Natalia Gaitan Receives Second-Team All-MAC Recognition
11/2/2012 2:50:00 AM | Women's Soccer
OXFORD, OH - Senior Natalia Gaitan received second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors, the league office announced Thursday evening. Gaitan becomes the seventh player in program history to garner all-league accolades on more than one occasion.
A 2011 first-team all-conference selection, Gaitan has started all 20 matches on defense and played every minute this fall. She has spearheaded a Toledo defense that has posted five shutouts and given up one goal or less on 12 occasions in 2012. A dangerous player in the attack as well, Gaitan currently sits second on the team in goals (4) and total points (8).
Not only does Gaitan excel on the pitch, but in the classroom as well, as she was recently named to the CoSIDA All-District 5 (IL, IN, MI, OH) Division I First Team for a first time. Gaitan's inclusion on that team should come as no surprise, as she carries a 3.93 cumulative grade-point average in business. The Bogota, Colombia native is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and a member of UT's Dean's List the last six semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in Fall 2010. Last season, she became the first Rocket to earn a spot on the NSCAA Scholar All-America Third Team.
The MAC also announced the specialty awards this evening at the site of this weekend's 'Final Four' at the Miami Soccer Field. The regular-season champion RedHawks took home a bulk of the hardware, as Jess Kodiak was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year, Haley Walter was tabbed the Freshman of the Year and Bobby Kramig garnered Coach of the Year. Central Michigan's Bailey Brandon rounded out the specialty awards, winning the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
Gaitan and the No. 6 seed Rockets (7-11-2) will look to take one step closer to successfully defending their MAC Tournament championship when they face No. 2 seed Central Michigan (14-5-1) in the second of two semifinal matchups tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. The other semifinal pits top seed Miami (17-2-1) against No. 4 seed Kent State (13-4-2) at 11:00 a.m. The winner of the 16th-annual postseason event receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
All-MAC First-Team
Bailey Brandon, Central Michigan, Sr., D
Autumn Hawkins, Central Michigan, Sr., MF
Katie Slaughter, Central Michigan, Sr., D
Stefanie Turner, Central Michigan, Sr., GK
Laura Twidle, Central Michigan, Sr., F
Emily Dzik, Eastern Michigan, So., D
Bianca Rossi, Eastern Michigan, So., F
Kelsey Dinges, Miami, So., MF
Katy Dolesh, Miami, Jr., MF
Jess Kodiak, Miami, Sr., F
Kayla Zakrzewski, Miami, Jr., MF
All-MAC Second-Team
Kelly DeNiro, Akron, Jr. MF
Ashley Hughes, Akron, Jr., F
Pavla Benyrova, Ball State, So., D
Cara Cutaia, Eastern Michigan, Jr., MF
Jaclyn Dutton, Kent State, Jr., F
Stephanie Haugh, Kent State, So., F
Hannah Newhouse, Kent State, Jr., D
Haley Walter, Miami, Fr., MF
Amy Carr, Northern Illinois, Jr., GK
Cat Rogers, Ohio, Sr., MF
NATALIA GAITAN, TOLEDO, Sr., D
All Freshman-Team
Megan Waskowski, F, Akron
Katie George, D, Akron
Klaire Adee, GK, Akron
Morgan Whitfield, F, Ball State
Aubrey Hauenstein, F, Ball State
Kalynn Flanagan, F, Ball State
Jenna Underwood, GK, Bowling Green
Kristin Markiewicz, D, Buffalo
Danielle Rotheram, F/MF, Central Michigan
Christen Chiesa, MF/D, Central Michigan
Josie Seebeck, MF, Central Michigan
Haley Walter, MF, Miami
Offensive Player of the Year
Jess Kodiak, Miami
Defensive Player of the Year
Bailey Brandon, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year
Haley Walter, Miami
Coach of the Year
Bobby Kramig, Miami
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