Women's Soccer Places Six on 2024 All-PSAC East First, Second Teams
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced their women's soccer All-Conference Team members for the 2024 season Thursday, Nov. 14, and the Kutztown University squad is well represented with six honorees representing the Golden Bears across both East Division teams.
Kutztown features a First-Team All-PSAC East Division honoree at each level of the field, with forward Caroline McDonald (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East), midfielder Taylor Rapel (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) and defender Bridget Curtis (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) all being recognized among the 13 best players in the division.
McDonald has appeared in all 19 games for the Golden Bears, starting 17 on the front line - the most of any Kutztown forward this season. She has been a punishing presence for KU, taking a team-high 29 shots on goal this season while recording 9 points across five games, including a two-goal game in the win at Mansfield in early October. The Exton, Pa., native makes her third straight appearance on the All-PSAC Team, earning First Team recognition for the second straight season.
Rapel makes her first All-PSAC Team after a strong fourth season in a primarily defensive midfield role. She is one of four Golden Bears to start all 19 games, and she helped pace a potent midfield that controlled a majority of the action throughout the season.
Curtis anchored the Golden Bears defense in her senior season, with her play earning her a fourth straight All-PSAC East First team honor, the third KU student-athlete to accomplish the feat after Kim Kelty (2004-07) and Chelsea Deeter (2007-10). The Warrington, Pa., native has dominated the back line, regularly making game-saving plays while striking fear into any opposing attacker. She tallied a pair of goals and an assist for Kutztown in a year where she started every contest for the second straight season.
The second team features another trio of Golden Bear student-athletes, with forward Isabella Rossetti (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East), midfielder Katelyn Economopoulos (Grantville, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and defender Dana Wentz (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) recognized as Second Team All-PSAC East Division players for their performance this season.
Rossetti makes her second appearance on the All-PSAC First Team after a stellar fourth year on the attacking side. She led the team in goals (8) and points (16) while converting on a third of her 24 shots on frame. The Cherry Hill, N.J., native's performance was pivotal against Lock Haven this year, as she scored all four tallies in 2-0 wins at Keystone Field in mid-September and at Lock Haven in mid-October.
Economopoulos follows up her PSAC East Freshman of the Year season with a second consecutive All-PSAC Team appearance that featured her in 17 games on the year. The attacking midfielder assisted on a team-high five goals while being one of the primary corner takers for a team that was top five in the nation in that category.
Wentz earns her third All-PSAC Team recognition after another season as a key cog on the defensive line for the Maroon and Gold. The Leola, Pa., native patrolled the outside line for the Golden Bears, starting all 19 games for one of the strongest defensive units in the conference. Similar to Curtis, the presence of Wentz on the back line often forces opposing players to think about a different route to the goal to avoid the increased difficulty of facing the graduate student.