ACC Women’s Soccer 2024 Awards: Cal, Duke and Notre Dame celebrate major winners

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – California senior forward Karlie Lema and Duke sophomore defender Cameron Roller have been voted the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, by the conference’s head coaches, announced today by the league office.

Blue Devil graduate student Maggie Graham was voted Midfielder of the Year, while Duke fifth-year Leah Freeman was tabbed the Goalkeeper of the Year. Notre Dame forward Izzy Engle was named Freshman of the Year and Duke’s Robbie Church was voted Coach of the Year.

Lema becomes the first Golden Bear to earn an ACC yearly award in women’s soccer, as she currently leads the ACC with 38 points and is tied for the conference lead in total goals with 16. The Morgan Hill, California, native shined throughout the season which included a stretch where she scored seven goals in three straight matches between September 1-8. For her efforts during that stretch, Lema was named the TopDrawerSoccer and NCAA National Player of the Week. The striker posted five goals in ACC play, headlined by scoring three goals in Cal’s last five games of the regular season. Lema is currently tied for fourth nationally with her 16 goals on the year and sixth in goals per game at 0.84.

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Roller was a staple along the Blue Devil backline, as she played the full 90 minutes in 12 of Duke’s 16 matches this season. The Sherman, Texas, native played a key role in the Blue Devils’ eight shutouts on the year, as Duke ranks second in the ACC in goals-against average at 0.69. The Blue Devils, who enter the postseason as the nation’s No. 1 team, lead the ACC and rank fifth in the country in goal differential at +42. Following clean sheets against North Carolina and ETSU, Roller was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on September 10.

Graham, who has made 66 career starts for Duke, leads the team with 10 goals and added five assists, as the Blue Devils claimed the ACC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the 2024 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship. The native of Atlanta, Georgia, posted seven goals during league play this season, including a hat trick against No. 7 Stanford on October 10. After Duke’s West Coast trip that saw wins over the Cardinal and No. 17 California, Graham was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week.

Freeman started between the posts in all 16 matches this season and allowed just 11 goals, leading to Duke’s 14-1-1 overall record and the ACC regular-season title. The Berkeley, California, native ranks second in the ACC in save percentage at .792 and third in the conference with a .704 goals-against average. Within her eight clean sheets this season, Freeman tallied five straight shutouts during the non-conference portion of the regular season, headlined by a five-save effort over in-state rival North Carolina. The goalkeeper was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on October 1 following a four-save shutout against SMU.

Engle is tied for the ACC lead with 16 goals and is one of only two players in the ACC with 30 or more points on the year with 33. The Edina, Minnesota, native opened her collegiate career with five goals through her first three games, headlined by her first career hat trick in Notre Dame’s 6-0 win at Samford on August 18. The striker posted six multi-goal performances, including a two-goal effort in a 3-3 draw at Duke, marking the only time this season the Blue Devils dropped points. Currently, Engle’s 16 goals lead all freshmen nationally.

Church, who announced in July that the 2024 season would be his last, led Duke to the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the 2024 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship. The Blue Devils closed the regular season with a 14-1-1 record, headlined by a current 15-match unbeaten stretch dating back to August 22. Duke capped off the conference season with a 9-0-1 record, as it finished unbeaten in league play for just the third time in program history. The Blue Devils capped off their regular season with back-to-back road victories over top-10 opponents and enter the postseason with four victories over teams ranked No. 7 or higher.

The league also announced the 2024 All-ACC teams on Wednesday, which are listed below. The All-ACC teams are voted on by the league’s 17 head coaches.

The 2024 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship continues Thursday, November 6, with semifinal action from WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Second-seeded Wake Forest takes on third-seeded Florida State at 5:30 p.m. ET, while top-seeded Duke squares off with fourth-seeded North Carolina in their third matchup this season at 8 p.m. ET. ACC Network will broadcast both matchups.

Thursday’s winners will square off on Sunday, November 10, at noon ET in the final on ESPNU.

2024 All-ACC Women’s Soccer Team

• Offensive Player of the Year: Karlie Lema, Sr., F, California
• Defensive Player of the Year: Cameron Roller, So., D, Duke
• Midfielder of the Year: Maggie Graham, Gr., M, Duke
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Leah Freeman, Fifth Year, GK, Duke
• Freshman of the Year: Izzy Engle, F, Notre Dame
• Coach of the Year: Robbie Church, Duke

First Team All-ACC

• Karlie Lema, Sr., F, California
• Leah Freeman, Fifth Year, GK, Duke
• Maggie Graham, Gr., M, Duke
• Cameron Roller, So., D, Duke
• Jordynn Dudley, So. F, Florida State
• Taylor Huff, Sr., M, Florida State
• Trinity Armstrong, Fr., D, North Carolina
• Kate Faasse, Jr., F, North Carolina
• Izzy Engle, Fr., F, Notre Dame
• Leah Klenke, Jr., D, Notre Dame
• Caiya Hanks, Jr., F, Wake Forest

Second Team All-ACC

• Teagan Wy, Jr., GK, California
• Hannah Bebar, Gr., M, Duke
• Ella Hase, Fifth Year, F, Duke
• Mia Oliaro, So., F, Duke
• Deborah Abiodun, So., M, Pitt
• Sarah Schupansky, Sr., F, Pitt
• Jasmine Aikey, Jr., D, Stanford
• Mia Bhuta, M, So., Stanford
• Zara Chavoshi, Sr., D, Wake Forest
• Emily Colton, Sr., M, Wake Forest
• Emily Murphy, Sr., F, Wake Forest

Third Team All-ACC

• Heather Gilchrist, Jr., D, Florida State
• Mimi Van Zanten, So., D, Florida State
• Giovana Canali, Fr., F, Miami
• Maddie Dahlien, Jr., F, North Carolina
• Tessa Dellarose, Jr., M, North Carolina
• Annabelle Chukwu, Fr., F, Notre Dame
• Lily Joseph, Fr., M, Notre Dame
• Nyah Rose, So., F, SMU
• Elise Evans, Jr., D, Stanford
• Maggie Cagle, Jr., F, Virginia
• Valentina Amaral, So., GK, Wake Forest

All-Freshman Team

• Wrianna Hudson, F, Florida State
• Solai Washington, F, Florida State
• Giovana Canali , F, Miami
• Trinity Armstrong, D, North Carolina
• Bella Gaetino, D, North Carolina
• Linda Ullmark, M, North Carolina
• Annabelle Chukwu, F, Notre Dame
• Izzy Engle, F, Notre Dame
• Ellie Hodsden, F, Notre Dame
• Lily Joseph, M, Notre Dame
• Eleanor Klinger, F, Stanford