NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Saint Louis’ Emily Gaebe received recognition as the Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year while teammates Lyndsey Heckel and Emily Puricelli garnered Defensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Year honors, respectively. Additionally, Massachusetts’ Bella Recinos earned Midfielder of the Year and Loyola Chicago’s Zoe Hevey was named Rookie of the Year. La Salle bench boss Paul Royal earned Coach of the Year laurels.
The Atlantic 10 released the six superlative awards along with the All-Conference, All-Rookie and All-Academic teams Tuesday prior to the Championship Final of 2023 A-10 Women’s Soccer Championship, which concludes with Sunday’s title game. The major honors, All-Conference Teams and All-Rookie Team were voted on by the A-10 women’s soccer head coaches while the All-Academic Team was selected by the women’s soccer communications directors.
Gaebe has set school single-season records of 14 goals and 34 points, and both totals lead the A-10 and rank among the top 10 nationally. She is tied for the league lead with five game-winning goals, ranking eighth nationally, and she also tops the A-10 in total shots per game (3.68) and shots on goal per game (1.95). She was the College Soccer News National Player of the Week, is a two-time A-10 Offensive Player of the Week and a two-time selection to the College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer national teams of the week.
Heckel is a leader of a SLU defense that has conceded only 10 goals this season – including just one to an A-10 opponent – and has limited opponents to 9.2 total shots, 4.6 shots on goal and 2.5 corner kicks per game. She has anchored the Billiken defense to post 12 clean sheets and eight straight shutouts. Heckel also has contributed to the attack with four goals – three of which are game-winners – and four assists.
Recinos started in 17 of 18 games played for the Minutewomen, totaling a team-high 19 points on a team-high seven goals and a team-best five assists. She led the team in shots with 35, including a team-leading 20 on target and tallied a team-best four game-winning goals, while tying for second in the Atlantic 10 and 26th in the NCAA. Her 19 points ranks third in the A-10, while her seven goals tie her for third, and she earned Offensive Player of the Week (10/2), marking the first A-10 Weekly accolade of her career
Puricelli is on track for a career best in save percentage (.880), ranking 11th nationally, and she ranks 26th nationally in goals against average (0.55). She recorded eight solo shutouts and four shared shutouts this season and among active Division I goalkeepers, she ranks third in shutout percentage (.457), sixth in GAA (0.62) and seventh in goalkeeper minutes (7,202). Puricelli owns the SLU record of 63 career victories and ranks second in career shutouts (37)– just one off the school record – and second in career GAA (0.62).
Hevey was second at Loyola Chicago with 12 points and tallied three goals and a team-leading six assists. She ranks fourth in shots (2.94), shots on goal (1.72), and tied fifth in assists (6) on the A-10 leaderboards this year. Hevey earned one Rookie of the Week award this season.
Royal guided La Salle to an 11-5-3 record and an 8-1-1 record in A-10 play to earn second seed and a championship final bid. He led La Salle on a 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) since Sept. 21. It’s the fifth Coach of the Year award for Royal, whose Explorers return to the title game for the first time since 2017.
The 2023 Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Championship concluded Sunday at 1:00 pm ET / Noon CT between top-seeded Saint Louis and No. 2 La Salle at SLU’s Hermann Stadium. The championship final will be streamed live via ESPN+.