Virginia Wesleyan's Witmer Leads ODAC Women’s Soccer Awards

VWC's Edelman and Knauss, BC's Van Horn also Honored

FOREST, Va. --- Three Marlins took home major honors as part of the 2012 ODAC Women's Soccer Awards on Tuesday morning.  Virginia Wesleyan College senior defender Krista Witmer was named the ODAC Player of the Year, while classmate Jess Edelman collected the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award.  VWC freshman Kerry Knauss was tabbed the ODAC Rookie of the Year.  Bridgewater College head coach Mike Van Horn earned ODAC Coach of the Year laurels.

Witmer, from Lancaster, Pa., is a two-time All-ODAC First Team selection, adding a spot on this year's top team to one in 2011.  This season, she anchored a Marlins' defense that allowed just nine total goals.  That figure improved in conference play, as VWC surrendered just five scores against league competition.  Witmer made the most of her opportunities to score goals as she found the back of the net three times.  Two of those goals proved to be game-winners.  She also had one assist to give her seven points on the year.  Witmer's defense will be needed later this week as the Marlins open play in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Edelman, a forward from Voorhees, N.J., stands out both on and off the field for Virginia Wesleyan.  In the classroom, she boasts a 3.94 grade point average as a Communications major.  A 2011 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team choice, Edelman is a three time member of the All-ODAC Academic Team and six-time honoree on the VWC Dean's List.  On the pitch, she has been named to the All-ODAC First Team each of the past three seasons, in addition to Second Team All-American and Scholar All-American nods by the NSCAA in 2011.  This year, Edelman has scored 13 goals and dished out 11 assists, placing her third in the ODAC with 37 points.

Knauss, from Frederick, Md., stepped right into in the Marlins' midfield to provide crisp passing and playmaking ability.  She has scored four times while dishing out an assist, giving her nine points on the season.  Her goals helped contribute to non-conference wins over Rutgers-Newark and Mt. St. Joseph, as well as league victories over Shenandoah and Eastern Mennonite.

Van Horn just completed his fifth season guiding the Bridgewater women's soccer program.  This is his first ODAC Coach of the Year award.  He has racked up a 53-38-6 (.577) record in those five seasons, having posted four straight winning records since 2009.  Van Horn led the Eagles to the fourth seed in this year's tournament.  After topping Roanoke in the quarterfinals, BC dealt Virginia Wesleyan its first loss of the season in the semifinals to punch the program's first ticket to the ODAC women's soccer title game.

Listed below are the 2012 All-ODAC Women's Soccer Teams.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow the ODAC on Twitter at @odacathletics.  Check out the ODAC's YouTube channel.

2012 ALL-ODAC WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAMS
Player of the Year: Krista Witmer, Sr., D, Virginia Wesleyan
Coach of the Year: Mike Van Horn, Bridgewater
Rookie of the Year: Kerry Knauss, Fr., M, Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Jessica Edelman, Sr., F, Virginia Wesleyan