Jan. 29, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina junior forward Casey Nogueira has been named the 2008 National Player of the Year by Soccer Buzz in voting by a panel of NCAA Division I coaches and Soccer Buzz staff.

Nogueira leads a strong showing by Atlantic Coast Conference student athletes on the Soccer Buzz All-America teams. Five ACC players earned first-team honors, three were named to the second team, four to the third team and two to the fourth team.

In addition, the ACC placed four players on the Soccer Buzz Freshmen All-America first team, two players on the second team and third teams, and one on the fourth.

Nogueira was also named Southeast Region Player of the Year, while Florida State forward Tiffany McCarty took Freshman of the Year honors and North Carolina's Anson Dorrance was named Coach of the Year.

Virginia swept Mid-Atlantic Region honors, as defender Nikki Krzysik was named Player of the Year, forward Lauren Alwine the Freshman the Year and Steve Swanson the Coach of the Year.

Boston College midfielder Julia Bouchelle was named Freshman of the Year for the Northeast Region.

Joining Nogueira as first-team All-Americans were Virginia's Krzysik, Florida State forward Sanna Talonen and midfielder Amanda DaCosta, and North Carolina midfielder Yael Averbuch.

ACC second-team Soccer Buzz All-America selections were North Carolina midfielder Tobin Heath and defender Whitney Engen, and Florida State defender Sarah Wagenfuhr.

Virginia midfielder Sinead Farrelly, North Carolina midfielder Nikki Washington, Wake Forest defender Kaley Fountain and Boston College goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni were named to the third team, while Boston College's Bouchelle and Duke midfielder Elisabeth Redmond were named to the fourth team.

It marks the fifth National Player of the Year accolade for Nogueira, the nation's leading goal scorer in 2008. She previously won the Honda Award for Soccer and national player-of-the-year recognition from Soccer America, Top Drawer Soccer and Soccer News Net.