Greyhound Quartet Takes Home All-Landmark Honors

TOWSON, Md. – Senior midfielder Taylor DiSora and freshman defender Christine Miklas were named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team and junior forward Kirsten Schall and sophomore defender Taylor Blake were selected to the All-Conference Second Team in the 2013 Landmark Conference awards released Wednesday morning.

DiSora, an All-Conference Second Team selection as a junior in 2012, played in every game for the Greyhounds (7-10-3) this season, owning the center midfield position. She scored a goal against SUNY Brockport and added three assists, a career-high season total.

"I think Taylor was the best ball winner in the conference this past fall," head coach Brienne Smith said of her senior co-captain. "She won just about every 50-50 ball that came her way. Her presence in the midfield allowed us to play with just two central midfielders and still dominate the middle of the field. She leaves behind some very big shoes to fill. We will miss her energy both on and off the field."

Miklas, a consistent and tenacious defender for the Greyhounds, pulled double-duty this season. The 5-foot-8 rookie pushed forward on corner kicks and set plays, and ended up second on the club with six goals, the most for a Moravian freshman since Arielle Caldas scored 11 in 2008.

"Christine was a huge addition for us this fall," Smith said. "Her size and strength in the back prevented teams from penetrating us down the middle and it also allowed us to be very dangerous on set pieces. Her collegiate career is off to a great start and we expect she will only continue to develop and improve her game over the next three years."

Schall, the reigning Landmark Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team selection one year ago, had a historic season offensively for the Greyhounds. Her nine assists ranked first in the conference, despite Schall missing three matches with an injury, and will go down as the second highest single-season assist total in school history. Her 11 goals and 31 points both ranked in the top five in Landmark. Her 11 tallies are tied for ninth in a single season at Moravian, while her 31 points are tied for sixth all-time.

"Kirsten is among the most dangerous players in our conference and in the region," Smith said of the junior co-captain. "Unfortunately, she missed a few games for us this fall and as a result, her stats, although impressive, were not what they could have been. We are extremely grateful that she will be returning next fall as we feel that her best is yet to come."

Blake has played in and started every match for Moravian during her first two seasons. A staple in the Greyhound defense this season, Blake also added a goal and two assists. She was a member of a backline that combined on six team shutouts in 2013.

"Taylor Blake had another great season for us," Smith said. "We converted her to a center back because we needed an intelligent player to lead our very young back four. She excelled beyond our expectations. She is quite small for a center back, but she is quick and tough and she understands how to get the job done back there. She is an extremely versatile player and we are confident she will help us wherever she is needed moving forward."

This year's All-Conference awards marks the first time the Greyhounds boasted two members on the First Team since 2008, when three members of the squad were selected.