PHOTO GALLERY
Murray State’s Miyah Watford was named the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year while Eastern Illinois’ Sara Teteak was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Southeast Missouri’s Hailey Block was named Freshman of the Year while the Redhawks Heather Nelscon was selected as the Coach of the Year.
Watford, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., is the second different student-athlete from Murray State to be named Offensive Player of the Year. She leads the Conference in shots (81), shots per game (4.26), points (33), points per game (1.74), goals (14) and goals per game (0.74). Her 14 total goals rank 12th in the nation while her 0.74 goals per game is 15th. In OVC play, the senior forward, recorded a league-leading 46 shots as well as six goals in 10 games. In addition to being named the Offensive Player of the Year, Watford earned All-OVC First Team honors.
A senior goalkeeper, Teteak becomes the first Panther to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Naperville, Ill., native led the league with 127 saves and 7.06 saves per game. Her 7.06 saves per game ranked ninth in the nation this season. She recorded four shutouts, including a pair in OVC play. In Conference action, Teteak had a league-leading 71 saves and 7.10 saves per game while also ranking second with 0.92 goals-against average. She also earned All-OVC First Team accolades.
Block, a freshman forward, becomes the fourth student-athlete from Southeast Missouri to be named the Freshman of the Year. The Grafton, Wis., native recorded a league-leading five game-winning goals, including four in OVC play. She ranks fourth among league leaders in goals (7) and goals per game (0.44). In OVC action, she scored six goals and had 13 points. She also earned All-OVC Second Team and All-Newcomer honors.
Nelson earns her fifth OVC Coach of the Year honor, winning the award in 1999, 2001, 2007 and 2011. She guided her team to a 8-1-1 league mark en route to is sixth OVC regular-season title. The Redhawks are unbeaten in their last seven games and have won their last two matches. The Redhawks have given up the fewest goals in the Conference this season.
Murray State and Tennessee Tech had the most All-OVC First Team selections with three followed by Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, SIUE and UT Martin. Joining Watford and Teteak on the first team are: Tennessee Tech junior forward Kendall Powell (Cookeville, Tenn.), senior midfielder Tina Marolt (Smatevz, Slovenia) and senior defender Kaitie Shipley (Barrie, Ontario); Murray State sophomore forward Abby Jones (Powell, Ohio) and junior defender Izzy Heckman (Powder Springs, Ga.); Austin Peay junior midfielder Claire Larose (London, Ontario); Eastern Kentucky junior defender Katie Shaffer (Monroe, Ohio); Southeast Missouri senior midfielder Esmie Gonzales (Fort Worth, Texas); SIUE redshirt sophomore foward MacKenzie Litzsinger (Fenton, Mo.) and UT Martin freshman defender Marie Castaldo (Orland Park, Ill.).
Earning second team honors with Block are: Belmont junior forward Julie Garst (Franlkin, Tenn.) and sophomore defender Rachel Vernon (Suwanee, Ga.); UT Martin junior midfielder Bella Roberts (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and freshman defender Elin Berggren (Mallbackens, Sweden); Austin Peay senior defender Renee Semaan (Knoxville, Tenn.); Eastern Illinois junior midfiielder Itxaso Aguero (Villava, Spain); Eastern Kentucky junior midfielder Sarah Owusu (Brampton, Ontario); Jacksonville State freshman forward Cynthia Bagozzi (Orlando, Fla.); Morehead State sophomore defender Nicole Palmer (Philadelphia, Pa.); and SIUE junior goalkeeper Jensen Schoch (Wildwood, Mo.).
Eleven student-athletes make up the 2019 OVC All-Newcomer Team, which consists of freshman, redshirt freshman, transfers or other first-year players. In addition to Block, All-Newcomer selections include: Murray State freshman midfielder Lauren Payne (Louisville, Ky.) and freshman defender Saraya Young (Wilmore, Ky.); SIUE freshman midfielder Emma Dutko (Granite City, Ill.) and freshman forward Lily Schnieders (Fenton, Mo.); UT Martin freshman defender Elin Berggren (Mallbackens, Sweden) and freshman defender Maria Castaldo (Orland Park, Ill.); Austin Peay freshman midfielder Anna McPhie (Nelson, New Zealand); Belmont freshman midfielder Avery Nowak (Oviedo, Fla.); Eastern Kentucky freshman forward Audrey Anderson (Somerset, Ky.); Jacksonville State freshman forward Cynthia Bagozzi (Orlando, Fla.).
2019 ALL-OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAMS
(As selected by OVC women’s soccer coaches and sports information directors)
FIRST TEAM
GK - Sara Teteak, Eastern Illinois
F - Miyah Watford, Murray State
F - MacKenzie Litzsinger, SIUE
F - Abby Jones, Murray State
F - Kendall Powell, Tennessee Tech
MF - Claire Larose, Austin Peay
MF - Esmie Gonzales, Southeast Missouri
MF - Tina Marolt, Tennessee Tech
D - Maria Castaldo, UT Martin
D - Izzy Heckman, Murray State
D - Katie Shaffer, Eastern Kentucky
D - Kaitie Shipley, Tennessee Tech
(12 appear on the First Team due to a tie)
2019 OVC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Miyah Watford, Murray State
2019 OVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sarah Teteak, Eastern Illinois
2019 OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Hailey Block, Southeast Missouri
2019 OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Heather Nelson, Southeast Missouri
SECOND TEAM
GK - Jensen Schoch, SIUE
F- Hailey Block, Southeast Missouri
F - Julie Garst, Belmont
F - Cynthia Bagozzi, Jacksonville State
MF - Sarah Owusu, Eastern Kentucky
MF - Itxaso Aguero, Eastern Illinois
MF - Bella Roberts, UT Martin
D - Renee Semaan, Austn Peay
D - Nicole Palmer, Morehead State
D - Elin Berggren, UT Martin
D - Rachel Vernon, Belmont
ALL-NEWCOMER
Audrey Anderson, Eastern Kentucky
Cynthia Bagozzi, Jacksonville State
Elin Berggren, UT Martin
Hailey Block, Southeast Missouri
Maria Castaldo, UT Martin
Emma Dutko, SIUE
Anna McPhie, Austin Peay
Avery Nowak, Belmont
Lauren Payne, Murray State
Lily Schnieders, SIUE
Saraya Young, Murray State