ANNVILLE, Pa. - Just a day away from Messiah's 30th appearance in the MAC Commonwealth Championship Final, the Middle Atlantic Conference announced their end-of-season awards and All-MAC Commonwealth team's for field hockey. The top-seeded Falcons earned six All-MAC Commonwealth honors with
Nicole Shank leading the way as the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year. Messiah claimed two First-Team honors, two Second-Team honors, and two Honorable Mentions, tying the Dutchmen with six total members on the All-Conference Teams.
Leading the way for the Falcons was freshman
Nicole Shank her was named the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year as a midfielder. Along with her Rookie of the Year award, Shank was named to the All-MAC Commonwealth Second-Team as a midfielder. Shank has started in all of 17 games she's appeared in this season. Shank tallied four goals this season while dishing out two assists but her presence was mainly felt in the midfield. With dominant stick work, patrolled the midfield, utilizing her quickness to elude defenders and keep possession for the Falcons. Shank also was the inserter for the majority of penalty corners this season.
As the leading scorer for the Falcons,
Hannah Palm earned her first All-Conference nod with a First-Team honor. Palm stepped up for the Falcons this season, recording 12 goals with seven assists, totaling 31 points. Impressively, Palm holds a .771 shots on goal average, putting 27 of her 35 shots on frame throughout her 19 games. In her most recent game, Palm tallied two goals off of her two shots, recording her second multiple-goal game of the year. Joining Palm on the First-Team is junior
Mackenzie Brubaker, an anchor in the Falcons' back line. Messiah has allowed 22 goals this season while recording 67 of their own, ranking them 11th in the nation with a 2.37 scoring margin through their 19 games. Brubaker patrols the defense and is a large part of why opponents average just 6.2 shots per game against the Falcons.
Claire Myers is also a key part of the Falcons' defense, earning a Second-Team nod for her performance through the regular season. Myers has started in 17 games this season and appeared in 18. The Falcons' defense has been tough to score against, allowing 1.16 goals per game. In the last 10 games, the Falcons have allowed just seven goals while earning 46 of their own.
Rounding out the Falcons' All-Conference nods this season are senior midfielder
Kristen Musser and sophomore forward
Jennie Young. The duo earned Honorable Mention honors after helping the Falcons earn possession and spark the attack. Musser has tallied five goals and two assists this season and holds a .500 shots on goal percentage. Young has also made a difference this season with her speed and agility as well as her ability to read the field. Young has recorded one goal this season but dished out six assists, the fourth-highest on the team.
The Falcons went undefeated in the conference for the fifth-straight season and are entering their 30th Conference Final tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. against No. 2 Lebanon Valley Dutchmen.
