INDIANAPOLIS – Drury University sophomore forward Elsa Gonzalez, freshman midfielder Tara Simon, and head coach Justin Olson, as well as University of Indianapolis graduate defender Dana Youssef, have earned major postseason honors for the 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Women’s Soccer season, the league office announced on Friday.
Gonzalez was named Offensive Player of the Year, Youssef earned Defensive Player of the Year, Simon garnered Freshman of the Year, and Olson was dubbed Coach of the Year by his peers. In total, 33 student-athletes claimed All-Conference honors, while 15 were chosen as GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship honorees for the sport and Truman State was selected as the team sportsmanship award winner.
Gonzalez becomes Drury’s first-ever Offensive Player of the Year and is just the second Panther to earn a major honor in the sport, as Jessie Sanderson was both the Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. Gonzalez scored eight goals and dished out two assists in Conference play to total 18 points during the 14-game slate. All three of those numbers are good for third-best in the loop. She also took 26 shots in league play and put 13 of them on goal, including scoring two game-winners. In addition to the other three games in non-conference action, the sophomore had 21 points, nine goals, and three assists. The Guadlix de la Sierra, Madrid, native also earned GLVC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 11 and was the lone unanimous pick on the All-GLVC First Team.
Youssef earns back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year accolades after being voted as such this past spring season. The graduate student helped UIndy allow just nine goals in league play with a 0.64 goals against average, which are both third-best in the loop. Overall, the Greyhounds only allowed 10 goals in 15 contests and just twice gave up more than one in a game, while tallying seven shutouts. Offensively, the Monchengladbach, Germany, native tallied three assists and took 15 shots with eight on goal. This marks the third All-Conference award for Youssef, including her second-straight on the First Team.
Simon becomes Drury’s second Freshman of the Year after Sanderson in 2007, as she registered seven points in league play with one assist and three goals, all of which were game-winners and tied for the most in the GLVC. The midfielder took 32 shots with 14 on goal during the 13 games played, while her shots and shots per game (2.29) were both top-10 numbers.
Olson was voted by his peers as Drury’s first women’s soccer Coach of the Year, marking the fifth-straight season a new mentor earned the postseason award. Olson led the Panthers to a 12-4-1 overall record and a 10-3-1 mark in the GLVC, which was good for the No. 2 seed in the Championship Tournament – the program’s best seed ever. His squad saw recognition in the United Soccer Coaches national poll, receiving votes in two of the nine polls and was ranked No. 24 on Oct. 19. In addition to guiding Gonzalez and Simon to major honors, the second-year head coach had five student-athletes named All-GLVC, including one each on the First and Third Teams, with the other three on the Second Team.
In addition to Drury’s Gonzalez and UIndy’s Youssef, nine others earned All-GLVC First Team honors. The forwards included Missouri S&T’s Sydney Gratz, UIndy’s Kiki Sauceda, and McKendree University’s Anna Stiffler; the midfielders were Quincy University’s Lauren Crane, Truman State University’s Hanna Hickey, and McKendree’s Emma Knoebel; the defenders included McKendree’s Morgan Bova and Lewis’ Abby Gustafson; and the first-team goalkeeper was S&T’s Kristin Steins.
The league also recognized 15 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees and one Team award winner: Truman. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced at the end of the academic year.
A complete list of the 2021 All-GLVC teams and postseason honors can be found below.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Elsa Gonzalez, So., F, Drury
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dana Youssef, Gr., D, Indianapolis
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Tara Simon, MF, Drury
COACH OF THE YEAR: Justin Olson, Drury
FIRST TEAM
Elsa Gonzalez, So., F, DU #
Abby Gustafson, Sr., D, LEWIS
Kiki Sauceda, Sr., F, UINDY
Dana Youssef, Gr., D, UINDY
Morgan Bova, Jr., D, MCK
Emma Knoebel, Sr., MF, MCK
Anna Stiffler, So., F, MCK
Sydney Gratz, Jr., F, S&T
Kristin Steins, Gr., GK, S&T
Lauren Crane, Sr., MF, QU
Hanna Hickey, Sr., MF, TSU
# Unanimous selection |
SECOND TEAM
Andrea Camargo, So., D, DU
Keeley Combs, Jr., MF, DU
Kaitlin Knetzke, Jr., GK, DU
Cali Havelka-Vanderplow, Gr., F, LEWIS
Maddy Barkow, Gr., D, UINDY
Maria Herrero, Jr., MF, UINDY
Taylor Peck, Gr., F, UINDY
Paige Anderson, R-Jr., D, QU
Katlyn Andres, Sr., F, USI
Avery Schone, Sr., MF, USI
Camryn Sprague, R-Sr., D, TSU
|
THIRD TEAM
Chloe Cash, Sr., F, DU
Jill Wipke, Sr., D, LWU
Lexi Gentry, So., MF, MU
Danielle Hopkins, Jr., MF, S&T
Maya Ware, R-Jr., MF, UMSL
Cassie Hall, D, UMSL
Raegan Edwards, Sr., F, SBU
Faith Branson, Sr., F, TSU
Chance Douglass, Gr., F, TSU
Beth Hopwood, Jr., GK, TSU
Kate Peterson, R-Jr., D, TSU
|
JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Abigail Street, DU
Madison Grandys, UIS
Kaylee Zimbelmann, UINDY
Abby Gustafson, LEWIS
Sam Linderer, LWU
Carly O'Donnell, MU
Danielle Knutson, MCK
Ally Cole, S&T
Maya Ware, UMSL
Lauren Crane, QU
Alex Moss, RU
Madeline Weston, USI
Madigan May, SBU
Sydni Beeley, TSU
Kaylie Kappelmann, WJC
JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Truman State