Morales Named co-Defensive Player of Year, Blazers Take Five DAC Honors
DALLAS – Dallas College North Lake women's soccer's Melissa Morales was voted the Dallas Athletic Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Morales and Anahi Bernal earned First Team All-DAC honors. Teammates Natalie Gaytan and Lia Santiago received Second Team All-DAC recognition.
A sophomore defender from Irving, Texas, Morales played a big role in the Blazers' four shutouts this season – two of which came in conference matches. She was part of a unit that also battled three-time defending National Junior College Athletic Association Division III and DAC champion Dallas College Brookhaven to a 1-1 draw to begin the conference season. Morales scored North Lake's goal in that tie. Morales finished the season with four goals and four assists for 12 points. All of her goals came on free kicks. She had the gamewinning goal in the season-opening 3-0 shutout of Southwestern Adventist University. Morales scored the Blazers' first goal in each of the four games she found the back of the net. She also registered a point in five straight matches, alternating between an assist and a goal in September. Morales scored the first goal at Dallas College Richland in a game she was pressed into playing goalkeeper. She made four saves in that match.
A freshman forward from Arlington, Texas, Bernal led North Lake with eight goals and 17 points. She scored the gamewinning goal on a free kick in a 2-1 win at NJCAA Division I Cisco College. Bernal had a hat trick in a win over Dallas College Mountain View, and scored twice in the season-opening victory over Southwestern Adventist. She scored in the Blazers' final two games – both against Dallas College Eastfield to end the regular season and in the NJCAA South District quarterfinals. Bernal also had an assist against Dallas College Cedar Valley at home.
A freshman midfielder from Lewisville, Texas, Gaytan contributed to the four clean sheets while helping to keep the midfield organized. She scored a goal, and had two assists for four points. Gaytan assisted on North Lake's goal in a 1-1 tie at Eastfield. She also also had an assist in the regular season-ending win at home over the Harvester Bees. Gaytan's goal came in the home win over Mountain View.
A sophomore forward from Fort Worth, Texas, Santiago scored four goals, and had three assists for 11 points, while playing in 11 of the 15 games. She scored two goals, and had two assists, in the home win over Mountain View, figuring in to four of the Blazers' seven goals in that match. She also had goals against Cedar Valley and Richland. In her two-year Blazers career, Santiago scored at least once against every team in the DAC.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
NJCAA ALL-REGION V TEAM
GK – Brianna Flores, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
D – Amiah Brown, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
D – Melissa Morales, So, Dallas College North Lake
M – Gianna Antovoni, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
M – Kate Carlson, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
F – Victoria Hernandez, So, Dallas College Cedar Valley
F – Mackensie Davis, So, Dallas College Eastfield
F – Linzy Villa, Fr, Dallas College Richland
F – Lia Santiago, So, Dallas College North Lake
F – Emily Acosta, So, Dallas College Richland
All-DALLAS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
MVP – Gianna Antovoni, Fr, M, Dallas College Brookhaven
Co-Offensive POY - Victoria Hernandez, So, F, Dallas College Cedar Valley
Co-Offensive POY – Mackensie Davis, So, F, Dallas College Eastfield
Co-Defensive POY – Melissa Morales, So, D, Dallas College North Lake
Co-Defensive POY – Amiah Brown, Fr, D, Dallas College Brookhaven
Newcomer of the Year – Linzy Villa, Fr, F, Dallas College Richland
Goalkeeper of the Year – Brianna Flores, Fr, GK, Dallas College Brookhaven
Coach of the Year – Alex Denning, Dallas College Brookhaven
FIRST TEAM
GK – Brianna Flores, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
D – Amiah Brown, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
D – Melissa Morales, So, Dallas College North Lake
D – Mia Serrato, Fr, Dallas College Mountain View
D – Natalia Banda, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
M – Gianna Antovoni, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
M – Kate Carlson, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
M – Lilianna Tapia, So, Dallas College Cedar Valley
F – Victoria Hernandez, So, Dallas College Cedar Valley
F – Linzy Villa, Fr, Dallas College Richland
F – Mackensie Davis, So, Dallas College Eastfield
F – Anahi Bernal, Fr, Dallas College North Lake
F – Cora Hurst, So, Dallas College Eastfield
SECOND TEAM
GK – Serena Aldana, Fr, Dallas College Cedar Valley
D – Mariah Lewis, Fr, Dallas College Brookhaven
D – Celeste Gonzalez, Fr, Dallas College Cedar Valley
D – Brianna Barcenas, Fr, Dallas College Cedar Valley
D – Kristyn Hernandez, Fr, Dallas College Eastfield
D – Roselyn Rodriguez, Fr, Dallas College Eastfield
D – Nailea Lorenzo, So, Dallas College Richland
D – Amaris Amaya, So, Dallas College Richland
M – Mariah Macias, Fr, Dallas College Cedar Valley
M – Samantha Pena, Fr, Dallas College Eastfield
M – Natalie Gaytan, Fr, Dallas College North Lake
M – Savannah David, Fr, Dallas College Richland
M – Kaylee Haskins, So, Dallas College Richland
M – Aleksus Gonzalez, Fr, Dallas College Eastfield
F – Laila Limones, Fr, Dallas College Mountain View
F – Lia Santiago, So, Dallas College North Lake
F – Emily Acosta, So, Dallas College Richland