Blitz, Three Tigers Earn SEC Honors
11/1/2015 1:00:00 PM | Soccer
Head coach Bryan Blitz tabbed SEC Coach of the Year
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou soccer head coach Bryan Blitz and Tigers Candace Johnson (Dallas, Texas), Melanie Donaldson (Florissant, Mo.) and Reagan Russell (Sugar Land, Texas) were honored by the Southeastern Conference in the league's postseason awards, the conference announced on Sunday (Nov. 1). Blitz was tabbed the 2015 SEC Coach of the Year in a vote by his peers, while Johnson was voted to the All-SEC first team and Donaldson and Russell earned spots on the second team.
Blitz earned conference coach of the year accolades for the fourth time in his career but first time in the SEC. Previously, he earned Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2007 and 2009 and the Midwest Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 1995 at Butler.
In his 20th season at Mizzou, Blitz led a Mizzou team picked sixth to a second-place finish in the SEC, the highest for the team since Mizzou joined the league in 2012. His Tigers ended the regular season with a 9-4-5 overall record and a 7-2-2 mark in the SEC
A defender, Johnson claimed All-SEC honors for the third time in her career with a spot on the 2015 first team. She also earned spots on the second team a season ago and the All-Freshman Team in 2012. As a senior, Johnson has played every minute in 2015 and anchored the Tiger defense that leads the SEC in goals against average (0.78) and goals allowed (15). In conference matches, Mizzou also paces the league with a 0.91 GAA and an SEC low 10 goals allowed. On the offensive end, Johnson has two goals and two assists for a career high six points this season. She has started 78 of the 79 games she's played in her career, while playing every minute of 73 of those matches.
Russell earned second team accolades for the second consecutive season in the midfield. In her 2015 senior season, Russell has paced the Tiger attack with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Seven of those points came in the last four games of the regular season as Mizzou rose up the conference standings. She scored the game-winner at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25, the equalizer against Texas A&M in the finale and provided the game-winning assist in an overtime win at Alabama on Oct. 23. In her Tiger career, Russell has tallied 36 points on 14 goals and eight assists in 82 career matches.
Donaldson earned All-SEC honors for the first time in her career thanks to her tenacious presence as Mizzou's defensive midfielder. The junior has started all 18 matches and ranks fourth among field players in minutes played at an average of 82 per contest. She played a major part in the SEC's best defense, tracking back on numerous occasions to thwart chances. Donaldson also added four points on one goal and two assists in the regular season. In her career, she has started 57 of 60 games and has 16 points on six goals and four assists.
The No. 2 seed, Missouri opens SEC Tournament action on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Noon against either No. 7 seed LSU or No. 10 Kentucky at Noon CT.
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