University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Announces Preseason Honors and Poll
8/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Tickets: Gophers Host Bison on Monday, Aug. 21
The University of Minnesota soccer team has three players that have been named to the Big Ten preseason honors list for the 2017 season, announced today by the conference office. Seniors Maddie Gaffney and Tori Burnett along with junior Emily Heslin were all selected as members of the honors list.
Burnett is one of the two captains for the Gophers in the 2017 season. Last season Burnett started in every game, and has started in the last 45 games. She was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the Big Ten Tournament and was a member of the All-Tournament team. Each of the last two seasons she has been named Academic All-Big Ten.
Last season, Gaffney was a member of the All-Big Ten Third team, and started the last 45 games for Minnesota. She has scored three goals in her career, and has assisted on five more. Gaffney was also a part of the 2015-16 Academic All-Big Ten honorees last year.
Heslin is the second captain of the Maroon and Gold in 2017. She comes off a 2016 season where she received the team Ironwoman Award and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. She scored the game-winning goal in the Big Ten Tournament championship game over Rutgers, and started in all 23 games.
The Big Ten also announced the 2017 Big Ten preseason coaches' poll. Minnesota has been selected fifth of the 14 teams. Penn State, Northwestern, Rutgers and Michigan are the top four.
Minnesota begins the 2017 Big Ten season on September 16 at 4 p.m. when they take on the Wisconsin Badgers.
