GRAND RAPIDS - Bethany Balcer isn't real comfortable talking about herself or her accomplishments.

But it is kind of hard to avoid when she's the best college soccer player in the country at her level.

Balcer, a junior forward at Spring Arbor University, was named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women's Soccer National Player of the Year on Tuesday. It is the second time the Hudsonville native has won the award.

"It's a great honor and I'm humbled to get it," Balcer said. "But I like to think its a team award for what we did. I wouldn't get the goals or assists if it wasn't for them. They make me want to be a better person and a player."

Balcer and the Cougars beat Benedictine (Kansas) 2-0 on Saturday to win their second NAIA national championship in the past three years. Balcer scored both goals and finished with 37, which is fourth in the nation. Her 98 career goals is a school record. She also was named Crossroads Player of the Year for the third-straight season.

"Bethany's a special talent," Spring Arbor coach Jason Crist said after the game. "We can play her at midfield. We can player her up top (at forward). She's a good leader; a nice centerpiece to work around."

So what's it like to win a second national player of the year award?

"It's cool to win it again," Balcer said. "It validates, personally, my worth on the field. I try not to define who I am as a player by the awards I get. But this really is an honor. Everyone on the team has a different role and mine is to score goals. It's cool to get records, but hopefully another girl comes along and breaks mine."

Spring Arbor (24-1-1) traveled down to Orange Beach, Ala., on Saturday to face Benedictine (19-3-3). Balcer scored both goals in the second half. Of the 28 players on the roster, 11 are from the Grand Rapids area.

Four of which graduated from Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville: Balcer, Aubrey Schierbeek, Lauren Orr and Casandra Besteman.

"It's really cool to play with some of those girls for the past seven years now," Balcer said. "We have a special bond between us. We know how each other plays and anticipates each other's moves. We've shared a lot of memories and hopefully we make more."

All four players won three state titles with Unity Christian and now have won two more in college.

Schierbeek, a senior forward, was second in the NAIA with 21 assists and won NAIA Outstanding Offensive Player Award for the tourament.

"She's hard working and a great leader," Balcer said. "I've looked up to her since high school. She has I don't now how many assists. She's so huge for us. She draws attention to herself and then dishes it off and gets people open."

Orr is a junior fullback, who had a goal and three assists and played in all 26 games.

"She's a versatile player," Balcer said. "She was a forward in high school. Then she moved to defense the first two years here. Now she's in the midfield. She does a lot of work that not many people see."

Balcer and Besteman were roommates their first year on campus. Besteman, a junior midfielder, played in all 26 games and had three goals and an assist.

"She had been injured last two years of college," Balcer said. "It's the first time she's been healthy. A lot of play goes through her (offensively)."

Balcer comes from a soccer-loving family. All four of her siblings - Nick, 27, Christian, 25, Shannon, 23, and Grant, 16 - played in high school. Well, Grant is still a sophomore at Unity Christian. Nick is now a college soccer referee.

"He loves living vicariously through us," Bethany said of Grant. "He always tells me after games. 'Bethany I'm gonna go there and win a title on the guys side (at Spring Arbor)!"

Bethany and Shannon played together two years ago at Spring Arbor. In fact, Shannon is the reason Bethany went to the school.

"It was cool. We won (a title) my freshman year in high school together and we won the national title together here," said Bethany, the daughter of Kevin and Carol Balcer. "She had a big part in it. She sold the school to me. It was nice to visit and see the community. I already felt like i was on the team when i was being recruited."

The other Grand Rapids-area players on the Spring Arbor roster include: Bethany Balcer (Unity Christian/Jr.), Casandra Besteman (Unity Christian/Jr.), Renee Broekhuizen (South Christian/Sr.), Annika Hoekstra (Caledonia/Jr.), Kelly Hoffius (Spring Lake/Sr.), Allison Keizer (Calvin Christian/Jr.), Sarah Klunder (Calvin Christian/Sr.), Emily Mindling (GR Christian/So.), Lauren Orr (Unity Christian/Jr.), Aubrey Schierbeek (Unity Christian/Sr.) and Alyvia Thorne (Middleville/Fr.).