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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Michael Nemeth
Falcon Excellence Recognized with Several MAC Postseason Awards
November 02, 2017 | Women's Soccer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The excellence of the 2017 Bowling Green State University women's soccer team continued to receive recognition on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 2) as the Mid-American Conference announced its annual post-season awards. Five Falcons were named members of all-conference teams, and the program brought home Coach of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in its history.
Skylar Fleak, Erica Hubert, and Madison Schupbach earned first-team All-MAC honors, while Alexis Fricke was named second team All-MAC. Nikhita Jacob garnered All-Freshman team recognition. In addition, Fleak was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year, while head coach Matt Fannon earned the MAC Coach of the Year award.
Senior forward Skylar Fleak (Sunbury, Ohio) was named the 2017 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Fleak completed BGSU's best offensive regular season in 13 years as she earned 11 goals, five assists, and 27 points. Her efforts pushed BGSU to lead the MAC in scoring (2.06 goals/game) and post its highest regular season goal output (37) since 1998. She began the year with a four-goal outburst at Oakland, then scored twice in a 4-1 win against Miami. When the Falcons trailed Buffalo 2-0, her hat trick led to a 3-2 win, BGSU's best comeback in 13 years.
"When Skylar started the season so well, she became the first name in every team's scouting report. Everyone prepared for her and what she brings to the game, and she was still very successful. That says a lot about her and our team for giving her the chance to play to her strengths and keep scoring goals for us," said BGSU head coach Matt Fannon. "Aside from her statistics, Skylar has worked incredibly hard on the defensive side of her game, something that is often overlooked. She has been an excellent teammate, and we are very proud of her."
Fleak led the MAC with four game-winning goals, and her five assists ranked in the MAC's top ten. She joins Samantha Meister as the only MAC Players of the Year in BGSU history; Meister won the award in 2005. The MAC split the award into offensive and defensive categories starting with the 2009 season.
"I am incredibly honored to receive this award. I owe so much credit to my teammates and my coach, I could not have accomplished anything this season without them," said Fleak. "Playing for an extremely smart and encouraging coach gave me so much confidence this season, as well as playing alongside incredibly talented teammates who put me in positions to be successful. There are so many great players in the MAC, and I am grateful and honored to have been selected for this award."
Head coach Matt Fannon, in his debut season with the Falcons, has been named the 2017 MAC Coach of the Year. Fannon was named the fifth head coach in program history on Dec. 26, 2016 and has completely transformed the program in a ten-month span. He led BGSU to its best regular season (11-6-1) and MAC (6-4-1) records and its first MAC Tournament appearance since 2008. With the addition of the team's MAC quarterfinal win over Buffalo, Fannon is 12-6-1 with the Falcons. It is the best record for a first-year coach in program history and will mark the third time the Falcons finish with a .600+ winning percentage. This is his second straight Coach of the Year honor; Fannon was NCAC Coach of the Year in 2016 in his final season at Wittenberg. He joins Andy Richards (2005) as the team's only winners of the award.
"Our staff has worked extremely hard this year. They are young, energetic, and committed to our team. Our players have embodied that in such an exciting and positive way daily, which has created an incredible culture," Fannon said. "My family is very fortunate to be part of such an amazing program and university, and I am lucky to spend time with such wonderful people every day."
The inclusion of Fleak, Hubert and Schupbach on the first team All-MAC squad set a new program record. The previous high was two members, set in 2005 and 2008. Fricke is the 11th player in team history to earn second team all-conference honors, while Jacob is the Falcons' 16th all-time member of the All-Freshman group. The combined five all-conference recognitions is the most for Bowling Green since the 2005 season and ties a school record. For Fleak, this is her second time as a member of an all-conference team, as she was All-Freshman in 2014.
"We play in a conference with top quality players across the board. It is a great achievement to have five players receiving awards from the MAC," said Fannon. "For those five individuals, they are very deserving. They are all great soccer players, but more importantly, they are all great people who represent our university brilliantly on and off the field."
Hubert has now been an all-conference player in each of her three seasons. She was a member of the All-Freshman team in 2015 and earned second team All-MAC honors following the 2016 season. This year, Hubert has been vital to BGSU's offensive rebirth. She tied a personal record with eight goals in the regular season, then broke it with two more goals in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal. She is third in the MAC in goals and points (23) and has added a career-high three assists. BGSU is 8-1 when she scores, and her October was spectacular as she posted seven goals and three assists.
Schupbach was a primary facilitator on the Falcons' MAC-leading offense, whose 37 regular season goals were the most by the team since 1998. She has more than doubled her career assist total with a MAC-best eight, including one in the tournament quarterfinal. She has also scored four goals for a career-best total of 16 points, which is in the league's top ten. She was also a star in October with three goals and six assists. She contributed on three game-winning goals, scoring one herself and assisting on two others.
Fricke helped lead a BGSU defense that permitted just 22 goals and a 1.19 goals against average in the regular season, lowest for the school since 2008. Her play also helped limit opponents to just 177 shots (9.8/game); the previous low at BGSU for a season was 260. Opponents also had only 82 shots on goal, including none by Akron and only one by Morehead State. Fricke also contributed on offense, as she scored a goal in the season-opening 5-1 win at Oakland, posted a game-winning assist against Central Michigan, and earned an assist at Kent State.
Jacob started all 18 games and averaged 61 minutes as a defender for the Falcons during the regular season. She played a pivotal role in a defense that limited opponents to 10 shots and 4.6 shots on goal per match and a 1.19 goals against average. BGSU outscored opponents by 15 goals, nearly a full goal per game, in regular season play. Offensively, Jacob has contributed a goal and three assists. Her score was the game-winner in a 3-1 victory at Detroit Mercy, and her assists came in wins over Wright State, at Kent State, and in the MAC quarterfinal against Buffalo.
Bowling Green will compete in the MAC Tournament semifinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 3). The fourth-seeded Falcons will face the top-seed Kent State Golden Flashes. KSU is hosting the remainder of the tournament at Dix Stadium. BGSU defeated the Flashes 3-1 at Dix Stadium on Oct. 22.
Offensive Player of the Year: Skylar Fleak, Bowling Green
Defensive Player of the Year: Paige Culver, Kent State
Freshman of the Year: Vital Kats, Kent State
Coach of the Year: Matt Fannon, Bowling Green
All-MAC First Team
Forward: Skylar Fleak, Bowling Green
Forward: Erica Hubert, Bowling Green
Forward: Lexi Pelafas, Central Michigan
Midfielder: Julia Elvbo, Ball State
Midfielder: Madison Schupbach, Bowling Green
Midfielder: Julia Benati, Buffalo
Midfielder: Isabella Echeverri, Toledo
Defender: Gurjeena Jandu, Buffalo
Defender: Paige Culver, Kent State
Defender: Sierra Henderson-Muschett, Kent State
Goalkeeper: Stephanie Heber, Western Michigan
All-MAC Second Team
Forward: Peyton Davis, Eastern Michigan
Forward: Allie Curry, Ohio
Forward: Hannah Scafaria, Toledo
Midfielder: Madison Pogarch, Central Michigan
Midfielder: Kristen Brots, Kent State
Midfielder: Vital Kats, Kent State
Defender: Alexis Fricke, Bowling Green
Defender: Jaime Eiben, Kent State
Defender: Haley Hoppe, Northern Illinois
Defender: Chiara Paradiso, Toledo
Goalkeeper: Laura Dougall, Buffalo
Goalkeeper: Patricia Koutoulas, Miami
All-Freshman Team
Amani Jiu, Akron
Nicky Potts, Ball State
Nikhita Jacob, Bowling Green
Gianna Yurchak, Buffalo
Marcy Barberic, Buffalo
Madeline Olson, Eastern Michigan
Vital Kats, Kent State
Isabelle Mihail, Kent State
Haley Hoope, NIU
Paige Knorr, Ohio
Maddie Perrin, Toledo
Skylar Fleak, Erica Hubert, and Madison Schupbach earned first-team All-MAC honors, while Alexis Fricke was named second team All-MAC. Nikhita Jacob garnered All-Freshman team recognition. In addition, Fleak was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year, while head coach Matt Fannon earned the MAC Coach of the Year award.
Senior forward Skylar Fleak (Sunbury, Ohio) was named the 2017 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Fleak completed BGSU's best offensive regular season in 13 years as she earned 11 goals, five assists, and 27 points. Her efforts pushed BGSU to lead the MAC in scoring (2.06 goals/game) and post its highest regular season goal output (37) since 1998. She began the year with a four-goal outburst at Oakland, then scored twice in a 4-1 win against Miami. When the Falcons trailed Buffalo 2-0, her hat trick led to a 3-2 win, BGSU's best comeback in 13 years.
"When Skylar started the season so well, she became the first name in every team's scouting report. Everyone prepared for her and what she brings to the game, and she was still very successful. That says a lot about her and our team for giving her the chance to play to her strengths and keep scoring goals for us," said BGSU head coach Matt Fannon. "Aside from her statistics, Skylar has worked incredibly hard on the defensive side of her game, something that is often overlooked. She has been an excellent teammate, and we are very proud of her."
Fleak led the MAC with four game-winning goals, and her five assists ranked in the MAC's top ten. She joins Samantha Meister as the only MAC Players of the Year in BGSU history; Meister won the award in 2005. The MAC split the award into offensive and defensive categories starting with the 2009 season.
"I am incredibly honored to receive this award. I owe so much credit to my teammates and my coach, I could not have accomplished anything this season without them," said Fleak. "Playing for an extremely smart and encouraging coach gave me so much confidence this season, as well as playing alongside incredibly talented teammates who put me in positions to be successful. There are so many great players in the MAC, and I am grateful and honored to have been selected for this award."
Head coach Matt Fannon, in his debut season with the Falcons, has been named the 2017 MAC Coach of the Year. Fannon was named the fifth head coach in program history on Dec. 26, 2016 and has completely transformed the program in a ten-month span. He led BGSU to its best regular season (11-6-1) and MAC (6-4-1) records and its first MAC Tournament appearance since 2008. With the addition of the team's MAC quarterfinal win over Buffalo, Fannon is 12-6-1 with the Falcons. It is the best record for a first-year coach in program history and will mark the third time the Falcons finish with a .600+ winning percentage. This is his second straight Coach of the Year honor; Fannon was NCAC Coach of the Year in 2016 in his final season at Wittenberg. He joins Andy Richards (2005) as the team's only winners of the award.
"Our staff has worked extremely hard this year. They are young, energetic, and committed to our team. Our players have embodied that in such an exciting and positive way daily, which has created an incredible culture," Fannon said. "My family is very fortunate to be part of such an amazing program and university, and I am lucky to spend time with such wonderful people every day."
The inclusion of Fleak, Hubert and Schupbach on the first team All-MAC squad set a new program record. The previous high was two members, set in 2005 and 2008. Fricke is the 11th player in team history to earn second team all-conference honors, while Jacob is the Falcons' 16th all-time member of the All-Freshman group. The combined five all-conference recognitions is the most for Bowling Green since the 2005 season and ties a school record. For Fleak, this is her second time as a member of an all-conference team, as she was All-Freshman in 2014.
"We play in a conference with top quality players across the board. It is a great achievement to have five players receiving awards from the MAC," said Fannon. "For those five individuals, they are very deserving. They are all great soccer players, but more importantly, they are all great people who represent our university brilliantly on and off the field."
Hubert has now been an all-conference player in each of her three seasons. She was a member of the All-Freshman team in 2015 and earned second team All-MAC honors following the 2016 season. This year, Hubert has been vital to BGSU's offensive rebirth. She tied a personal record with eight goals in the regular season, then broke it with two more goals in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal. She is third in the MAC in goals and points (23) and has added a career-high three assists. BGSU is 8-1 when she scores, and her October was spectacular as she posted seven goals and three assists.
Schupbach was a primary facilitator on the Falcons' MAC-leading offense, whose 37 regular season goals were the most by the team since 1998. She has more than doubled her career assist total with a MAC-best eight, including one in the tournament quarterfinal. She has also scored four goals for a career-best total of 16 points, which is in the league's top ten. She was also a star in October with three goals and six assists. She contributed on three game-winning goals, scoring one herself and assisting on two others.
Fricke helped lead a BGSU defense that permitted just 22 goals and a 1.19 goals against average in the regular season, lowest for the school since 2008. Her play also helped limit opponents to just 177 shots (9.8/game); the previous low at BGSU for a season was 260. Opponents also had only 82 shots on goal, including none by Akron and only one by Morehead State. Fricke also contributed on offense, as she scored a goal in the season-opening 5-1 win at Oakland, posted a game-winning assist against Central Michigan, and earned an assist at Kent State.
Jacob started all 18 games and averaged 61 minutes as a defender for the Falcons during the regular season. She played a pivotal role in a defense that limited opponents to 10 shots and 4.6 shots on goal per match and a 1.19 goals against average. BGSU outscored opponents by 15 goals, nearly a full goal per game, in regular season play. Offensively, Jacob has contributed a goal and three assists. Her score was the game-winner in a 3-1 victory at Detroit Mercy, and her assists came in wins over Wright State, at Kent State, and in the MAC quarterfinal against Buffalo.
Bowling Green will compete in the MAC Tournament semifinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 3). The fourth-seeded Falcons will face the top-seed Kent State Golden Flashes. KSU is hosting the remainder of the tournament at Dix Stadium. BGSU defeated the Flashes 3-1 at Dix Stadium on Oct. 22.
Offensive Player of the Year: Skylar Fleak, Bowling Green
Defensive Player of the Year: Paige Culver, Kent State
Freshman of the Year: Vital Kats, Kent State
Coach of the Year: Matt Fannon, Bowling Green
All-MAC First Team
Forward: Skylar Fleak, Bowling Green
Forward: Erica Hubert, Bowling Green
Forward: Lexi Pelafas, Central Michigan
Midfielder: Julia Elvbo, Ball State
Midfielder: Madison Schupbach, Bowling Green
Midfielder: Julia Benati, Buffalo
Midfielder: Isabella Echeverri, Toledo
Defender: Gurjeena Jandu, Buffalo
Defender: Paige Culver, Kent State
Defender: Sierra Henderson-Muschett, Kent State
Goalkeeper: Stephanie Heber, Western Michigan
All-MAC Second Team
Forward: Peyton Davis, Eastern Michigan
Forward: Allie Curry, Ohio
Forward: Hannah Scafaria, Toledo
Midfielder: Madison Pogarch, Central Michigan
Midfielder: Kristen Brots, Kent State
Midfielder: Vital Kats, Kent State
Defender: Alexis Fricke, Bowling Green
Defender: Jaime Eiben, Kent State
Defender: Haley Hoppe, Northern Illinois
Defender: Chiara Paradiso, Toledo
Goalkeeper: Laura Dougall, Buffalo
Goalkeeper: Patricia Koutoulas, Miami
All-Freshman Team
Amani Jiu, Akron
Nicky Potts, Ball State
Nikhita Jacob, Bowling Green
Gianna Yurchak, Buffalo
Marcy Barberic, Buffalo
Madeline Olson, Eastern Michigan
Vital Kats, Kent State
Isabelle Mihail, Kent State
Haley Hoope, NIU
Paige Knorr, Ohio
Maddie Perrin, Toledo
Players Mentioned
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