With the number of Australians in NCAA Division I women’s soccer increasing just about every season, the battle for postseason awards only intensifies as time goes on. Four Australians picked up All-Conference selections, whilst Meg Roden picked up a Big South honourable mention and Adelaide Wyrzynski secured a WAC All-Freshman nod, and indeed the discussion centred mostly around these conference award winners.
Freshman of the Year: Mercedes McNabb (UNC Asheville)
The only Australian freshman to secure an All-Conference team selection in 2024, Mercedes McNabb was named to the Big South’s All-Conference Second Team following an outstanding opening season for UNC Asheville. A goal and an assist inside the first four games of her college career set McNabb on her way, and although there were the usual freshman peaks and troughs, a mid-season hat-trick against South Carolina State was one of the highlights of the season for College Matildas. In a season that saw UNC Asheville forced off campus for several weeks in the wake of Hurricane Helene, McNabb nonetheless was able to bang home six goals, equal second amongst all Aussies in NCAA Division I this season, with that early season assist bringing her points total for the campaign to 13. Three of those six goals proved to be game-winners, cementing McNabb’s spot as an integral part of the Bulldogs’ lineup not only for this season, but going forward.
However, McNabb was not the only freshman amongst the Australian cohort in 2024 to be rewarded for their performances. Harvard’s Erin Gordon was named among TopDrawerSoccer’s top 100 freshmen in the nation and surely would have earned an All-Freshman nod if the Ivy League awarded such an honour, whilst Tarleton State’s Adelaide Wyrzynski secured a spot in the WAC’s All-Freshman Team following an impressive opening campaign for former Wyoming coach Pete Cuadrado’s side.
Breakout Player of the Year: Candice Kilderry (Little Rock)
Candice Kilderry featured in every game for Little Rock for the second consecutive season; however, there was a significant difference in the midfielder’s impact in her sophomore year. Having started on only three occasions in 2023, Kilderry quickly became one of the first names on the team sheet in 2024, starting in all 19 of the Trojans’ games. The Victorian more than doubled her playing time in the process, playing 1518 minutes after seeing 713 minutes of action in 2023. Not only that, Kilderry showcased her versatility remarkably. Usually heavily involved in her team’s attack, the midfielder was forced to step into defence against Mississippi Valley State and Tennessee Tech, and wound up scoring a game-winner against the latter and earning Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts. Once back in her usual attacking role, Kilderry continued to impress, finishing the season with six goals, of which four were game-winners, and a first career assist in a win over Central Arkansas. Unsurprisingly, Kilderry finished with an All-Conference Second Team selection for her efforts this season which helped Little Rock finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference before unfortunately falling in the conference tournament semi-finals.
Goalkeeper of the Year: Lilly Bailey (Morehead State)
Lilly Bailey earned the starting spot between the sticks for Morehead State in her freshman season, but her first campaign was interrupted just 18 minutes into her debut after a collision put the Western Australian out for the best part of a month. However, one 45-minute performance off the bench was all Bailey needed to shake off the rust as she re-established herself as the Eagles’ starter for the remainder of the campaign, playing every minute of the rest of the regular season. Leading Aussie goalkeepers in appearances (18), minutes (1477), and shutouts (5), Bailey was also the only Aussie to finish in the top 100 for save percentage (0.792) as she helped the Eagles to a runner-up spot in the Ohio Valley Conference and a spot in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Wake Forest. Particularly impressive was Bailey’s outing against UT-Martin, as Morehead State were outshot 22-18, but ten saves from the former Perth Glory goalkeeper ensured the Eagles picked up a crucial 1-0 win. A similar performance was also in store for the conference tournament semi-final, as #1 seed Tennessee Tech rattled off 27 shots, but seven saves from Bailey forced the game into a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw before the Aussie handed the reins to local player Claire Cress, who ensured the Eagles would progress in the most thrilling of circumstances.
However, although Bailey led the way in many categories, fellow Western Australian, Shivani Battaglia was not far behind, and indeed just pipped Bailey in goals against average, 1.13 to 1.218. In the end though, Bailey’s body of work was just too good to ignore.
Offensive Player of the Year: Abbey Burns (UAB)
Taking the armband for UAB this season, Abbey Burns played a captain’s knock for the Blazers that started on opening day and lasted until the final whistle of her team’s season. With just one goal under her belt coming into her third season of collegiate play, a penalty in UAB’s second game of the campaign against Louisville proved to be the catalyst for a remarkable improvement in scoring output from the South Australian. Two more goals followed in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Samford in the very next game, as Burns finished the season with an impressive seven goals to lead all Aussies in NCAA Division I. Two assists late in the season added to Burns’ output, putting her equal for most points among Aussies with fellow South Australian Lara Kirkby with 16. Burns’ efforts this season saw her become the only Aussie named All-Conference First Team in 2024, doing so in an American Athletic Conference widely considered to be one of the strongest outside the Power 4.
As expected, 2023 Rachael Doyle Medallist, Lara Kirkby was right in contention for this award after picking up an America East Second Team selection before adding an All-Tournament nod to her list of awards. Meanwhile, other conference Second Team selections such as Little Rock’s Candice Kilderry and UNC Asheville freshman Mercedes McNabb also weren’t far off the pace as both finished with six goals for the campaign.
Defensive Player of the Year: Hannah Peric (Massachusetts)
Massachusetts were still a puncher’s chance of making the NCAA Tournament even as the selection committee entered its final discussions, and a defence led by Hannah Peric was a major part of why they were in the conversation after falling in the Atlantic 10 championship game and being denied an automatic bid. Peric started all 21 matches for the Minutewomen in 2024, averaging close to 85 minutes per contest for a team that finished with a 13-5-3 record and an impressive 42nd spot in the end-of-season RPI rankings. The team from Amherst conceded just 23 goals in 21 games, and finished in the top 20% in the nation for shutout percentage, keeping nine clean sheets and allowing an average of only 4.14 shots on target per game, with Peric one of the first names on the team sheet for the defence.
A preseason All-Conference selection, Peric picked up the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week award in early September, a microcosm of her impact for the Minutewomen. However, the former Manly United star made an impact at both ends, particularly at set piece time, tallying a goal and three assists for the season to take her career numbers to three and five respectively.
Several other players were heavily involved in their teams’ performances at the defensive end, including Bellarmine’s Teagan Douglas and Saint Peter’s sophomore Wilma Thodhlana among others. However, perhaps the most impressive outside of Peric was another Massachusetts-based player as Harvard freshman Erin Gordon slotted straight into the Crimson lineup and established herself as a crucial member of the side not only this season, but for years to come.
Top Goalscorer: Abbey Burns (UAB)
Abbey Burns took over penalty-taking duties for UAB this season, and for good reason as three of the South Australian’s seven goals came via a perfect record from the spot. Burns did the majority of her scoring early in the campaign, banging home five goals in seven non-conference games before the well appeared to dry up once American Athletic Conference play commenced. However, a brace in the Blazers’ final regular season game against North Texas kept Burns just ahead of the chasing pack and also earned her side a crucial 2-2 draw. Seven goals proved enough, but only just, as Lara Kirkby, Mercedes McNabb, and Candice Kilderry each finished with six. Considering four goals was enough for Kirkby and Bronte Peel to share the top goalscorer award in 2023, 2024 was certainly a high-scoring season for a handful of Australians.
Most Assists: Lara Kirkby (Maine) and Adelaide Wyrzynski (Tarleton State)
Considering her successes at Maine over the last two seasons, it would almost feel odd for Lara Kirkby to not secure some sort of award, and the Black Bears midfielder came up clutch in more ways than one in the America East conference tournament. Kirkby tallied assists in both the semi-final and the championship game (as well as scoring the final goal in the championship game) to double her season tally and finish the campaign with four assists, elevating her above Katie Godden, Iona Snape, and Hannah Peric, who each notched three for the campaign, and into a tie with Tarleton State freshman Adelaide Wyrzynski.
Wyrzynski, who secured a spot in the WAC All-Freshman Team for her efforts this season, did everything EXCEPT tally an assist in the first half of the season. Indeed, entering the last weekend of September, Wyrzynski had started three games, scored her first goal in a win over Grambling State, and rattled off three shots on three different occasions. However, that all changed as the Texans faced WAC powerhouse Utah Valley on September 28. Although her side fell to a 5-2 defeat, Wyrzynski scored one goal and assisted another, and added another assist just five days later in a 2-1 win over Cal Baptist. Like Kirkby, it would take two more late in the campaign, in wins over Southern Utah and Abilene Christian, to put Wyrzynski above the rest of the Aussies in NCAA Division I to take home a piece of College Matildas recognition in her freshman year.
Rachael Doyle Medal for Player of the Year: Abbey Burns (UAB)
The 2024 race for the Rachael Doyle Medal came down to a battle of two South Australian midfielders as Abbey Burns and Lara Kirkby established themselves as the cream of the crop among the Australians in NCAA Division I this season. Whilst Burns was the only Australian named to an All-Conference First Team in 2024, Kirkby was not short on recognition after picking up an America East Second Team nomination as well as a spot in the conference’s All-Tournament team, and then tacked on a goal in the NCAA Tournament just for good measure. Comparing these players’ résumés is an almost impossible task, but Burns’ overall season performance just clinched it for the Blazers’ captain.
Of course, it was not a race in two throughout the season. Candice Kilderry and Mercedes McNabb also earned All-Conference Second Team selections, whilst Meg Roden picked up an honourable mention in the Big South. The likes of Lilly Bailey and Hannah Peric weren’t out of the conversation either, as the growing number of Australians in NCAA Division I only lends itself to more competition for honours.
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