Six Flashes Soccer Players Earn MAC Postseason Honors
11/4/2021 9:30:00 AM | Women's Soccer
(CLEVELAND, Ohio) - Thursday morning, the Mid-American Conference announced its women's soccer postseason awards for the 2021 fall season.
Six members of the Golden Flashes received awards: senior defender Tianna Harris was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year, along with All-MAC First Team. Joining Harris with First Team All-MAC honors are redshirt senior forward Cameron Shedenhelm and redshirt senior defender Karly Hellstrom. Additionally, midfielders Siena Stambolich and Alisa Arthur and defender Grace Barresi were all named to the All-Freshman Team. No other team had as many honorees as Kent State.
This news, while prestigious and noteworthy, should come as no shock to anyone who follows Flashes soccer. All year long, Kent State has seen tremendous contributions from these six players, along with many others not on this list. The Flashes would not currently be sitting at a record of 12-4-3 and 7-1-3 in the conference without the aid of players like Shedenhelm, who leads the league in goals and shots on goal (11 and 33, respectively), or Hellstrom, who leads the MAC in assists with 11.
Great defensive play from Harris and Barresi has led to seven shutouts in the campaign, with Harris also pulling double duty on the offensive side of the ball in the form of netting three goals this season, including two game-winners. Arthur and Stambolich have also come up clutch in big-time moments as freshmen this year, fully embracing their roles as starters and key pieces to this Flashes offense, even at a young age.
It's been said again and again in women's soccer stories this season, but it must be reiterated: an abundance of credit should also be given to head coach Rob Marinaro and his coaching staff, for putting their players in a position to succeed. It takes special skill to be able to tap into someone's raw talent and efficiently channel it into maximum on-field performance. But the Flashes coaches have been able to do that this year, and each and every one of the players to win All-MAC awards would surely be quick to cite Marinaro, as well as assistant coaches Abby Richter and Rocky Sasitharan, as vital tools to their impressive play on the soccer field.
These awards are wonderful and well-deserved for all six players receiving them, but may they not take away from the main task at hand for the Flashes on Thursday: the semifinal matchup against Ohio. That match is set to kick off at 7 PM in Bowling Green.
