HAMMOND, La. – After a strong campaign for ULM a pair of standouts were named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) 2007 All-Louisiana Soccer Team, announced Sunday morning. Junior Rachel Hobson and freshman Tiffany Bombard garnered honorable mention honors for the team that honors the top-10 players of all the soccer-playing schools in the state.

The selection for Hobson was the second of her three-year ULM career. The Longmont, Colo. native anchored a ULM defense that limited its last 10 opponents to a 0.88 goals against average and has been recognized as one of the top defenders in the state. Of all the individuals named to the All-Louisiana team, Hobson was one of only two defenders.

“It is nice to see Rachel get the recognition that she deserves both academically and athletically,” ULM soccer head coach Stacy Lamb said. “She is very deserving of all the awards she gets. She is not only our team leader, but also she is the backbone of our team. Having Rachel on the field is just like having another coach out there.”

One of three team captains for the season, Hobson started all 20 games on the year, extending her consecutive matches started streak to 60. The consecutive starts streak is the second-longest in ULM history and the most to start a career. Hobson also scored one goal, a game winner, and added a team-best five assists.

For Bombard, the All-Louisiana nod put the cap on a stellar rookie campaign. The Las Vegas, Nev. native tallied a team-high 11 points on the season off four goals and three assists. Bombard’s four goals were tied for the team lead and included a pair of game winners in Sun Belt Conference matches.

“Its exciting to see Tiffany recognized because she is only a freshman,” Lamb said. “We knew when we brought her in that she was very talented and for her to be recognized as one of the top players in the state is great for her and our program. This will only be the beginning for her. She has three more years of awards that she will win.”

Kamryn Koch of McNeese State was named Louisiana Player of the Year after scoring a state-high 16 goals and leading the Cowgirls to their first Southland Conference title in school history. Louisiana State finished with a state-high five players on the All-Louisiana team. In total, 20 individuals were recognized as either honorable mentions or members of the All-Louisiana squad.

For ULM, the announcement of the All-Louisiana Soccer Team capped a season in which the Warhawks enjoyed a three-game improvement in the Sun Belt Conference and narrowly missed out on the league tournament. Seven of ULM’s defeats came by a single goal, including five against conference opponents.

“It’s nice to see individuals recognized, but it is a direct reflection of how well our team did this year,” Lamb said. “We grew a lot over the course of the season and will be prepared to build off this season next year.”