Lisa Hanselman gets Player of the Year nod while Olivia Habicht earns Rookie of the Year honors
Lisa Hanselman (left) was named the CSAC Player of the Year while Olivia Habicht (right) was named the Rookie of the Year
Aston, PA - Senior Lisa Hanselman was named the Colonial States Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Year, freshman Olivia Habicht earned Rookie of the Year honors and Head Coach Andrew Smith was named the Coach of the Year as the CSAC announced the recipients of end of year awards and First, Second and Honorable Mention All-Conference teams. In all, Marywood University placed 10 student-athletes in all on All-Conference teams, the highest total in program history.
Hanselman (Manheim, PA) was named the Colonial States Athletic Conference’s 2009 Player of the Year after leading the Pacers in goals (18), and points (38). Hanselman holds the title of Player of the Week for the week ending September 27th earlier this season and was a Second Team selection in 2008. Hanselman also holds conference records in regular season play in points (38), points per game (2.53), goals (18), goals per game (1.20), and is in a three-way tie for game winning goals with a total of 5. It is the second consecutive year a Marywood player has earned Player of the Year honors as Hanselman follows defender Andrea Barker who was named Co-Player of the Year in 2008.
Olivia Habicht (Woodcliff Lake, NJ) was named the Conference’s 2009 Rookie of the Year after the freshman started in all 16 games of regular season play. She holds the team record and is tied for third in the conference for shots on goal (74). Habicht is second on the team with goals (11) and third for points (26). As a freshman she holds the conference record for shots per game with 4.62. Habicht joins future Hall of Fame Inductee Lindsay Pappas as the only players in Marywood history to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Pappas was named the Conference's Co-Rookie of the Year in 1999.
Andrew Smith was named the Conference’s 2009 Coach of the Year. Smith is in his 10th season as the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Marywood University and sixth year as Director of Sports Information and Athletic Promotions. Under Smith’s leadership, at the completion of the 2009 regular season, the Pacers have amassed a record of 97-71-10 (52-29-5 conference), have had six seasons with at least 10 wins, reached the conference playoffs on five occasions and captured the 2008 CSAC Championship to advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. With a 9-0-1 conference record the Pacers hold the number one seed going into the CSAC playoffs. Smith also took home Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2008.
Joining Hanselman and Olivia Habicht on the First Team were defenders Andrea Barker (Binghamton, NY), and Lacey Habicht (Woodcliff Lake, NJ) as well as goalkeeper Meghan Coyle (Endicott, NY). Barker, a junior, was the 2008 CSAC Co-Player of the Year and Marywood's first NSCAA All-Region selection as well as a First Team selection in 2008. The three defenders, along with sophomore center-back Stephanie Hoffman (Binghamton, NY), anchored a defense that posted seven shutouts and posted a 0.88 goals against average during the regular season. Suprisingly, Hoffman did not receive an all-conference nod despite playing in 15 of 16 games and registering three points on one goal and one assist. Coyle posted a 0.96 goals against average (0.55 conference) and allowed just five goals in conference play to earn her first All-Conference nomination.
Senior Lisa Gavin (Woodbury Heights, NJ) earned her first all-conference recognition after a stellar year where she saw time at both midfield and forward. Gavin was selected to the Conference's second-team as a midfielder. Gavin registered five goals and four assists for 14 points.
Three Pacers earned Honorable Mention recognition as Siobhan Blancaflor, Leslie Higham and Shannon Hresko were named to the squad. All were first time honorees. Blancaflor (Haddam, CT) was second on the team in points (28) and third in goals (9) while leading the Pacers with 10 assists. Hresko, a junior outside back from Gibbstown, NJ, posted one goal and one assist for the Pacers but set up several other scoring opportunities on direct kicks and corner kicks. A junior, Higham (North Brunswick, NJ) controlled the midfield for the Pacers, winning 50-50 balls and often marking the oppositions best attacking midfielder.
Erica Mechalke (Elmira, NY) was Marywood's nomination for the All-Sportsmanship Team. In her senior year, Mechalke has played in all 16 games for the Pacers and has one goal and two assists.
Player of the Year - Lisa Hanselman
Rookie of the Year - Olivia Habicht
Coach of the Year - Andrew Smith
First Team
*Andrea Barker - Defender - Binghamton, NY
Lacey Habicht - Defender - Woodcliff Lake, NJ
Olivia Habicht - Midfielder - Woodcliff Lake, NJ
*Lisa Hanselman - Forward - Manheim, PA
Meghan Coyle - Goalkeeper - Endicott, NY
Second Team
Lisa Gavin - Midfielder - Woodbury Heights, NJ
Honorable Mention
Siobhan Blancaflor - Forward - Haddam, CT
Leslie Higham - Midfielder - North Brunswick, NJ
Shannon Hresko - Defender - Gibbstown, NJ
All-Sportsmanship
Erica Mechalke - Midfield/Forward - Elmira, NY
*Repeat selection (Barker 2008 First Team, Hanselman 2008 Second Team).