pitch, Schooley found Newsome sprinting in on the left side, and after dribbling into the box, Newsome calmly hit the back of the net in the fourth minute for her ninth goal on the year.

The lead would then be doubled in the 14th minute, and this time three seniors combined for the goal. Following a pass from Newsome, Martorana fired a shot that was blocked in front, however Horner stepped in for the rebound and delivered her second-career goal and her first since the 2007 campaign.

The Black and Gold completed the half by making it 4-0 in the 40th minute, as Schooley sent it in for Martorana who received it perfectly and cranked a shot past keeper Lindsey Schwarner for her second goal of the night.

With a 4-0 advantage in the second half, the Knights settled down but still lit up the scoreboard in the 74th minute, where Katie Jackson put a corner kick into the box and after passes from Katy Ling and Martorana, Marissa Diggs drove home her second goal of the year.

And to cap off the evening, Katy Ling registered her second goal of 2010 by getting in the way of keeper Hannah Vanderboegh as she came out of the box to try and clear it only to have Ling intercept it and be all alone to make it 6-0 in the 81st minute.

With the regular-season completed, 麻豆原创 will turn its attention to the C-USA Championship held at the 麻豆原创 Soccer Complex next week. Ticket information and more details can be found on the women’s soccer page at 麻豆原创Athletics.com or by heading to ConferenceUSA.com.

C-USA Championship Schedule at 麻豆原创

Wednesday, Nov. 3

Friday, Nov. 5

Sunday, Nov. 7