NORFOLK, Va. – A historic Old Dominion women's soccer season made another mark in the record books on Friday as Ece Turkoglu was named a Third Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches. Turkoglu becomes the first Old Dominion Monarch to be named an All-American by the United Soccer Coaches in program history.
"Ece has been part of this program for five years and her impact has been just immense. I am thrilled for her that she gets this recognition as she is without doubt one of the very, very best players I have had the chance to coach, in both Europe and the US. She is that good," said ODU Head Coach Angie Hind. "What makes her special Is not just her ability but it's the level of consistency she shows every day in practice and every single game. That is not easy to do and yet she has done that for five seasons here at ODU."
Turkoglu had a remarkable season leading the Monarchs as Team Captain from a defensive midfield position. In her senior and last season, she was instrumental in the success of the team and scored five goals from a defensive role. She scored two goals against Southern Miss, one each against Campbell, Marshall and one goal along with one assist against George Mason. She earned Sun Belt Conference Tournament MVP and All-Conference honors this season. Turkoglu was a First Team All-Southeast Region selection in 2023, a Third Team All-Southeast Region selection in 2022 and is a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree.
"I'm even more thrilled for her because she is such a great human being: humble, selfless and always supportive and positive, inspiring those around her always to come together and succeed," said Hind. "I can say confidently I speak for our staff and all the players at ODU that we are thrilled for her and just so proud."