Nov. 7, 2001

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Regular-season champions UWM won Horizon League Player and Coach of the Year honors, while also having 11 players recognized with league honors, the league announced today. Voting was conducted by the league's coaches.

Senior midfielder Erin Blaedow (West Allis, Wis./Central) received Player of the Year honors, while UWM head coach Michael Moynihan was named Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. Wright State freshman Mary Beth Young earned Newcomer of the Year honors.

Blaedow, a three-year captain, ended the regular season with seven goals and one assist for a total of 15 points for UWM. She also played a critical role on a UWM defense that held all six league opponents scoreless and recorded 11 shutouts overall on the season.

Moynihan guided the Panthers to a 13-4 overall record, and led them to a perfect 6-0 league record for the second-straight year. Currently in his fifth year at the helm, Moynihan won Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and Coach of the Year in 1997, when he took the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. He has a 58-24-1 career record entering Friday's seminfinal game in the Horizon League Tournament.

Named to the All-League First Team from UWM were Blaedow, junior defender Carrie Durand, junior forward Amy Oechsner, senior midfielder Julie Ruma and junior defender Maggie Suminski. Evann Franklin, Kerri St. Aubin and Jeney Walter were named to the All-League Second Team. Freshmen Brenda Andrews, Sara Lewis and Melissa Richter were named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.

Blaedow becomes the third straight Panther to win Player of the Year honors in the league, and the fourth in five years. Fanta Cooper was named the Player of the Year in 2000 and 1999, while Lisa Krzykowski took the honors for UWM in 1997.