The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced its Division III women’s All-East Region team today, naming Melissa Smith (N. Tonawanda/Niagara Wheatfield) a first team selection while Taylor Carillo (Pine Bush/Pine Bush), Breanna Knight (Valley Stream/Valley Stream South) and Kristin Seiferth (Brightwaters/Bay Shore) were all named second team honorees.
Smith was Buffalo State’s top offensive performer as she captured the SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The senior childhood education major led the conference with 15 goals and 37 points over 20 games played. She tailed eight game-winning goals, good for fourth in all of Division III.
In just two seasons, Smith tailed 64 points in 40 games, ranking her fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list.
By virtue of her first team selection, Smith is now in the running for All-American status to be announced later this month. Gabrianna Boldinski became Buffalo State’s first-ever women’s soccer All-American last season.
Carillo, Knight and Seiferth were all instrumental parts to Buffalo State’s record-setting 13 shutouts in 2016.
Carillo, a freshman goalkeeper, was a second team All-Region selection after posting a 0.46 goals against average and .855 save percentage in her first year with the program. She played every minute in goal for the Bengals this season and set a school shutout-streak record that lasted 871 minutes and 56 seconds.
Carillo won the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year award and was a first team selection on the all-conference team.
Knight started all 21 games for the Bengals this year and tallied one goal and four assists as a key contributor at both ends of the field. The junior criminal justice major was named to the All-Region second team at defense and was a first team All-SUNYAC selection at mid-fielder.
Seiferth, a senior criminal justice major, ends her career with an All-Region second team selection after earning SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year as the Bengals’ top shutdown defender. She started every game in the back for Buffalo State this season and helped lead a unit that allowed just 6.4 shot attempts-per-game (3.2 per-game on net).
Seiferth suited up for 80 games for Buffalo State over her career, finishing with four goals and five assists. She was also a member of the All-SUNYAC first team this season.
Buffalo State set a school-record with 17 wins in 2016. The Bengals won the SUNYAC regular and postseason titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
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