BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference has named Angelina Rivas Freshman of the Year with a Second Team All-GSC nod while graduate defender Melanie Stevens received the First Team All-GSC honors.
 
The freshman phenom Rivas led the Falcons with seven goals while starting all 17 games in her first collegiate season. The Huntingdon Beach, Calif. native is also the team's leader in game-winning goals with four on the season. Rivas' 14 points are also the most by any Montevallo player this season. Her top performance of the year came against Union on Sept. 18 when she found the back of the net twice including the game winner with six shots and four shots on goal.
 
The freshman ranks sixth in the Gulf South with 45 shots and 27 shots on goal while scoring the league's sixth-most goals (seven).

Rivas is only the second Montevallo freshman to win the yearly honor (Jade Pennock, 2012) and the first to win the honor as a member of the Gulf South Conference.
 
"Angelina Rivas fully deserved the recognition for Freshman of the Year as well as All-Conference," said Head Coach Jake Wyman. "She has shown up big for us all year. She works incredibly hard. Angelina cares deeply for her teammates and coaches, she is a wonderful person, and an elite performer. I am delighted to see her recognized by the league's coaches."
 
Stevens has been one of the best players in the GSC for the entire season. The Clarksville, Tenn. Native is second on the team with 1,361 minutes of action. The graduate student scored just one goal in her 2022 campaign in the Falcons' win over Shorter. She has taken the third-most shots of any Falcon this season with 21 while firing eight shots on goal. Though her stats don't show it, Stevens has been an integral part of Montevallo's success this season.  
 
"I can't say enough about the young lady," said Wyman when asked about Stevens' All-GSC honor. "Mel Stevens been through hell and back since her injury in spring of 2021. The fact she was able to fully recover and put together such consistent performances in her final season is a testament to her dedication and will power. She's had a tremendous year and an unbelievable career here at Montevallo. She's been a tremendous leader throughout her time here."
 
Rivas, Stevens and the rest of the Falcons are set to take on fifth-seeded Lee in the GSC Tournament Quarterfinal on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 3:30 p.m. at Varsity Field.
 
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