FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Setting the precedent league-wide, Nova Southeastern landed five players including four first-team members on the All-Sunshine State Conference Teams, announced Thursday by the conference office.
 
Forward Hannah Christophe was named the Freshman of the Year along with her first-team selection. Teammates Ida Norstrom, Nichole Poppe, and Emma Santamaki also garnered first-team recognition, while midfielder Sini Laaksonen collected second-team accolades. The Sharks' four first-teamers were two more than any other team across the SSC.
 
"We are pleased with the individual recognition that our players have received," said head coach John Constable, who has now placed eight players on All-SSC squads in his first two seasons at the helm in Fort Lauderdale. "They have played a big part in our successes so far and we shall be reliant on them and others as we move into postseason play. Obviously the most important thing here is team performance but at the end of the day, in order for a team to be successful, standout performances from individuals are a necessity too. We are proud of the girls that were recognized, and in general I am proud of all 33 players here as they have all played an important role in what has been a solid regular season."
 
Christophe becomes the first Nova Southeastern player since Lauren Prow back in 2007 to take home the SSC's Freshman of the Year award after finishing second in the league in goals (10) and third overall in points (21). The Brampton, Ontario native also netted three game-winning scores, fourth-most in the SSC, and recorded a pair of hat tricks in wins over Lynn and Palm Beach Atlantic. Christophe is just the third freshman in program history to reach the double-digit goal mark in a single season, and first to do so in the last 10 years.
 
The anchor of the SSC's top-ranked defense, Norstrom makes the list after topping the conference in both goals-against average (0.641 GAA) and save percentage (0.870). The keeper was the only player among all regular starters to surrender less than double-digit goals throughout the season. Even more impressive, though, is Norstrom's on-going shutout streak at the NSU Soccer Complex. In her seven home starts this season, the freshman has yet to allow a single goal, a stretch spanning 615:52.
 
In her lone season with the Sharks, Poppe provided senior leadership for the youthful squad in addition to her offensive prowess. In 13 starts this season, the former transfer from Mount Olive tallied two goals to go along with her team-high four assists. Her assist and shot numbers both ranked among the Top-10 in the league.
 
Santamaki, meanwhile, has proven to be the key cog on the Sharks' back line that has given opposing offenses fits throughout 2016. She has started in each of the 14 games in which she has appeared, helping NSU's stifling defense notch eight shutouts and yield multiple goals to only three teams this season.
 
Owning the midfield, Laaksonen did a bit of everything in her first season with NSU. The native of Masku, Finland registered three goals and three assists apiece, including the game-winning score in the Sharks' opener against Webber International. Laaksonen is one of just 12 players in the league with at least three goals and three assists to her credit in the regular season.
 
Saint Leo's Arielle Kabangu doubled up with both Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year honors, while the Lions' Selena Jaimes and Ged O'Connor were picked as the SSC's Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.
 
Second-seeded NSU faces off against No. 3 seed Barry in the second SSC Tournament semifinal Friday at 7 p.m. ET. For coverage, follow along on Twitter at @NSU_WSoccer and by clicking on the provided links on the schedule page.