INDIANAPOLIS – Malone freshmen duo Kirsten Hilty and Haleigh Seman were both recognized as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Athletes of the Week on Monday.
 
Hilty and Seman helped lead the Pioneers into the postseason and then some in the past week, earning a trip to Nashville for the G-MAC Championship semifinals.
 
Malone not only beat Ursuline to earn the final seed into the conference tournament, but eliminated defending champ Cedarville in the opening round on the road in overtime.
 
The Pioneers are making a statement in their first year in the league and have set up a rematch with the second-seeded Arrows of Ursuline on Thursday.
 
G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Kirsten Hilty
Malone University
Forward
Freshman
Sterling, OH
 
Hilty put opponents on notice against Ursuline in the regular-season finale, scoring twice in the second half against Ursuline.
 
She drilled the game winner in the 69th minute, snapping a 1-1 tie as the Pioneers salvaged a regular-season split against Ursuline. With the win, Malone moved from bubble team into clinched postseason status by securing the No. 6 seed in the G-MAC Championship bracket.
 
Hilty carried over that momentum directly in the postseason, scoring the game’s first goal against Cedarville.
 
Her strike put the Pioneers on top for about 35 minutes and Malone outlasted the Yellow Jackets in an overtime thriller.
 
 
G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Haleigh Seman
Malone University
Goalkeeper
Freshman
North Canton, OH
 
Part of the youth movement under head coach Josh Jones is the emergence of Seman, who has shared playing time tending net with Mackenzie Chappell this season.
 
Seman passed her latest test with a combined six saves in Malone’s two wins. Credit the entire Malone defense for limiting its opponents shots – Ursuline fired off 10 and Cedarville fired off 10.
 
She will look to stop Ursuline for the second time in two weeks as Malone gets ready for the G-MAC Championship semifinals on Thursday.