All-Big Ten Women’s Soccer Teams and 2023 individual award winners honored

ROSEMONT, Ill.  – The Big Ten Conference has announced the 2023 Women’s Soccer All-Big Ten Teams and individual honors, according to a vote of the conference’s 14 head coaches.

Nebraska’s John Walker and Eleanor Dale were unanimous selections as Coach and Forward of the Year, respectively, while Michigan State’s Justina Gaynor and Bella Najera were named Midfielder and Freshman of the Year. Penn State’s Cori Dyke collected Defender of the Year honors and Indiana’s Jamie Gerstenberg was named Goalkeeper of the Year.

Dale is the first Nebraska student-athlete chosen as Forward of the Year. The Billingham, England native leads the nation with 23 goals, while her 50 total points rank second in Division I. Seven of those goals have also secured victory for the Huskers, a tally that also leads the nation.

Likewise, Gaynor also secured the Spartans’ first Midfielder of the Year accolade. The senior from Shelby Township, Mich. totaled 19 points and 11 assists, in helping Michigan State earn its second consecutive Big Ten championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

Dyke becomes the ninth Penn State student-athlete to earn the league’s top defensive player accolade and first since Kaleigh Riehl in 2018. Dyke started all 17 matches, anchoring a defensive effort that surrendered a Big Ten best just nine goals. The fifth year senior also added 10 points on four goals and two assists on the offensive side of the pitch.

Gerstenberg earns the Hoosiers’ first Goalkeeper of the Year trophy after posting a .629 goals against average in 18 contests. The junior from Birkenwerder, Germany led the Big Ten and ranked fifth in the country with 10 shutouts, including five in conference play.

Najera collects Michigan State’s second Freshman of the Year honor, joining Laura Heyboer in 2008. The St. Charles, Ill. native was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times in a season that saw her tie for eighth in the conference with eight goals, while her 18 points were good for 11th.

Like Dale, Walker is the first Cornhusker coach honored with the Big Ten Coach of the Year moniker. Walker earns his fourth career conference coach of the year award after leading Nebraska to a league-best 13 wins and a share of the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Soccer title.

Dale, Gaynor, Dyke and Gerstenberg also earned spots on the All-Big Ten First Team. Indiana’s Paige Webber, Michigan State’s Raegan Cox and Celia Gaynor, Nebraska’s Sarah Weber, Northwestern’s Meg Boade, Ohio State’s Emma Sears and Wisconsin’s Emma Jaskaniec joined the quartet in receiving First Team all-conference honors.

The Big Ten also recognized 14 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The 2023 Big Ten Tournament kicks off Sunday with four quarterfinal matches at campus sites around the conference, with each match broadcast live on BTN’s digital subscription service, B1G+ (more details are available at bigtenplus.com).

The tournament then moves to Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, with the semifinals to be played Nov. 2 (5 and 7:30 p.m. ET) and the championship match scheduled for Nov. 5 (2 p.m. ET). All three contests from Columbus will be televised live on BTN and the FOX Sports app. The winner of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament will earn the conference’s automatic berth into this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The complete list of 2023 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Postseason honorees can also be found below.