Gorlok Trio Earns All-Region Honors

Webster University made history for the second consecutive season on Monday afternoon as the Gorloks had three players named to one of the three United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region Teams that were announced by the organization.
 
The three Gorloks named All-Central Region selections for the 2019 season were senior forward Melissa Kasper (Oswego, Ill./Oswego), senior defender Lilly Brauer (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) and senior midfielder Olivia Osterhage (St. Louis, Mo./Eureka). Kasper earned second-team honors, while Brauer and Osterhage were third-team selections.
 
Kasper and Brauer are repeat All-Central Region selections as both of them earned second-team honors last season, while Osterhage earns her first career All-Region selection. Webster's trio of players selected were the only players named All-Central Region selections from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 
Kasper repeats as a Second-Team All-Central Region selection after repeating as the SLIAC Offensive Player of the Year and earning repeat First-Team All-SLIAC honors this season. On the year, she scored 14 goals and recorded 17 assists for a total of 45 points. She led the SLIAC in both assists and points and was third in goals scored. She closed the season fourth nationally in total assists (17), fifth nationally in Division III in assists per game (0.81), 27th in total points (45) and 39th nationally in points per game (2.14). She was a three-time SLIAC Offensive Player of the Week and scored at least one point in 15 of Webster's 21 matches and tallied a hat trick against Iowa Wesleyan. Kasper currently ranks first among active Division III players in career assists (54), is tied for sixth among active Division III players in career points (150) and is 20th in among active Division III players in career goals scored (48) and is one of six active Division III player with 45 career goals, 20 career assists and 150 career points. Additionally, she holds the school's career mark for career assists.
 
Brauer earns her Third-Team All-Central Region honor after repeating as the SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and also being a repeat First-Team All-SLIAC honoree. Brauer was the anchor of a Webster defense that allowed a total of 16 goals in 21 matches and recording 13 shutouts. During the season, Brauer earned SLISAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 23 and was a three-time All-SLIAC selection, including a two-time first-team selection. In nine league matches, Brauer and Webster's defense allowed just one goal and 49 shots and posted eight shutouts. Brauer also took five shots, all of which were on goal.
 
Osterhage earns Third-Team All-Central Region honors after earning Second-Team All-SLIAC honors this season. On the season, Osterhage was third on the team in assists with eight and also scored three goals and totaled 14 points. She also took 36 shots and had 19 shots on goal and scored a game-winning goal. In SLIAC play, she recorded five assists and scored two goals for a total of nine points. She currently sits tied for seventh among active NCAA Division III players in total career assists with 35 and the 35 career assists are fifth on the school's all-time list.
 
Kasper, Brauer, and Osterhage helped Webster finish the season with a 15-5-1 overall record and shared the regular-season SLIAC title after posting a 7-1-1 league mark. The Gorloks also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time in school history and the first time since 2017 and also posted its 21st consecutive winning season.  

STORY COURTESY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION