Steffens Named Offensive Player of the Year, Four Titans Earn All-CCIW

Shanks, Mitra, Steffens named to First Team, White garnered Second Team distinction

11/2/2021 1:35:00 PM

CCIW Release

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Senior Caelyn Steffens (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) of the Illinois Wesleyan University women's soccer team was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Year and was honored with All-CCIW distinction alongside teammates Lauren Shanks (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic), Anny Mitra (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community), and Rachel White (Naperville, Ill.-Waubonsie Valley). Steffens, Shanks, and Mitra were tabbed to the All-CCIW First Team, with White named to the Second Team under Head Coach Keri Sanchez.

Steffens earned the Player of The Year award for the second straight season and is the only player to be a two-time Offensive Player of the Year honoree, as she was recognized in 2019. The Normal, Ill. native is the second Titan to be named an Offensive Player of the Year, as Flower Edington was honored in 2018, the first year the award was split into offense and defense.

Shanks and Mitra were named to the first team for the first time in their careers, while Steffens grabbed her second distinction. Similarly, White earned her second-career All-CCIW honor as she was also a second team pick in 2019.

Steffens led the Titans in points (29) and goals (12) in the regular season. Steffens also leads the CCIW in overall points and goals, and is second in assists with five. In conference play alone, Steffens not only leads in points and goals but in game-winning goals with four over eight games. This season the senior put up her third-career hat trick during a 3-1 win over Carroll University Oct. 23. She also grabbed her 50th career goal credited to her 26 at UW-Platteville and 24 in the Green and White uniform. Steffens also garnered an offensive player of the week distinction earlier this season, Oct. 5, where she net one goal and assisted two in a 4-0 victory over Elmhurst University.

Junior Shanks has been one of IWU's best offensive threats. Not only does she lead the conference and Titans in assists with eight, but is tied for second in conference-only statistics with 14 points. Shanks also ranks second in goals with seven, and in points with 22 among the Green and White. Most recently Shanks was tabbed the CCIW Offensive Player of the Week, Nov. 2, after two goals and three assists over the span of two games. In IWU's CCIW Regular Season Championship clinching win, Shanks scored two goals and assisted on two goals as Illinois Wesleyan soared over Carthage College, 8-0, Oct. 30. The Bloomington, Ill. played a role in the first four goals to record the game-winning goal, her second of the year and fourth in her career.

Mitra is one of six underclassmen to be named to the All-CCIW First Team. Mitra got her first taste of a regular season after an unconventional 2020 year. The sophomore started and played in all 17 games. Overall, Mitra has compiled five points credited to her two goals and one assist this season. The Normal, Ill. native was heavily relied on in the defensive midfield position, as she helped the Titans to the best scoring average in the conference of 2.353.

White grabbed her second All-CCIW Second Team honor this year after playing and starting in 16 games, missing just one this season. A captain for the Green and White alongside Steffens, White leads the Titans' defense. The Naperville, Ill. native also helped in the attacking third as she put up two assists, a new career-high. White helped the Titans to the best goals against average per game in the conference with 0.75 over eight CCIW matches.

IWU competes for a spot in the CCIW Tournament Championship game with North Central College Wednesday, Nov. 3 in the semifinals. The Titans will host the Cardinals for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

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