AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference has announced the 2024 women's soccer All-Conference team. Flagler's Andrea Fernandez was named the Offensive Player of the Year with Columbus State's Heidi Harris the Defensive Player of the Year. Flagler's Cisel Akguel was named the Freshman of the Year with CSU's Jay Entlich the Coach of the Year. All 'of the year' awards were presented by College Ave.
Fernandez becomes only the second Peach Belt athlete, regardless of sport, to be named the Offensive Player of the Year four times in a row. The senior forward from Pozoblanco, Spain, is the preeminent women's soccer player in NCAA Division II as she leads the nation in goals per game, assists per game and points per game. The current DII active career leader in goals scored with 73, she is third on the PBC's all-time goals list. She became the PBC's all-time career assists leader now with 45 and is second in career points with 191.
The 2024 season has been among her most consistent as she has scored in 13 of the 15 Flagler games this season, including nine straight heading into the PBC semifinals this weekend. She has four multi-goal games this year, including three of her last four outings, with a four-goal, four-assist performance against Albany State. The 12 points in that contest is the second-highest in a single game in PBC history.
Fernandez joins former Armstrong State women's tennis standout and PBC Hall of Famer Zsofi Golopencza as the only conference athletes to win their sports' Player of the Year or Offensive Player of the Year four times.
Heidi Harris leads the Peach Belt and is ranked 20th in NCAA Division II with a 0.45 goals against average. The junior goalkeeper from Suwanee, Ga., allowed only seven goals in nearly 1400 minutes in net with five shutouts. Ranked third in the PBC in saves percentage, she has allowed only one goal in her last eight starts and has not allowed a score in her last 223:25 heading into the PBC semifinals. Harris becomes the second CSU Defensive Player of the Year in the three-year history of the award, joining Carley Canzoneri who won in 2022.
Cisel Akguel played in all 15 games and made 14 starts for Flagler in her first season of collegiate soccer. The freshman forward from Kamen, Germany, scored 10 goals with five assists on the season. She is ranked fifth in the PBC ingoals scored and tied for seventh in assists and is fourth in the league in points per game. She scored four goals against Albany State, tied for the most goals in a game in the PBC this season. Akguel becomes the second straight Saint to be named the PBC Freshman of the Year after teammate Paige Churchill won in 2023; she is also the fourth Flagler player in the last six years to claim the honor.
In his 21st season as head coach at Columbus State, Jay Entlich once again has his Cougars poised for a post-season run. Ranked #2 in the nation, CSU won the PBC regular-season title with a 9-0 conference record, 17-0-1 overall on the season. The #1 seed for the PBC Tournament, Columbus State will host the conference semifinals and finals this weekend as Entlich seeks his 10th tournament title. Currently ranked ninth among all collegiate women's soccer coaches in winning percentage, Entlich claims his 10th PBC Coach of the Year honor.
The All-Conference team is listed below, as selected by the league's head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
2024 Peach Belt Women's Soccer
All-Conference Team
First Team
Forwards
Cisel Akguel, Flagler
Emma Beddow, Columbus State
Carrie Consolino, Clayton State
Andrea Fernandez, Flagler
Amiah Sprunger-Hightower, Clayton State
Midfielders
Vanessa Aviles, Columbus State
Paige Churchill, Flagler
Sarah Hungerford, Columbus State
Samantha St. Pierre, Flagler
Defenders
Kelsey Croft, Columbus State
Daniela Gularte, Clayton State
Grace Simon, Flagler
Avery Williams, Columbus State
Goalkeeper
Heidi Harris, Columbus State
Second Team
Forwards
Lizz Forshaw, Columbus State
Angele Hills, Lander
Bailey Oetinger, North Georgia
Midfielders
Abigail Akerson, Columbus State
Darby Olive, North Georgia
Adleigh Wheeler, North Georgia
Maren White, Lander
Defenders
Lucy Bova, Lander
Chloe Iuliano, Georgia Southwestern
Taylor Salvaggio, Georgia College & State University
Savannah Sause, Georgia College & State University
Goalkeeper
Trinity Chastain, Clayton State
Select Sport Gold Ball Award (most goals in conference games)
Andrea Fernandez, Flagler
Elite 18 Award presented by Barnes & Noble College
Abigail Akerson, Columbus State
Offensive Player of the Year presented by College Ave
Andrea Fernandez, Flagler
Defensive Player of the Year presented by College Ave
Heidi Harris, Columbus State
Freshman of the Year presented by College Ave
Cisel Akguel, Flagler
Coach of the Year presented by College Ave
Jay Entlich, Columbus State