Women's Soccer | 11/5/2026 1:00:00 PM

Madison, Wis. - Eight members of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer team have been selected to the 2026 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Team in a vote by the league coaches.

Senior forwards Aubree Caya of Oregon (H.S.) and Jillian Sawadski of Mount Prospect, Ill. (Prospect), senior midfielder Sera Speltz of Winona, Minn. (Cotter), senior defender Jessica Stewart of Plainfield, Ill. (North) and junior midfielder Amaya Thesing of Onalaska (H.S.) were all selected to the All-WIAC First Team.

Senior defender Allison Steeno of Appleton (Kimberly) and junior goalkeeper Summer Nicolai of Onalaska (H.S.) was named to the All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team.

It marks the 12th straight year and 13th time in the last 15 seasons UWL has had at least four players named to the All-WIAC Team. 

Senior defender Claire Rankin of Waterloo, Iowa (West) was named to the All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team.

TEAM HONOR
* UWL earned the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award for the sixth time (2017-18, 2022-24, 2026) in school history.
* Head coach Jason Murphy and assistant coaches Ellie Arndt, Ainsley Allan, Joe Czerniak and Alexis McMahon led UWL to ninth WIAC title this season, including five straight.
* Murphy was selected the 2015 WIAC Coach of the Year.
* Murphy is in his 13th season as head coach, compiling a record of 191-47-26, including 68-9-8 in the WIAC. He is the winningest coach in school history.
* Arndt and McMahon are both in their second year as an assistant coach while Allan is in her first. Czerniak has been on the staff for 13 seasons. 
* The Coach of the Year Award was renamed the Coaching Staff of the Year in 2017-18.
 
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
* Caya was voted the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year and named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
* Speltz was selected the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year.
 
CAYA
* Caya was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
* UWL has earned the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year Award the last six seasons. Margaret Harrings (2018, 2019), Arndt (2023, 2024) and Caya (2025, 2026) and have each been named the recipient twice. Sophie Amundson (2021) and Allan (2022) have also earned the award.
* Second straight All-WIAC First Team honor.
* Played in 18 games, including 17 starts, this season.
* Leads team in goals (15), points (35), shots (65), shots on goal (38) and game-winning goals (5).
* Leads WIAC in goals, points, game-winning goals, shots and shots on goal.
* Ranks second in school history in career goals (49) and points (115) and third in shots (238).
* Set single-season school records in goals (24) and points (55) in 2025.
 
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
* Caya is the fifth student-athlete to be named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete, joining Jennifer Tischaefer (1999), Kelly Denk (2014), McMahon (2023) and Arndt (2024).
* Majoring in biology with a biomedical concentration and minors in chemistry and Spanish.
* Compiled 3.86 grade point average.
* Named to 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division III Academic All-America® First Team.
* Selected to 2025 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team.
* Three-time member of WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll.
* Member of UWL's Dean's List.
 

SPELTZ
* Speltz is the sixth player in school history to be named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Saskia Taylor (2012), Kourtni Alcock (2015), Maya Schmitt (2017, 2018), Katie Feller (2019) and McMahon (2022, 2023, 2024).
* Second straight All-WIAC First Team award.
* Started all 19 games.
* Tied for third on team in goals (6), assists (5) and game-winning goals (2) and third in shots (48). Fourth in points (17) and fifth in shots on goal (23).
* Eighth in WIAC in shots, shots on goal, and goals and 10th in assists.
* Helped team to record 14 shutouts and allow six goals in 19 games.
 
SAWADSKI
* 2026 All-WIAC First Team. Third career award, named to 2024 and 2025 All-WIAC First Team.
* Started 18 games.
* Second on team in goals (7), points (20) and game-winning goals (3) and tied for second in assists (6).
* Fourth in shots on goal (25) and fifth in shots (40).
* Third in WIAC in game-winning goals, fourth in points, fifth in goals, sixth in assists and seventh in shots on goal.
* Ranks third in school history in career assists (25) and points (91) and tied for third in goals (33).
 
STEWART
* 2026 All-WIAC First Team. First career all-conference award.
* Started 18 games.
* Helped team to record 14 shutouts and allow six goals in 19 games.
 
THESING
* 2026 All-WIAC First Team. Named to 2025 honorable mention team.
* Started all 19 games.
* Tied for second on team in assists (6) and shots on goal (27). Second in shots (58), third in points (18) and tied for third in goals (6).
* Fourth in WIAC in shots, shots on goal, sixth in assists and points and eighth in goals.
 
STEENO
* 2026 All-WIAC Honorable Mention. Named to 2025 All-WIAC First Team.
* Started all 19 games.
* Recorded one assist and four shots, including three on goal.
* Helped team to record 14 shutouts and allow six goals in 19 games.
 
NICOLAI
* 2026 All-WIAC Honorable Mention. Named to 2025 All-WIAC First Team.
* Started all 19 games.
* Compiled record of 18-1 with 0.41 goals against average.
* Recorded 9.5 shutouts, including 5.0 solo.
* Leads WIAC in goals against average.
* Second in school history with 20.5 career shutouts.
 
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP
* Rankin has played in 12 games, recording seven shots, including four on goal.
* The WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team is chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season.  It includes one member from each school.
 
2026 SEASON
* UWL is 18-1 overall and finished 6-1 in the WIAC, securing its ninth (1996, 2015, 2017-18, 2022-26) regular season league title in school history.
* It is the Eagles' fifth straight title under Murphy.
 
NEXT UP
* UWL hosts UW-Oshkosh on Thursday, November 5 in a WIAC Tournament Semifinal (presented by Culver's). Game time is 6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.