Georgia State junior goalkeeper Heidi Blankenship was named to the Mid-Atlantic all-region second team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Wednesday, becoming the first Panther since 1997 to earn the honor.
Blankenship has already made history this season for the Panthers, becoming the first Georgia State women's soccer player to be named to the all-CAA first team on November 5.
"Along with the conference first team, this is a great honor for her," said Georgia State head coach Domenic Martelli. "Not only did our conference opponents vote for her, but so did the teams on our non-conference schedule. Looking at the schools that make up our region, being named to that team really illustrates what a quality year Heidi had."
The Indianapolis, Ind. native finished the year as the conference leader in saves (125) and saves per game (6.58). She finished second in shutouts (7), and fourth in save percentage (.850), leading Georgia State to a third-consecutive winning season.
The highlight of Blankenship's season came during a weekend against a pair of regionally-ranked foes, Northeastern and Hofstra.
Blankenship stopped 30 shots over the two games, earning CAA Player of the Week as the Panthers came away with a pair of ties. Her 16 save output against Hofstra tied a Georgia State record and marked the ninth-highest single-game total in the nation in 2009.
In 2009, Blankenship posted the second highest single-season shutout total and the third highest single-season save total in school history.
"I was really shocked to hear the news," said Blankenship. "My teammates deserve a lot of this award for supporting me, putting me in a position to succeed. Dom [Martelli], [Amanda Schneider], and Fields [Brown] have been a big help this year, always preparing us and putting us in a position to do our best."
"She put in so much hard work last spring and summer to get ready for the fall," said Martelli. "Fields Brown, our volunteer assistant, was able to train her and work with her in the fall which really allowed her to stay focused and work hard."
Kara Fitzgerald's 1997 all-region nod marked the last time a Panther received the NSCAA honor. Veronica Botold and Amber Collins-Cephers were named all-region by SoccerBuzz in 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Entering her senior season, Blankenship ranks third in saves (243), tied for third in shutouts (10), and holding the fifth lowest goals against average (1.61) in school history.
The CAA was well-represented on the NSCAA's all-region team, earning six first teamers, three second teamers, and four third team representatives.
The NSCAA divides its regions based on conference affiliation. Georgia State's region includes the CAA, the Ivy League, the Patriot League, and the Atlantic 10.
The Mid-Atlantic all-region team can be viewed in its entirety by clicking HERE.
