November 6, 2008

PASTOR LEADS QUARTET OF RAMS ON ALL-CAA SQUADS
Sophomore led Black and Gold with nine goals on the year

RICHMOND, Va. – Sophomore Laurel Pastor (Springfield, Va.) made sure she didn’t fall into the dreaded “sophomore-slump”.

In fact, she did just the opposite as she burst onto the Colonial Athletic Association women’s soccer scene as the team leader in goals for Virginia Commonwealth University with nine. She scored six of the Rams’ last eight goals of the 2008 campaign.

Pastor was honored for her outstanding play by the CAA coaches’ on Thursday as she was named to the All-CAA First Team.

Joining her as All-CAA honorees was the senior trio of Stephanie Power (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) (pictured), Samara Stephen-Dowd (Vienna, Va.) and Megan Flanagan (Franktown, Colo.), who all were named to the Second Team.

Pastor led the team in goals with nine and points with 20, while seeing action in all 19 games. In just two seasons, she ranks in top-20 in school history for points with 25 and goals with 11.

Power was on her way to her best season yet, but an injury during the last month and a half of the season slowed her down. Even with the injury, Power was second on the squad with five goals and nine assists, along with 19 points. She set a school record for most consecutive games with a point at six, which she achieved from September 12th-September 28th.

For her outstanding career, Power finished with 21 goals, which ranks fifth all-time, 18 assists, fifth all-time and 60 points, sixth all-time. The award marks the third time she has been named to an All-CAA squad during her time in Richmond.

Flanagan was a steady force for the VCU offense throughout the year with five goals and nine assists for a total of 19 points. It marks the third consecutive season that she has been named to the All-CAA Second Team.

The athletic midfielder finished her career as the school’s record holder in assists with 27, along with sitting seventh in points with 51 and 10th in goals with 12.

Sometimes in soccer, it’s hard to tell exactly how dominating a player is just by looking at the stat sheet. Stephen-Dowd falls into that category as the ferocious defender was the leader of a stifling back line for the Rams. She managed her best offensive year as well with a goal and two assists.