Four Golden Flashes Earn MAC Postseason Honors
11/1/2018 9:52:00 AM | Women's Soccer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Kent State women's soccer team had four student-athletes recognized on Mid-American Conference postseason award teams, the league office announced Thursday (Nov. 1) morning.
Senior defender Paige Culver and sophomore midfielder Vital Kats were both named to the All-MAC First Team with sophomore midfielder Maddie Holmes garnering All-MAC Second Team honors. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Faith O'Neill was selected to the All-Freshman Team.
Culver, who was a Third Team All-American and MAC Defensive Player of the Year last season, led the Kent State defense which tied for second in the league in shutouts (6). The Oakville, Ontario native has been a mark of consistency and started all 80 games of her career, which is second most in school history. She led the team with 1,863 minutes and scored six points with two goals and two assists. Culver ends her career as one of the most decorated players in program history and was selected to the All-MAC First Team for the third consecutive season after opening her career on the All-MAC Second Team. Kimberly Dimitroff (2004-07) is the only other player in school history to make an All-MAC team in all four years of her career.
Kats led the Golden Flashes with 25 points (8g, 9a) which ranks fourth most in the conference and is fifth for a single season in school history. Her six-point (2g, 2a) performance against Northern Illinois tied for the second most in a match in program history. She also put up a five-point (2g, 1a) outburst at Miami. The Toronto, Ontario native's nine assists tied for second amongst conference leaders.
Holmes finished second on the squad in points with 15 (6g, 3a) in her sophomore season. She also played in the second most minutes (1730) on the team and started in all 20 games. The Bay Village, Ohio native came up in big moments and tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals and scored two goals at Miami.
O'Neill started 17 games in net for the Flashes and her six shutouts tied for the second most in the MAC and was third in shutouts per game (0.38). Five of the six shutouts occurred in MAC play which led the conference in conference only shutouts. Down the stretch the Coquitlam, British Columbia set a career-high in saves with seven in back-to-back games at Ohio.
Kent State finished the year with its eighth consecutive 10-win season and is the only MAC team to accomplish that mark.
MAC Offensive Player of the Year:Â Erica Hubert, Senior, F, Bowling Green
MAC Defensive Player of the Year:Â Maureen Kennedy, Junior, D, Bowling Green
MAC Freshman of the Year:Â Tatiana Mason. Freshman, MF, Ball State
MAC Coach of the Year:Â Matt Fannon, Bowling Green
All-MAC First Team
Forward:Â Erica Hubert, Bowling Green
Forward:Â Carissima Cutrona, Buffalo
Forward:Â Hannah Scafaria, Toledo
Midfielder:Â Chelsee Washington, Bowling Green
Midfielder:Â Alyssa Burke, Western Michigan
Midfielder:Â Vital Kats, Kent State
Midfielder:Â Sabrina McNeill, Eastern Michigan
Defender:Â Mauren Kennedy, Bowling Green
Defender:Â Morgan Abbitt, Bowling Green
Defender:Â Paige Culver, Kent State
Goalkeeper:Â Kathleen Duwve, Bowling Green
All-MAC Second Team
Forward:Â Kristin Nason, Eastern Michigan
Forward:Â Lexi Pelafas, Central Michigan
Forward:Â Alivia Milesky, Ohio
Midfielder:Â Paula Guerrero, Ball State
Midfielder:Â Maddie Holmes, Kent State
Midfielder:Â Maria Collica, Ohio
Midfielder:Â Hannah Kahn, Western Michigan
Midfielder:Â Tatiana Mason, Ball State
Defender:Â Ashley Amato, Akron
Defender:Â Gurjeena Jandu, Buffalo
Defender:Â Emily Simmons, Ball State
Defender:Â Mandy Arnzen, Ohio
Goalkeeper:Â Tristin Stuteville, Ball State
All-Freshman Team
Carly Pcholinsky, MF, Akron
Sydney Worthy, F, Akron
Tatiana Mason, MF, Ball State
Sarah Allen, F, Bowling Green
Tess Ford, D, Buffalo
Emily Kelly, GK, Buffalo
Faith O'Neill, GK, Kent State
Lyda Bogdanovitch, F/MF, Miami
Abby Townsend, MF, Ohio
Olivia Sensky, D, Ohio
Ashton Cassel, MF, Toledo
Victoria Kryiakopoulos, D, Western Michigan
Hannah Sargent, GK, Western Michigan
Kai Sugiyama, D, Western Michigan
