BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — West Virginia Wesleyan’s Natalie Prater, Makatlyn Tucker and coach Rich Owens, along with Charleston’s Marlee Coleman, have earned top honors from the Mountain East Conference as the league announced its annual women’s soccer awards and all-conference teams.
In total, nine Wesleyan players earned recognition from the conference: five first-team selections, one second-team pick and three honorable mention nominees.
Prater, a senior from Bridgeport, W.Va., is the league’s Offensive Player of the Year after tallying 27 points in 16 matches this fall. Her 27 points and 1.69 points per game were a league-best, as well as her 11 assists. She also netted eight goals on the season, five of which were game-winners. Prater has a 3.34 grade-point average majoring in exercise science with minors in chemistry and human biology.
Coleman, a senior from Manchester, Conn., is the MEC’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career after earning the honor in 2016. The defensive midfielder helped hold teams to under seven shots per game and under one goal per game. She also logged over 1,500 minutes this year and had one goal for the Golden Eagles.
Tucker, a native of Salem, W.Va., is the conference’s Freshman of the Year after scoring 19 points in her first season with the Bobcats. She had five goals to go with nine assists, which ranked second in the MEC.
Owens was named MEC Coach of the Year after leading West Virginia Wesleyan to the 2018 South Division title in his first season. The Bobcats finished the regular season with a 12-1-3 mark, including an unbeaten 10-0-3 mark in league play. The Bobcats rank among the national leaders in goals allowed having given up just four all season. WVWC has also been ranked in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings coming at sixth last week.
In addition to the individual honors, the league also announced the All-MEC teams. South Division champion West Virginia Wesleyan had five first team honorees, while North Division champ Notre Dame had three selected to the first team. Concord had three first team honorees and Charleston had two.
The All-MEC teams are selected by a vote of the league’s coaches.
Story courtesy Mountain East Conference.
| 2018 All-MEC First Team | |||
| Pos. | Name | Cl. | School |
| GK | Chelsea Hubner | Jr. | W.Va. Wesleyan |
| D | Morgan Carmichael | So. | Concord |
| D | Sarah Grossman | Sr. | Notre Dame |
| D | Maranda Melton | Sr. | Notre Dame |
| D | Alex O’Brien | Sr. | W.Va. Wesleyan |
| M | Marlee Coleman | Sr. | Charleston |
| M | Natalie Prater | Sr. | W.Va. Wesleyan |
| M | Courtney Wallace | So. | Concord |
| M | Marissa Zetty | Jr. | W.Va. Wesleyan |
| F | Katarina Doncevic | Sr. | Notre Dame |
| F | Pilar Elias | Sr. | Concord |
| F | Keira Hill | Fr. | Charleston |
| F | Makatyln Tucker | Fr. | W.Va. Wesleyan |
| 2018 All-MEC Second Team | |||
| Pos. | Name | Cl. | School |
| GK | Kyra McDowell | So. | Notre Dame |
| D | Cate Calissie | So. | West Liberty |
| D | Katherine Eddy | So. | Shepherd |
| D | Madison Hanson | Fr. | Charleston |
| D | Jadyn Tavekelian | Fr. | W.Va. Wesleyan |
| D | Ella Wilson | Fr. | Fairmont State |
| M | Lauren Chaney | Jr. | Notre Dame |
| M | Abigail Fowler | Fr. | Fairmont State |
| M | Emily Hartley | Sr. | Wheeling Jesuit |
| M | Alana Mikulis | So. | Charleston |
| F | Alyssa Edwards | So. | Urbana |
| F | Leah Foster | Fr. | Concord |
| F | Abigail Johnson | Jr. | Fairmont State |
| 2018 All-MEC Honorable Mention | |||
| Goalkeeper: Isabelle Vaccari (FSU) Defender: Jenna Alonge (WVWC), Micah Miller (WJU), Morgan Mitchell (WVWC) Midifielder: Norah Barnes (NDC), Jordin Littles (UU), Louise Welch (FSU) Forward: Roberta Pomi (UC), Shannon Shawgo (WVWC) |
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| 2018 All-MEC Freshman Team | |||
| Pos. | Name | School | |
| M | Abigail Fowler | Fairmont State | |
| F | Leah Foster | Concord | |
| D | Madison Hanson | Charleston | |
| F | Keira Hill | Charleston | |
| D | Jadyn Tavekelian | W.Va. Wesleyan | |
| F | Makatlyn Tucker | W.Va. Wesleyan | |
| GK | Isabelle Vaccari | Fairmont State | |
| D | Ella Wilson | Fairmont State | |
| Offensive Player of the Year: Natalie Prater (W.Va. Wesleyan) | |||
| Defensive Player of the Year: Marlee Coleman (Charleston) | |||
| Freshman of the Year: Makatlyn Tucker (W.Va. Wesleyan) | |||
| Coach of the Year: Richard Owens (W.Va. Wesleyan) | |||
