Horizon League Announces 2018 #HLWSOC Awards
INDIANAPOLIS – Wright State senior forward Aaliyah Patten has been named the Horizon League Women’s Soccer Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, while Milwaukee’s Kelli Swenson earned her second-straight Defensive Player of the Year honor as voted upon by the League’s 10 head coaches, announced the Horizon League on Monday. In addition, Marina Manzo of Detroit Mercy earned Goalkeeper of the Year, Haley Johnson of Milwaukee was named Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year went to MKE’s Troy Fabiano.
Patten helped the Raiders earn a top-four seed after the regular season for the third time in four years, and enters the Horizon League tournament second in points (11) and assists (5), while also top-10 in goals (3) during #HLWSOC play. Overall this season, Patten registered 13 points (4 g, 5 a) and commanded a great deal of attention from opposing defenses as she averaged the second-most shots per game in the HL. She is the first Raider to earn Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in program history.
Swenson becomes the first player since the awards inception in 2010 to earn back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors as she helped lead Milwaukee to its fourth-straight regular season title and a first-round bye after starting all 16 matches this season and guided a MKE backline that allowed just four goals in League play this season.
Manzo led the Horizon League with over 100 saves this season and collected an HL-best eight shutouts this year. During League play, she registered the second-most saves with 39 and tied for the HL lead with five shutouts. Manzo also came up big when the Titans needed her most as she recorded four consecutive clean sheets during #HLWSOC play at the end of the season to lead Detroit Mercy to a postseason berth.
First-year forward Johnson made a big impact for the Panthers all season long finishing in the top-10 during Horizon League play in points (9), goals (3) and assists (3). The freshman ended the regular season tops in the League in points with 20, tied for the League lead with six goals and finished third with eight assists.
For the fourth-straight season Troy Fabiano of Milwaukee was voted the League’s Coach of the Year after leading the Panthers to their 18th regular season title in the last 19 years. Fabiano and the Panthers end #HLWSOC play having extended their regular season unbeaten streak to 24 matches.
Patten, Swenson, Manzo and Johnson highlight the All-Horizon League first team selections. A trio of Cleveland State players made the all-league first team as Sarah Krause, Dani Sowinski and McKenna Vento all led a Vikings team to the No. 2 seed and a bye into the semifinals of the #HLWSOC championship, its best finish in program history. Three Northern Kentucky players also earned all-league first team honors including League point leader Shawna Zaken, along with Samantha Duwel and Taylor Spaulding. Rounding out the all-league first team and joining her teammate Manzo is Detroit Mercy’s Carly Fiorido who led the Titans with five goals.
The All-Horizon League second team is represented by three Milwaukee players as the League’s assist leader Erin Corrigan is joined by Lourdes Onwuemeka and McKaela Schmelzer. Wright State goalkeeper Maddie Jewell is joined on the second team by senior Mattie Cutts. Oakland is the only other team with multiple players on the all-league second team as Lauren Bos and Maya Pascal helped lead the Golden Grizzlies to back-to-back wins to end the season and the No. 6 seed in the Horizon League championship. Senior midfielder Ashley Thiss of Cleveland State, Green Bay’s point leader McKayla Kertscher, IUPUI sophomore defender Natalie McNally and UIC’s leading goal scorer Emily Kavanaugh round out the All-Horizon League second team.
MKE’s Johnson headlines the All-Freshman Team along with teammates Jelena Sever and goalkeeper Elaina LaMacchia who leads the Horizon League with a 0.46 goals-against average during HL play. Eight schools were represented with one player on the All-Freshman Team with GB’s Kertscher and UIC’s Kavanaugh leading the way. CSU’s Ja'Maya Ward, Julie Ann Piechocki of Detroit Mercy, IUPUI’s Elizabeth Bueckers , NKU’s Lily Menssen, Nikki May of Oakland and WSU’s Taylor Ulrich round out the All-Freshman Team.
The Horizon League Women’s Soccer Championship kicks off on Monday, Oct 29, with two quarterfinal contests. No. 3 Northern Kentucky hosts No. 6 Oakland, while No. 4 Wright State welcomes No. 5 Detroit Mercy. Both matches will kick off at 7 p.m. ET.
On Thursday, Nov. 1, the tournament will move to Engelmann Stadium on the campus of Milwaukee for the semifinals and championship matches. The first semifinal will see No. 2 Cleveland State square off against the highest remaining seed at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT, with No. 1 Milwaukee taking on the lowest remaining seed at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. The championship contest will commence at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 3.
Every match of the 2018 Horizon League Women’s Soccer Championship will be streamed live on ESPN+ and fans can also follow all the action on social media by following @HorizonLeague.
For complete championship information go to the #HLWSOC Championship Central page, here.
2018 Horizon League Women’s Soccer Award Winners
Player of the Year: Aaliyah Patten, Sr., F, Wright State
Offensive Player of the Year: Aaliyah Patten, Sr., F, Wright State
Defensive Player of the Year: Kelli Swenson, Sr., D, Milwaukee
Goalkeeper of the Year: Marina Manzo, Sr., GK, Detroit Mercy
Freshman of the Year: Haley Johnson, F, Milwaukee
Coach of the Year: Troy Fabiano, Milwaukee
All-Horizon League First Team
Player, School, Yr.
Sarah Krause, CSU, Sr.
Dani Sowinski, CSU, Sr.
McKenna Vento, CSU, Sr.
Carly Fiorido, DET, Sr.
Marina Manzo, DET, Sr.
Haley Johnson, MKE, Fr.
Kelli Swenson, MKE, Sr.
Samantha Duwel, NKU, Sr.
Taylor Spaulding, NKU, Sr.
Shawna Zaken, NKU, Jr.
Aaliyah Patten, WSU, Sr.
All-Horizon League Second Team
Player, School, Yr.
Ashley Thiss, CSU, Sr.
McKayla Kertscher, GB, Fr.
Natalie McNally, IUPUI, So.
Erin Corrigan, MKE, Sr.
Lourdes Onwuemeka, MKE, Sr.
McKaela Schmelzer, MKE, Jr.
Lauren Bos, OAK, Sr.
Maya Pascal, OAK, Sr.
Emily Kavanaugh, UIC, Fr.
Mattie Cutts, WSU, Sr.
Maddie Jewell, WSU, Jr.
Horizon League All-Freshman Team
Player, School
Ja'Maya Ward, CSU
Julie Ann Piechocki, DET
McKayla Kertscher, GB
Elizabeth Bueckers, IUPUI
Haley Johnson, MKE
Elaina LaMacchia, MKE
Jelena Sever, MKE
Lily Menssen, NKU
Nikki May, OAK
Emily Kavanaugh, UIC
Taylor Ulrich, WSU