Fall Sports Wrap-up

Jan 4, 2022 12:00 PM

In the third season of Division II and after more than a year of disruption because of the pandemic, Frostburg’s student-athletes stepped up to shine at this new level, including tournament and championship appearances and a co-championship for Bobcat football.

Football

Record: 10-1 Overall, 9-1 Mountain East Conference  (MEC)

Highlight: Frostburg won a share of the MEC championship in just their second full season at Division II.

Recap: The Bobcats began the year with five straight wins, then lost by just two points to co-champions Notre Dame (Ohio) and finished the year with five wins in a row. The team earned its first-ever Division II ranking by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), finishing the season ranked No. 15 in the country. Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald won MEC Coach of the Year and defensive end Carl Igweh was named co-Defensive Player of the Year. Igweh also led the nation in sacks with 17 and was a First Team AFCA All-American. On offense, FSU broke multiple career records, as senior Gavin Lavat is now the all-time career rushing leader for Frostburg with 3,249 yards. Malik Morris took down the all-time career receiving record with 2,776 and career receiving touchdowns at 26. In all, 15 Bobcats were named to All-MEC teams, as Igweh, Lavat and Morris joined Nate Forte, Gottlieb Ayedze, Brandon Dillard and Hauns White with First Team honors.

Next Season: A talented offensive line returns four of five starters, and quarterback Graham Walker returns under center for his sophomore season. The defense also returns several starters, including three of four starting defensive linemen.

 

Women’s Soccer

Record: 12-6-2 Overall, 10-4-2 MEC

Highlight: Bobcats reached the MEC Championship game; Cat Smith was named MEC first-year student of the year.

Recap:  In year three of DII play, the Bobcats won 12 games, the most wins in a season since 2014. FSU began the year ranked No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. The Bobcats won 10 straight games during the regular season and won the MEC North Division, their second straight division title. Frostburg took down Charleston (W.Va.) in the semifinals and then narrowly lost to Concord in the MEC Championship game 1-0 on a penalty kick. Seniors Mackenzie Folch and Audra Curtin finished their stellar Bobcat careers with First Team All-MEC honors. In total, the Bobcats had seven players receive ALL-MEC honors.

Next Season: Frostburg retains the entirety of its starting midfield, while Smith and sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Bilger will lead the defense. Sophomore Toni Fiocco-Mizer and first-year students Keely Knotts and Mackenzie Alonso will be relied on for goals.

 

Men’s Soccer

Record: 8-9-1 Overall, 8-8 MEC

Highlight: A 2-1 win over West Virginia Wesleyan, clinching the team’s first MEC playoff berth.

Recap: The Bobcats started the year unbeaten in four games, winning three of them, as they picked up key victories along the way. The team’s eight wins are the most for the program since the 2016 season. Senior keeper Joel Assal and first-year defender Matt Garrett earned All-MEC honors, and Assal was named All-Region as well.

Next season: With Assal returning in the goal and an experienced back line, the Bobcats look to build on this year’s performance and earn their first winning record since 2015.

 

Volleyball

Record: 9-20 Overall, 6-10 MEC

Highlight: A 3-2 win at home over Notre Dame (Ohio) to help clinch a spot in the MEC Tournament.

Recap: With second-year head coach Kylie Heyne ’11 at the helm for her first full fall season at Frostburg, the Bobcats won nine games and earned their first MEC playoff berth since joining DII. The Bobcats finished the season strong, winning five out of the last 10 regular season games they played, including a stretch of four wins in a row. Sophomore Beverly Braun earned First Team All-MEC, while first-year student A.J. Thompson was named to the All-Freshman Team.

Next season: The Bobcats look to build on the 2021 season, as they return several key players in Braun, Thompson, setter Hayley Delor and libero McKenna Houser.

 

Field Hockey

Record: 2-16

Highlight:  The Bobcats showed well at the end of the season, winning 5-3 against Queens.

Recap: Frostburg won two games while facing a host of ranked teams. The team scored 15 goals and made 18 defensive saves on the year. Junior Madison Manalansan had 112 saves in goal, helped out by sophomore Maddie Wallis and first-year student Olivia Wenzel, with five defensive saves each.

Next Season: FSU returns Manalansan, along with a host of young talent, that will look to use another year of experience under their belts.

 

Men’s Cross Country

Highlight:  Sophomore Justus LePrevost earned second team All-MEC.

Recap: The team finished in the top seven of four out of its five meets this season, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Bethany Invitational.

Next Season: The entire team returns for next season, with their strategy of having several runners finish in the same pack to maximize results.

 

Women’s Cross Country

Highlight:  Competing in team events for the first time since 2018.

Recap: The women were able to earn team scores for the first time in three years, being able to field enough runners to establish a footing in the conference.

Next year: The Bobcats look to build on the season’s experience looking toward 2022.