ORLANDO—Barry rookie forward Melissa Madrid was tabbed as the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year for 2009.
“It’s a great honor for Melissa,” head coach Fred Jungemann said. “It speaks to the quality of the soccer she played this year that the other coaches in the conference have recognized her with this award.”
Coming to Miami Shores from Petalumer, Calif., Madrid made an immediate impact for the Buccaneers. She tied for fourth in the conference with 25 points and is tied for third with 12 goals. Madrid also tied for first with game-winning goals, having netted four.
Madrid also earned a spot on the second-team All-Conference squad, becoming the first Buccaneer to earn All-Conference since Maya Ozery in 2006. She is the first Buccaneer to be named SSC Freshman of the Year since Emelie Karlsson pulled the tri-fecta of Freshman, Player and Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. Karlsson and Madrid are the only Barry players to earn freshman of the year in the 12-year history of the league.
The 17 letterwinners back in 2010 for the Bucs accounted for 23 of the team’s 28 goals and 25 of their 29 assists.