Marinaro Earns Coach of Year; Six Named to OCSA All-Ohio Teams
12/20/2016 12:20:00 PM | Women's Soccer
WILMINGTON, Ohio- Head soccer coach Rob Marinaro has been named 2016 OCSA Division I Women's Coach of the Year, while six soccer student-athletes were tabbed to the 2016 OCSA Division I Women's All-Ohio Teams as announced Monday.
Marinaro garners coach of the year honors having led Kent State to its first MAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.  The Golden Flashes won a single-season record 15 matches this season and won the MAC East Division with eight regular season conference wins.
Redshirt junior Donavan Capehart, senior Jenna Hellstrom, senior Abbie Lawson, senior Brittany Maisano, and sophomore Ashleah McDonald were named All-Ohio First Team, while sophomore Paige Culver was named All-Ohio Second Team.
Capehart garners first team All-Ohio honors for the second year in a row, having tallied six goals and four assists this season. Capehart notched five goals in a span of four games this season, including two goals against rival Akron. One of three captains of the Golden Flashes, Capehart was also named second team All-MAC, third team All-Great Lakes Region and Academic All-MAC.
Hellstrom is now a four-time OCSA All-Ohio selection as she led the Golden in goals (14), assists (10) and points (38). Hellstrom scored multiple goals in four games this season and had three games with multiple assists. A team captain, Hellstrom became the first All-American in program history this season and was also named first team All-Great Lakes Region, MAC Offensive Player of the Year, first team All-MAC and MAC All-Tournament Team.
Lawson garners OCSA All-Ohio honors for the first time in her career. Lawson started all 20 games for the Golden Flashes this season, scoring one goal and adding one assist. A two-time captain for Kent State, Lawson was also named third team NSCAA Scholar All-America, second team All-Great Lakes Region, second team All-MAC, MAC All-Tournament Team and Academic All-MAC.
Maisano was OCSA Academic All-Ohio selection a season ago and garners All-Ohio First Team honors for the first time. Maisano started all 20 games for Kent State this season, registering two assists while aiding the Golden Flashes' defense to nine shutouts. Maisano was also named All-MAC Second Team and Academic All-MAC this season.
McDonald earns All-Ohio honors for the first time having started 19 of 20 games in goal for Kent State this season. McDonald totaled 14 wins this season with seven shutouts, allowing just 17 goals. McDonald was also named third team All-Great Lakes Region and Academic All-MAC.
Culver is an All-Ohio Second Team selection for the second year in a row. Culver started all 20 matches for Kent State this season, logging 1,866 minutes played, the most of any Golden Flash. Culver scored one goal and registered two assists this season, while aiding Kent State's defense to nine shutouts. Culver was also named first team All-MAC and Academic All-MAC this season.Â
The OCSA was founded in 1953 and its first president was Cliff Stevenson, head soccer coach at Oberlin College and it is one of the oldest soccer coaches associations in country.
