BOONE, N.C. — After leading the conference in shots, points, goals and game-winning goals all season, senior Jane Cline was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and first team all-conference, the league announced on Tuesday.
"I'm very proud of Jane for not only her soccer accomplishments but also for whom she is as a person," head coach Sarah Strickland said. "She has worked hard to prepare herself for life off the field."
The forward finished the regular season with 11 goals, two assists, 24 points, 84 shots (49 on goal) and five game-winning goals while logging 1,419 minutes.
Cline's best two stretches came from Sept. 2 to Sept. 9 where she scored five goals and two game-winners to push the Mountaineers past ACC foe Maryland and Gardner-Webb in a double-overtime thriller.
She then led the Black and Gold to three straight victories to finish the regular season, scoring four goals (two game-winners) to secure Appalachian State's berth in the Sun Belt Championship tournament. In their four wins in last five games total, Cline has scored five goals to finish the regular season strong.
She perhaps saved her best regular season performance for a wild Senior Day contest against first-ranked Sun Belt opponent South Alabama. Cline came through in pivotal moments, equalizing the game 1-1 after the Mountaineers allowed an early goal, and securing the 4-3 win with 15 seconds left in the second overtime on a breakaway pass from senior partner Jackie Nieradka.
Cline's regular season put her tied for first all-time in Appalachian's history for single season goals, while she also set a new program high for shots in a season (84). She's now second in program history for points in a season as well.
No. 4 Appalachian State women's soccer will carry the league's longest active win streak into the first round of the 2016 Sun Belt Championship tournament with a matchup against fifth-seeded UL Lafayette. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT and all Sun Belt tournament games will be broadcast on ESPN3 and available on the WatchESPN app.
