Zwiercan, Kirkpatrick Top PSAC Women's Soccer Awards
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- Kutztown sophomore Emily Zwiercan was tabbed the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Year while her coach, Erik Burstein, earned Coach of the Year accolades, the league announced Friday morning in conjunction with the release of the all-conference women’s soccer teams.
Zwiercan is the second Golden Bear to claim the award and first since 2014. She leads the PSAC is shots (84) while sitting tied for second in points (35). The sophomore is fifth in the league in goals scored with 13 while being tied for the lead in assists with nine. Zwiercan notched a hat trick against Gannon (Sep. 9) after notching a pair of goals against Lock Haven three days prior. She provided the match-winner against Millersville in a 1-0 contest on the road before tallying a pair of goals against Mercyhurst (Sep. 30). Zwerican has appeared in all 20 of KU’s matches while starting 19 of them.
Burstein earned the award for the first time in his career and is the second KU coach to garner the award (Jeff Schellenberger, 2004). Burstein’s squad entered the week at No. 4 in the NCAA DII Coaches Poll while sitting atop the Atlantic Region. KU entered the PSAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and advanced to the semifinals. The Golden Bears opened the season with 13 consecutive wins and climbed to No. 1 in the country while posting five consecutive shutouts to open the season.
KU’s Randi Smith was named the Freshman of the Year and is the third KU player to earn the accolade and first since 2008. Smith is tied for eighth in the league in match-winning goals with three while being tied for fifth in assists with seven. She opened her career by scoring a goal in three consecutive contests, including the match-winner in her debut against Charleston (W. Va.) Aug. 31. Smith distributed a pair of assists on two separate occasions.
West Chester junior Julia Kirkpatrick claimed the Defensive Athlete of the Year merit and is the first Golden Ram to do so. Kirkpatrick spearheaded a defense that has allowed 10 goals through 19 contests. WCU leads the league in goals-against average (0.53). The Golden Rams entered the week at No. 16 in the country, No. 2 in the Atlantic Region and the No. 1 seed in the PSAC Tournament. WCU will battle East Stroudsburg Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. for the title.
Seton Hill’s Emily LoPresti appears on her third all-conference team.
Of the 41 representatives, 25 are making their first appearance.
A full list of honorees is below.
PSAC Women’s Soccer Major Award Winners
Athlete of the Year: Emily Zwiercan, Kutztown
Defensive Athlete of the Year: Julia Kirkpatrick, West Chester
Freshman of the Year: Randi Smith, Kutztown
Coach of the Year: Erik Burstein, Kutztown
PSAC Women’s Soccer First-Team All-Conference
| Position |
Name |
Cl. |
University |
Hometown/Previous |
| Defense |
Morgan Staley |
Sr. |
Kutztown |
Landenberg, Pa./Kennett |
| Defense |
Julia Kirkpatrick |
Jr. |
West Chester |
Brick, N.J./Brick Twp. |
| Defense |
Hannah Saggese |
So. |
East Stroudsburg |
Oneota, N.Y./Milford Central |
| Defense |
Cassidy LeDonne |
Sr. |
IUP |
Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional |
| Forward |
Taylor Lewis* |
So. |
Gannon |
Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek |
| Forward |
Emily Zwiercan |
So. |
Kutztown |
Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico |
| Forward |
Ashley Mutkus^ |
Sr. |
Edinboro |
Monaca, Pa./Central Valley |
| Forward |
Emily LoPresti*^ |
Jr. |
Seton Hill |
Petrolia, Pa./Karns City |
| Midfield |
Maddie Mohr* |
So. |
Kutztown |
Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown Area |
| Midfield |
Allie Barber+^ |
Jr. |
Bloomsburg |
Pittston Twp., Pa./Pittston Area |
| Midfield |
Sammi Ortiz^ |
Sr. |
East Stroudsburg |
Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville |
| Midfield |
Hannah Manczka+ |
Sr. |
Gannon |
Fairview, Pa./McDowell |
| Goalie |
Jules Harris^ |
Sr. |
East Stroudsburg |
Orangeburg, N.Y./Tappan Zee |
PSAC Women’s Soccer Second-Team All-Conference
| Position |
Name |
Cl. |
University |
Hometown/Previous |
| Defense |
Nicole Felice |
Jr. |
Gannon |
Cleveland, Ohio/Laurel School |
| Defense |
Madison Johnson |
So. |
Slippery Rock |
North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted |
| Defense |
Coleen Brodman^ |
Sr. |
Edinboro |
Allison Park, Pa./Hampton |
| Defense |
Jordan Shoff |
Jr. |
Lock Haven |
York, Pa./York Suburban |
| Forward |
Lexie Palluconi^ |
Sr. |
IUP |
Fairport, N.Y./Fairport |
| Forward |
Alex Pickett* |
Jr. |
East Stroudsburg |
Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Twp. |
| Forward |
Jenny Bail |
So. |
West Chester |
Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley |
| Forward |
Kay Liebl |
So. |
Millersville |
Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata |
| Forward# |
Brooke Testa |
Jr. |
Slippery Rock |
Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena |
| Midfield |
Tess Keeley* |
Sr. |
Slippery Rock |
Pottsville, Australia/Kingscliff |
| Midfield |
Alyssa Ryan |
Jr. |
Kutztown |
North Wales, Pa./Wissahickon |
| Midfield |
Brandie Bryant |
Sr. |
IUP |
Essex, Md./Eastern Technical |
| Midfield |
Emilie Bock |
So. |
Mercyhurst |
Falsled, Denmark/Tornbjerg |
| Goalie |
Kylie Downs |
Jr. |
Slippery Rock |
Moon Twp., Pa./Moon |
PSAC Women’s Soccer Third-Team All-Conference
| Position |
Name |
Cl. |
University |
Hometown/Previous |
| Defense |
Hannah Stoof |
Jr. |
IUP |
Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny |
| Defense |
Tayah Naudascher+ |
So. |
Bloomsburg |
Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan |
| Defense |
Kaitlyn McNamara^ |
Sr. |
West Chester |
West Nyack, N.Y./Albertus Magnus |
| Defense |
Paige Mancini |
Fr. |
Millersville |
Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy |
| Forward |
Randi Smith |
Fr. |
Kutztown |
Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley |
| Forward |
Nikki Zaso |
Jr. |
West Chester |
Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East |
| Forward |
Izzy Weigel |
So. |
Shippensburg |
Chambersburg, Pa./Bridgewater |
| Forward |
Rachel Yenney^ |
Sr. |
Bloomsburg |
Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley |
| Midfield |
Haley Skove |
Fr. |
East Stroudsburg |
Lawrenceville, N.J./Notre Dame |
| Midfield |
Katie Kimmich |
So. |
Seton Hill |
Export, Pa./Franklin Regional |
| Midfield |
Claire Jacobs |
So. |
West Chester |
Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg |
| Midfield |
Maddy Tletski^ |
Sr. |
Slippery Rock |
North Canton, Ohio/Jackson |
| Goalie |
Krista Mosi |
Jr. |
Clarion |
South Park, Pa./South Park |
| Goalie# |
Jessica Neill |
Jr. |
Seton Hill |
Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley |
* Indicates previous All-PSAC first team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC second team selection
+ Indicates previous All-PSAC third team selection
# Number of honorees altered due to tie