On Wednesday night, four Niagara Knights were named OCAA women's soccer all-stars at the annual awards banquet in advance of the 2018 OCAA Women's Soccer Championships, hosted by Seneca College in Toronto.
Michelle Maecker (Fonthill), Kara Latham (Welland), Lauren Frasca (St. Catharines), and Sophia Al-Kayed (St. Catharines) earned the all-star selections. It marks the first time that the Knights have had four all-stars, the previous high being two, setting yet another program record in what has been the team's best season to date thus far.
Following up on her Rookie of the Year nod a season ago, Michelle Maecker now becomes an OCAA All-Star for the first time. Entering the season with plenty of pressure to perform, the EL Crossley graduate did not disappoint. Leaned upon heavily, she was the Knights leading scorer with seven goals, and became the teams all-time career goals leader with 13 total through two seasons.
Captain Kara Latham earns her first OCAA All-Star selection in her third season. A leader on and off the field, Latham has risen to be one of the elite midfielders in the OCAA. One of the most aggressive players in the league, the Welland Centennial graduate has earned a reputation as a player that her opponents do not want to go up against. In addition to her disruptive presence, Latham also chipped in offensively with a pair of goals on the season.
Second-year defender Lauren Frasca and rookie midfielder Sophia Al-Kayed round out the all-stars for the Knights. Both players brought a quiet, but feisty, confidence to the Knights program all season long. Frasca, a Notre Dame graduate, was a shutdown defender for a Knights team that tied a program record for fewest losses in a season condeding only 16 goals this season. Al-Kayed, who is set to join the Knights women's basketball program when the season concludes, did not disappoint in her rookie season. The St. Francis graduate quietly put together a strong midfield season that included her first OCAA goal.
The Knights women will make their first ever OCAA Championship appearance tomorrow. Niagara will kick-off the tournament against the Durham Lords at 1pm. The winner will advance to Friday's semi-final against Fanshawe or Algonquin, while the loser will be eliminated from medal contention. All games will be broadcast livestreamed at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/seneca/.
