TAMUC Soccer’s Ramirez Named SLC Player of the Year, Four Earn All-SLC Honors

By Lion Athletics

Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer star Kaydence Ramirez has been named the Southland Conference Player of the Year on Monday morning to highlight four all-Southland Conference honorees for the Lions.

Ramirez (Waxahachie) is just the second player in program history to be named the conference player of the year, following Vicky Back in 2016. She was also named the SLC Forward of the Year on Monday and is the first player in any sport at A&M-Commerce to earn Player of the Year honors in the Southland Conference.

Additionally for the Lions, Ramirez was named to first team all-conference, while Hannah Bell (Duncanville), Mindy Shoffit (Wichita Falls - Rider), and Melissa Storey (Tyne and Wear, England) were named to second team all-conference.

Ramirez led the Southland Conference with nine goals and 20 shots on goal, and was third with 20 points as well. Eight of her nine goals in conference play, including two goals in the Lions' win over Southland champion SFA. She had two goals or more in two matches and delivered the match winner in three of the seven wins for the Lions, despite missing six matches during non-conference play.

She is also the first player in program history since Leslie Campuzano (2020, 2021) to be named to first team all-conference in back-to-back seasons.

Bell totaled seven goals on the season, which was fourth in the conference, with two of the goals being match winners for the Lions. The sophomore forward is named to the all-conference team for the second time in her career.

Storey appeared in 17 matches and started in 12 for the Lions, totaling two goals and two assists, which included a goal and an assist in the win at Houston Christian and an assist in the win over Southeastern. She has been named to the all-conference team for the second time in her career.

For the third straight season, Shoffit has earned second team all-conference honors. She appeared in all but one match this season and started 13, racking up one goal and three assists, playing on the backline for the Lions. She had assists in the wins over Northwestern State and Houston Christian. Shoffit is the first three-time all-conference honoree for the Lions since Campuzano in 2019-21.

The Lions finished third in the Southland this season and face sixth-seeded UIW on Tuesday in the SLC Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Corpus Christi.

2024 Southland Conference Soccer All-Conference

• Player of the Year: Kaydence Ramirez, A&M-Commerce
• Freshman of the Year: Alex Bayouth, SFA
• Newcomer of the Year: Kendall Curan, Southeastern
• Coach of the Year: Ben Williams, SFA
• Forward of the Year: Kaydence Ramirez, A&M-Commerce
• Midfielder of the Year: Ava Shannon, SFA
• Defender of the Year: Ella Morgan, SFA
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Erica Defferding, UIW

First Team All-Southland Conference

• F - Kaydence Ramirez, A&M-Commerce
• F - Maddie Bowers, SFA
• F - Jayme Bailey, SFA
• F - Taylor Spitzer, Northwestern State
• M - Ava Shannon, SFA
• M - Emily Senatore, Northwestern State
• M - Alexa Huerta, HCU
• M - Brielle Buchanan, SFA
• D - Ella Morgan, SFA
• D - Arely Alaniz, Lamar
• D - Avery Brandt, SFA
• D - Hadley Williams, SFA
• GK - Erica Defferding, UIW

Second Team

F - Sierra Wannamaker, UIW
F - Hannah Bell, A&M-Commerce
F - Isela Ramirez, Lamar
F - Olivia Rossman, HCU
M - Mai-Lisa Atis, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
M - Hannah McCord, Southeastern
M - Rachel Loetzer, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
M - Melissa Storey, A&M-Commerce
D - Jessica Spitzer, Northwestern State
D - Mindy Shoffit, A&M-Commerce
D - Sawyer Kohutek, SFA
D - Ellie Mai Sanford, UIW
GK - Zoe Theriot, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi