Nov. 11, 2008

ALAMOSA, Colo. - Bemidji State University soccer player Ashlee Ellefsen (So., Hugo, Minn.) was named to the 2008 Daktronics All-Central Region First Team, the organization announced today. With this honor, she became the first player in school history to be named to a Daktronics All-Region team. As a first-team selection, her name will be placed on the national ballot for Daktronics All-America honors that will be announced Dec. 2.

She was one of just two sophomores to earn first team honors.

The teams are sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The teams are voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from the Central Region, made up of 24 playing institutions in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

This is just another in a long list of honors and accolades for the leading goal scorer for the Beavers, as she was recently named to the NSIC All-Conference Third Team. She was also a member of the NSIC All-Conference Second Team as a freshman.

Ellefsen led the Beavers this season with 12 goals and a Bemidji State single-season record-tying seven assists for 31 points, while also notching four game-winners. She tied the school record and was first in the conference in shots with 79, she tied for first in the conference in goals, was third in game-winners and points, and fifth in assists. She was also just the third BSU player to notch at least 30 points in a single season, and was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for games played from Sept. 1-7.

Her name is now all over the record books for a career after just two years donning the green and white, as she is sixth in BSU history with 19 career goals and 47 career points, and her nine career assists are tied for 10th all-time. Her six collegiate game-winners are third-most in a career by a Bemidji State soccer player.

Ellefsen’s honor gives Bemidji State five players in school history that have been placed on postseason all-region teams, and all five have come during coach Jim Stone’s tenure with the program.

The four previous honorees were all named to NSCAA All-Region Teams, and they are Kari Torgerson (2004 Third Team, 2005 First Team, 2006 Second Team), Tegan Moehn (2005 First Team), Katie Meinhardt (2005 Third Team) and Kelly Hyvare (2006 Third Team).

Bemidji State tied the record for most wins in a season with a 12-7-1 mark, but the team narrowly missed out on a postseason berth despite a 5-7-1 NSIC record.

Central Region Player of the Year - Nicole Cito, Sr., Metro State

ALL-CENTRAL REGION FIRST TEAM

Carter Cornett, Sr., F, Regis
Kayla Mitchell, Jr., F, Colorado Mines
Becca Mays, Jr., F, Metro State
Amelia Kasten, Sr., MF, Winona State
Amy Campbell, Jr., MF, Upper Iowa
Ashlee Ellefsen, So., MF, Bemidji State
Nicole Cito, Sr., D, Metro State
Heidi Woerle, Sr., D, Winona State
Maria Leider, So., D, Minnesota Duluth
Kelly Sadler, Sr., D, Minnesota State-Mankato
Amanda Diehm, Sr., GK, Winona State


ALL-CENTRAL REGION SECOND TEAM

Carly Petersen, Sr., F, Minnesota State-Mankato
Lauren Sturdivant, So., F, Winona State
Daniela Ramirez, So., F, Mesa State
Jessica Janusz, Sr., MF, U-Mary
Maggie Fedor, So., MF, Northern State
Tara Evangelist, Jr., MF, St. Cloud State
Heidi Boersma, Jr., D, Regis
Jill Goodrich, So., D, Augustana
Joanna Drenen, Jr., D, U-Mary
Corrine Johnson, Sr., D, Colorado Mines
Sheila Reynolds, Jr., GK, Minnesota State-Mankato

--bsu--