Eight soccer players named to Academic All-MAC squad

January 18, 2012 | News, UToday
By Brian DeBenedictis



Eight Toledo women’s soccer players were named to the 2011 Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team, as voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions.

The Rockets tied with Central Michigan for the most academic honorees and are represented by seniors Kristen Lynn, Alyssa Niese, Ana Reynolds and Vicki Traven, juniors Megan Blake, Natalia Gaitàn and Rachael Kravitz, along with sophomore Nicole Gyurgyik.

Niese becomes only the second player in school history to earn academic all-league accolades on three occasions, joining former Rocket Ali Leak (2007-09), while Lynn, Traven, Blake, Gaitàn and Kravitz are two-time selections, and Reynolds and Gyurgyik are first-time recipients.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.

A total of 35 student-athletes were named to this year’s squad. The number of honorees on the MAC All-Academic Team is set for the specific sport or 33 percent of the number of nominees, whichever is greater. The remaining student-athletes have been recognized as Academic Honor Roll selections.

An operations management major with a minor in event planning and tourism and a perfect 4.0 GPA, Niese started the final 16 contests on defense this past fall. She played a critical role in a Toledo defense that posted nine shutouts, fourth-best total in the league. The Maumee, Ohio, native played the entire match on eight occasions and saw at least 80 minutes of action a total of 12 times.

An exercise science major with a 3.89 GPA, Lynn also was selected first-team Capital One Academic All-District V, becoming the first player in school history to be named to first team, as well as second-team all-conference, MAC All-Tournament Team and first-team Academic All-Ohio in the fall. The 2011 tri-captain ranked tied for third in the MAC in scores (9), tied for fifth in total points (21) and eighth in shots (51). She was named the MAC’s Female Scholar-Athlete and co-Offensive Player of the Week after equaling the school record with four goals against Niagara (Sept. 2). The Strongsville, Ohio, native wrapped up her collegiate career fourth in school history in shots (168), fifth in total points (57) and tied for fifth in goals (22) and assists (13). Lynn has been a member of UT’s dean’s list the last six semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in the most recent two grade periods.

A biology major with a 3.66 GPA, Reynolds was one of six Rockets to start every match in the midfield this past fall. The 2011 tri-captain finished tied for fifth on the team with seven points (two goals, three assists), finding the back of the net against Eastern Michigan (Oct. 23) and Ohio in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals (Oct. 30). She played the entire match five times and saw at least 80 minutes of action on 11 occasions. The Mentor, Ohio, native has been a member of UT’s dean’s list in five of the last six semesters.

An exercise science major with a 3.23 GPA, Traven also was chosen first-team All-MAC, first-team Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (OCSA) and first-team Academic All-Ohio in 2011. She appeared in 22 matches between the posts, tallying a 14-6-1 record with a 0.90 GAA and eight shutouts. The St. Charles, Ill., native ranked third in the league in blankings, fourth in goals against average and seventh in save percentage (.768). Traven earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on two occasions (Sept. 26-Oct. 2 and Oct. 10-16) and wrapped up her career first in MAC history in shutouts (34), as well as ranking second in minutes played (6,972:07) and fourth in goals against average (0.81). In the classroom, Traven has been a member of UT’s dean’s list in fall 2008 and spring 2009.

An exercise science major with a 3.93 GPA, Blake started six matches in the midfield. She finished tied for fifth on the team with seven points (three goals, one assist), scoring goals in three-consecutive contests against Miami (Oct. 2), Ohio (Oct. 7) and Akron (Oct. 9). Blake has been a member of UT’s dean’s list the last four semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in fall 2009 and spring 2011.

A pre-business major with a 3.93 GPA, Gaitàn also was named third-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-American, second-team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region, first-team all-conference, MAC All-Tournament Team, first-team OCSA and first-team Academic All-Ohio in 2011. She played every minute in 20 matches and finished tied for fourth in the conference in helpers (6). The Bogota, Colombia, native has been a member of UT’s dean’s list the last four semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in fall 2010.

A marketing major with a 3.79 GPA, Kravitz played every minute in 16 contests on defense in 2011. She tied for fourth in the league in assists (6) and sits tied for fifth in school history in career helpers (13). Kravitz was credited with assists in back-to-back contests on two occasions this past fall against IPFW (Aug. 28) and Niagara (Sept. 2), as well as versus Miami (Oct. 2) and Ohio (Oct. 7). Kravitz has been a member of UT’s dean’s list in three of the last four semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in fall 2009.

A nursing major with a 3.97 GPA, Gyurgyik ranked second in the league in scores (10), third in total points (24) and seventh in shots (52). Her point total tied for fifth place in school history in a single season. The Mayfield Heights, Ohio, native was named the MAC’s Female Scholar-Athlete and Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 19-Sept. 25) after scoring goals against Northern Illinois (Sept. 23) and Western Michigan (Sept. 25). A 2011 third-team Capital One Academic All-District V and second-team Academic All-Ohio honoree, Gyurgyik was credited with match-winning scores against IPFW (Aug. 28), Ohio (Oct. 30) and the Huskies. She has been a member of UT’s dean’s list the last two semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in fall 2010.

Toledo, which was recognized for having a top-10 team grade-point average in the nation for the remarkable sixth-consecutive year by the NSCAA, enjoyed a record-shattering 2011 campaign and finished with a 14-7-2 overall mark, 9-1-1 in the conference. The Rockets successfully defended their MAC regular-season championship and captured a league-record fourth tournament title, advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2008.

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