LANCASTER, Pa. - The Atlantic East Conference announced the Women's Soccer All-Conference teams and major awards on Thursday, as five teams earned major honors. All Conference selections are voted on by the league's coaches.
Offensive Player of the Year honors was awarded to Marywood’s Riley Mulherin. The third year forward finished the season leading the conference with twenty-one goals for the year. This breaks the conference record from 2018 of goals in a season. Mulherin was a big asset for the Pacers this season. She tallied four game-winning goals, four assists, and 46 total points for Marywood this fall. She helped the Pacers earn the regular season crown and make their fifth straight appearance in the Atlantic East Championship.
Cabrini's Rebekah Cunningham repeats as Defensive Player of the Year. Cunningham was a force defensively as the Cavaliers who averaged allowing just one goal a game for the 16 game season. This led the conference allowing the fewest goals by five goals. The senior helped Cabrini secure a third place regular season finish. She also had an offensive push with three goals on the season all of them being game winning goals.
Marymount’s Leila Lajdel was unstoppable this fall, granting her Rookie of the Year honors for the 2023 season. The defender helped Marymount lead the conference with just three goals allowed in conference play. Lajdel also had an offensive push with three goals, and finished with 6 points for the season. The first-year defender lead the team in minutes played starting in all 21 games and tallying 1767 minutes in her first campaign.
The Atlantic East Elite 20 Award is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the final site of the championship and finishing in the top two teams. This year's award winner for women’s soccer is Marywood’s Emily Welsh who has a 4.0 in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Gwynedd Mercy was named Coaching Staff of the Year after a much improved season. The Griffins tallied the most wins since 2017 and the first Atlantic East tournament appearance in the history of the conference. Gwynedd Mercy took advance of the tournament opportunity with a first round win in penalty kicks. The staff were led by Michael Nelms and assisted by Ashley Pyne, Brianna McDonald, and Fran Nelms. The Griffins finished the season with a 7-5-7 record and a 1-1-4 record in conference play.
For the full list of All-Conference teams, check out below:
Women’s Soccer All Conference
Offensive Player of the Year: Riley Mulherin, Marywood
Defensive Player of the Year: Rebekah Cunningham, Cabrini
Rookie of the Year: Leila Lajdel, Marymount
Elite 20 Winner - Emily Welsh, Marywood
Coaching Staff of the Year: Gwynedd Mercy
First Team:
D - Rebekah Cunningham, Cabrini
D - Jordyn Fregia, Gwynedd Mercy
D - Sarah Kretchmer, Marywood
D - Leila Lajdel, Marymount
F - Flores Liliana, Centenary
F - Riley Mulherein, Marywood
F - Gabby Palladino, Cabrini
F - Ksenia Semenovykh, Gwynedd Mercy
M - Chloe Britton, Neumann
M - Rylie Butler, Cabrini
M - Josephine Sorce, Marywood
M - Carly Walters, Marywood
GK - Caroline Hassall, Cabrini
Second Team:
D – Jordan Bard, Neumann
D – Ashley D’Allessandro, Centenary
F – Rachel McNamee, Immaculata
F – Catherine Miller, Neumann
F – Blaies Vallorosi, Centenary
M –Alissandra Auletta, Centenary
M– Bethany Beinlich, Gwynedd Mercy
M – Laney Placido, Marymount
GK - Madisson Ronn, Gwynedd Mercy
ABOUT ATLANTIC EAST
The Atlantic East Conference is a member of NCAA Division III comprising seven institutions in a three-state area - Cabrini, Gwynedd Mercy, Immaculata, Marywood and Neumann Universities in Pennsylvania; Centenary University in New Jersey, and Marymount University in Virginia.
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