ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend women's soccer team landed eight student-athletes on the 2014 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Team, headlined by senior Shelby Lloyd (Beaver, PA/Beaver) being named the Defensive Player of the Year, announced on Tuesday.
Lloyd is joined by senior Maddie Monte (Beaver, PA/Beaver) and sophomore Alex Bilka (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) on the first team, while freshmen Olivia Belack (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair) and Jordan Oberlander (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) were second-team selections.
Sophomores Allyson Lonas (Johnstown, PA/Conemaugh Township), Leah Morra (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills) and freshman Rachel Weyand (Butler, PA/Butler) complete the All-Conference squad on the third team.
Lloyd was the predicted Defensive Player of the Year in the coaches' preseason poll. She garnered the honor for her tenacious defense in the midfield and helping the Lions hold AMCC opponents to just .833 goals per game. Lloyd started all 22 games and added two goals with one assist for five points, marking her first time on the All-AMCC first team. Monte, the other senior captain, is also earning her first-ever honors on the All-Conference first team. She anchored a defense that posted nine shutouts and held opponents to just 20 goals in 22 contests.
Bilka repeats on the first team after ranking second on the team with 15 goals and eight assists for 38 points. The forward started every game and tallied a goal or an assist in 15 games. Bilka tallied two goals on five occasions, including two goals and two assists for six points against La Roche in the AMCC first round. She has converted two penalty kicks and registered two game-winning goals.
Belack leads the team and ranks second in the conference in goals (16), assists (10) and points (42). She has tied the single-season record for most assists and is three points away from breaking the single-season points record. Belack saved her best for last with three goals in a 6-1 win over Franciscan in the AMCC semifinals and then netting the game winner in the AMCC Championships.
Oberlander immediately made an impact in the midfield during her freshman campaign. She started every game, recording seven goals and six assists for 20 points. Oberlander netted two of the three goals in a win over Medaille.
Lonas landed a spot on the third team as a forward. She ranked third on the team with eight goals and seven assists for 23 points. Lonas exploded for three goals and one assists for a season-best performance with seven points. She netted the equalizer for Behrend in the first half in the AMCC Championship game to force overtime.
Morra, who was sidelined for the first seven games due to an injury, came back to start the remaining 15 contests. She helped the Lions control the midfield and added two assists to earn her first All-Conference accolades.
Weyand was instrumental on the Behrend defense, shutting down opponent's offense in key match ups. She started in all but one game and posted two assists in a 4-0 win over La Roche.
