A trio of UTM soccer standouts have been selected to the All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) postseason teams as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Defender Maria Castaldo and forward Emely van der Vliet were tabbed to the All-OVC first team while goalkeeper Erica Myers was named to the All-OVC second team. In addition to her All-OVC honors, van der Vliet was also named the OVC Freshman of the Year while garnering a spot on the All-Newcomer squad.
A native of Orlando Park, Illinois, Castaldo garnered her second All-OVC first team honor in as many years as an anchor to a stingy defensive backline for the Skyhawks. She has started in all 10 matches while totaling 925 minutes and playing every minute against Eastern Illinois, Belmont, Murray State, Morehead State, Jacksonville State and Austin Peay. Defensively, the squad has produced four shutouts this season while holding five of 10 opponents to single digit shot attempts – including limiting Austin Peay to just one attempt in 90 minutes. Offensively, she tallied three shot attempts, placing two on goal.
Hailing from Rosmalen, Netherlands, van der Vliet has exploded onto the scene for the Skyhawks to not only pace the squad offensively but lead the OVC in several offensive categories including goals (seven), shots (36), shots per game (3.6), goals per game (0.7) and game-winning goals (three) while also ranking amongst league leaders in points with 15. She was rewarded for her strong play by becoming just the second player in program history to be named OVC Freshman of the Year – joining Saphyra Coombs-James in 2012. She earned OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors after an impressive week in which she scored four goals, including a show-stopping performance against Eastern Kentucky when she became just the second freshman and seventh player overall in school history to record a hat trick. In the final four games of the regular season she tallied six goals – including two game-winners – to help the Skyhawks go 4-0 in their late tournament push.
A decorated senior from Holland, Ohio, Myers added yet another accolade to her career profile with her second All-OVC honor. A five-time OVC Goalkeeper of the Week in her career, Myers ranks second in the OVC in shutouts (four), third in in goals against average (0.86) and fifth in save percentage (79.5). She is 6-3-1 on the season and has allowed nine goals in 941 minutes of action while tallying 35 saves. For her career, she ranks second in program history with 30 victories, 17 shutouts and 5807 minutes played while sitting in the top-five in games played (63, third), saves (259, t-fourth), and GAA (1.30, fifth).
The trio and the rest of the Skyhawks will compete for the program’s third OVC Soccer Championship beginning on Thursday, April 15 against SIUE. First touch is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Cutchin Field in Murray, Ky. with the contest to be aired on ESPN+.
