Conference Carolinas Unveils 2023 Women’s Soccer All-Conference Honors
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Conference Carolinas has unveiled its 2023 women’s soccer all-conference honors as chosen by the league’s head coaches.
Mercy Bell of UNC Pembroke earned Offensive Player of the Year honors while Mia Muckenthaler of Belmont Abbey was named Defensive Player of the Year and Ella Froehlich of King took home Freshman of the Year honors. Belmont Abbey head coach Mike Lynch was named Coach of the Year.
Bell is the third consecutive UNC Pembroke women’s soccer student-athlete to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors after Rilee Seering (Fall 2021) and Anna Grossheim (2022) earned the award. A sophomore from Jacksonville, North Carolina, Bell led Conference Carolinas with 16 goals in league play, a conference-best 34 points and had three game-winning goals. Overall in 2023, Bell has 19 goals, 41 points and five game-winning goals, all league-bests. She led the Braves to the East division title and top seed in the Conference Carolinas Championship with an 8-1-3 league record and a 10-3-3 mark overall.
A junior from Mooresville, North Carolina, Muckenthaler is the third Belmont Abbey Defensive Player of the Year since the award began in 2012 and, first since Jillian Lang in 2015. Muckenthaler led a defense that allowed just 12 goals in 12 league games, the second-best mark in the conference. The Crusaders led the league overall with just 16 goals allowed in 16 games. She led The Abbey to a Northwest division championship and the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
Froehlich, a freshman forward from Sunbury, Ohio, became the second King women’s soccer student-athlete to earn Freshman of the Year honors and first since 2014 (Hulda Sigurdardottir). She finished the regular-season seventh in the league with 20 points in 12 league games with eight goals and four assists. Her six league goals tied for the fifth-most on the season. She helped the Tornado to a runner-up finish in the Northwest division.
In his 12th season at the helm of the Crusaders, Lynch earned his second Coach of the Year honor (2015) and it is the seventh time The Abbey has captured the award. Picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll by league head coaches, Lynch led the Crusaders to the Northwest division title and the No. 2 seed in the tournament with an 8-1-3 league record and 10-2-4 overall.
2023 Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer All-Conference
Offensive Player of the Year
Mercy Bell, UNC Pembroke
Defensive Player of the Year
Mia Muckenthaler, Belmont Abbey
Freshman of the Year
Ella Froehlich, King
Coach of the Year
Mike Lynch, Belmont Abbey
First Team
Forward - Mercy Bell, UNC Pembroke
Forward - Logan Parry, Belmont Abbey
Forward - Kristina Syragakis, Francis Marion
Forward - Taylor Stubbs, King
Midfielder - Anna Grossheim, UNC Pembroke
Midfielder - Kassie Krul, Barton
Midfielder - Reagan Cullen, Belmont Abbey
Defender - Elainee Sprinkle, North Greenville
Defender - Mia Muckenthaler, Belmont Abbey
Defender - Charlotte Brown, Young Harris
Goalkeeper - Brianna Sroka, Belmont Abbey
Second Team
Forward - Alexis Scarpinato, Young Harris
Forward - Ashleigh Harris, UNC Pembroke
Forward - Natasha Bailey, Chowan
Midfielder - Makenna Copley, Mount Olive
Midfielder - Shania Harris, Young Harris
Midfielder - Jen Bartlett, Francis Marion
Midfielder - Isabella Gyurich, North Greenville
Defender - Jaslyn Gott, Mount Olive
Defender - Nicole Cook, UNC Pembroke
Defender - Gianna Ferigne, Barton
Goalkeeper - Haleigh Holland, North Greenville
Third Team
Forward - Gabriela Enciso, Belmont Abbey
Forward - Taylor Barrineau, Lees-McRae
Forward - Haley Long, Belmont Abbey
Midfielder - Sabrina Cunha, Belmont Abbey
Midfielder - Janya Gonzalez, Emmanuel
Midfielder - Laura Hulme, Chowan
Defender - Destiny Makanjuola, Chowan
Defender - Cami Belin, Lees-McRae
Defender - Savannah Mellon, Converse
Defender - Karina Pashkovets, Southern Wesleyan
Goalkeeper - Chiara Coppin, UNC Pembroke