Murray State’s Izzy Heckman was named the 2020-21 OVC Defender of the Year while the Racers Matt Lodge earned Coach of the Year honors in a vote of the league’s head coaches and sport information directors. SIUE’s Mackenzie Litzsinger was named the Forward of the Year while Jacksonville State’s Alicia Pallister earned Midfielder of the Year honors. Tennessee Tech’s Isabell Austin was tabbed the Goalkeeper of the Year and earning Freshman of the Year honors was UT Martin’s Emely van der Vliet.
Heckman (Powder Springs, Ga.) was part of a defense that gave up just nine goals and recorded three shutouts in the regular season. The first team All-OVC pick also recorded a pair of assists and nine shots over the ten games.
Lodge earns his first OVC Coach of the Year honor and becomes the third different Racer coach to earn the award. He led his team to its fifth regular-season title posting a 9-1 OVC mark. The Racers lead the league in goals (23) and goals per game (2.30). Murray State is also second in shots (166) and assists (20). The Racers enter the tournament having won its last five games.
Litzsinger (Fenton, Mo.) finished the regular season with a team-leading six goals to rank third in the league this year. The All-OVC first team selection also had four assists to total 16 points this season which ranks second in the OVC. Litzsinger notched 31 shots with 15 of them being on goal.
Pallister, a native of Bowmanville, Ontario, led the league with nine assists and 17 points. She recorded four goals, 19 shots and 12 shots on goal. In addition to being named the Midfielder of the Year, Pallister was named to the All-OVC first team.
A native of Sylvania, Ohio, Austin led the league in goals-against average (0.67), saves (57) and save percentage (.891). The All-OVC first team selection also ranked fourth with three shutouts this season.
van der Vliet (Rosmalen, Netherlands) ranked first in the OVC in goals (7), shots (36), shots on goal (22) and game winning goals (3). She also had one assist and 15 points during the regular season. van der Vliet was also named to the All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer team
Jacksonville State, Murray State and UT Martin had the most All-OVC First Team selections with two each while Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, SIUE and Tennessee Tech with one pick each. Joining Heckman, Litzsinger, Pallister, Austin and van der Vliet on the first team are: Belmont’s senior forward Julie Garst (Franklin, Tenn.); Eastern Kentucky senior defender Katie Schaffer (Monroe, Ohio); Jacksonville State sophomore midfielder Gabriel Clarke (Leytonstone, England); Murray State freshman forward Chloe Barnthouse (West Bloomfield, Mich.); Southeast Missouri junior midfleider Lauren Welker (Jackson, Mo.); and UT Martin sophomore defender Maria Castaldo (Orland Park, Ill.).
Earning second team honors are: Murray State Lauren Payne (Louisville, Ky.) and sophomore defender Saraya Young (Wilmore, Ky.); Tennessee Tech freshman midfielder Meredith Nye (Jackson, Tenn.) and freshman defender Selma Askildsen (Hosle, Norway); Belmont junior defender Rachel Vernon (Suwanee, Ga.); Eastern Illinois senior midfielder Itxaso Aguero (Villava, Spain); Eastern Kentucky redshirt sophomore forward Mica Iacono (Aurora, Ontario); Jacksonville State sophomore forward Cynthia Bagozzi (Orlando, Fla.); Southeast Missouri freshman midfielder Emma Brune (Cape Girardeau, Mo); SIUE sophomore forward Lily Schnieders (Fenton, Mo.); and UT Martin senior goalkeeper Erica Myers (Holland, Ohio).
Eleven student-athletes make up the 2020-21 OVC All-Newcomer Team, which consists of freshman, redshirt freshman, transfers or other first-year players. In addition to van der Vliet, making up the All-Newcomer team are: Murray State freshman forward Chloe Barnthouse (West Bloomfield, Mich.) and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Jenna Villarces (Westerville, Ohio); Tennessee Tech freshman midfielder Meredith Nye (Jackson, Tenn.) and freshman defender Selma Askildsen (Hosle, Norway); Austin Peay freshman midfielder Tori Case (Brentwood, Tenn.); Belmont freshman foward Anna Sweeney (Dayton, Ohio); Jacksonville State freshman forward Ida Cederberg (Onsala, Sweden); Southeast Missouri freshman midfielder Emma Brune (Cape Girardeau, Mo); and SIUE freshman defender Matea Diekema (Grand Rapids, Mich.).
All-OVC First Team
D - Maria Castaldo, So., UT Martin
D – Katie Shaffer, Sr., Eastern Kentucky
D – Izzy Heckman, Sr., Murray State
MF – Lauren Welker, Jr., Southeast Missouri
MF – Alicia Pallister, Sr., Jacksonville State
MF – Gabriel Clarke, So., Jacksonville State
F – Mackenzie Litzsinger, Jr., SIUE
F – Chloe Barnthouse, Fr., Murray State
F – Emely van der Vliet, Fr., UT Martin
F – Julie Garst, Sr., Belmont
GK – Isabell Austin, Sr., Tennessee Tech
All-OVC Second Team
D – Saraya Young, So., Murray State
D – Rachel Vernon, Jr., Belmont
D – Selma Askildsen, Fr., Tennessee Tech
MF – Lauren Payne, So., Murray State
MF – Itxaso Aguero, Sr, Eastern Illinois
MF – Emma Brune, Fr., Southeast Missouri
MF – Meredith Nye, Fr., Tennessee Tech
F – Lily Schnieders, So., SIUE
F – Mica Iacono, R-So., Eastern Kentucky
F – Cynthia Bagozzi, So., Jacksonville State
GK – Erica Myers, Sr., UT Martin
All-Newcomer Team
Emely van der Vliet, F, Fr., UT Martin
Chloe Barnthouse, F, Fr., Murray State
Ida Cederberg, F, Fr., Jacksonville State
Emma Brune, MF, Fr., Southeast Missouri
Meredith Nye, MF, Fr., Tennessee Tech
Tori Case, MF, Fr., Austin Peay
Audrey Henry, D, Fr., Murray State
Jenna Villacres, GK, R-Fr., Murray State
Matea Diekema, D, Fr., SIUE
Anna Sweeney, F, Fr., Belmont
Selma Askildsen, D, Fr., Tennessee Tech
Defender of the Year: Izzy Heckman, Murray State
Midfielder of the Year: Alicia Pallister, Jacksonville State
Forward of the Year: MacKenzie Litzsinger, SIUE
Goalkeeper of the Year: Isabell Austin, Tennessee Tech
Freshman of the Year: Emely van der Vliet, UT Martin
Coach of the Year: Matt Lodge, Murray State