Skip to main content

Ranking the Top 10 women's college upperclassmen

noyola_stanford.jpg

Top Drawer provides its current ranking of the top 10 men's upperclassmen:

1. Teresa Noyola, Midfielder Stanford, (Senior): Noyola is a small player with a huge effect on the game. She's creative and skillful in the midfield and led the team in assists last season. Also capable of scoring goals, Noyola's talent has earned her the distinction of two-time first-team All-American.

2. Melissa Henderson, Forward, Notre Dame (Senior): Arguably the premier goal-scorer in the country, Henderson is a leading candidate to capture the Hermann Trophy. Her striking ability paces the defending national champion Irish.

3. Kristen Mewis, Midfielder, Boston College (Junior): A big-time performer who can score or distribute with anyone in the country. Mewis tied for the ACC lead with 14 assists last season and added 10 goals on her way to first-team All-ACC honors.

4. Sarah Hagen, Forward, Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Senior): Already the all-time leading goal-scorer and points leader in her school's history, Hagen is one of the most prolific scorers in the country. With great size and tactical awareness, she's a force up top.

5. Ingrid Wells, Midfielder, Georgetown (Senior): A tactician in the midfield who guides the Hoyas with her distribution. Wells is the glue for her squad as well as a first-team All-American who finished with nine goals and 10 assists in 2010.

6. Katie Stengel, Forward, Wake Forest (Soph.): Stengel is enjoying a strong encore to the greatest freshman season Wake Forest has ever seen. She set the single-season scoring record in 2010 and may well have smashed her own mark this season if not for a minor knee injury that kept her out of a few games. Stengel has great awareness and is a fierce competitor who loves to score.

7. Tiffany McCarty, Forward, Florida State (Junior): A game-breaking forward with speed and athleticism, McCarty is enjoying a dominant season after enduring a season-ending injury a year ago. McCarty is a sparkplug for the Seminoles and attack from anywhere on the field.

8. Courtney Barg, Midfielder, Notre Dame (Senior): A connecting midfielder who fuels the attack for the title-winning Fighting Irish and serves as one of the team captains. Barg missed the first two months of last season with injury before returning and proving invaluable during her team's championship run.

9. Amber Brooks, Midfielder, North Carolina (Junior): A playmaking center midfielder who is a staple of the Tar Heels' potent lineup. Brooks earned second-team All-ACC honors last season and is a valuable part of the U.S. Soccer program.

10. Sydney Leroux, Forward, UCLA, (Senior): A first-class athlete and goal-scorer, Leroux is a game-changing talent. She's the U.S.' most capped player and highest scorer at the U-20 level and the unquestioned leader of a very talented Bruins squad.