The Oregon State women’s soccer team held its annual banquet on Sunday as the squad was honored by head coach Linus Rhode and staff for the greatest single-season in program history.

The Beavers capped off the 2009 season with their second NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship appearance in school history as Oregon State advanced to the Sweet 16 and completed one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in women’s soccer. “The banquet was a great chance to take a look back and reflect on all the things we were able to accomplish during the 2009 season,” head coach Linus Rhode said. “The entire team put in so much hard work throughout the year and it led to one of the greatest seasons in school history. I know everyone is excited to get back to work to see if we can accomplish even greater things in 2010.”

Several players were honored during the banquet as Courtney Wetzel, a junior defender, was named team Most Valuable Player. Wetzel appeared in 23 games, scoring four goals and recording four assists while leading a defense that recorded seven shutouts and held opponents to 0.90 goals per game.

Rachael Axon was named “Most Consistent” as the midfielder’s steady presence earned her NSCAA All-Region and first-team All Pac-10 Conference honors. Axon appeared in 22 games, recording one goal and four assists. In addition to Axon and Wetzel, sophomore transfer Melinda Ingalls was named the top newcomer as sophomore defender Brittany Galindo was named “Most Inspirational.” The banquet also served as a chance for several players to be recognized for their accomplishments on and off the field throughout the 2009 season. Three Oregon State players were named All Pac-10 Conference. In addition to Axon, Ashley Seal earned honorable mention all-league honors while freshman was named to the Pac-10 Conference all-freshman team. On the academic side, Ashley Wood was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection as 10 Oregon State players earned academic all-conference honors. Most importantly, however, the team was honored for its terrific accomplishments during the 2009 season.

The Beavers finished the year with a record of 14-8-1, posting the second-most wins in school history. Among the many highlights throughout the 2009 season, Oregon State defeated four nationally-ranked foes and had a seven-match winning streak following a loss to Portland State in the season opener. Off the field, Oregon State was named as one of the 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America College Team Academic Award winners with at team cumulative GPA of 3.18. Oregon State now focuses on 2010 as the Beavers have entered off-season winter training. The Beavers lose six tremendous seniors this year, but with a group of outstanding freshman coming into the program next fall and the core group back, will be looking to make another push deep into the NCAA tournament in 2010.