ANNVILLE, Pa. – On Wednesday morning, the Middle Atlantic Conference announced their All-Conference and Annual Awards for the 2021 women's soccer season. Among the All-MAC Commonwealth honorees were nine student-athletes and head coach
Scott Frey. The Falcons garnered three of the Year honors with
Brianna Seip being named the Offensive Player of the Year,
Kayla Herr picking up Defensive Player of the Year accolades, and
Scott Frey claiming Coach of the Year honors.
Seip and Herr were named First Team along with
Kenzie Spodnik,
Shelby Burger, and
Jenna Skurcenski.
Rachael Tirjan and
Kristina Akselsen earned Second Team accolades while
Esther Seeland and
Lydia Watkins snagged honorable mention nods.
As a team, the Falcons' nine student-athletes honored were the most in the MAC Commonwealth this season. Lebanon Valley claimed six honors while York picked up four. No other school finished with more than two.
This is the sixth time that the Falcons have swept the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors since the MAC Commonwealth split the Player of the Year award into two, starting in 2013.
The Falcons had two forwards honored on the All-Conference teams this season with
Brianna Seip earning Offensive Player of the Year honors and
Rachael Tirjan picked up Second Team honors. The duo has been doing the heavy lifting for the Falcons' offense all season long with Tirjan actually scoring more goals and leading the team in points so far this season. Tirjan has 10 goals to her name to go along with three assists for 23 points while Seip has netted seven goals and added three assists. The Conference award most likely came down to their play during the MAC Commonwealth regular season, where Seip was the conference leader with six scores.
The Conference's Defensive Player of the Year comes from the Falcons' midfield where
Kayla Herr roams. She is one of the most consistent members of the Messiah line-up, taking and controlling possession while facilitating the Messiah offense. A starter for her entire career, Herr has made 59 starts in 64 games played during her time in Grantham. A three-time honoree, she claimed Honorable Mention honors during her first year in 2018 before claiming First Team All-Conference accolades as a sophomore. Herr has even netted three goals (two on penalty kicks) and added an assist, but her real value comes from winning nearly every ball in the midfield and steadying the Falcons whenever needed.
Also from the midfield,
Kenzie Spodnik and
Kristina Akselsen earned All-Conference honors for their first time as Falcons. Spodnik joined Herr with First Team honors while Akselsen landed on the Second Team. The duo has combined for eight goals and three assists with Akselsen netting five tallies and Spodnik with three of her own.
The Messiah defense was well represented on the teams with three defenders and their keeper all earning accolades. Between the pipes,
Lydia Watkins claims her third All-Conference honor after a pair of Second Team nods in 2017 and 2019. This season she has allowed just six goals across 1,256 minutes for a 0.43 Goals Against Average (GAA). Additionally, she has not allowed a goal since Sept. 25.
The Messiah back line has played a big part of the Falcons' success this season. Three members of that unit were named All-Conference with
Shelby Burger (First Team),
Jenna Skurcenski (First Team), and
Esther Seeland (Hon. Men.) all earning their first-career All-Conference honors. As a defensive unit, they have allowed just eight goals on the season across 1,730 minutes. That comes out to a 0.42 GAA, the 19th best mark in the country this season.
Leading the Falcons is head coach
Scott Frey, who earned his seventh career MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year honor. Frey has now claimed each of the last three honors announced. Previously, Frey won the honor in 2000, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2019. In his 21 years at the helm of Messiah women's soccer, Frey has led the Falcons to an overall record of 437-26-30, a win percentage of .917, 18 MAC Commonwealth Championships, and six National Championships (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2019).
After winning their 18th MAC Commonwealth Championship in the last 21 years, the Falcons will begin the NCAA Tournament this weekend when they travel to Ewing, N.J. on Saturday to square off with the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins at 1:30 p.m. on the campus of The College of New Jersey.
