GIBSON AND JOHNSON EARN ALL-REGION HONORS
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – A pair of Monmouth University women's soccer student-athletes, redshirt junior Madie Gibson and junior defender Jessica Johnson were selected to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-Atlantic Region Teams.
Gibson was named to the All-Atlantic Region First Team, marking the second-straight season she has earned All-Region honors after receiving second team recognition last year. Johnson claimed a spot on the All-Atlantic Region Second Team.
Gibson was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading Monmouth to its sixth consecutive MAAC Regular Season Championship and third straight MAAC Tournament title. She tied for the team lead with 24 points on the strength of eight goals and eight assists, including three game-winning tallies. Gibson is the sixth Monmouth student-athlete to earn First-Team honors and the first since Julie Spracklin in 2016.
"It is a terrific accomplishment for Madie to be selected First Team All-Region," head coach
Krissy Turner stated. "She is the only member of the first team who does not play in the ACC, which arguably is the best conference in the country. Madie is a very talented player and this recognition is well deserved."
Johnson follows up her MAAC Defensive Player of the Year award with her first-career All-Region nod. She led the top defensive unit in the MAAC to 12 shutouts, the most for the program since 2013. As a team, Monmouth surrendered 10 goals on the year, the third best total in school history. Monmouth's team goals-against average of 0.466 ranks fifth in the NCAA with Johnson in the starting lineup for all 21 games.
"Jess had a fantastic junior year," Turner added. "Her ability to organize our back line and distribute the ball out of the back with composure are two strengths that set her apart. She is among elite company as a Second Team All-Region honoree."
The Atlantic Region includes teams from the America East Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. United Soccer Coaches, formerly the NSCAA, was founded in 1941 and is the largest community for soccer coaches in the world. United Soccer Coaches unites coaches of all levels around the love of the game and elevates the game through advocacy, education and service.