COLONIA, N.J. – Mercy University Women's Soccer freshman Astrid Borglund (Stockholm, Sweden/Hersby Gymnasium) has been named the East Coast Conference (ECC) Women's Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, senior Sarah Lill Hanks (Skedsmokorset, Norway/High Point University) has been tabbed Tri-Defensive Player of the Year and Head Coach Jack Nicholson has earned Coach of the Year, headlining an ECC-leading nine Mavericks named to the ECC All-Conference Teams, as announced by the conference office earlier today. Borglund, Lill Hanks, senior Femke Demets (Avelgem, Belgium/University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), and junior Alyssa Santiago (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central), were named First Team All-Conference, junior Hailey Metzger (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) and sophomores Casey Szczotka (Mattituck, N.Y./Mattituck) and Camila Salvador (Santiago, Chile/Santiago College) earned Second Team All-Conference and freshmen Connor Leahy (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) and Roslyn Almodovar (Belleville, N.J./Belleville) took home Third Team All-Conference honors.
Borglund, double-dipped by taking home the ECC's Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year after leading the conference in points (27), points per game (1.69), goals (12), goals per game (0.75), game-winning goals (6), and shot accuracy (0.625). Her game-winning goals ranked fifth nationally, while her total goals were 19th in the NCAA Division II ranks. Borglund added three assists and took 32 shots on the season with 20 shots on goal. She led the ECC with five total weekly selections, boasting a pair of ECC Offensive Player of the Week awards and leading all newcomers with three ECC Rookie of the Week awards.
Hanks repeated as Defensive Player of the Year, being named as one of three recipients after making 16 starts and playing in 1,296 minutes as the leader of Mercy's backline. The senior played 11 full matches and anchored the Mavs to eight clean sheets on the season, which included four against ECC foes. Offensively, she accounted for six points, scoring a pair of goals and dishing out a pair of assists. Hanks led the Mavericks to a .471 shutout percentage, which ranked third in the ECC.
Following the Mavericks second straight ECC Regular Season Championship – their fifth in program history – Nicholson was voted by his peers as the unanimous selection for ECC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. Mercy finished the regular season 10-3-4 overall and 6-1 in the ECC, totaling 18 points in conference play, to earn the No. 1 seed heading into the ECC Championship.
Demets earns First Team All-Conference honors following her first season as a Maverick. The senior appeared in all 17 games making 15 starts with two goals, eight assists, 12 points and one game-winning goal. The three-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week led the ECC in assists and ranked in the top 10 in points. Demets had a season-high two assists against Roberts Wesleyan and Staten Island and scored the game-winning goal against Saint Anselm.
Santiago receives All-Conference recognition for the third straight year and is named First Team All-Conference for the first time. The junior has appeared in all 17 games making 16 starts with 1,234 minutes played.
Metzger takes home All-Conference honors for the third straight year and is tabbed Second Team All-Conference for the second straight season. The junior appeared in 17 games making 14 starts with three goals, five assists and 11 points. The forward is second on the team in assists and is fourth in points. Metzger is second in the ECC in assists and had a season-high three points on a goal and an assist against Goldey-Beacom.
Szczotka is named Second Team All-Conference after being named Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference last year. The sophomore started all 17 games and had three assists in a team-high 1,478 minutes played. Szczotka recorded an assist against Goldey-Beacom, St. Thomas Aquinas and D'Youville.
Salvador is awarded Second Team All-Conference honors after being named First Team All-ECC last season. The sophomore has started 10 games with two goals, two assists, and six points. The midfielder scored goals against Molloy and Staten Island and had a season-high two assists against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Leahy receives All-Conference recognition following her first season as a Maverick. The one-time ECC Offensive Player of the Week has played in all 17 games making six starts with five goals, three assists, and 13 points. The freshman is second on the team in goals and points. Leahy had a season-high five points on two goals and an assist against St. Thomas Aquinas and had two goals, including the game-tying goal with five seconds left, against Southern Connecticut State.
Almodovar earns All-Conference honors following her first season as a Maverick. The one-time ECC Rookie of the Week appeared in all 17 games making nine starts with two goals, one assist, and five points. The freshman had a season-high three points on a goal and an assist against Goldey-Beacom and a goal against D'Youville.
