Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Soccer standouts Karleen Bedre and Ruthny Mathurin each picked up their first accolades of the 2022 season when the duo was named on Monday to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team.
The duo was selected in a vote by the league’s head coaches. Louisiana, which enters the first season under head coach Chris McBride, was picked to finish sixth in the SBC West Division with South Alabama (West) and newcomer Old Dominion (East) picked to win their respective divisions.
Bedre, a second-team pick as a midfielder last season, led Louisiana in six offensive categories in 2021, including points (17), goals scored (6), assists (5), shots (41), shots on goal (23) and game-winning goals (2). She joined teammate Anna Grassinger as the lone player to start in all 19 matches played during the season.
A first-team All-Louisiana pick, Bedre ranked among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in shots (7th), shots per game (10th), points (t-7th), points per game (t-8th), assists (t-6th) and assists per game (10th).
Mathurin, a second-team pick as a defender in 2021, made 17 appearances with 16 starts during her inaugural collegiate season for the Ragin’ Cajuns. She finished among the team leaders in points (8), shots on goal (8) and assists (4) and attempted 15 shots on the season with eight attempts on frame.
She scored a pair of goals on the season beginning against Georgia State and added an equalizer off a direct kick in helping Louisiana to a 1-1 draw at Georgia Southern.
Louisiana will kick off its 2022 season with a pair of exhibition matches beginning on Wednesday against McNeese at the Home Bank Track/Soccer Facility. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will then host Southern University on Saturday (Aug. 13) at 7 p.m., before officially kicking off the season on Aug. 18 against FIU.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsSOC), Instagram (@RaginCajuns_SOC) and Facebook (Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Soccer) or check RaginCajuns.com for Louisiana soccer updates.
2022 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Gracie Wilson, South Alabama (Sr., MF, Conyers, Ga.)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Gabrielle Gayle, South Alabama (Sr., D, Spanish Town, Jamaica)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Elis Nemtsov, Georgia Southern (R-So., Bradford, Ontario)
F – Morgan Cross, South Alabama (Sr., Dunfermline, Scotland)
F – Brooklynn Fugel, Georgia State (So., Dacula, Ga.)
F – Aliyah Williamson, Arkansas State (So., Millington, Tenn.)
MF – Gracie Wilson, South Alabama (Sr., Conyers, Ga.)
MF – Karleen Bedre, Louisiana (Sr., Norco, Calif.)
MF – Ilana Izquierdo, Southern Miss (So., Cali, Colombia)
D – Gabrielle Gayle, South Alabama (Sr., Spanish Town, Jamaica)
D – Ruthny Mathurin, Louisiana (So., Gressier, Haiti)
D – Sade Heinrichs, Georgia Southern (Jr., Monchengladbach, Germany)
D – Eva Diez Lois, Georgia State (Sr., Santander, Spain)
GK – Kasey Perry, Old Dominion (Gr., Dayton, Ohio)
* Ties were not broken
2022 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
East Division
1. Old Dominion – 94 (10)
2. James Madison – 74 (1)
3. Georgia State – 72 (3)
4. Georgia Southern – 62
5. Coastal Carolina – 39
6. Marshall – 26
7. App State – 25
West Division
1. South Alabama – 96 (12)
2. Arkansas State – 68 (2)
2. Southern Miss – 68
4. ULM – 57
5. Texas State – 54
6. Louisiana – 27
7. Troy – 22
Parentheses indicate first-place votes.