Marion, IN — While the end result in sport is not always justified, an announcement from the Mid-Central Conference on Monday certainly was.

Goshen College senior Hannah Eash was honored with All-MCC status, the league announced Monday, capping a brilliant four-year career with a deserving honor. Voted on by league coaches, Eash was selected a member of the 22-player team for the first time in her illustrious four-year career. Her award marks the program’s first since current assistant coach Tera Franklin achieved the honor in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

“Hannah is an outstanding student-athlete who certainly deserves this recognition,” said Thavisith Mounsithiraj, Goshen head coach. “She strives for excellence in all that she pursues, and she constantly promotes a spirit of cooperation to those around her in her role as our team captain. She has had a stellar career here at GC. It will be very difficult to replace a player of her caliber. What we observed as coaches that others might not have readily noticed is Hannah’s character. She models behavior that is worthy of imitation by those around her. She has a servant heart. Others are drawn to her humble and charitable spirit. I am so happy that she has received this honor in her senior year.”

Eash has been a staple in the Leafs’ backfield for the last four seasons, starting in each of Goshen’s 68 total contests during that time. Eash helped anchor a defensive unit that produced 16 shutouts and 14 matches in which only one goal was allowed — playing in nearly every minute of every match throughout her career.

“Hannah is without a doubt one of, if not the best defender to ever wear a Goshen jersey,” Franklin said Monday. “She is very worthy of this honor. Hannah rarely made mistakes in the backfield and could always be counted on to turn countless attacks by opposing teams away. She is a leader who always had the team’s best interest in mind. She never backed down from a challenge and always showed up prepared and focused at game time. She was a player that spent every minute of her career on the field, never asking to be taken out of a game. Her absence on the field next year will create some very big shoes to be filled.”

Equally as impressive were Eash’s accomplishments in the classroom, as the Spanish / Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies double-major has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average during her four years at Goshen. She is a two-time Daktronics All-American Scholar-Athlete and is a candidate for this year’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America-Adidas All-America Student-Athlete Award.

“Hannah is an outstanding student and has a passion and the love for the game of soccer,” Mounsithiraj said. “She is a rock-solid sweeper who has consistently demonstrated poise and confidence on the pitch. Throughout the course of her career she had played against some of the best strikers in the region and was very highly effective. We will miss her dearly next year.”

Eash joined Player of the Year Myca Brusco (Indiana Wesleyan University), Offensive Player of the Year Lisa Franke (Bethel College) and Defensive Player of the Year Diana Humphrey (Spring Arbor University) on the 22-player team. Bethel’s Pete Morey was voted MCC Coach of the Year. For a complete look at all All-MCC award winners, click here.