DALLAS, Texas – For the third time throughout her five-year career, Peyton DePriest has been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. The honor is one of four postseason honors awarded to the Middle Tennessee soccer team in a vote of the league's coaches, announced by the league office on Monday.
 
DePriest was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, marking the third time she was honored as the league's most prolific offensive player. She was also named First Team All-C-USA, marking the fourth-straight year she was named as a C-USA first-team selection and fifth-straight earning C-USA all-conference honors. Teammates senior midfielder Sam DeBien was selected for the Second Team, and freshman defender Sascha Nielsen was selected to the All-Freshman Team. Both DeBien and Nielsen's honors are the first all-conference nods of their careers.
 
DePriest repeats as the league's offensive player of the year after another stellar season from the dynamic forward. During her fifth season in Murfreesboro, DePriest established herself as the most prolific soccer player to play in Conference USA. Earlier this season, DePriest broke the C-USA all-time record for goals scored, scoring her 50^th career goal against Houston Baptist on Sept. 5. DePriest continued to permanently etch her name into the C-USA record books this past Thursday, becoming the C-USA All-Time Points Leader with 124 career points and surpassing Kelly Roethe of Marqutte (1996-1999).
 
DePriest started all 17 matches for the Blue Raiders this season and leads C-USA in goals, scoring 11 this season, as well as points, tallying 26 over 17 games, shots, taking 75, and shots on goal, committing 38 shots on target this season. Nationally, DePriest tied for ninth in shots, tied for 13^th in shots on goal, tied for 26^th in goals scored, and tied for 37^th in total points.
 
DePriest posted numerous clutch performances for the Blue Raiders this season, including scoring a pair of goals and the game-winner to upset the Vanderbilt Commodores, posting two goals against Ole Miss, and scoring the match winner against UTEP. DePriest was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer's National Team of the Week following her career-defining performance against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
 
Senior Sam DeBien has been a key piece in the Blue Raiders midfield this season. She has played in and started 15 contests for the Blue Raiders during the 2021 campaign. DeBien took 21 shots, putting nine on goal over her 15 matches this fall. DeBien tied for third on the team with two goals scored, in addition to finishing third on the team with three assists and a total of seven points for the Blue Raiders this season.
 
Freshman Sascha Nielsen has been a vital part of the Blue Raider backline during her first season with the team. Nielsen played in and started all 16 games, while also finishing second on the team with 1,577 minutes played this season. Nielsen helped anchor a Blue Raider backline that posted a trio of shutouts against Belmont, FAU, and UTEP, in addition to playing a vital part in the Blue Raiders defense that held the reigning 2020 SEC Tournament Champion Vanderbilt Commodores to one goal during the team's 2-1 upset victory earlier this season.

2021 C-USA Women's Soccer All-Conference Award Winners
 
Player of the Year
Delaney Schultz, Rice

Offensive Player of the Year
Peyton DePriest, Middle Tennessee

Defensive Player of the Year
Emily Roberts, Old Dominion

Midfielder of the Year
Delaney Schultz, Rice
 
Goalkeeper of the Year
Kasey Perry, Old Dominion

Freshman of the Year
Ilana Izquierdo, Southern Miss

Coach of the Year
Angie Hind, Old Dominion

All-Conference USA First Team
GK: Kasey Perry, Old Dominion
D: Brooke Lampe, North Texas
D: Emily Roberts, Old Dominion
D: Avery Jacobsen, WKU
MF: Gi Krstec, Florida Atlantic
MF: Ece Turkoglu, Old Dominion
MF: Delaney Schultz, Rice
MF: Ilana Izquierdo, Southern Miss
F: Miracle Porter, Florida Atlantic
F: Peyton DePriest, Middle Tennessee
F: Ariel Diaz, Southern Miss

All-Conference USA Second Team
GK: Bella Kilgore, Rice
D: Amanda Martin, Florida Atlantic
D: Josie Studer, Louisiana Tech
D: Kendall Kloza, UTSA
MF: Piper Biziorek, Charlotte
MF: Sam DeBien, Middle Tennessee
MF: Taylor Tufts, North Texas
MF: Ellis Patterson, UTSA
F: Lexxe Lipsey, UAB
F: Laura Zemberyova, UAB
F: Anna Sutter, UTSA

All-Conference USA Third Team
GK: Kendell Mindnich, Southern Miss
D: Kristy Campbell, Charlotte
D: Caleigh Page, Rice
D: Macie Pennington, Southern Miss
MF: Kat Gonzalez, Marshall
MF: Gry Boe Thrysoe, Old Dominion
MF: Stella Kiss, UAB
MF: Asha Zuniga, UAB
F: Morgan White, Marshall
F: Allie Byrd, North Texas
F: Carla Morich, Old Dominion
F: Katie Erwin, WKU
 
C-USA All-Freshman Team
Kiara Pralle, D, Charlotte
Noemi Paquin, F, FIU
Jodi Smith, D, Florida Atlantic
Meg Jarvis, F, Marshall
Sascha Nielsen, D, Middle Tennessee
Jori Foote, D, North Texas
Gry Boe Thrysoe, MF, Old Dominion
Ilana Izquierdo, MF, Southern Miss
Kendall Page, F, UAB
Anna Sutter, F, UTSA
Brooke Sleeva, MF, WKU
 
Up Next
The Blue Raiders start postseason play on Wednesday, Nov. 3 as they take on the No. 2-seeded Rice Owls in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinals. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. CT at FAU Soccer Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.
 
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