Champion Saints sweep UMAC women's soccer awards
ST. PAUL, Minn.---After dominating the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in women's soccer and winning both the regular season and postseason titles, the College of St. Scholastica headlined the conference's postseason awards with a clean sweep of all four major awards as well as seeing a UMAC-best seven individuals named to one of three all-conference teams, it was announced Tuesday.
Morgan Friday was a repeat selection for Offensive Player of the Year, while Hunter Zamzow was tabbed as both the Rookie of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. For the seventh time in his career and first since 2010, Dave Reyelts was selected by his peers as UMAC Coach of the Year following the Saints' impressive 8-0 run through the conference schedule.
Under Reyelts' leadership, the Saints finished with a second-consecutive regular season title and unbeaten UMAC record. They also avenged a postseason semifinal loss from 2018 with an impressive run through the UMAC tournament to claim the postseason championship and earn the program's second NCAA tournament berth in the last three seasons. The Saints were untouchable in conference play this year outscoring opponents 37-0. This season also included a win over another NCAA tournament team in Augsburg College. Heading into Saturday's NCAA game, Reyelts' 14-7 squad has now won 10 of its last 11 games and went 14-2 after starting off the season with five losses.
Much of the Saints' success offensively came from Friday who followed up her solid rookie season with an even more impressive sopohmore campaign. In conference play, Friday ranked first in goals (19), points (43), shots per game (9.75) and shots on goal per game (5.28). She was also second in game-winning goals (3) and third in assists (5). Five times in UMAC play Friday tallied at least two goals and in five overall games she posted at least three goals including the UMAC tournament championship. Friday finished as the UMAC Tournament MVP scoring five of the team's six goals in two games played. She currently leads NCAA Division III in overall goals (29) and is third in points (63). Friday is the first repeat UMAC Offensive Player of the Year since 2013.
Friday locked down the offense for the Saints, but rookie Zamzow helped lead a stout defense that was a huge contributing factor to their success in 2019. With Zamzow on the back line, the Saints did not surrender a single goal during the conference regular season – a program first – and didn't allow a single goal to a UMAC team until the final minutes of the tournament title game Saturday. Additionally, Zamzow helped limit all UMAC opponents to just 12 total shots on goal in UMAC games. She also contributed to the offense with two goals – including a game-winner – and four points in UMAC contests.
St. Scholastica highlighted the three-team all-conference list with a total of seven selections including three First Team picks. The University of Northwestern also had seven selections and three First Team honorees, while Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College each tallied five.
The UMAC all-conference list boasts just two players who have been named to one of the four teams in each of their four seasons including Linley Norman (Northwestern) and Janelle Rouillard. Norman has been a First Team selection in each of the last three seasons. Four players have three selections to one of the UMAC teams in their careers including Lydia Bitter (Martin Luther), Megan Jordan (Northland College), Maddie Perry (Bethany Lutheran) and Anna Welch (Northwestern).
Friday and Norman are joined by Taylor Brinkman (Northwestern) and Madison Gutekunst (University of Wisconsin-Superior) as the only individuals to repeat as First Team honorees from 2018 to 2019. Eight others have been selected to one of the three teams twice in their careers including Ellyn Bolland (Northwestern), Emily Currie (Northwestern), Sarah Kjenstad (Martin Luther), Anna Kragt (Crown College), Brooke Lorentz (University of Minnesota Morris), Sadie Sandersfeld (Bethany Lutheran), Annah Schussman (Wisconsin-Superior) and Kelsie Shields (Northland).
Wisconsin-Superior won the team sportsmanship award, an accolade that is selected by the UMAC coaches and awarded to the team that best represents sportsmanship throughout the entire season, including the championship event. Each team also had one representative named to the individual sportsmanship award list.
Offensive Player of the Year* - Morgan Friday, So., St. Scholastica
Defensive Player of the Year^ - Hunter Zamzow, Fy., St. Scholastica
Rookie of the Year# - Hunter Zamzow, Fy., St. Scholastica
Coach of the Year - Dave Reyelts, St. Scholastica
2019 UMAC Women's Soccer All-Conference First Team
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Taylor Brinkman |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
D |
Hudson, Wis./Hudson |
| Morgan Friday* |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
MF |
Duluth, Minn./Shattuck St. Mary's |
| Madison Gutekunst |
Wisconsin-Superior |
So. |
GK |
Mound, Minn./Mound Westonka |
| Kaylie Johnson |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Sr. |
D |
Amery, Wis./Amery |
| McKenzie Nelson |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
F |
Duluth, Minn./Duluth East |
| Linley Norman |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
F |
Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake |
| Madison Perry |
Bethany Lutheran |
Jr. |
F |
Anoka, Minn./Anoka |
| Courtney Ritter |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
D |
Berrien Springs, Mich./MIchigan Lutheran |
| Annah Schussman |
Wisconsin-Superior |
So. |
MF |
Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji |
| Sam Tate |
Minnesota Morris |
Jr. |
F |
Covington, Wash./Kentwood |
| Anna Welch |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
MF |
Lakeville, Minn./Homeschool |
| Hunter Zamzow# |
St. Scholastica |
Fy. |
D |
Duluth, Minn./Shattuck St. Mary's |
2019 UMAC Women's Soccer All-Conference Second Team
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Jillian Bielicki |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
D |
Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes |
| Lydia Bitter |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
MF |
Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji |
| Monica Calderon |
Minnesota Morris |
Fy. |
F |
Indio, Calif./La Quinta |
| Emily Daubenmeier |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
MF |
Kijabe, Kenya/Rift Valley Academy |
| Mollie Fischer |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
GK |
Burlington, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran |
| Anna Kragt |
Crown |
Sr. |
F |
Milaca, Minn./Black Forest Academy |
| Kaiya Quam |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
D |
Oakdale, Minn./Mounds View |
| Danielle Roberts |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
F |
Hastings, Minn./Hastings |
| Janelle Rouillard |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
F |
Dayton, Minn./Rogers |
| Sadie Sandersfeld |
Bethany Lutheran |
Jr. |
D |
Fairmont, Minn./Fairmont |
| Abigail Taylor |
Crown |
So. |
MF |
Montgomery, Ill./Kaneland |
2019 UMAC Women's Soccer All-Conference Honorable Mention
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Ellyn Bolland |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
D |
Marshalltown, Iowa/Marshalltown |
| Cheyenne Brown |
North Central |
Jr. |
MF |
Pinetop, Ariz./Blue Ridge |
| Emily Currie |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
MF |
Minneapolis, Minn./Homeschool |
| Coriander Dehlin |
Northland |
Jr. |
D |
Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua |
| Mary Falck |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
MF |
Germantown, Wis./Kettle Morraine Lutheran |
| Alexa Gothard |
St. Scholastica |
Jr. |
GK |
Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing |
| Megan Jordan |
Northland |
Sr. |
GK |
Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson |
| Sarah Kjenstad |
Martin Luther |
Sr. |
D |
Aberdeen, S.D./Great Plains Lutheran |
| Brooke Lorentz |
Minnesota Morris |
Sr. |
F |
Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice |
| Eryka Quick |
Wisconsin-Superior |
Fy. |
D |
Eagan, Minn./School of Environmental Studies |
| Grace Rysdahl |
Bethany Lutheran |
Sr. |
D |
St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville |
| Kelsie Shields |
Northland |
Jr. |
MF |
Washburn, Wis./Washburn |
| Madelynn Thompson |
Bethany Lutheran |
Jr. |
MF |
San Antonio, Texas/Lutheran |
| Harper Toward |
Minnesota Morris |
Fy. |
MF |
Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji |
| Mikel Vacek |
North Central |
Jr. |
MF |
Little Falls, Minn./Little Falls |
| Livy Wolf |
Bethany Lutheran |
Fy. |
D |
Jordan, Minn./Jordan |
2019 UMAC Women's Soccer Sportsmanship Awards
Team Award - Wisconsin-Superior
Bethany Lutheran - Kenya Henderson, Sr., Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie
Crown - Britta Swensen, Sr., Howard Lake, Minn.
Martin Luther - Carissa Friebe, Sr., Green Bay, Wis./Michigan Lutheran
Minnesota Morris - Michelle Wolney, Sr., Columbia Heights, Minn./Irondale
North Central - Mikel Vacek, Jr., Little Falls, Minn./Little Falls
Northland - Coriander Dehlin, So., Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua
Northwestern - Maia Ellenburg, So., Winona, Minn./Winona
St. Scholastica - Jillian Bielicki, Sr., Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes
Wisconsin-Superior - Tatum Lardinois, Sr., Suamico, Wis./Bayport