WALTHAM, Mass. – Four members of the Brandeis University women's soccer team have earned a spot on the 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-Region II team. Senior forward Juliette Carreiro of Upton, Massaschusetts, and junior midfielder Caroline Swan of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were first-team selections. Senior midfielder Daria Bakhtiari of Wilmington, Massachusetts, was a second-team member. Sophomore forward Yasla Ngoma of North Plainfield, New Jersey, earned a spot on the third team.
Carreiro was also a first-team All-University Athletic Association selection this season. She finished the campaign leading the team with seven goals and eight assists for 22 points. Carreiro tied for the UAA lead in assists during the regular season, and place sixth in points. Her team-leading four game-winning goals also tied for the UAA lead during the regular season. Carreiro had two goals and two assists in conference play, including a goal and an assist in the team's 3-2 win over the University of Chicago on Oct. 15 that handed the Maroons their first loss. She also scored the game-winner in a 2-1 win over the University of Rochester on Oct. 31, and scored the game-winning goal in Brandeis's NCAA tournament win over Farmingdale State on Nov. 13. Carreiro produced three assists in a non-conference game against Eastern Connecticut State University on Sept. 11.
Swan earns her first All-New England nod after two first-team All-UAA selections. Swan finished her season with two goals and six assists for 10 points. She finished second on the team in assists and fifth in points. Swan had two goals and two assists in UAA contests, including a game-winning goal against Emory on Oct. 29 and the game-tying score against Chicago on Oct. 15. Swan was the Judges' main weapon on set pieces including an assist on the team's game-winning goal in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournament on Nov. 13, a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Farmingdale State.
Bakhtiari earns second-team All-Region honors for the second time, having previously done so in 2018. She tied with Carreiro for the team lead with seven goals, including two in UAA play. She scored the game-winning in the team's upset of Chicago, and their first goal in the 2-1 win over Rochester. In addition to her offensive skill, Bakhtiari was one of the league's top defensive midfielders.
This is the first All-Region honor for Ngoma. She finished second on the team in scoring with six goals and five assists for 17 points. Ngoma notched a goal and four assists in seven UAA games, including two helpers against Rochester and one each against Chicago and Washington University. She also scored a goal in the team's NCAA tournament win over Farmingdale State, a terrific individual effort that tied the game in the 74th minute.
In head coach Mary Shimko '14's second season – and first on the pitch – the Brandeis women's soccer team posted a 12-5-2 record. The Judges were ranked as high as 20th in Division III during the regular season, and second in their region. They advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Farmingdale (N.Y.) State in the opening round before falling to #8 MIT in the second round. The Judges will return three of their top five scorers and seven of their 11 starters next season.
The United Soccer Coaches Region II consists of teams from the Commonwealth Coast Conference, the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, the New England Collegiate Conference, and the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, in addition to Brandeis of the UAA. First-team All-Region selections are eligible for All-America honors, which will be announced later this week.
Carreiro is a 2018 graduate of Nipmuc Regional High School.
Swan is a 2019 graduate of Pine Richland High School.
Bakhtiari is a 2017 graduate of Central Catholic School.
Ngoma is a 2020 graduate of Oak Knoll High School.
For more information on Brandeis Women's Soccer, visit our home page at https://www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/wsoc/index.
For more information on Brandeis Athletics, visit our home page at https://www.brandeisjudges.com/, or follow us on social media, @BrandeisJudges on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.