Three Trojans Named to Ohio Valley All-Conference Teams

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – In its inaugural season in the Ohio Valley Conference, Little Rock had three of its players selected to all-conference teams as announced by the OVC on Thursday evening. The first three to earn all-conference honors in the newest chapter of Trojan athletics are Bronte Peel, Natalee Geren and Amaya Arias.
 
Peel and Geren were both named to the first team while Arias received second team honors. In addition, both Peel and Arias were named to the All-Newcomer team.
 
"I am really excited for Natalee, Bronte and Amaya," Head Coach Kelly Farrell said. "They are beyond deserving of these accolades and I'm thankful that the other coaches in the OVC recognized how impactful they were for our team."
 
In her first season in a Little Rock uniform, Peel led the team in points with 10. She played an integral role in the Trojan offense this year with her scoring prowess. Scoring four goals on the season, all of which came in OVC play, with three coming in consecutive games at the end of the regular season. The Branxton, NSW, Australia native also dished it out, collecting two assists on the year. 
 
Peel had a role in two game-winning goals in consecutive games, first scoring the game-winner in the 86^th minute of the regular season matchup with UT Martin to bag Little Rock its first ever OVC victory. The very next game she was credited with an assist on yet another game-winning goal this time against Southern Indiana in the 88^th minute. The redshirt freshman played in all 17 games this season and started 10 - including all nine conference matches - and accumulated 1,129 minutes for the Trojans. Peel was named to both the All-OVC First Team as well as the All-Newcomer team.


 
In her final season, Geren continued her role as the backbone of the Little Rock defensive effort. The Round Rock, Texas native led the team in minutes played with 1,510 and did not leave the pitch in 13 of the Trojans 17 games played. She played in and started every game of the season and doubled her best single season point total with six. This was accomplished through her ability to find the open player as Geren had a team-high four assists on the year. 
 
Perhaps the most notable of which was on a game-winner in the regular season matchup against UT Martin when she found Peel with a pass in the 86^th minute. Her lone goal game in the first game of the season against a No. 22 ranked Memphis team for the first goal against a ranked opponent in program history. The fifth-year senior served as captain and took the majority of the free kick opportunities for the Maroon and Silver. Geren was named First Team All-OVC as a defender.


 
Arias ended her freshman season in a tie with Peel for the team lead in goals scored with four. She also finished second on the team in total points with eight, all of which came through goals. The Downey, California native had a knack for scoring at the right time as she was the only Trojan this season with multiple game-winning goals. Her score at Southern Indiana was particularly clutch as she broke a scoreless tie in the 88^th minute. 
 
Arias was a force in the midfield for Little Rock and her aggressive play both gave the Trojans attacking opportunities and helped to halt counter attacks. She accumulated 1,298 minutes which was the third most on the team and the most by any midfielder. The freshman played in and started 16 of the Trojans 17 games during the season. Arias was named to both the All-OVC Second Team as well as the All-Newcomer team.


 
The three players combined for nine Little Rock goals on the season to go along with three assists and played a combined 3,937 minutes for the Trojans. Arias, Geren and Peel were also the top three shot takers on the team in both total shots and shots on goal with 36, 25 and 18, respectively, in shots and 16, 13 and nine shots on goal.
 
"Individuals don't get recognized without a great group supporting them and I'm thankful that we had 22 players who pushed each other to be better individually and collectively every day." Farrell said.
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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All-Ohio Valley Conference Teams
 
First Team 
Sam Blazek, Lindenwood
Cayla Koerner, Southeast Missouri
Chloe Smith, Tennessee Tech
Bronte Peel, Little Rock
Lily Schnieders, SIUE 
Yao Giada Zhou, Tennessee Tech
Izzy Patterson, UT Martin
Colleen Swift, Morehead State
Matea Diekema, SIUE
Natalee Geren, Little Rock
Emily Carlevato, Tennessee Tech
 
Second Team 
Maya Etienne, Southern Indiana
Katie Toney, Tennessee Tech
Nicki Fiantaco, Morehead State
Jenna Little, Eastern Illinois
Sidney Christopher, SIUE
Meredith Nye, Tennessee Tech
Amaya Arias, Little Rock
Faith Lijegren, Southeast Missouri
Sarah Hagg, Eastern Illinois
Paige Anderson, Lindenwood
Elizabeth Lippert, Southern Indiana
 
All-Newcomer Team
Cayla Koerner, Southeast Missouri
Katie Toney, Tennessee Tech
Hadley Cytron, Morehead State
Amaya Arias, Little Rock
Erin Gibbs, Morehead State
Kasey Niedhardt, SIUE
Bronte Peel, Little Rock
Maggie Conrad, Tennessee Tech
Jacqueline Baetz, Lindenwood
Peyton Murphy, Southern Indiana
Allison Lee, Tennessee Tech
 
2022 Ohio Valley Soccer Awards:
 
Forward of the Year: Cayla Koerner, Southeast Missouri
Midfielder of the Year: Yao Giada Zhou, Tennessee Tech
Defender of the Year: Matea Diekema, SIUE
Goalkeeper of the Year: Sam Blazek, Lindenwood
Freshman of the Year: Cayla Koerner, Southeast Missouri
Coach of the Year: Steve Springthorpe, Tennessee Tech
 
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