WESTFIELD – Westfield State junior midfielder Lydia Kinsman (Granville/Southwick) was named the 2019 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer offensive player of the year, the league announced on Wednesday.
Kinsman was one of three first-team All-Conference picks for the Owls, as she was joined by sophomore forward Jenn Rennich (Bedford, Mass.) and senior back Morgan Remington (Enfield Conn.).
Kinsman finished the year with 12 goals and six assists for 30 points in 16 matches. In six conference games she tallied seven goals and five assists for 19 points. She was the second leading scorer in conference play, leading the Owls to a 6-1 mark in the league the top seed in the conference tournament. Kinsman was named the loop’s Rookie of the Year in 2017 and was a first-team all- conference selection as a back that season, but spent the 2018 season playing at Division II Southern New Hampshire before transferring back to Westfield.
“She means so much to our team, both offensively and defensively,” said Westfield State head coach Todd Ditmar. “She’s a real factor; she scored big goals for us and also covered some of our opponents toughest players. Lydia has a great energy and always played at a consistently high level.”
Rennich finished second on the team in scoring with five goals and 10 assists.
“Jenn continued to improve from her freshman year,” said Ditmar. “She played more in a play-making role this year and helped us to increase our scoring as a team.”
Remington anchored the Owls back line on defense, and tallied a goal and three assists as a free kick specialist.
“Morgan was a key part of our defense,” said Ditmar. “She really stepped up late in the season and was a very steady player, a great communicator and held our defense together.”
Westfield finished the year 11-6-1 and 6-1 in the MASCAC to win the regular-season title. The Owls were upset by Bridgewater State, 1-0 in double overtime, in the conference tournament semifinals. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
