KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Junior forward Emily Gaebe and senior defender Lyndsey Heckel of the Saint Louis University women's soccer team have been selected to the 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-America team.
Gaebe was named to the first team, becoming the first Saint Louis forward to collect All-America plaudits and the second Billiken to garner first-team recognition.
Heckel, a first-team choice a year ago, joins Alli Klug (2017, 2018) as Billikens who are two-time All-Americans.
Saint Louis student-athletes have earned five United Soccer Coaches All-America awards in the past two seasons.
Gaebe and Heckel helped lead the Billikens to a sixth consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship title; a sixth straight NCAA Championship appearance, including the program's first advancement to the round of 16; a fifth A-10 regular-season title in six years; and school records of 24 games, 74 goals, 70 assists, 218 points, +59 goal differential, 11 consecutive shutouts, 1099:09 consecutive shutout minutes, and 457 shots. Saint Louis equaled school marks for shutouts (15) and longest unbeaten streak (18).
Gaebe helped power the Billikens to third in the nation in goals per game (3.08) and points per game (9.08) and fifth in assists per game (2.92). The A-10 Offensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-Region and All-Conference choice, and a member of the A-10 Championship All-Tournament team, she topped the league with school records of 16 goals (fifth nationally) and 41 points (sixth) while tying for the conference lead with a career-high nine assists (23rd). Gaebe's team- and career-high five game-winning goals ranked 14th in the nation, and she also set a career mark for game-winning assists (four).
Gaebe was a two-time selection to the College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer national teams of the week – including College Soccer News National Player of the Week for Oct. 9-15 – and twice was named A-10 Offensive Player of the Week. She finished the season second in goals (32), third in points (82), tied for seventh in game-winning assists (seven) and tied for ninth in assists (18) on the Saint Louis career lists.
Heckel was a key component of one of the nation's best defenses. In addition to tying the school record for shutouts, the Billikens finished the season ranked fourth nationally in shutout percentage (.625) and 19th in goals against average (0.62) while allowing just 10.3 total shots, 4.8 shots on goal and 2.6 corner kicks per game. SLU conceded just one goal in 13 games vs. conference opponents.
Heckel was the 2023 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, became one of the first two players in program history to make the All-Conference first team four times, and was selected to the All-Region first team and the A-10 Championship All-Tournament team. In addition to her defensive performance, she tallied four goals (three game-winners) and a career-high four assists for 12 points. Heckel was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for Sept. 11-17. She concluded the season tied for fourth in starts (85), tied for seventh in game-winning goals (nine) and 10th in games (85) on the Saint Louis career charts.