Maineville Native Maggie Donnellan Selected All-American

2013 Dec 9

Maggie Donnellan, a senior on the Capital University women's soccer team and graduate of Kings Mills High School, earned NCAA Division III All-America accolades from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in partnership with Continental Tire, the NSCAA announced early last week.

Maggie Donnellan and Hilary Ells became the third and fourth student-athletes in women's soccer program history to be named All-America.

Donnellan, a goalkeeper from Cincinnati, Ohio, garnered first team honors to become the first player in school history to earn first-team recognition. Ells, a forward from Grandview Heights, Ohio, received third team recognition.

As two of the team's four captains, Donnellan and Ells have played an integral role in helping the Crusaders reach all-time heights in 2013. Capital reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals in San Antonio, Texas, posted a school-record 19 wins and recorded the program's first-ever appearance among the nation's final four teams.

The Crusaders shared the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season title before earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their second OAC Tournament championship in three years. Ells tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal in the team's 4-0 victory over John Carroll in the title match on Nov. 10.

Capital's improbable road to San Antonio traveled through Wisconsin and St. Louis, Mo. The Crusaders defeated the University of Chicago and No. 16 Wisconsin-Whitewater to advance to their first-ever Round of 16, where they knocked of No. 14 Thomas More (Ky.) and top-ranked Washington (Mo.).

Against Washington, which hosted the sectional semifinals and final, Donnellan tallied a career-high 18 saves and helped the Crusaders defeat the Bears on penalty kicks, 3-2. After converting Capital's third penalty kick, Donnellan saved Washington's final attempt to send the Crusaders to the national semifinals, where the team was defeated 1-0 by eventual national champion William Smith (N.Y.).

Donnellan, who was named OAC Goalkeeper of the Year for the third straight season and recently earned NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region first team accolades, ranks 13th in the nation with a save percentage of .883. She enters play this weekend with a 19-4-2 record and has started in all 13 of Capital's shutouts, completing eight of them.

For her career, Donnellan is a four-time All-OAC selection, two-time all-region pick and a 2013 Academic All-OAC award winner.

Ells earned OAC Forward of the Year and first team all-conference. After missing the 2012 season due to injury, Ells picked up right where she left off as a second team All-OAC selection as a sophomore. Ells currently leads the OAC in both points (28) and goals (14), and has a team-best six game-winning goals in 2013. On Oct. 22 against Marietta, she became the first Crusader since 1999 to score four goals in a match.

A 2011 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District second team honoree, Ells has 65 points for her career.

Donnellan and Ells will be recognized Saturday, Jan. 18, at the annual All-America Luncheon, held in conjunction with the 2014 NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia. Those selected as All-Americans, their coaches and families can register online for the luncheon here.

Capital's duo represented the lone All-America selections from the OAC.