West Chester's Scarlett Walsh Named PSAC Women's Soccer Athlete of the Year
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- West Chester senior Scarlett Walsh has been named the 2016 PSAC Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Year while her coach, Betty Ann Kempf Townsley, earned PSAC Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced Thursday afternoon in conjunction with the release of the all-conference women’s soccer teams.
Kempf Townsley earns the award for the second time in her career (2009) and it marks the fourth time that WCU has garnered the award. Kempf Townsley has led the Golden Rams to an unblemished 18-0 record this season, a No. 3 ranking in the NCAA DII Coaches’ Poll and No. 1 seed in the PSAC Women’s Soccer Championship.
Walsh is the fourth Golden Ram to earn the award and first since Sarah Oswald (2010). Walsh is a two-time all-conference member and has tallied eight goals on the season while dishing out a pair of assists. She has notched five match-winning goals and started 12 contests.
East Stroudsburg junior Jules Harris claims the PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year after leading the conference in save percentage (.882). Harris has allowed only 10 goals in 19 matches while making 75 saves. Harris is the first ESU player to garner the award. The Warriors are the No. 4 seed and picked up a 5-0 in Tuesday’s quarterfinal against Slippery Rock.
Gannon’s Taylor Lewis earns the PSAC Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Year award and is the fourth Lady Knight to accomplish the feat and first since 2012. Lewis leads the conference in shots taken (87), is second in goals (11) and is third in points per game (1.33). Lewis helped No. 6 Gannon upset No. 3 Edinboro, 1-0, in overtime of a PSAC Quarterfinal Tuesday.
ESU midfielder Shea Neal lands on the all-PSAC First-Team for the third time in her career while WCU’s Kara Parvel earns first-team recognition for the second time.
Edinboro lead the league with seven representatives while ESU turns in six. Kutztown, WCU, Bloomsburg and SRU have four each while Bloomsburg has three.
PSAC Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Year: Scarlett Walsh, West Chester
PSAC Women’s Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Year: Jules Harris, East Stroudsburg
PSAC Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Year: Taylor Lewis, Gannon
PSAC Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year: Betty Ann Kempf Townsley, West Chester
PSAC Women’s Soccer First-Team All-Conference
D – Carly Henry, West Chester
D – Hannah Gombos, East Stroudsburg
D – Stephanie Allshouse, Shippensburg
D – Katie Miller^, Kutztown
F – Kara Parvel^*, West Chester
F – Alex Pickett, East Stroudsburg
F – Taylor Lewis, Gannon
F – Alaina Curry^, Kutztown
MF – Maddie Mohr, Kutztown
MF – Scarlett Walsh^, West Chester
MF – Shea Neal^**, East Stroudsburg
MF – Sammi Ortiz^, East Stroudsburg
GK – Jules Harris^, East Stroudsburg
PSAC Women’s Soccer Second-Team All-Conference
D – Jess Sandhas, Edinboro
D – Sam Thornton^, Slippery Rock
D – Candace Francis, Gannon
D – Laurel Neira^^, East Stroudsburg
F – Ashley Mutkus
+, Edinboro
F – Dara Demich*, Slippery Rock
F – Lexie Palluconi, IUP
F – Emily LoPresti
+, Seton Hill
MF – Ashley Weaver, Shippensburg
MF – Allie Barber
+, Bloomsburg
MF – Tess Keeley
+, Slippery Rock
MF – Coleen Brodman, Edinboro
GK – Devon Haviland, Bloomsburg
PSAC Women’s Soccer Third-Team All-Conference
D – Tayah Naudascher, Bloomsburg
D – Lena Funke, Mercyhurst
D – Halle Hammer*, Edinboro
D – Shannon Regan
#+, Edinboro
D – Cassie Schmidt
#, Kutztown
F – Paige Harris, Shippensburg
F – Alex Brown, Edinboro
F – Delaney Meadows^, Mansfield
F – Lexi Brown, West Chester
MF – Bethany Perri, Gannon
MF – Maddy Tletski, Slippery Rock
MF – Carley Donia, IUP
MF – Hannah Manczka, Gannon
GK – Sarah Baskey, Edinboro
* Indicates previous All-PSAC first team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC second team selection
Indicates previous All-PSAC third team selection
# Five defenders on third team due to tie