BIG EAST women’s soccer annual award winners honored for 2023

NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference women’s soccer annual awards have been announced, with all six major awards going to different schools.

Seton Hall junior Natalie Tavana was selected BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, while St. John’s graduate student Jessica Garziano was awarded BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year. Both co-regular-season champions Xavier and Georgetown each claimed an award, with Hoya graduate student Julia Leas earning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while the Musketeers, led by Nate Lie, were tabbed BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. To round out the major awards UConn senior Kaitlyn Mahoney was voted BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, and Butler freshman Norah Jacomen was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.

All-BIG EAST teams and major awards were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own players or coaching staff.

Tavana becomes the second Pirate to win BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors, with Kelly Smith winning the award in three consecutive seasons from 1997-99. The junior standout finished first in the BIG EAST in goals with 12 scores, five of which came in conference-play. She also placed second in the conference in points with 26, averaging an impressive 1.53 points per game. Tavana was a constant threat on offense all year, tallying 3.00 shots per game, the third-highest mark in the league. Her individual performances included the first hat trick for Seton Hall since 2006, and a three-game goal streak from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1. With her efforts this season the Pirates were able to collect their most points in the BIG EAST standings since 2011.

Garziano becomes the first player in St. John’s history to earn Midfielder of the Year honors. The graduate student finished the season first in the BIG EAST in points with 31, tallying a league-best 11 assists to go along with ten goals, good for second in the conference. She also recorded the third-most shots in the league with 53 for the year. Garziano’s career with St. John’s ended on a historic note, as this season she became the Red Storm’s all-time assists leader, while tying the program single-season assist record.

Leas becomes the seventh consecutive Hoya to garner BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors. She is also the second player in Georgetown history to win the award multiple times, joining Meaghan Nally who claimed the honor in 2018 and 2019. The graduate defender has anchored a back line that ranked towards the top of the conference throughout the season. The Hoyas posted 11 shutouts across 18 games, tied for the second-most in the BIG EAST, while recording a 0.56 goals against average, the third-best mark in the league. Her consistent presence on defense bolstered the Hoyas all year, as she played every minute of all 17 of her games played, helping Georgetown to an undefeated conference record.

For the third time in the last five seasons, Xavier earns BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors. The Musketeers boast an unbeaten conference record of 6-0-4 as they claimed a share of this season’s regular-season title as well as the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. Lie is in his seventh season with the Musketeers, as Xavier is in the hunt for its second BIG EAST Championship following a runner-up finish last season. Xavier enters the postseason ranked 17th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and has not lost a match in 11 contests. The Musketeers were brilliant at both ends this season, scoring 32 goals (second in BIG EAST), while allowing only eight scores for the year (lowest in BIG EAST).

Mahoney is the fourth UConn player to win BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year and the first since Randi Palacios was awarded co-recipient during the Spring 2021 season. The senior keeper notched ten shutouts for the season, tied for the second-most in the BIG EAST. Her play stepped up even further during conference action, as she posted a league-best .923 in-conference save percentage, along with a 0.30 goals against average versus BIG EAST opponents, the second-lowest in the conference. Across ten BIG EAST matchups, Mahoney tallied six shutouts, letting in just three goals over the entire league slate.

Jacomen is the fourth Butler player to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and the second consecutive Bulldog to win the award with Talia Sommer garnering honors last season. Leading the charge on offense for her squad, the freshman forward was able to help Butler claw their way into the BIG EAST Championship in her first season. Appearing in all 20 games for the Bulldogs, Jacomen finished third in the BIG EAST with nine goals scored and was tied for third in the conference in points with 19.

Due to a tie in voting, a 12-member All-BIG EAST First Team was named, which included Tavana and Garziano by unanimous selection, as well as Providence senior forward Meg Hughes also unanimously selected. Leas rounded out the rest of the honorees, which include Butler graduate defender Aliya Diagne, Butler sophomore midfielder Talia Sommer, Connecticut graduate midfielder Jessica Mazo, Connecticut sophomore forward Chioma Okafor, Georgetown graduate goalkeeper Allie Augur, Georgetown sophomore forward Natalie Means, Georgetown junior midfielder Eliza Turner, and Xavier sophomore defender Natalie Bain.

UConn’s Mahoney led a 12-person All-BIG EAST Second Team. Additional honorees include fellow Huskies Lucy Cappadona (Sr., D) and Cara Jordan (Gr., F ); Creighton’s Azumi Manriki (Jr., M); Georgetown’s Brianne Riley (Gr., D); Providence’s Kayla Briggs (Fr., F) and Avery Snead (Sr., D); Villanova’s Jackie Richards (Gr., F); and Xavier’s Maria Galley (So., GK), Maddie Reed (Sr., D), Ella Rogers (Jr., M) and Samantha Wiehe (Jr., M).

Jacomen heads an 11-player All-BIG EAST Third Team that includes Butler teammate Abby Isger (R-Sr., M); Connecticut’s Abbey Jones (Jr., M); Creighton’s Peighton Steffen (Sr., D); DePaul’s Ellie Mink (Sixth Yr., M); Georgetown’s Allie Winstanley (Sr., F); Providence’s Emma Bodmer (Sr., GK) and Gillian Kenney (Jr., F/M); Seton Hall’s Chiara Pucci (Jr., D); Villanova’s Makayla Stadler (Gr., F/D); and Xavier’s Sonia Vargas (Sr., F).

BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Natalie Tavana, Seton Hall, Jr., M

BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Jessica Garziano, St. John’s, Gr., M

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Gr., D

BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Kaitlyn Mahoney, UConn, Sr., GK

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Norah Jacomen, Butler, Fr., F

BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Xavier

All-BIG EAST First Team *
Aliya Diagne, Butler, Gr., D
Talia Sommer, Butler, So., M
Jessica Mazo, UConn, Gr., M
Chioma Okafor, UConn, So., F
Allie Augur, Georgetown, Gr., GK
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Gr., D
Natalie Means, Georgetown, So., F
Eliza Turner, Georgetown, Jr., M
Meg Hughes, Providence, Sr., F ^
Jessica Garziano, St. John’s, Gr., M ^
Natalie Tavana, Seton Hall, Jr., M ^
Natalie Bain, Xavier, So., D

All-BIG EAST Second Team *
Lucy Cappadona, UConn, Sr., D
Cara Jordan, UConn, Gr., F
Kaitlyn Mahoney, UConn, Sr., GK
Azumi Manriki, Creighton, Jr., M
Brianne Riley, Georgetown, Gr., D
Kayla Briggs, Providence, Fr., F
Avery Snead, Providence, Sr., D
Jackie Richards, Villanova, Gr., F
Maria Galley, Xavier, So., GK
Maddie Reed, Xavier, Sr., D
Ella Rogers, Xavier, Jr., M
Samantha Wiehe, Xavier, Jr., M

All-BIG EAST Third Team
Abby Isger, Butler, R-Sr., M
Norah Jacomen, Butler, Fr., F
Abbey Jones, UConn, Jr., M
Peighton Steffen, Creighton, Sr., D
Ellie Mink, DePaul, Sixth Yr., M
Allie Winstanley, Georgetown, Sr., F
Emma Bodmer, Providence, Sr., GK
Gillian Kenney, Providence, Jr., F/M
Chiara Pucci, Seton Hall, Jr., D
Makayla Stadler, Villanova, Gr., F/D
Sonia Vargas, Xavier, Sr., F

^ denotes unanimous selection
* due to ties in voting there is an extra member on the All-BIG EAST First and Second Team