Grantham, PA — For the fifth consecutive season, the Falcons completed an unbeaten season (7-0) in the Commonwealth Conference. On Monday, two days after collecting their fifth straight conference championship, Messiah was honored with eight All-Commonwealth selections. Senior
Kelsey Gorman highlighted the honors by being named co-Player of the Year with Lebanon Valley's Nicole Snyder, while Messiah freshman
Mackenzie Clapper was named Rookie of the Year.
Joining Gorman as a First Team All-Commonwealth selection was senior forward
Erin Hench, senior midfielder
Leah Sipe, junior midfielder
Alex Brandt, and junior forward
Corinne Wulf. Senior midfielder
Olivia Scott, senior forward
Lisa Wingard, and sophomore defender
Alicia Frey were named Second Team All-Commonwealth.
Gorman, a defender from Manheim, Pa., anchored a defense that dominated conference competition. The Falcons' back row did not allow a regular season goal to a Commonwealth opponent in 2011, with Gorman's leadership and dependability at the center of the defensive juggernaut. One of three captains for Messiah, she was a two-time Second Team All-Commonwealth honoree (2008, 2010) prior to this season. Additionally, Gorman was named the Most Valuable Player for the Commonwealth Championship tournament that ended Saturday with the Falcons' 5-1 victory over Lebanon Valley.
Messiah's other First Team-members were drivers of a Messiah midfield and attack that consistently wore down opposing teams. For Hench, it was her fourth First Team selection as she returned from an injury in 2010 to tie for first in assists (4) in the conference. The 2009 Commonwealth Player of the Year was 5th in points (10) across the league, adding three goals.
Wulf was elected to the First Team for the second straight year, and led the Commonwealth in points (23), goals scored (10), and game winning goals (3). She also handed out three assists for a Falcons team that outscored their conference opponents 33-0 in the 2011 regular season.
Brandt was named to the First Team for a second straight year after transferring to Messiah from the University of Central Florida. The midfielder was fourth in the conference in points (11), tied for fourth in goals (4), and tied for fifth in assists (3).
Sipe was elected to the First Team for the first time in her career. The standout midfielder scored three goals in the conference this season, with steady and consistent leadership on both sides of the ball for the Falcons. Sipe scored three goals on her way to collecting eight points in league play.
For Frey, the Second Team recognition followed her Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010. After scoring 10 goals and dishing out seven assists last season, Frey was shifted into a defensive position for the Falcons in 2011. A seamless transition was the result, with Frey's fundamental play contributing to the unrelenting Messiah defense.
The Second Team also featured a pair of Falcons making All-Commonwealth debuts.
Olivia Scott, a starter in all conference games, proved to be a dynamic weapon in the Falcons' midfield, serving as a dependable facilitator for the Falcons. Teammate
Lisa Wingard played off the bench for Messiah, collecting four assists while providing an offensive spark from the forward spot.
For Clapper, the Rookie of the Year award came as a result of her immediate impact within the Falcons' squad. On her way to collecting nine points in conference play, the freshman from Westerville, Oh., scored four goals in her transition into Coach
Scott Frey's program.
This season marks the second straight that Messiah has garnered eight All-Commonwealth selections. It is also the third straight year the Falcons were awarded with both the POY and ROY of the year awards, following
Amanda Naeher and
Alicia Frey in 2010, and
Erin Hench and
Corinne Wulf in 2009. 2010 graduate
Amanda Naeher was also named the Commonwealth POY in 2008, making Gorman's award the fourth straight year a Falcon has taken home the award.
Lebanon Valley's Lauren Frankford was named Coach of the Year for the Commonwealth. The eighth-year coach for the Dutchmen led the team to a 5-1-1 record in the conference in 2011. The team advanced past Alvernia University in the league semifinals before falling to the Falcons by the score of 5-1 in the title game.
A complete listing of the All-Commonwealth teams is here:
First Team All-Commonwealth
Player — Team — Pos. — Yr. — Hometown (High School)
Corinne Wulf — Messiah — Forward — Junior — Columbus, OH (Upper Arlington)
Erin Hench — Messiah — Forward — Senior — Carlisle, PA (Carlisle)
Nicole Snyder — Lebanon Valley — Forward — Junior — Hegins, PA (Tri Valley)
Laura Wingert — Elizabethtown — Forward — Junior — Hanover Twp., PA (Holy Redeemer)
Alex Brandt — Messiah — Midfield — Junior — Annapolis, MD (Univ. of Central Florida)
Leah Sipe — Messiah — Midfield — Senior — Ephrata, PA (Ephrata)
Heather Tran — Lebanon Valley — Midfield — Junior — Nottingham, PA (Solanco)
Amy Bunting — Elizabethtown — Defender — Junior — Lancaster, PA (McCaskey)
Brittany Drosdak — Arcadia — Defender — Senior — Allentown, PA (Allentown Central Catholic)
Kelsey Gorman — Messiah — Defender — Senior — Manheim, PA (Lancaster Mennonite)
Jackie Law — Arcadia — Goalie — Junior — Scotch Plains, NJ (Scotch Plains-Fanwood)
Second Team All-Commonwealth
Player — Team — Pos. — Yr. — Hometown (High School)
Taylor Kreider — Elizabethtown — Forward — Sophomore — Willow Street, PA (Solanco)
Amy Mesce — Alvernia — Forward — Senior — Pittstown, NJ (Delaware Valley Regional)
Sara Volk-Perez — Arcadia — Forward — Sophomore — Mays Landing, NJ (Oakcrest)
Lisa Wingard — Messiah —Forward — Senior — Narvon, PA (Lancaster Mennonite)
Kelsey Gill — Alvernia — Midfield — Sophomore — State College, PA (State College Area)
Olivia Scott — Messiah — Midfield — Senior — Falls Church, VA (George Mason)
Alexa Talbot — Albright — Midfield — Junior — Media, PA (Sun Valley)
Alicia Frey — Messiah — Defender — Sophomore — Dillsburg, PA (Northern)
Jordan Nendza — Lebanon Valley — Defender — Senior — Lancaster, PA (Hempfield)
Katelyn Gill — Alvernia — Defender — Sophomore — State College, PA (State College Area)
Mel Sullivan — Albright — Defender — Sophomore — Branchburg, NJ (Somerville)
Olivia Giuliano — Albright — Goalie — Senior — Nutley, NJ (Nutley)
Co-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Nicole Synder, Lebanon Valley —
Kelsey Gorman, Messiah
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Mackenzie Clapper, Messiah
COACH OF THE YEAR: Lauren Frankford, Lebanon Valley
