The 2015 D2 women's college soccer season is in the books. Here are HERO Sports' award winners for the season.
Player of the Year
Marti Corby, Grand Valley State
The D2 women's soccer national championship game between Grand Valley State and Columbus State was junior Marti Corby's brilliant career so far in a nutshell.
The game was fairly even in the first 10 minutes or so, with both teams feeling each other out. Then, Corby did what she's done so often, getting free at the top of the box in a perfect position to score. Columbus State knew all about Corby, an All-American and one of the leading scorers in the country, so a CSU defender did what might have seemed like the smart thing – she fouled Corby just outside the box rather than letting her get a free look at goal. Turned out to be a mistake.
Corby took the free kick and placed a beauty right over the wall and just under the crossbar – which ended up her ninth game-winning goal of the year.
Near the end of the first half Corby did something else she's made a trademark part of her game – finding an open teammate in a position to score. Corby assisted on Grand Valley's second goal of the game – giving her 17 assists on the year, most in the nation. Corby was third in the nation in goals scored with 25, and was named an All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for a third consecutive season.
She was also the Conference Commissioners' Association Midwest Region Player of the Year. Corby, a star in high school at Forrest Hills Central in Ada, just outside Grand Rapids, Mich., will be back next year for her senior season at Grand Valley.
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