MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's soccer team celebrated its 20th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the squad's seventh appearance in the Round of 16 at the season-ending banquet, held at the Touchdown Terrace inside Milan Puskar Stadium.
Sophomore defender
Jordan Brewster was given the 2019 Most Valuable Player award for anchoring a Mountaineer defense which posted nine shutouts and holding opponents to just 1.2 goals per game. A native of North Canton, Ohio, Brewster also picked up four points on offense, registering one goal and adding a pair of assists.
A starter in all 22 career matches, Brewster was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team for her efforts. The business and economics major also earned Academic All-Big 12 First-Team honors for her work in the classroom.
Brewster's linemate freshman defender
Gabby Robinson was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year. The Springfield, Virginia, native, started all 22 matches at center back and helped guide the backline to nine clean sheets for the season.
Sophomore forward
Alina Stahl was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stahl paced WVU in 2019 with 18 points (8 G, 2 A). She recorded all three of WVU's goals in the NCAA Tournament, including two against Georgetown in the first round and a golden goal in double overtime against Central Connecticut State. Stahl's team-best goal total ranked No. 8 in the Big 12 Conference, and she also finished third in the conference with five game-winning goals.
Stahl started 21 matches for the Mountaineers at forward and was named Academic All-Big 12 First Team for her work in the classroom.
Redshirt freshman
Mackenzie Aunkst was named the Most Improved Player for the 2019 season. A native of Harrison City, Pennsylvania, Aunkst made 16 starts at outside back last season following a season-ending knee injury in 2018. She helped the Mountaineers to nine clean sheets in 2019.
Senior
Jade Gentile, a 2019 team captain, was selected for the Mountaineer S.O.C.C.E.R. Award. The honor is given by the coaching staff to the student-athlete who displays good sportsmanship, optimism, character, concern, effort and respect.
A native of Baldwinsville, New York, Gentile started all 22 matches at forward and ranked No. 6 on the team with seven points (2 G, 3 A). A member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, Gentile was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week on Aug. 23.
With the exception of the Mountaineer S.O.C.C.E.R award, all other team awards were voted on by the student-athletes.
Saturday's banquet was a celebration honoring the Mountaineers' success, as well as the careers of seniors
Rylee Foster, Gentile, Jessica Lisi and
Kayla Morrison.
Foster became the 28th professional player in program history in January when she signed a contract with Liverpool FC.
WVU finished the season at 12-8-2 (5-3-1) and appeared in the program's 20th-straight NCAA Tournament, which tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. The Mountaineers concluded the season in the Round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament, marking the fourth time in the past five seasons the team has reached the third round of the tournament. The Mountaineers also earned the program's 350th win on Oct. 31 with a 2-1 victory over TCU.
