Stec named All-American, teammates All-Conference

Herkimer, NY – Herkimer’s sharpshooting striker Melissa Stec has been named a First-Team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).  Stec scored 17 goals in 18 games for the Generals, and she assisted on seven other tallies.

Stec, a freshman from Pleasant Valley, NY is an Early Childhood major.

Head Coach Amy Dommer said, “Melissa was our main offensive threat this season and always found a way to put the ball in the net. Her quick feet and skillful moves enabled her to get around her opponents all season long.  And I’ve seen her score from some amazing angles.”  (See Stec video below.)

In addition to becoming an All-American, Stec was also named Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year – a special honor for a freshman.  Three of her teammates – Emily Baldwin, Jessica Dutka, and Francesca (“Franci”) Robinson – were also named to the All-Conference team.

Senior defender Emily Baldwin (Gloversville) anchored and led the Generals’ very effective defensive corps of senior Mary Spanfelner and freshmen Allison Kaye, Liz McGough, and Sky Timmons.  Their play complemented senior Michelle Cuomo's goalkeeping very well.

Rugged midfielder Jessica Dutka was the squad’s second-leading scorer with six goals and nine assists.  The senior from Highland, NY was a force on the field, both defensively and offensively.

Freshman Franci Robinson (Northville) played with speed and savvy, usually on the left wing.  She was adept at controlling loose balls and forwarding them to her teammates.

Herkimer has produced the top players in the conference for a decade

Herkimer women have now won the conference Player of the Year award for 10 consecutive years.  This is a truly remarkable achievement for Head Coach Amy Dommer’s program.

The Generals who have earned the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year award during this period are:

2002 – Carly Bechard

2003 & 2004 – Stepheney Gerhardt

2005 & 2006 – Eileen Coyle

2007 – Dana Gentile

2008 – Danielle Filbeck

2009 – Maria Scerra

2010 – Krista Stubba

2011 – Melissa Stec

2010 conference Player of the Year Krista Stubba

2011 Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year Melissa Stec

Video:  Melissa Stec scores a great goal – Stec took a corner kick that came back to her.  She then worked her way around one defender and, before a second defender could get to her, she got off an unstoppable shot.

Video:  Emily Baldwin scores winning goal – Herkimer and Hudson Valley were tied 2-2 with about 40 seconds to play when the attacking Generals worked the ball into the middle.  Baldwin placed a 32-yard shot into the high corner, virtually winning the game.

Video:  The Generals strike – Jessica Dutka sends the ball to Melissa Stec in a good shooting position – Franci Robinson (11) follows up

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