United Soccer Coaches Release

Kansas City, Mo. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer staff has earned the United Soccer Coaches National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Women's Region IX Staff of the Year, the organization announced Friday. 

It marks the second consecutive season UWL has earned the honor. The Eagles also earned the recognition in 2017.
 

Head coach Jason Murphy and assistant coaches Ashley St. Aubin, Joe Czerniak, Lily Brock and student-assistant coaches Claire Rankin and Kenzie Farrington led UWL to a 20-1-2 overall record and 7-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) this season.  The Eagles won the WIAC regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals. UWL won its sixth (1996, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) regular season league championship and fifth (1996, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) conference tournament title. 

 

The team made its sixth appearance (2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2023) in school history in the national championships, all coming under Murphy. The Eagles earned home wins over UW-Superior and Simpson College (Iowa) in the first two rounds of this year's NCAA Division III Championships and advanced to the quarterfinals with a victory over 21st-ranked Loras College (Iowa) in the third round. UWL finished in a 4-4 tie at second-ranked the University of Washington in St. Louis (Mo.) in the national quarterfinals. The Bears advanced to the NCAA Division III Semifinals after a 5-4 win on penalty kicks.  

UWL is 11-4-4 all-time in the NCAA III Championships. The Eagles also advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2017 and 2021. 

UWL's 20 victories this year are tied for second in single-season school history. The Eagles tied the school record for assists (63) while their 64 goals this year ranks fourth in school history.   

Murphy completed his 10th season as UWL's head coach in 2023. The third head coach in school history, Murphy is 138-39-23 (.748) overall and 50-8-6 (.828) in conference play. 

St. Aubin completed her second year on the Eagles' staff this season after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Frostburg State University (Md.) for two years. She played four years at Augsburg University (Minn.), earning three United Soccer Coaches All-America honors (2017-19). 

 

Czerniak also finished his 10th year on the staff in 2023. Prior to coming to UWL, Czerniak served as head boys and girls soccer coach at La Crosse (Wis.) Central High School for eight years.  He continues as the girls head coach. Czerniak earned his bachelor's (2006) and master's (2010) degrees from UWL.

Brock was on UWL's coaching staff for the second year this season after earning three letters as a goalkeeper for the Eagles. She finished her career with 14.0 shutouts and a 0.85 goals against average average. Brock was named to the All-WIAC Team in 2017 and 2018.  

Rankin and Farrington each completed their season as an student-assistant coach in 2023.  
 

Each of the 52 (26 men's and 26 women's) staffs receiving Region Staff of the Year honors will be recognized at the College Coaches Awards Ceremony at the United Soccer Coaches Convention on Thursday, January 11, 2024, in Anaheim, California.  

In addition, the Region Staff of the Year recipients will be placed on the ballot for United Soccer Coaches National Staff of the Year consideration within their respective NCAA division. National Staff of the Year voting opens Wednesday, December 6, 2023.   

 
Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., United Soccer Coaches is the trusted and unifying voice, advocate and partner for coaches at all levels of the game. The largest community for soccer coaches in the world, we unite coaches of all levels around the love of the game and we elevate the game through advocacy, education and service. To learn more visit UnitedSoccerCoaches.org.