November 3, 2009
 
Lauren Hyde Named SEC Defensive Player of the Year; Six Gators Recognized by League
From Gatorzone.com

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. Florida is represented by six players on SEC teams. University of Florida senior All-American Lauren Hyde is the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, the SEC announced Tuesday morning. She is one of three Gator soccer players named to 2009 All-SEC teams. Hyde is joined on the 11-member All-SEC first team by junior goalkeeper Katie Fraine. Sophomore forward/midfielder Lindsay Thompson is an All-SEC second team selection. Florida also placed three on the SEC All-Freshman team - Brooke Thigpen, Erika Tymrak and Kathryn Williamson.

Hyde (Carmel, Ind./Bishop Chatard H.S.) is the first Gator to pick up the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award since the league began naming an offensive and defensive player of the year in 2004. She is the sixth UF player to be named a SEC soccer player of the year - Danielle Fotopoulos (1996, .98), Erin Baxter (1997), Sarah Yohe (1999), Abby Wambach (2000, .01) and Stephanie Freeman (2003, 2004-offensive). This is Hyde.s fourth appearance on an All-SEC team (first team in 2006 & 2007; second team in 2008) . joining former Gators Danielle Murphy and Wambach as the other Florida players to earn a spot on an All-SEC team each year. She has played the entirety of 13 matches this season and leads UF with her average of 89.7 minutes per match from her center back position....

The Gators now head to the SEC Tournament which begins Wednesday, Nov. 4 in Orange Beach, Ala. Top-seeded Florida will open play with defending SEC Tournament champion Tennessee (8-8-3, 4-5-2 SEC) on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. (ET). The Gators have won eight SEC Tournament titles with the last coming in 2007. The match be heard live on AM 850 WRUF or via simulcast on Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable channel 946. Adam Schick and Matthew Stubbington will cover the action Wednesday. The match can also be heard live on www.GatorZone.com and a complimentary video stream of the match can also be seen at the same site.

2009 SEC Women's Soccer Awards
Defensive Player of the Year:
Lauren Hyde, Florida
Offensive Player of the Year:
Malorie Rutledge, LSU
Freshmen of the Year:
Laura Eddy, Georgia
Scholar/Athlete of the Year:
Blakely Mattern, South Carolina
Coach of the Year:
Shelley Smith, South Carolina
First Team ALL-SEC: Katie Fraine Junior GK Florida, Lauren Hyde Senior D Florida, Megan Forester Senior D Vanderbilt, Blakely Mattern Senior D South Carolina, Chelsea Potts Senior D LSU, Katy Frierson Sophomore MF Auburn, Danielle Johnson Senior MF Mississippi, Malorie Rutledge Senior MF LSU, Kayla Grimsley Sophomore F South Carolina , Mick Imgram Senior MF Tennessee, Carrie Patterson Senior F Georgia

Congratulations Lauren!

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