United Soccer Coaches Release

La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior midfielder Ellie Arndt of Appleton (St. Francis Xavier) and senior defender Alexis McMahon of San Jose, Calif. (Valley Christian) have been named to the 2024 United Soccer Coaches National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division All-America Teams. 

Arndt was voted to the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team while McMahon earned United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team honors. Both players were named to the 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-Region IX Team. 

A total of 12 players were voted to the United Soccer Coaches All-America First and Second Teams. This year's United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team featured 13 student-athletes while the All-America Fourth Team included 14 student-athletes. 

It is the third career United Soccer Coaches All-America honor for Arndt and McMahon. Arndt was named to the 2022 All-America Second Team and to the 2023 All-America First Team while McMahon was selected to the 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team and to the 2023 All-America Second Team. 

Arndt and McMahon both earned 2024 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) First Team accolades. 
 
Arndt was selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region IX First Team for the third straight season this year. Named the 2024 WIAC Kwik Trip Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, Arndt started all 22 games. She led UWL in assists (10) and shots (64) this season while finishing tied for second in shots on goal (23), fourth in points (18) and tied for fifth in goals (4). Arndt had the game-winning goal in a 5-0 victory at UW-Whitewater on October 12. She ranked second in the WIAC in assists, fifth in shots and eighth in points. Arndt is a three-time All-WIAC First Team selection and was named the 2024 WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
    
McMahon also earned her third consecutive United Soccer Coaches All-Region IX First Team honor in 2024. She was named the 2024 WIAC Kwik Trip Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season. McMahon earned her fourth career All-WIAC First Team selection this year, one of four players in school history to accomplish the feat. A starter in all 22 games in 2024, McMahon finished second for UWL with seven assists. She had four goals and 15 points while recording 49 shots, including 22 on goal. McMahon had the game-winning goal in a 3-0 victory over UW-Oshkosh on October 5. She recorded a pair of assists in a 2-1 win over the University of Dubuque (Iowa) on September 14. Her six assists tied for third in the WIAC.
 

Arndt and McMahon are two of six players to earn United Soccer Coaches All-America honors in school history. Megan Carroll (2017 third team), Margaret Harings (2017 second team; 2018 first team), Maya Schmitt (2018 third team) and Sophie Amundson (2021 third team) also earned All-America accolades.

Harings, Arndt and McMahon and three of four players in WIAC history to earn at least two United Soccer Coaches All-America honors. UW-Whitewater's Brianna Reid earned recognition in 2015 and 2016. Arndt and McMahon are the only student-athletes in league history to be named an All-America three times. 

This year's All-Americans will be recognized for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, January 11, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois, in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.

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.

UWL finished 16-4-2 overall and 6-0-1 in the WIAC this season under head coach Jason Murphy. The Eagles won the WIAC regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III First Round. UWL won its seventh (1996, 2015, 2017-18, 2022-24) regular season league championship and sixth (1996, 2017-18, 2022-24) conference tournament title. 

The team made its seventh appearance (2015, 2017-18, 2021-24) in school history in the national championships, all coming under Murphy. The Eagles have advanced to the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals three times (2017, 2021, 2023). UWL is 11-5-4 all-time in the NCAA III Championships.

UWL's 16 victories this year are tied for fifth in single-season school history. The Eagles ' 66 goals and 556 shots are third-most in school history while their 62 assists are tied for third. UWL recorded 10 shutouts in 2024, tied for fifth in single-season school history.