Ashland University junior forward Dani Hicks is the 2024 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Midwest Region Player of the Year, as announced by the D2CCA on Tuesday (Nov. 26) afternoon.
 
Hicks, also the 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, was one of the key cogs for the No. 3-ranked Eagles throughout the most recent campaign, as she tied for the team lead in goals (14), was second in assists (eight) and points (36), and was AU's leader in game-winning goals with seven.
 
Through the second round of the NCAA Division II postseason, Hicks' game-winning goals put her in a tie for second nationally.
 
Hicks also was placed on the all-region first team, along with three of her teammates:

• Senior forward McKinley Mendenhall paced Ashland with 38 points and 10 assists this season, tied for first with 14 goals, and was second with four game-winners. Her point total is tied for eighth in D-II.
• Senior midfielder Merrik Mihalek, the 2024 Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Year, had five goals and two assists for 12 points this season. Two of her goals were game-winners.
• Sophomore center back Adi Turnbaugh played the most minutes of any Eagle this season (1,729), and helped AU to give up just seven goals in 21 games.

Ashland women's soccer went 17-2-2 overall and 12-0-2 in the Great Midwest, winning both the league regular-season and tournament titles. The Eagles reached the D-II playoffs for the sixth consecutive time this fall.