UWL Earns United Soccer Coaches Academic Award for Eighth Straight Season

Kansas City, Mo. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team has earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2024-25 academic year, the organization announced Friday. The Eagles compiled a 3.59 grade point average, one of five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) institutions to earn the award.

UWL has now earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award 14 times in school history, including eight straight seasons. 13525

UW-Eau Claire (3.66), UW-Oshkosh (3.65), UW-Stevens Point (3.49) and UW-Whitewater (3.41) also earned the academic award in 2024-25.

A total of 414 women's collegiate soccer teams posted a team grade point average of 3.00 or higher, thereby earning the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2024-25 academic year. United Soccer Coaches annually celebrates the academic achievements of teams whose student-athletes collectively demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their studies over the course of a full academic year.

Members of the 2024 roster for UWL included seniors Sophia Anger, Ellie Arndt, Ellie Behnke, Chelsea Gale, Lizzy Hanstedt, Alexis McMahon, Addie Pauling, Hayley Slaski, Sophie Pope and Sydney Prybylla, juniors Robin Blair, Logan Fritsch, Kaitlyn Kurtz, Lucy Quidzinski and Lindsey Szymanski, sophomores Aubree Caya, Megan McNeely, Emily Pikarski, Jillian Sawadski, Natalia Stadler and Jessica Stewart and freshmen Erelyn Apel, Kate Heiderscheit, Summer Nicolai, Grace Petrina, Claire Rankin, Katelyn Studebaker, Amaya Thesing and Grace Williams.

UWL finished 16-4-2 overall and 6-0-1 in the WIAC in 2024 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 opens its 2025 season Friday, August 29 hosting Carroll University (Wis.) at 4 p.m.

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