Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team Announced

4.28.21


2020-21 Great Midwest Women's Soccer All-Conference Team (PDF)


COLUMBUS, Ohio
– Prior to the start of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Championship semifinal round from the campus of Ohio Dominican University, the 2020-21 all-conference team was announced on Wednesday afternoon.
 
A total of 33 student-athletes were voted by the league’s coaches to either the first, second or third team, and individual awards were also decided on the ballot for spring season accomplishments.
 
The conference championship semis will feature No. 1 Findlay, No. 3 Cedarville, No. 5 Walsh and No. 7 Malone, at Panther Stadium on Thursday.
 
Findlay captured the regular season conference title for the second consecutive season, this time under first-year head coach Trip Rogers. The Oilers score 2.3 goals per game and are outscoring their opponents two goals per game on average, both numbers ranking as tops in the league.
 
Findlay takes a seven-game win streak into their matchup against Walsh were recognized with individual honors, including Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Year Olivia Frank and Great Midwest Freshman of the Year Alyssa Stark.
 
Frank, a junior forward, is tied for the league lead in points (12) after netting five goals and two assists. Two of those goals were of the game-winning variety as Findlay went 7-1-1 in the conference schedule this spring. She was a second team all-conference selection in 2019 and was the Great Midwest Freshman of the Year in 2018.
 
Stark played a starring role for the Oilers for a defense that is giving up just 0.30 goals per game, translating to three goals spanning the entire season. Findlay has blanked opponents in seven of their last eight contests, including a quarterfinal win over No. 8 Tiffin. Stark was also named the conference defensive player of the week back on April 6.
 
The Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Year was Ohio Dominican’s Alaina Behnke, a linchpin in the Panthers’ dominant defense in the spring. ODU carried the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and pitched another shutout in the quarterfinals despite being able to advance via PK’s. Behnke anchored the back line for Ohio Dominican as it permitted just two goals in 10 games.
 
Sharing Great Midwest Co-Coach of the Year honors was a pair of first-year leaders at their respective institutions, Malone’s Bailey Shattell and Ohio Dominican’s Reilee DuPratt. Shattell has guided the Pioneers into the semifinals for the first time in program history since joining the Great Midwest. The Panthers excelled in their opening year under DuPratt’s direction with a 6-1-3 overall record and a runner-up placing in the conference regular season standings.
 
The sport-specific Elite 23 Award winner was Tiffin senior Lauryn Grcic. The eighth-seeded Dragons made their first conference tournament appearance this spring. Grcic has a 4.0 cumulative GPA in her undergraduate studies while majoring in Forensic Science.
 
Ohio Dominican had a league-leading seven student-athletes voted to the all-conference team, including five on the first team, Behnke, junior defender Hannah Knobloch, sophomore forward Callan Myers, senior forward Samantha Buck and junior mid Katlyn Jamiel. Findlay’s Lindsay Ahbe was a repeat selection as a lockdown defender on the first team ballot.
 
Defense was also a strong central theme for the Yellow Jackets with first teamer McKenzie Northcutt and second teamer Delight Williams contributing to a strong spring showing. Mary Kate Wyer was also among the league's top playmakers to make the coveted first team. 
 
Findlay had four on the second team, including Stark. Co-league leader in points Madeline Ault of Malone was also on the list along with 2019 conference offensive player of the year Madisyn Hunt of Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
The conference tournament semifinals will take place at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday evening. The championship game will be played on Saturday with a projected 2:45 pm ET start time following the men’s contest.