Texas Tech University Athletics
Beckie, Hinkle Ranked Among Top 15 Players in the Country
December 17, 2014 | Women's Soccer
Janine Beckie received yet another another on Wednesday as she was rated the 10th-best player in the country by the website TopDrawerSoccer.com. Beckie scored 17 goals this season en route to earning NSCAA first team All-America and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors as well.
Dec. 17, 2014
Beckie, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, was ranked 10th overall while Hinkle appeared four spots below her at No. 14 in the website's postseason poll of the top 100 players in the country. Freshman defender Cassie Conarty was also ranked 82nd in the publication's ranking of the top 100 freshmen.
Texas Tech was the only Big 12 program and the only school in the state of Texas with two players ranked among the top 15 in the country. Only Florida State, Virginia, UCLA and Tech had multiple players ranked in the top 15 of the rankings.
Beckie was the second-highest ranked forward ranked in the poll, trailing only Virginia's Makenzy Doniak who was slotted one spot ahead at No. 9 overall after helping lead the Cavaliers to the NCAA Women's College Cup.
Beckie will enter her 2015 senior season likely rated among the top players in the country once again as she and Doniak along with West Virginia defender Kadeisha Buchanan are the only three players ranked inside the top 10 to not be classified as a senior.
Hinkle, meanwhile, was considered the fourth-best defender in the country after helping lead the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the third round of the NCAA Championship.
Hinkle, who will likely be a top prospect in next month's NWSL Draft, has been ranked among the top 15 players in the country all season by TopDrawerSoccer.com. Beckie jumped up 25 spots in the final rankings as she was previously picked 35th in the website's midseason poll.
Beckie and Hinkle were both previously named NSCAA All-Americans and to the TopDrawerSoccer.com "Best XI" teams that were released Tuesday. The two standouts are the only All-American honorees in program history.
Behind the two former high school teammates, the Red Raiders closed the 2014 season with a 16-4-2 overall record, marking the program's third-straight season with at least 16 wins. Tech ended the year ranked 14th in the final NSCAA/Continental Tire top-25 poll.
