The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced its 2023 Academic All-District men's and women's soccer teams on Tuesday (Nov. 21) afternoon, and there are six Ashland University honorees on those lists.
Four Eagle women – sophomore forward
Dani Hicks, junior forward
McKinley Mendenhall, junior midfielder
Merrik Mihalek and junior defender
Julianna Williams – and two AU men – sophomore defender
Francesco Chiappo and junior midfielder
Teddy Togliatti – are Ashland's Academic All-District soccer awardees.
- Hicks has a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average through the spring 2023 semester as an Exercise Science major. So far this fall for the No. 2-ranked Eagles, Hicks has team-highs in goals (nine), assists (seven, tied), points (25) and game-winning goals (four). She is a 2023 first-team All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference honoree.
- Mendenhall, a 2022 CSC third-team Academic All-American, sports a 3.96 cumulative GPA as an Exercise Science major. In 2023, she has five goals and seven assists for 17 points, and three of her goals have been game-winners. Mendenhall is a 2023 second-team All-Great Midwest choice.
- Mihalek, the 2023 Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference, has a 3.75 cumulative GPA as a Business Management and Entrepreneurship major. This season, she has posted seven goals and five assists for 19 points, including three game-winning goals.
- Williams, a Biology major with a 3.73 cumulative GPA, has been a leader on the best defense in NCAA Division II this fall. Ashland has allowed four goals and has recorded 19 clean sheets in 2023, and Williams has started and played in 21 of 23 games in the back. The 2023 first-team all-conference selection also has an assist this season.
Ashland's women are 19-0-4, and will play host to an NCAA Division II third-round game at Ferguson Field on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. vs. No. RV Grand Valley State (13-3-6).
- Chiappo has a 3.72 cumulative GPA as an Exercise Science major. In 2023, he was a second-team All-Great Midwest honoree after leading an Eagle backline which allowed 33 goals in 20 games. Chiappo started all 20 games at center back.
- Togliatti is the 2023 Great Midwest men's soccer Elite 26 Award winner – the award given to the student-athlete with the top cumulative GPA at the conference's championship in a given sport. He played in all 20 games (17 starts) this fall, and had a goal and two assists for four points.
Eagle men's soccer finished 2023 at 7-9-4 overall and 6-4-4 in the Great Midwest, and went 1-1 at the conference tournament.
