Dec. 29, 2016 AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" After going where no other team has gone in program history, five key players from the Auburn soccer team were lauded for their outstanding 2016 campaigns by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
Kristen Dodson, Brooke Ramsier and Casie Ramsier were selected as Top 100 players in the country, while rookies Bri Folds and Karli Gutsche earned spots in the nation's Top 100 Freshmen list.
Casie Ramsier, rated the No. 14 player in all of Division I women's soccer, capped a career year while captaining the Tigers to the NCAA Quarterfinals. The Dallas, Texas native set career-highs with 31 points and seven assists, while matching a personal best with 12 goals in 2016. She was one of only six midfielders in the nation to eclipse 30 points and have 12-plus goals.
Dodson was tabbed 65th by the national outlet and had the best statistical season in program history. The Aurora, Ill. product set the single-season record for points with 38, topping Tammy Waine's previous mark of 35 in 2000. Dodson's team-leading 13 goals in 2016 went down as the second-highest mark in Auburn history.
Brooke Ramsier, No. 78 on the annual postseason list, closed her most successful season by securing at least point in 11 of the final 13 matches en route to the deepest run ever by the Tigers. Part of the highest scoring sister combination, the Dallas, Texas native finished tied for fifth in the country with 12 assists.
Collectively, the trio boasted 65 percent of the team's point tally with 97 on the season. Dodson and the Ramsier's also totaled 31 assists, tied for the highest mark by any three players on a team in the nation.
Gutsche finished her first season on the pitch as the No. 23 freshmen. The Lithia, Fla. native was inserted into the lineup midway through the season in the center of the defense. Her play guided the team to five shutouts since her first start of the season on Sept. 4. Gutsche even made an impact on offense, netting the match-winner against Missouri.
Folds, selected No. 85 in the top freshmen list, was influential in the attack in her first campaign on The Plains. The Lakeland, Fla. native finished third on the team with nine assists and was fourth in points (19) and goals (five). She was also just one of two freshmen in the SEC to register a double-digit point total (11) in conference matches.
Both Folds and Gutsche were tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team and picked up top weekly honors during the season. Folds was lauded as the conference's freshman of the week on Oct. 10, while Gutsche was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week on Oct. 4.