Dickenmann Named Freshman of the Year by SoccerBuzz – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Jan. 7, 2005
Columbus, Ohio – Lara Dickenmann, a freshman midfielder on the Ohio State women’s soccer team, earned several awards Friday, winning the 2004 National Freshman of the Year honor by SoccerBuzz.com as well as gaining mention as a National Most Valuable Player by Soccer America. Fellow Buckeye, Melissa Miller also reaped SoccerBuzz recognition with a third-team selection at defender. SoccerBuzz.com is a website solely devoted to women’s collegiate soccer. Soccer America is a publication that covers men’s and women’s soccer at the amateur and professional levels.
Dickenmann, who was named second-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America last month, also gained first-team status on the SoccerBuzz All-America squad and was named to the all-freshman team by both organizations.
Also on Friday, Soccer America named its 2004 Women’s Collegiate Most Valuable Players and featured Dickenmann as the only freshman in the 11-member group.
With the awards, the Kreins, Switzerland native adds the Soccer America and SoccerBuzz honors to her all-region, all-conference and Big Ten freshman of the year accolades this season after she helped the Buckeyes to a program-best 19-4-3 record, a Big Ten tournament title and an appearance in the 2004 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round.
Dickenmann’s 2004 season added to the recent Ohio State run of newcomers excelling in the Buckeye program and gaining national recognition. In a record-setting first-year campaign, Dickenmann set all-time OSU standards with team bests in points (38), goals (13) and assists (12).
In addition, Dickenmann netted six game-winning scores, including match-deciding goals over Purdue and Penn State in Ohio State’s run to the 2004 Big Ten Tournament title. In NCAA postseason play, Dickenmann helped the Buckeyes advance through the first three rounds with a pair of assists on game-winning goals. Miller, a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, has helped the Buckeye defense post all-time lows in goals against average in each of the last two seasons. Last year, the Ohio State backline allowed just 18 goals in 26 matches for a 0.67 GAA. Miller also aided the Buckeyes in registering a program-best 13 shutouts in 2004.
A starter in all 47 Ohio State matches the last two seasons, Miller also scored personal highs offensively with 10 points on three goals and four assists. She scored the game-winning strike at Michigan State in the regular season and vs. Michigan in the Big Ten tournament on a 40-yard boot.
2004 SOCCER BUZZ NATIONAL AWARDS, DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S SOCCER AWARDS (306 Teams)
| National Player of the Year | Katie Thorlakson | Notre Dame | Junior | Forward |
| National Freshman of the Year | Lara Dickenmann | Ohio State | Freshman | Midfielder |
| Coach of the Year | Julie Shackford | Princeton | ||
| Coach of the Year, Runner-Up | Randy Walrum | Notre Dame |
| ALL AMERICA, FIRST TEAM | |||
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | POSITION | YEAR |
| Heather O’Reilly | North Carolina | Forward | Sophomore |
| Christine Sinclair | Portland | Forward | Junior |
| Katie Thorakson | Notre Dame | Forward | Junior |
| Tiffany Weimer | Penn State | Forward | Junior |
| Lori Chalupny | North Carolina | Midfielder | Junior |
| Lara Dickenmann | Ohio State | Midfielder | Freshman |
| Sarah Huffman | Virginia | Midfielder | Junior |
| Leslie Osborne | Santa Clara | Midfielder | Senior |
| Keeley Dowling | Tennessee | Defender | Senior |
| Holly Gault | Kansas | Defender | Sophomore |
| Natalie Jacobs | Penn State | Defender | Junior |
| Melissa Tancredi | Notre Dame | Defender | Senior |
| Nicole Barnhart | Stanford | Goalkeeper | Senior |
| ALL AMERICA, THIRD TEAM | |||
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | POSITION | YEAR |
| Kristen Graczyk | Connecticut | Forward | Senior |
| Tara Hurless | Illinois | Forward | Senior |
| Ashlee Pistorius | Texas A&M | Forward | Freshman |
| Kelly Wilson | Texas | Forward | Senior |
| Jen Buczkowski | Notre Dame | Midfielder | Sophomore |
| Stephanie Freeman | Florida | Midfielder | Senior |
| Mallory Mahar | Maryland | Midfielder | Junior |
| Kacey White | North Carolina | Midfielder | Junior |
| Michelle Biehl | Villanova | Defender | Senior |
| Melissa Miller | Ohio State | Defender | Sophomore |
| Lindsey Peeples | Arizona | Defender | Senior |
| Kaitlyn Pruett | San Diego | Defender | Senior |
| Megan Rivera | Auburn | Goalkeeper | Senior |
| 2004 Soccer America Women’s Collegiate MVP’s | |||
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | POSITION | YEAR |
| Kendal Billingsley | UCLA | Defender | Sr. |
| Lori Chalupny | North Carolina | Midfielder | Jr. |
| Lara Dickenmann | Ohio State | Midfielder | Fr. |
| Keeley Dowling | Tennessee | Defender | Sr. |
| Sarah Huffman | Virginia | Midfielder | Jr. |
| Erin McLeod | Penn State | Goalkeeper | Jr. |
| Esmerelda Negron | Princeton | Forward | Sr. |
| Leslie Osborne | Santa Clara | Midfielder | Sr. |
| Christine Sinclair | Portland | Forward | Jr. |
| Katie Thorlakson | Notre Dame | Forward | Jr. |
| Tiffany Weimer | Penn State | Forward | Jr. |
