Six Radford University Highlanders were named to the Big South Conference’s Women’s Soccer 2010-19 All-Decade Team presented by Hercules Tires, as recently announced by the league office.
Jasmine Casarez, Nelia Perez, Jordan Lundin, Tyler Drake and Che’ Brown highlight the team with five of the 15 total spots, while RU head coach Ben Sohrabi was named the decade’s top head coach.
Perez (2016-19) was named to the Big South All-Conference Team each of her four years in a Radford uniform. The forward helped lead the 2019 squad to a Big South Tournament Championship and was tabbed as the 2019 Big South Tournament MVP. The Newport News native tallied 25 goals and 23 assists in her career, the latter tied for ninth best in Big South history.
Casarez (2015-18) scored 33 goals in her career, the most of any Highlander on the All-Decade squad. She was the driving force in the 2018 Big South regular season and tournament championships and was named the Big South Attacking Player of the Year and the Big South Tournament MVP in the same year. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native was a three-time Big South All-Conference Team member. The midfielder ranks eighth in league history with 265 career shots and 10th in shots on goal with 110.
Lundin (2014-18) showed a lot of perseverance, bouncing back from a season-ending injury in 2017, to earn her fourth All-Big South honor in 2018. She was another strong factor in the 2018 championships after playing 1,611 minutes that season. The midfielder totaled 6,147 minutes in her career at Radford and is one of 28 players to earn All-Conference honors four times.
Drake (2010-13) was one of the top defenders ever to wear a Radford uniform. She was a three-time All-Conference member and helped post 46 career shutouts. In 2011, she earned the Big South Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and helped carry her team to the first of two NCAA Tournament appearances. The latter came in 2012 when Drake started every match and helped break a 15-year-long Big South record with 14 shutouts in the season.
Brown (2010-13) had a lot to do with that shutout record in 2012 and held the Big South career shutouts record (33) until 2016. The program’s top goalkeeper was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2010 and went on to earn the Big South Defensive Player of the Year award three times, the most in conference history. The Manassas Park, Va., native was also a four-time all-conference member and helped lead the Highlanders to two of the decade’s four NCAA Tournament appearances.
One of the most decorated coaches in Radford and Big South history, Sohrabi was an easy choice to be named the decade’s top head coach. Sohrabi won four Big South Championships, which led to four NCAA Tournament appearances. He was a three-time Big South Coach of the Year from 2010-19 and totaled an 88-61-22 overall record and a 53-16-10 Big South record during the decade.
Women’s soccer All-Decade Team candidates were determined based on achieving at least one of the following: 1) a multiple All-Conference honoree; 2) an All-American; 3) a member of the Big South Conference Hall of Fame; 4) a college graduate or in good academic standing with their respective institution; 5) won a conference championship as a coach and/or was voted Conference Coach of the Year.
Candidates that participated in two different decades were placed in a specific decade based on consultation from member institutions and were listed under their primary position during their careers. Member institutions also had final determination in regards to inclusion of student-athletes and coaches. Previous Women’s Soccer All-Decade Teams were recognized for the years 1993-99 and 2000-09.
