INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was well represented across the board as the United Soccer Coaches and D2 Conference Commissioners Association released their All-Midwest Region Women’s Soccer Team this week.
Eight student-athletes made the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team while nine more made the D2CCA regional list. A total of five different institutions were represented for the postseason awards.
The United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team consisted of three NCAA qualifiers from the Great Midwest, including Konstantina Giannou (Ohio Valley), Alli Pavlik (Ohio Dominican and Lauren Bates (Ohio Dominican).
Cedarville’s Grace Miorelli also made the second team after posting seven goals and five assists to lead the Yellow Jackets to an 11-6-2 overall record.
Giannou was the Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Year as the Fighting Scots finished undefeated through the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional. She had 17 goals and five assists.
Bates and Pavlik charged the Panthers’ offense by combining for 26 goals and six assists. Ohio Dominican advanced to the second round of the Midwest Regional by beating McKendree in double overtime on a game winner from Pavlik.
The United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Third Team added the likes of Paula Valbuena (Ohio Valley), Ana Da Costa (Ohio Valley), Lindsay Buten (Ohio Dominican) and Olivia Peters (Walsh).
Da Costa was billed the Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Year as OVU permitted just 11 goals in 19 games up until the season conclusion against Bellarmine. Valbuena was second on the Fighting Scots in scoring with a balanced nine goals and nine assists.
Buten started and played all possible 23 games for ODU and was an integral part of a defense that pitched nine shutouts during the year. She also had two assists.
Peters was the league leader in total points with 40 as she scored 13 goals and had 14 assists for the Cavaliers. Her assist total is second in single-season conference history and her point total is fifth all-time.
Many of the same faces earned status on the D2CCA Midwest Region Team. Giannou, Valbuena and Da Costa all made the first team along with Bates. Peters and Miorelli headlined the second team while Walsh duo Brianna Sanborn and Alisha Himes earned recognition along with Kentucky Wesleyan’s Madisyn Hunt.
Hunt was the Great Midwest Freshman of the Year after tallying 11 goals and four assists. Sanborn and Himes were each conference players of the week for the Cavaliers as Walsh went 15-4-0 in its maiden voyage in the Great Midwest.