Three Eagles Land On Coaches All-Region Teams

Three Eagles Land On Coaches All-Region Teams

United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team

The Ashland University women's soccer team had three players named to the United Soccer Coaches Association All-Midwest Region teams the organization announced on Tuesday (Nov. 30).

Senior forward Morgan Bittengle was selected to the All-Midwest Region second team, while senior defender Julie Lacock and redshirt-sophomore defender Sydney Wright were each named to the third team.

Bittengle was named to an all-region team three times (2014, 2016, 2017) in her career – selected by the sports information directors' and coaches' associations. Earlier this postseason, Bittengle was selected to the D2CCA All-Midwest Region first team, becoming the first AU player since Maria Manzo in 2005 to earn first team all-region honors.

Bittengle scored 16 goals in her senior season and was an All-GLIAC standout for the third team, earning a spot on the first team. She ranked second in the GLIAC in goals and finished with 33 points on the season. Bittengle finished the year with nine goals in her last six games and 11 goals in her last eight, helping the Eagles to a 12-5-2 mark.

Bittengle recorded two hat tricks on the year – one on Oct. 15 at Northern Michigan, the other on Oct. 27 against Tiffin – and won GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors three times.

She ranks third on Ashland's all-time scoring list with 51 career goals and finished the year tied for fourth among active Division II players in goals scored. She scored 16 goals her freshman season, 11 as a sophomore and eight as a junior before matching her freshman year total in her final season.

Lacock landed on an all-region team for the first time in her career after being named to the All-GLIAC second team for the second consecutive season. She started all 19 games this season, helping Ashland to its fifth straight season with at least 10 wins. The Eagles finished the year with a 1.26 goals against average with Lacock anchoring the back line with Wright.

Lacock also contributed offensively, scoring a goal and dishing out two assists. She scored and assisted in the Eagles' 2-1 win over Ferris State on Oct. 8. Her goal from just inside the box off a corner kick tied the game late in regulation and her free kick led to Bittengle's overtime game-winner. She also assisted on another Bittengle goal with a free kick in the regular season finale against Tiffin.

Lacock and Bittengle were part of a senior class that went 48-19-7 in its four years at Ashland.

Wright joined Lacock on the back line and earned her first career all-region citation. She was an All-GLIAC second team choice by the conference coaches and started all 19 games for the Eagles.

She excelled as a ball-winner and one-on-one defender, helping AU to six shutouts on the season. Wright also scored a goal on the season, heading in a corner kick in a 3-2 overtime win at Davenport.

The Eagles, under fifth-year head coach Danny Krispinsky, went 12-5-2 in the 2017 season and advanced to the GLIAC Tournament semifinal. They landed five players (Bittengle, Lacock, Wright, Emily Mark and Kelsey McKernan) on the All-GLIAC teams.

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