The 2023 Mid-American Conference recently announced its end-of-season awards and all-MAC teams. Taking a look at the awards and all-MAC teams reveals a plethora of Bobcats.
The two biggest selections for the Bobcats saw arguably the two most important people involved with the field hockey team take home huge awards.
To start, Katelyn Whittle was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year. The fifth-year forward led the conference in goals, assists and total points. Whittle completely dominated the MAC in her fifth year and was paramount in Ohio earning a spot in the MAC tournament. Ohio’s forward was also named to first-team all-MAC for the first time in her career for her performance this season.
Ohio’s Head Coach Ali Johnstone also came home with major hardware as she was named Co-Coach of the Year alongside Appalachian State Head Coach Emily Dinsmore. Johnstone is the first field hockey coach to earn coach of the year honors since 2011. She led the Bobcats to a 4-3 in-conference record and a spot in the MAC tournament for the first time in her tenure at the helm. This is certainly a big award for Johnstone, who earned it coaching for her alma mater.
Ohio had plenty of names appear on the all-MAC teams as well, starting with the first team, which saw Pauline Hartlieb earn honors for her standout freshman season, along with Whittle. Hartlieb was second on the team in points, only trailing Whittle. She also finished her freshman campaign with six goals, ending the regular season as Ohio’s second-leading scorer.
Headlining the second team for the Bobcats is pair of sophomores Sasha Dikotla and Anouk Plaehn. Plaehn was one of the team’s best passers this season, finishing second on the team in assists with 7. Ditkotla was an all-around great offensive player for the Bobcats in her second year. She was third on the team in points and finished the season with 3 goals and 4 assists. Johanna Hildebrant and Hartlieb round out the selections for Ohio, as both were named to the all-freshman team. The Bobcats have plenty of exciting young talent to go along with its fifth-year star, Whittle.
Ohio had a very successful regular season, and all of the team’s all-MAC and specialty awards back that up. However, Ohio is looking for more than just a successful regular season; the team will need all of its decorated players to be at their best in the first tournament game against Miami in Oxford on Friday.
