Penn State Behrend junior women's soccer midfielder Olivia Belack and senior forward Alex Bilka have been named to the National Soccer Coaches of America (NSCAA) NCAA Division III Scholar All-East Region Team.
Belack was selected to second team and Bilka earned third-team honors for the first time in their careers. Both were also recently named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes All-Region Team.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) throughout his or her career; start more than 50 percent of all games and be a significant contributor to the team; be nominated by an institution that is a current NSCAA College Services member and be a junior or above in academic standing at the current institution. The committee then reviews both the academic and athletic accomplishments of the nominees in determining the honorees.
Belack is majoring in finance and has a 3.62 GPA through four semesters. In addition to All-Region honors, she was a First Team ECAC All-Star, First Team All-AMCC, AMCC Offensive Player of the Year. Belack started in every game this season, leading the team and conference with 20 goals and 53 points. Her 13 assists set a new program single-season record. Belack registered two points or more in 14 of the 20 games she started to set a new single-season record for points. She ranked in the Top 10 nationally for points and total assists, averaging 2.60 points per game. In addition to her on-field performance, Belack is also a two-time Academic All-AMCC selection.
Bilka, a project and supply chain management major with a 3.33 GPA, keeps adding accolades to her storied resume. She is a three-time All-Region choice, four-time All-AMCC first-team honoree and program record holder in three categories (goals, assists, points). Bilka ranked second on the team with 20 goals and nine assists for 49 points. Of those 20 goals, six were game winners and two were scored on penalty kicks. She tallied the most goals and points in conference games only with 13 goals and three assists for 29 points. Bilka tallied 15 goals in the last nine games for the Lions.