Belack, Weyand Named Women's Soccer AMCC Players of the Year
Penn State Behrend junior midfielder Olivia Belack and junior defender Rachel Weyand were named Offensive and Defensive Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Players of the Year, respectively.
ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend junior midfielder Olivia Belack (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair) and junior defender Rachel Weyand (Butler, PA/Butler) were named Offensive and Defensive Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Players of the Year, respectively.
Belack and Weyand were also selected to the All-AMCC first team along with senior forward Alex Bilka (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley), junior forward Jordan Oberlander (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) and junior defender Gionna Fonseca (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional). Sophomore midfielder Catherine Eichenlaub (Wexford, PA/Pine-Richland) and sophomore defender Caitlin Caldwell (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) were selected to the All-Conference third team.
Belack earned Player of the Year honors and was named to the All-AMCC first team after leading the Lions and the AMCC with 20 goals and 12 assists for 52 points. She registered two points or more in 14 of the 20 games she started to set a new single-season record for points. Belack also set the single-season record for most assists in a season (12) and needs two more goals to break that single-season record set at 21. She is currently ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III statistics for total points and is 16th in total goals and assists. Belack is averaging 2.60 points per game and has registered three-game winning goals.
Weyand was selected Defensive Player of the Year for helping the Lions post nine shutouts in 16 wins this season. During the AMCC, the defense only conceded three goals in nine contests. Weyand also added two goals and four assists for eight points, while starting every game.
Bilka, the 2015 AMCC Offensive Player of the Year, completes her career as a four-time All-AMCC first-team choice. The senior forward ranked second on the team with 19 goals and nine assists for 47 points this season. She tallied the most goals and points in conference games only with 13 goals and three assists for 29 points. Bilka tallied 14 goals in the last eight games for the Lions. She has converted two penalty kicks and leads the team with six game-winning goals. Bilka is ranked 13th in NCAA Division III statistics in total points and is 15th in game-winning goals and 19th in total goals.
After being a two-time All-AMCC second-team selection, Oberlander earns a spot on the first team for her season-best 14 goals and five assists for 33 points. The junior forward tallied eight goals and four assists in conference-games only, including a career-high four goals in a 9-0 win over Medaille during the regular season.
Fonseca rounds out the five named to the All-AMCC first team. The junior defender was selected to the second team a year ago. Fonseca was instrumental in shutting down conference opponents leading scorers resulting in a 0.52 goals-against average in AMCC play. She also helped the Lions defense post nine shutouts.
Eichenlaub and Caldwell were chosen to the third team for their first All-Conference honors. Both started all 20 games this season and helped Behrend lead the AMCC with an overall 1.043 goals-against average. From a defensive midfield position, Eichenlaub has scored five goals and added one assist for 11 points. Caldwell, who controls set pieces, recorded one goal and four assists for six points.