SIUE Women's Soccer Places Six on All-OVC Squads, Two Earn OVC Postseason Awards

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Following one of the most successful seasons in program history that saw the Cougars claim a share of their second-ever regular season conference crown, four SIUE women's soccer student-athletes earned spots on the Ohio Valley Conference First Team, the league announced Thursday morning. The quartet of Cougars includes OVC Midfielder of the Year Andrea Frerker and OVC Forward of the Year MacKenzie Litzsinger. Additionally, true freshmen Grace Cobb and Kaitlyn Nichols each earned spots on the OVC All-Newcomer squad.

MacKenzie Litzsinger (Fenton, Mo.) put together one of the all-time great offensive performances in the history of SIUE women's soccer history in 2021, leading the team and league in points (22), points per game (1.47), goals (8), goals per game (0.53) and assist (6). The first team All-OVC pick also ranked among OVC leaders with 29 shots and 1.93 shots per game. Litzsinger earned her second consecutive First Team All-OVC nod, while also becoming the first student-athlete in OVC history to win back-to-back Forward of the Year honors.

Andrea Frerker (Collinsville, Ill.) has stood as one of the all-time greatest midfielders to wear the Red & White, as she capped off her final regular season in Edwardsville with her first appearance on the All-OVC First Team. Frerker's outstanding performance in 2021, which saw her register a team-best six assists, led her to claim the program's first-ever OVC Midfielder of the Year award.

Lily Schnieders (Fenton, Mo.) continued to demonstrate why she is among the fastest-rising stars in college soccer, continuing her impressive form from the spring season into an equally-impressive fall campaign. Schnieders netted six goals on the season while also adding five assists. In addition, Schnieders led the Cougars in shots by a wide margin, taking 38 attempts on goal. Schnieders earns the first All-OVC First Team nod of her career.

Maria Haro (St. Louis, Mo.) found her footing as soon as conference play began, netting five goals against OVC foes and rounding out one of the most formidable forward lines in college soccer. Haro also made sure that her teammates found scoring success, adding four assists to her credit. This is Haro's first All-OVC First Team selection.

While the SIUE squad is led by a strong contingent of veteran leadership, a quality core of newcomers ensures that the future of the program will remain in good hands. Grace Cobb, a true freshman from Defiance, Missouri, registered eight total shots and notched her first collegiate goal against OVC foe Austin Peay. Joining Cobb on the OVC All-Newcomer squad is Kaitlyn Nichols (O'Fallon, Mo.), who sits fourth on the team with three goals scored in her debut campaign.

Second-seeded SIUE will travel to Martin, Tennessee, for a rematch against seventh-seeded Southeast Missouri in the semifinal round of the 2021 OVC Soccer Championship. The match is scheduled to kick off on Friday at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Should the Cougars win tomorrow night, they will face either number one-seed UT Martin or number-five seed Tennessee Tech in the OVC Championship final on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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