Four Selected to Preseason Watch List
8/16/2017 11:55:00 AM | Soccer
Jimenez Delgado, Stratton, Boswell and Welch tabbed on SEC Preseason Watch List
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –Four Alabama soccer student-athletes were selected as Southeastern Conference coaches' players to watch for the upcoming season on Wednesday, as announced by the SEC offices. Seniors Celia Jimenez Delgado and Kat Stratton and juniors Abbie Boswell and Emma Welch all were recognized on the list of 54 players heading into the start of the 2017 campaign.
After suffering a season-ending injury in 2016, Jimenez Delgado returns to the field after a superb 2015 season at Alabama and a fantastic showing as a member of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Spanish National Team. In 2015, she led the team in points (10), goals (4), game-winning goals (2), shots (55) and shots on goal (18). Her 55 shots tied for the seventh-most in a season in program history and were also the eighth-most shots taken by a player in the SEC. The Spanish native also finished second on the team in assists (2).
Stratton returns to Tuscaloosa for her final year as the starting goalkeeper for the Crimson Tide. She was named to the 2016 All-South Region Third Team along with former teammate Lacey Clarida, becoming the first Tide players since 2014 to earn the honor. The Mississippi native turned in one of the top conference performances as she ranked third in total saves (91), fourth in save percentage (.805), fifth in saves per game (4.79) and seventh in both goals against average (1.14) and shutouts (five). On Oct. 31, Stratton recorded a career-high 12 saves in the first round of the SEC Tournament against Texas A&M, which was the second-most stops in a single game in the conference on the year.
Boswell returns to the Capstone as the leading scorer from last year where she tied for the team lead with seven goals, tallied the most points (21) and launched the most shots (54) and shots on goal (22). Boswell also tied for 88th in the nation for total assists in the season (7), which also tied for third-most in a season in program history. She finished tied for tenth in the SEC in shots per game (2.84). On Sept. 25, the Illinois native delivered the game-winning goal in overtime to upset then-No. 14 Texas A&M, the first victory over a top-25 opponent in the Wes Hart era.
Welch enters her junior year after an outstanding sophomore season where she assisted on seven goals on the year, which tied for the team lead and third-most in a season in program history. Her seven assists where tied for 88th in the nation along with Boswell, and she led the team in shots on goal percentage (.613) with 19 of 31 on frame.
Alabama starts their 2017 campaign with a pair of home games against Jacksonville State on Friday, Aug. 18 and Samford on Sunday, Aug. 20 both at 7 p.m. CT at the Alabama Soccer Complex.
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