INDIANAPOLIS—The final four teams left in the women’s soccer bracket are preparing to continue their journey through the postseason as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced all-conference and individual award winners Wednesday afternoon.
 
The league’s head coaches voted student-athletes to either first or second team in addition to individual awards.
 
Michael Korhonen was voted this year’s Coach of the Year after leading the Timberwolves to a regular season title. Northwood finished the regular season with a conference record of 12-1-1.
 
The Timberwolves are celebrated with a trio of student-athletes named to the all-conference teams. Seniors Hannah Jatczak and Juliana Paoletti lead the pack with first-team all-conference selections. Jatczak, a defender, started in all 19 games this season and led a Northwood defense that allowed opponents to average .95 goals per game. She totaled seven points, including three goals and one assist. Paoletti, a senior forward, ranks fifth in the conference in goals scored with eight on the year through 15 games. She also recorded two assists for a total of 18 points this season. Junior Sydney Rizo was voted to the second-team as a defender. Rizo started in 16 games this season and scored one goal in a win over UIndy.
 
Ashland is the No. 2 seed is ranked No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Junior Merrik Mihalek was voted the league’s top defender and joins teammates Julianna Williams, Dani Hicks, and Mackenzie Simon as first-team selections. Mihalek led a dominant defense that ranks first in the conference in goals-allowed at just four this season and limiting opponents to just 62 shots on goal this season. In addition to leading the league’s top defense, Mihalek also scored seven goals and tabbed four assists for a total of 18 points. Julianna Williams joins Mihalek as a first-team defender. She has started in 17 games for the Eagles and recorded one assist this season. At the helm of the Ashland defense is goalkeeper Mackenzie Simon, who holds the nation’s best goals-against average of .220. Simon also leads the conference in shutouts at nine and a save percentage of .927. The trio of Mihalek, Williams, and Simon have led the Eagles to become one of the best defenses in Division II with a team goals-against average of .211. Sophomore Dani Hicks rounds out first-team selections from Ashland. Hicks, a forward, posted a season stat line of nine goals and six assists for 24 points. Her 24 points ranks second in the conference. The Eagles are set to play Cedarville in the semifinals.
 
Cedarville is slotted as the No. 3 seed with a conference record of 11-2-1. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the semifinals after beating Walsh by a score of 5-1. Coaches voted Megan McClish as the Offensive Player of the Year. McClish leads the league in goals scored with 11 this season, averaging .579 per game. In addition to her 11 goals, McClish has four assists for a league-high 26 points.
 
Kennedy Slovak from Findlay is the Goalkeeper of the Year. Slovak appeared in 19 games this season and finished with a regular season record of 11-3-3 in goal. She totaled 40 saves and six shutouts this season with a goals-against average of 0.59. In addition to Slovak, Hannah Rybicki also earned a spot on the first-team all-conference list. As a forward, Rybicki scored nine goals and had two assists for 20 points this season. Rybicki and Slovak have led the Oilers to a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament and will take on No. 1 Northwood Thursday morning.
 
Andela Popovic and Sydney Rhodes join newcomers Thomas More University as members of the all-conference first-team. Andela Popovic, who was selected as a first-team midfielder and Freshman of the Year, started in 18 games for the Saints. She registered 22 points in her college debut. Her 22 points included nine goals and four assists. Rhodes, a forward, started in all 19 games, registering eight goals and five assists. Both Rhodes and Popovic led the Saints to their first Great Midwest Tournament berth before falling to No. 2 Ashland.
 
The Cavaliers from Walsh University finished the regular season with an overall record of 9-7-2. Ally Stein was a voted first-team all-conference defender. Stein appeared and started in all 18 games for the Cavaliers and registered four points, including two goals.
 
The sport’s Elite 26 Award winner was Walsh’s Kiara McMillen, who is a Psychology major. The Elite 26 Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete at the conference championship level in his or her sport while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or peers. McMillen had the highest qualifying GPA from teams that qualified for the conference tournament as the Cavaliers were seeded at No. 6.

The semifinal round will take place on Thursday, Nov. 6. Matches will take place at 10:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. ET. Visit the Championship Central Page for more information. 

A full list of honorees can be found HERE.