Eastern Michigan Athletics
Three Eagles Garner MAC Postseason Honors
11/3/2016 2:57:00 PM | Soccer
Sabrina McNeill was named the MAC Freshman of the Year
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's soccer team had three Eagles reel in end of season awards Thursday, Nov. 3, as the Mid-American Conference released its postseason honors. Redshirt senior Ellie Tillar (Cincinnati, Ohio-Turpin) was named First Team All-MAC, sophomore Kaylin Williams (Kansas City, Mo.-Winnetonka) garnered Second Team All-MAC honors, and freshman Sabrina McNeill (Whitby, Ontario-Henry Street) was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team. McNeill was also voted the MAC Freshman of the Year.
The trio of honorees marks the most Eagles to earn MAC postseason recognition since 2014, when EMU had four players named to the All-MAC teams.
"Ellie had a great season," Head Coach Scott Hall said. "The award is a culmination of all of her hard work and effort the past four years. She played through injuries and overcame a lot over the course of her career to get to this point."
Tillar garners the first conference accolade of her career after a sensational senior season that saw the Cincinnati, Ohio native etch her name into the EMU record books. The gritty midfielder set career-highs in goals, assists, points, minutes, shots, shots on goal, and game-winners in her final season donning the Green and White. A team captain this season, she led the team with five goals and tied for the team-lead with three assists, totaling a team-best 13 points. The career year pushed Tillar's career point total to 24, the 22nd-most in EMU history. Additionally, Tillar provided the Eagles with two game-winners over the course of the season, both of which came during a six-game unbeaten streak that catapulted the Eagles into the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2014. The first lifted the Eagles to a 2-1 win over Bowling Green, Oct. 6, before Tillar's tally led the Eagles to a 1-nil win over Akron, Oct. 23.
"Our goalkeeping coach, Dan Diac, has put in a lot of work with Kaylin," Hall remarked. "She has done a fantastic job and has done everything you could ask of a kid. This award really goes beyond the numbers and is a testament to the incredible turnaround Kaylin had after our tough start to MAC play."
In her second season in between the posts for the Eagles, Williams was rock solid. The sophomore keeper led the league in minutes in her first full season as EMU's starting goalkeeper, playing a total of 1907:07 for the Eagles. The Kansas City, Mo. made a career-high 81 saves while facing 227 shots. Notching a career-best five shutouts, Williams finished the season with a 6-10-4 overall record. Additionally, Williams became the first goal keeper to receive postseason recognition from the conference since Monique Budani was named First-Team All-MAC in 2010.
"Sabrina is a dynamic player," Hall said. "She's a player that can change games as a result of the work she put in this summer to prepare for the college level, and she will be a player we rely on over the next three years."
McNeill is the first Eagle to be named MAC Freshman of the Year since 2011 when Angela Vultaggio was honored as the league's top freshman. The freshman forward appeared in 18 games for the Eagles, starting 14 of them in her first season as an Eagle and turned into one of EMU's top offensive threats with the loss of Kristin Nason. McNeill ranked second on the team with four goals, while tying for the team-lead with three assists in her freshman season. The Whitby, Ontario native netted the first game-winner of her career in Eastern Michigan's 2-1 victory over Toledo, Oct. 9. Additionally, McNeill ranked inside the MAC's top-10 in a number of statistical categories, including: shots (7th), shots per game (6th), and assists (tied-10th). Among freshmen, McNeill ranked tied for second in goals and assists, while her 11 points was third-most by a freshman this season.
The Eagles season came to a close in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals, Oct. 30, against Kent State. EMU concluded the season with a 6-10-4 overall record and finished fourth in the West Division and seventh overall in the MAC.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jenna Hellstrom, Kent State
Defensive Player of the Year: Lorina White, Ball State
Freshman of the Year: Sabrina McNeill, Eastern Michigan
Coach of the Year: Rob Marinaro, Kent State
2016 All-MAC First Team
Alyssa Heintschel, Ball State, GK
Leah Mattingly, Ball State, D
Lorina White, Ball State, D
Alexis Pelafas, Central Michigan, F
Eliza Van De Kerkhove, Central Michigan, MF
Ellie Tillar, Eastern Michigan, MF
Paige Culver, Kent State, D
Jenna Hellstrom, Kent State, F
Taylor Sarver, Northern Illinois, F
Isa Echeverri, Toledo, MF
Alyssa Burke, Western Michigan, MF
2016 All-MAC Second Team
Chay McNitt, Ball State, MF
Erica Hubert, Bowling Green, F
Julia Benati, Buffalo, MF
Carissima Cutrona, Buffalo, F
Angel Hart, Buffalo, D
Madison Pogarch, Central Michigan, D
Kaylin Williams, Eastern Michigan, GK
Donavan Capehart, Kent State, F
Abbie Lawson, Kent State, MF
Brittany Maisano, Kent State, D
Alivia Milesky, Ohio, MF
Kiersten Johnson, Toledo, F
Liz Abro, Western Michigan, MF
All-Freshman Team
Ashely Amato, Akron, Defender
Julia Elvbo, Ball State, Forward
Sam Kambol, Ball State, Forward
Yela Ziswiler, Ball State, Defender
Maureen Kennedy, Bowling Green, Defender
Gurjeena Jandu, Buffalo, Defender
Marle Bringard, Central Michigan, Midfielder
Sabrina McNeill, Eastern Michigan, Forward
Sierra Henderson-Muschett, Kent State, Defender
Reagan Fleck, Miami, Defender
Alivia Milesky, Ohio, Midfielder
The trio of honorees marks the most Eagles to earn MAC postseason recognition since 2014, when EMU had four players named to the All-MAC teams.
"Ellie had a great season," Head Coach Scott Hall said. "The award is a culmination of all of her hard work and effort the past four years. She played through injuries and overcame a lot over the course of her career to get to this point."
Tillar garners the first conference accolade of her career after a sensational senior season that saw the Cincinnati, Ohio native etch her name into the EMU record books. The gritty midfielder set career-highs in goals, assists, points, minutes, shots, shots on goal, and game-winners in her final season donning the Green and White. A team captain this season, she led the team with five goals and tied for the team-lead with three assists, totaling a team-best 13 points. The career year pushed Tillar's career point total to 24, the 22nd-most in EMU history. Additionally, Tillar provided the Eagles with two game-winners over the course of the season, both of which came during a six-game unbeaten streak that catapulted the Eagles into the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2014. The first lifted the Eagles to a 2-1 win over Bowling Green, Oct. 6, before Tillar's tally led the Eagles to a 1-nil win over Akron, Oct. 23.
"Our goalkeeping coach, Dan Diac, has put in a lot of work with Kaylin," Hall remarked. "She has done a fantastic job and has done everything you could ask of a kid. This award really goes beyond the numbers and is a testament to the incredible turnaround Kaylin had after our tough start to MAC play."
In her second season in between the posts for the Eagles, Williams was rock solid. The sophomore keeper led the league in minutes in her first full season as EMU's starting goalkeeper, playing a total of 1907:07 for the Eagles. The Kansas City, Mo. made a career-high 81 saves while facing 227 shots. Notching a career-best five shutouts, Williams finished the season with a 6-10-4 overall record. Additionally, Williams became the first goal keeper to receive postseason recognition from the conference since Monique Budani was named First-Team All-MAC in 2010.
"Sabrina is a dynamic player," Hall said. "She's a player that can change games as a result of the work she put in this summer to prepare for the college level, and she will be a player we rely on over the next three years."
McNeill is the first Eagle to be named MAC Freshman of the Year since 2011 when Angela Vultaggio was honored as the league's top freshman. The freshman forward appeared in 18 games for the Eagles, starting 14 of them in her first season as an Eagle and turned into one of EMU's top offensive threats with the loss of Kristin Nason. McNeill ranked second on the team with four goals, while tying for the team-lead with three assists in her freshman season. The Whitby, Ontario native netted the first game-winner of her career in Eastern Michigan's 2-1 victory over Toledo, Oct. 9. Additionally, McNeill ranked inside the MAC's top-10 in a number of statistical categories, including: shots (7th), shots per game (6th), and assists (tied-10th). Among freshmen, McNeill ranked tied for second in goals and assists, while her 11 points was third-most by a freshman this season.
The Eagles season came to a close in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals, Oct. 30, against Kent State. EMU concluded the season with a 6-10-4 overall record and finished fourth in the West Division and seventh overall in the MAC.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jenna Hellstrom, Kent State
Defensive Player of the Year: Lorina White, Ball State
Freshman of the Year: Sabrina McNeill, Eastern Michigan
Coach of the Year: Rob Marinaro, Kent State
2016 All-MAC First Team
Alyssa Heintschel, Ball State, GK
Leah Mattingly, Ball State, D
Lorina White, Ball State, D
Alexis Pelafas, Central Michigan, F
Eliza Van De Kerkhove, Central Michigan, MF
Ellie Tillar, Eastern Michigan, MF
Paige Culver, Kent State, D
Jenna Hellstrom, Kent State, F
Taylor Sarver, Northern Illinois, F
Isa Echeverri, Toledo, MF
Alyssa Burke, Western Michigan, MF
2016 All-MAC Second Team
Chay McNitt, Ball State, MF
Erica Hubert, Bowling Green, F
Julia Benati, Buffalo, MF
Carissima Cutrona, Buffalo, F
Angel Hart, Buffalo, D
Madison Pogarch, Central Michigan, D
Kaylin Williams, Eastern Michigan, GK
Donavan Capehart, Kent State, F
Abbie Lawson, Kent State, MF
Brittany Maisano, Kent State, D
Alivia Milesky, Ohio, MF
Kiersten Johnson, Toledo, F
Liz Abro, Western Michigan, MF
All-Freshman Team
Ashely Amato, Akron, Defender
Julia Elvbo, Ball State, Forward
Sam Kambol, Ball State, Forward
Yela Ziswiler, Ball State, Defender
Maureen Kennedy, Bowling Green, Defender
Gurjeena Jandu, Buffalo, Defender
Marle Bringard, Central Michigan, Midfielder
Sabrina McNeill, Eastern Michigan, Forward
Sierra Henderson-Muschett, Kent State, Defender
Reagan Fleck, Miami, Defender
Alivia Milesky, Ohio, Midfielder
Players Mentioned
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