With a defensive player earning the top goalscorer award and the Breakout Player of the Year finishing top of the assists chart, the College Matildas awards were far from spread out this year. Indeed, only four players received awards, down from the seven in 2024 as a small group stood out above a larger cohort of highly performing players. Players such as Kate Ryan and Abbey Burns would have been locks for awards in other seasons, but that only speaks to the level that some of these players reached in 2025.
Freshman of the Year: Chloe Tseros (Canisius)
Former Sydney Olympic goalkeeper Chloe Tseros earned the starting berth for Opening Day, and never looked back, barely missing a minute throughout her first college campaign. A nine-save performance against Buffalo on debut repaid the coach’s faith in the freshman, and also proved to be one of eight games in which Tseros made six or more saves. Tseros finished with 80 saves across 19 games, tallying five shutouts in the process, both marks which led all Australian goalkeepers this season. The freshman’s save percentage of 0.748 was also second among Australians, behind only Shivani Battaglia, as Tseros established herself as a player to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.
However, one will be sorely disappointed if they attempt to find Tseros at Canisius next season. The Sydneysider recently announced her transfer to Purdue, a program adding its third Australian in as many seasons, following Zoe Karipidis and Margaux Chauvet. Chauvet was an inspired addition to the roster for the Boilermakers in 2024, and hopefully Tseros can have the same kind of impact.
A number of other freshmen made impacts for their respective teams this year, including Central Michigan’s Alyssa Di Campli and Jacksonville State’s Lara Aitken, but it would be remiss not to mention Sarah Birchall specifically. The Gardner-Webb defender came off the bench for her first three appearances, but started each of her final 12 appearances to cement her spot in the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ lineup. Birchall’s performances earned her a spot in the Big South’s All-Freshman team, the only Australian to earn that selection for a conference this year (although it is worth noting that Chloe Tseros’ conference, the MAAC, does not select an All-Freshman team).
Breakout Player of the Year: Isabella Chidiac (Denver)
Isabella Chidiac’s opening day start against North Carolina in 2024 had proven to be a false dawn, but there was no such issue in 2025. Chidiac came into the season with just 25 appearances and 471 minutes of playing time across three years, but the midfielder quickly emerged as one of the first names on the team sheet for Denver in her senior season. A world-class through ball delivered Chidiac an assist for the game-winner in the season opener against Air Force, and the midfielder continued in the same vein throughout the campaign. The senior’s delivery from corners was gratefully received by teammates on a number of occasions, helping Chidiac to post nine assists, the third-highest total by an Australian in a single season in NCAA Division I history, behind only Leah Blayney and Shelbi Vienna-Hallam, and tied with Selin Kuralay and Isabel Hodgson. Chidiac would also score her first collegiate goal in a win over Kansas City, as well as start all 18 games for Denver and play almost 1300 minutes as the Pioneers secured a share of the Summit League regular season title in their final season before leaving for the West Coast Conference in 2026.
Kate Ryan was also well and truly in the mix, and would have cruised to the award in most other seasons. The Dartmouth defender featured even less often than Chidiac in previous seasons, totalling just two appearances and 34 minutes of playing time across her freshman and sophomore campaigns. However, after subbing on 19 minutes into the Big Green’s season opener, Ryan was just about ever-present in the backline thereafter, missing only the second half of a 6-0 rout against NCAA Division III side Brandeis and helping lead her team to the NCAA Tournament. With a number of Ryan’s defensive teammates set to return next season, things are looking promising for a Big Green side that finished 3rd in the nation for goals against average in 2025.
Goalkeeper of the Year: Shivani Battaglia (Fresno State)
Shivani Battaglia was just edged out for Goalkeeper of the Year by Lilly Bailey in 2024, but there was no denying the senior in 2025. The Western Australian was at or near the top among Australians in all major statistical categories, but it was her save percentage that really stood out. Battaglia’s mark of .802 was not only a full .058 ahead of second-placed Chloe Tseros among Australian goalkeepers, it was also good enough for 88th in the nation, no small effort given there are 350 teams in NCAA Division I. Battaglia’s goals against average of 1.311 was also second among Aussies behind Lilly Bailey’s 1.249, and only Chloe Tseros’ five shutouts was better than Battaglia’s mark of four. Although Fresno State finished only 7-6-5, Battaglia was a major part in ensuring her team reached a .500 mark this season, and was undoubtedly responsible for turning losses into draws and draws into wins. Most notable were an 8-save performance in a 1-0 win over Colorado State and a 7-save outing which secured a 0-0 draw with Cal Poly, a game in which the goalkeepers combined for 15 saves, forcing each other to step up monumentally.
Outside of Battaglia, the three other regular starters each showcased the level of Australian goalkeeping talent in NCAA Division I. Tseros, Bailey, and George Mason’s Libby Davy all produced outstanding performances and compiled solid campaigns, but there was no touching the Fresno State senior for the Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2025.
Offensive Player of the Year: Isabella Chidiac (Denver)
Candice Kilderry was outstanding following a move to the backline and Abbey Burns finished the campaign with a flurry of assists, but Isabella Chidiac’s consistency throughout the season in a mostly attacking role delivered her the Offensive Player of the Year award. The senior was a mainstay of the Denver lineup throughout the campaign, starting all 18 of the Pioneers’ contests and averaging in excess of 70 minutes per appearance. Chidiac put that playing time to good use, but it was her start to the campaign that made her undroppable in the first place, chalking up an assist with a world-class pass in the season opener against Air Force. That was the first of nine assists, a number that ranked Chidiac 29th in the nation for total assists and 19th for assists per game with an even 0.5 across her 18 appearances. Chidiac’s play helped lead Denver to a share of the Summit League regular season title as the Pioneers rounded out their time in the conference with another successful season. The midfielder also tacked on her first and only collegiate goal in a victory over Kansas City, finishing the campaign with a total of 11 points.
Although Denver weren’t able to secure a conference tournament championship and the NCAA Tournament berth that goes with it, it was nonetheless a remarkable campaign for Chidiac, particularly given the limited opportunities available to her in earlier seasons. The senior will now move into the pro ranks, and there will be no shortage of teams looking to utilise her skillset.
Defensive Player of the Year: Candice Kilderry (Little Rock)
The battle between Dartmouth’s Kate Ryan and Little Rock’s Candice Kilderry for Defensive Player of the Year was one of the most intriguing throughout the campaign. On one side, Ryan was almost ever-present for a Dartmouth side that conceded just 0.526 goals per game to finish 3rd in the nation for goals against average, and chipped in with a goal and an assist. On the other side, Kilderry featured as a wingback for much of the season, and whilst Little Rock’s defence wasn’t at the same level as Dartmouth’s, they did concede just five goals in nine league games. Meanwhile, the Victorian managed to tally four goals and four assists from her spot on the backline.
In the end, the award was decided more in the vein of the NHL’s Norris Trophy than the NBA’s Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, awarding for all-round performance rather than defensive prowess alone. That isn’t to say Ryan wasn’t involved in Dartmouth’s attack as she picked up a goal and an assist this season, but Kilderry’s performances were just too good to ignore.
Top Goalscorer: Candice Kilderry (Little Rock)
In a season that saw plenty of Aussies score a goal here or there, it was a wingback in Candice Kilderry who was the only one to find the back of the net more than twice in 2025. The Victorian opened her account as part of a 7-0 demolition of Arkansas-Pine Bluff early in the season before adding a second in the final weekend of non-conference play in a loss to an Oral Roberts side that shared the Summit League regular season crown. However, the most memorable of Kilderry’s goals came in the conference opener against fellow heavyweights Tennessee Tech. Trailing 1-0 with seven minutes to play, lightning struck and the game was delayed for SIX hours. Little Rock dominated those final seven minutes, launching a barrage of five shots following the resumption. The last of those shots came from Kilderry and hit the back of the net to secure a draw for Little Rock in a game that had the potential to shape the conference title race on the very first day of competition. A fourth and final goal followed late in the season in a 3-0 win over Western Illinois as the Trojans finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference before falling, once again, to arch nemesis Lindenwood in the conference tournament.
In total, fourteen Australians found the back of the net in 2025. Nine tallied a single goal, with Tarleton State duo Phoebe Riley and Adelaide Wyrzynski, Jacksonville State’s Lara Aitken, and LIU’s Izzy Stein the quartet of players to tally two goals.
Most Assists: Isabella Chidiac (Denver)
UAB captain Abbey Burns made a late charge to finish with eight assists this season after posting five in her last six games, but Isabella Chidiac teed up teammates time and again to finish with nine despite not posting a single assist in her first three college campaigns. Pinpoint corners were the order of the season as opposition defences found themselves unable to deal with Chidiac’s delivery, which teammates were only too happy to direct into the back of the net. However, perhaps the most impressive of the nine assists came on the opening day of the season against Air Force. With her team up 1-0 heading into the final 10 minutes, a scything pass through the Falcons backline bisected two defenders and put Samantha Dreiling through on goal for her second of the game. The goal would prove crucial as Air Force hit back two minutes later to halve the deficit, but the Pioneers held their opponents out for the final eight minutes to secure the 2-1 victory.
Overall, 12 Australian players posted at least one assist this season. Behind Chidiac and Burns, Candice Kilderry notched four assists, whilst Izzy Stein, Incarnate Word’s Montanna Mathews, and Siena’s Iona Snape each tallied three apiece.
Rachael Doyle Medal for Player of the Year: Candice Kilderry (Little Rock)
As the only Australians to secure an All-Conference First Team nod in 2025, the battle for the Rachael Doyle Medal was a race in two between Candice Kilderry and Isabella Chidiac. However, given Kilderry finished as top goalscorer among Aussies whilst also posting four assists despite playing as a wingback, the Victorian’s all-round performance put her over the top to secure the 2025 Rachael Doyle Medal.
Kilderry posted six goals and an assist in 2024 to secure the College Matildas Breakout Player of the Year award, but even a move to the backline in 2025 did little to impact her attacking output. The wingback tallied four goals to lead all Australians and finished third among her countrywomen for assists with four. In addition, Little Rock’s defence conceded just five goals in nine league games, leading the Trojans to a second-place finish in their final season in the Ohio Valley Conference before falling in the conference tournament semi-finals. An All-Conference First Team selection was just reward for Kilderry’s performance, but it was not entirely unexpected following her move into the defensive ranks. The junior had already secured a conference Defensive Player of the Week award on one occasion in 2024 when deployed in the backline as a stop game measure, so it was not a move entirely without precedent, and it came up trumps for both Kilderry and the Trojans.
Kilderry becomes the first Victorian player to win the College Matildas Player of the Year Award, and the first Ohio Valley Conference player to do so since Murray State’s Harriet Withers picked up her second award in 2017. Little Rock now depart for the United Athletic Conference, where they will join in-state rivals Central Arkansas as well as Aussie-laden Tarleton State. As they navigate new waters, Kilderry’s presence in the Trojans lineup should prove crucial; the only question is, which position will she be playing?
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