Maryville, Rockhurst, McKendree Earn GLVC Women’s Soccer Postseason Awards

INDIANAPOLIS – Maryville University junior forward Elsa Nilson-Hurtig, senior defender Lotte Brands, freshman goalkeeper Agnes Vilen, and coach Lori Lawson, Rockhurst University junior forward Anna Lantz, and McKendree University freshman forward Maddie Mauch have earned major postseason honors for the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Women's Soccer season, the league office announced on Tuesday.
 
Nilson-Hurtig and Lantz were named Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Brands earned Defensive Player of the Year, Vilen claimed Goalkeeper of the Year, Mauch garnered Freshman of the Year, and Lawson was dubbed Coach of the Year by her 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 University was selected as the team sportsmanship award winner.

The All-Conference awards are nominated and voted on by league coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own players.
 
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Elsa Nilson-Hurtig, Junior, Forward, Maryville

• Becomes Maryville's second Offensive Player of the Year winner and second in as many seasons.
  • Third overall major award winner with the most recent going to Lexi Gentry as Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
• Led the league in assists per game (.529), second in assists (9) and points per game (1.71) while finishing third in points (29).
  • Added ten goals (3 game-winning) on 58 shots (38 on goal)
• Led league in GLVC-only games with eight assists and .533 assists per game
  • Placed third in goals (10) goals per game (.667), points (28), and points per game (1.87)
  • Added three game-winning goals on 56 shots (36 on goal)
• Helped Saints secure No. 1 seed in GLVC Championship Tournament.
• Earns her second-straight All-Conference honor and first on the First Team.

 
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Anna Lantz, Junior, Forward, Rockhurst

• Becomes Rockhurst's fourth Offensive Player of the Year.
  • Ninth overall major award winner with the most recent coming in the 2022 season when Lantz won Freshman of the Year, Greta Seal won Defensive Player of the Year, and Greg Herdlick won Coach of the Year.
• Second in the league in goals (13), goals per game (.684), and points (32).
  • Added six assists, and five game-winning goals on 82 shots (45 on goal)
• Led league in GLVC-only games in goals (12), goals per game (.857), points (29), and points per game (2.07)
  • Placed third in game-winning goals with four.
• Named GLVC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4.
• Helped Hawks secure No. 4 seed in GLVC Championship Tournament.
• Earns her third-straight All-Conference honor with all being on the First Team.

 
Defensive Player of the Year: Lotte Brands, Senior, Defender, Maryville

• Becomes Maryville's first-ever Defensive Player of the Year.
  • Fourth overall major award winner for Maryville.
• Started 16 games on the backline, registering 1,281 minutes, helping Maryville hold opponents to three goals while recording 13 shutouts in the games she played.
• Added ten points on four goals and two assists.
• Also named to All-GLVC First Team for her third All-Conference selection.

 
Goalkeeper of the Year: Agnes Vilen, Freshman, Maryville

• Becomes the Saints' first-ever GLVC Goalkeeper of the Year and fifth overall major award winner for Maryville.
• Started all 17 games and played in 1,485 minutes.
• Led league in goals against (5), goals against average (.303) and save percentage (.889) while finishing second in shutouts (13).
• Led league in GLVC-only matches with a .138 goals against average, .938 save percentage, and 12 shutouts
• Also named to All-GLVC First Team for her first All-Conference selection.

Freshman of the Year: Maddie Mauch, Forward, McKendree

• Becomes McKendree's third Freshman of the Year and second in a row after Maggie Gleckler won last year's award. Anna Stiffler was the first in 2021 spring season. Named the eighth major award winner in Bearcat history.
• Scored seven goals for 14 points as well as one game-winning goal
  • In GLVC play, scored six goals for twelve points

 
 
Coach of the Year: Lori Lawson, Maryville

• Named Coach of the Year for the second straight season
• Led Maryville to a 15-0-2 overall record and 13-0-2 GLVC record, as well as the top seed in GLVC Championship Tournament.
• Joins Nilson-Hurtig, Brands, and Vilen in garnering a major honor.
  • Mentored total of eight players to All-GLVC recognition, including first-teamers Brands, Nilson-Hurtig, Vilen, Ulrika Bredin, and Lexi Gentry,

 
In addition to Maryville's quintet – Brands, Bredin, Gentry, Nilson-Hurtig, and Vilen –six others earned All-GLVC First Team honors. Drury University defender Andrea Camargo, midfielder Kourtney Tucker, and forward Holland Hawkins were joined by McKendree University forward Anna Stiffler, University of Missouri-St. Louis midfielder Kayley Judy, and Rockhurst University forward Anna Lantz to fill out the First Team.
 
The 15 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees are listed below, which are student-athletes 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 2024 All-GLVC teams and postseason honors can be found below.
 
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Elsa Nilson-Hurtig, F, Jr., Maryville
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anna Lantz, F, Jr., Rockhurst
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lotte Brands, D, Sr., Maryville
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR: Agnes Vilen, Fr., Maryville
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Maddie Mauch, F, McKendree
COACH OF THE YEAR: Lori Lawson, Maryville
 

FIRST TEAM Andrea Camargo, D, Sr., DU Holland Hawkins, F, Jr., DU Kourtney Tucker, MF, Sr., DU Lotte Brands, D, Sr., MU Ulrika Bredin, D, Sr., MU Lexi Gentry, MF, Gr., MU Elsa Nilson-Hurtig, F, Jr., MU Agnes Vilen, GK, Fr., MU  Anna Stiffler, F, 5th, MCK Kayley Judy, MF, Sr., UMSL Anna Lantz, F, Jr., RU

SECOND TEAM Audrey Camargo, D, Sr., DU Katy Fitzler, GK, So., DU  Elena Perez, MF, Jr., DU Tori Calvert, MF, Sr., MU Maddie Dickerman, D, Gr., MU Ashlyne Hunt, F, R-Jr., MU Lena Higgins, F, Sr., MCK Katie Spotanski, MF, 5th, MCK Jaycee Cotton, D, Sr., UMSL Jada Holloman, F, Sr., UMSL  Gabby Hennessy, MF, Gr., RU

THIRD TEAM* Ines Villanueva Casal, MF, Sr., DU Brooke Biffar, D, Sr., UIS Allison Mirimanian, GK, Sr., UIS Katelynn Ward, F, Jr., UIS Zy'Aire Parker, D, Jr., UINDY  Mia Winters, F, So., UINDY Breanna Culver, F, Jr., LEWIS  Maggie Gleckler, MF, So, MCK Maria Voss, D, Sr., MCK Mary Kate Neal, GK, Sr., UMSL Patti Ehrnman, D, Sr., RU Lizzo Rosenthal, MF, Jr., RU

*Extra member due to tie at goalkeeper
 

JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Leah McDonald, DU
Brooke Biffar, UIS
Zy'aire Parker, UINDY
Jada Harvey, LEWIS
Leah Serritos, LINC
Nika Vemdal, MU
Maggie Glecker, MCK
Grace Kohler, S&T
Emily Bloomfield, UMSL
Reegan Hess, QU
Patti Ehrnman, RU
Taylor Branch, SBU
Olivia Morris, TSU
Mikalynn Hidde, UIU
Grace Reineke, WJC
 
JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD TEAM WINNER
Truman State