SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Four South Dakota soccer athletes have earned all-conference honors as announced by the Summit League office Wednesday evening, with Kellee Willer, Alexis Mitchell, Abby Ostrem and Lexie Wood receiving postseason recognition.
 
Willer was selected to the first team, Mitchell and Ostrem to the second team, and Wood was chosen as an all-freshman team honoree. The Coyotes' three selections to the first and second teams trailed only Denver and South Dakota State who finished in the top two spots in the league standings; South Dakota's three honorees on the top two teams were also its most since joining the Summit League prior to the 2011 season.
 
Already a two-time second-teamer in each of the last two seasons, Willer caps her career in Vermillion with first-team honors. The Fort Collins, Colorado, native caught fire down the stretch, scoring five of her eight goals in South Dakota's final four matches. Willer's eight goals led the Coyotes and were tied for fourth among all Summit League players this season.
 
The senior earned Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 28 after her two-goal performance in a victory over Omaha, but Willer topped that performance just a week later on the road at Oral Roberts, tallying the 14th hat trick in program history as the Coyotes twice rallied from two-goal deficits to claim a 4-4 draw.
 
Willer's first two goals in the latter match were separated by only 32 seconds, the fastest mark between goals for a single player in school history.
 
One of the top playmakers in the Summit League this year, Mitchell tied for second in the conference with her five assists, a mark that also tied for sixth in South Dakota history. Only a junior, the second-team honor is the first of Mitchell's career.
 
Mitchell fired the match-winning goal in three of South Dakota's eight victories, including the dramatic double-overtime finisher at Wyoming in the 105th minute; she was named the Summit League Offensive Player of the Week following that match on Sept. 23. The junior also played a team-best 1,638 minutes with 90 or more minutes of action in nine different matches.
 
Anchoring a stout back line, Ostrem joined Mitchell in earning all-conference honors for the first time in her career. The junior trailed only Mitchell with 1,623 minutes played in 2019 and helped the defense to four shutouts with two of those coming during conference play.
 
Ostrem logged an assist in the Coyotes' match against Northern Iowa and is the first South Dakota defender to earn an all-conference nod since Katlin Ptacek was a second-teamer following the 2016 campaign.
 
Rounding out the accolades for South Dakota, Wood was named to the all-freshman team following a strong debut campaign for the Coyotes. The 2019 South Dakota Gatorade High School Player of the Year appeared in 18 matches with a pair of starts, playing primarily in a defensive midfielder role.
 
In the three matches that saw Wood play at least 45 minutes, the Coyotes were a perfect 3-0 with wins over Drake, Wyoming and New Mexico State. Wood's selection gives South Dakota an all-freshman honoree in back-to-back seasons after Teresa Fontenot's accolades in 2018.
 
The Coyotes closed the 2019 season with an 8-9-2 overall record and a 3-3-2 mark in Summit League play. The squad closed the season on a hot streak, dropping just one of their final six matches.

Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Leah Manuleleua, South Dakota State
Defensive Player of the Year
Cheyenne Shorts, Denver
Goalkeeper of the Year
Maggie Smither, South Dakota State
Freshman of the Year
Maya Hansen, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year
Jeff Hooker, Denver

2019 All-Summit League Women's Soccer Teams
First Team
Hannah Adler, Denver, MF  
Natalie Beckman, Denver, F
Sami Feller, Denver, MF
Elyse Huber, North Dakota State, F
Leah Manuleleua, South Dakota State
Taylor Parker, Denver, D
Darien Poelstra, South Dakota State, MF
Cheyenne Shorts, Denver, D
Maggie Smither, South Dakota State, GK
Kellee Willer, South Dakota, F
Kaitlin Zabel, South Dakota State, D

Second Team
Maya Hansen, South Dakota State, F
Jordan Langebartels, Oral Roberts, F
Margaret LaVigne, Omaha, D
Camryn MacMillan, Denver, F
Karlee Manding, South Dakota State, MF
Alexis Mitchell, South Dakota, MF
Abby Ostrem, South Dakota, D
Drishana Pillay, Oral Roberts, MF
Monica Polgar, North Dakota State, GK
Gabby Vivier-Hannay, South Dakota State, D
Brittany Wilson, Denver, GK

Freshman Team
Gabrielle Abbey, Oral Roberts, D
Allison Austin, Oral Roberts, GK
Lavin Douglass, North Dakota State, MF
Hannah Gallegos, Denver, D
Kaitlyn Glover, Denver, MF
Maya Hansen, South Dakota State, F
Lynette Hawkins, Western Illinois, D
Mia Kitterman, Oral Roberts, F
Bailey McNitt, North Dakota, F
McKenna Strand, North Dakota State, D
Lexie Wood, South Dakota, MF