Xavier University Athletics
Bain, Wiehe and Erbach Earn BIG EAST Postseason Awards
11.06.24 | Women's Soccer
Six Musketeers total named to All-BIG EAST Teams
NEW YORK - A trio of Musketeers picked up BIG EAST Postseason Awards, as voted on by the coaches, for the 2024 season. Natalie Bain was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Samantha Wiehe earned BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year honors, and Samantha Erbach was picked as the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. All three earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team, while three additional Musketeers, Emma Flick, Regan Dancer and Maria Galley, were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Natalie Bain, a junior from Alexandria, Ky., was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team after helping limit Xavier's opponents to just 16 goals on the season, and just seven in BIG EAST play. She leads the Musketeers' field players in minutes played at 1,646 and played the full 90 minutes in 14 matches this season, including nine of 10 BIG EAST matches, anchoring a Xavier defense that has nine shutouts on the season.
Offensively, Bain has career-high three goals for the season, and combined with her assist, she has a career-best seven points for the campaign.
Bain was selected as the 2024 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by the league coaches, and was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List. This is Bain's second time on the All-BIG EAST First Team, also earning a spot in 2023. She was also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-Freshman Team in 2022.Â
Samantha Wiehe, a senior from Northfield, Ohio, earned BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team honors after leading Xavier with 25 points, on nine goals and seven assists. Her seven assists were the second most in the BIG EAST through the regular season, trailing only Emma Flick among league players. In conference play, Wiehe has 15 points on six goals and three assists, trailing only Samantha Erbach in BIG EAST action.
Her six goals in league play are also tied for second most in league play behind Erbach's total. She also ranks fourth in the league with three assists in BIG EAST play. Wiehe is perfect on penalty kicks for the season, now at 6-of-6, and was the only player in the country with six made PKs through the end of the regular season.
Wiehe clocked 1,480 minutes in the Xavier midfield, the second most minutes among Xavier's field players, to help the Musketeer defense limit opponents to 16 goals overall and just seven in BIG EAST play.
Wiehe previously earned a spot on the 2023 All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Samantha Erbach, a forward from Lebanon, Ohio, earned All-BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team after collecting 24 points on the season, trailing only Samantha Wiehe on Xavier's squad. She finished the regular season with a team-high 10 goals, second most in the BIG EAST and 41st most in NCAA DI overall, and collected four assists so far in her freshman season. Among her goals were three game-winners, including the game-winning goals against Cincinnati and Butler.
Seven of Erbach's goals came during BIG EAST action to lead all conference players in league play. In BIG EAST matches, she led all league players in points (16), points per game (1.60) and goals per game (0.7) as well.
Erbach was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week five times during the 2024 regular season and earned a spot in the Top 50 of Top Draw Soccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshman list.
Emma Flick, a junior from Streetsboro, Ohio, earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after collecting 20 points on the season on six goals and eight assists. Her assist total was the most by a BIG EAST player in the regular season. Among her six goals were a team-high matching three game-winners, including the game-winning tallies at DePaul and Creighton.
Flick's assist total ranked as the 22nd most in NCAA DI through the end of the regular season and her assists per game (0.42) led the conference and ranked in the top 50 in NCAA DI.
Flick earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors for the week of 08/26/2024. This marks Flicks' first postseason All-BIG EAST honor.
Regan Dancer, a junior from South Lyon, Mich., was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after finishing the regular season with 13 points on six goals and an assist. Among her six goals are three game-winners, including the game-winning goals on the road at BIG EAST opponents Villanova and Marquette.
Dancer ranks second in the BIG EAST and 28th in NCAA DI with a 0.605 shot accuracy, with 23Â of her 38 shots going on-frame.
Dancer was previously named to the 2022 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
Maria Galley, a junior from South Windsor, Conn., earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors after posting a goal against average of 0.815 for the regular season, with a 0.70 GAA in BIG EAST play, only allowing seven goals while playing the full 90 minutes in all 10 BIG EAST matches this season. Galley has eight complete shutouts for the season, which leads the BIG EAST and ranks 30th in NCAA DI.
Galley has 14 wins on the season, matching her career high for single-season wins, hitting that mark in each of her three seasons at Xavier.
Galley, who was a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week twice this season. She has earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team in each of ther three seasons as a Musketeer, also earning All-Freshman Team honors in 2022.Â
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Offensive Player of the Year:Â Maja Lardner, Georgetown, Sr., F
Midfielder of the Year:Â Samantha Wiehe, Xavier, Sr., M
Defensive Player of the Year:Â Natalie Bain, Xavier, Jr., D
Goalkeeper of the Year:Â Cara Martin, Georgetown, Jr., GK
Freshman of the Year:Â Samantha Erbach, Xavier, Fr., F
Coaching Staff of the Year:Â GeorgetownÂ
All-BIG EAST First Team
Talia Sommer, Butler, Jr., F
Chioma Okafor, UConn, Jr., F
Maja Lardner, Georgetown, Sr., F
Natalie Means, Georgetown, Jr., F
Samantha Erbach, Xavier, Fr., F
Eliza Turner, Georgetown, Sr., M
Susanna Soderman, Villanova, Sr., M
Samantha Wiehe, Xavier, Sr., M
Lawson Renie, Georgetown, Gr., D
Natalie Bain, Xavier, Jr., D
Cara Martin, Georgetown, Jr., GK
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Ari Mondiri, Creighton, R-Sr., F
Kayla Briggs, Providence, So., M/F
Anaya Johnson, UConn, So., M
Stella Downing, Creighton, Sr., M
Azumi Manriki, Creighton, Sr., M
Emma Flick, Xavier, Jr., M
Regan Dancer, Xavier, Jr., M
Amelie Darey, Butler, Jr., D
Lucy Cappadona, UConn, Gr., D
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova Jr., GK
Maria Galley, Xavier, Jr., GK
All-BIG EAST Third Team *
Abigail Isger, Butler, Gr., F
Freya Jupp, DePaul, Jr., F
Abbey Jones, UConn, Sr., F/M
Lea Eisenring, DePaul, So., M
Beth Smyth, DePaul, Gr., M
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Fr., M
Jailene DeJesus, St. John's, Sr., M
Ella McBride, Providence, Jr., M/D
Caitlin O'Malley, Butler, Gr., D
Lucia Englund, Butler, So., D
Chiara Pucci, Seton Hall, Sr., D
Myla McLeod, Villanova, Sr., D
Anna Pierce, Butler, R-Jr., GK
* Due to a tie, there are 13 players on the third team.
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Natalie Bain, a junior from Alexandria, Ky., was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team after helping limit Xavier's opponents to just 16 goals on the season, and just seven in BIG EAST play. She leads the Musketeers' field players in minutes played at 1,646 and played the full 90 minutes in 14 matches this season, including nine of 10 BIG EAST matches, anchoring a Xavier defense that has nine shutouts on the season.Offensively, Bain has career-high three goals for the season, and combined with her assist, she has a career-best seven points for the campaign.
Bain was selected as the 2024 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by the league coaches, and was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List. This is Bain's second time on the All-BIG EAST First Team, also earning a spot in 2023. She was also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-Freshman Team in 2022.Â
Samantha Wiehe, a senior from Northfield, Ohio, earned BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team honors after leading Xavier with 25 points, on nine goals and seven assists. Her seven assists were the second most in the BIG EAST through the regular season, trailing only Emma Flick among league players. In conference play, Wiehe has 15 points on six goals and three assists, trailing only Samantha Erbach in BIG EAST action.Her six goals in league play are also tied for second most in league play behind Erbach's total. She also ranks fourth in the league with three assists in BIG EAST play. Wiehe is perfect on penalty kicks for the season, now at 6-of-6, and was the only player in the country with six made PKs through the end of the regular season.
Wiehe clocked 1,480 minutes in the Xavier midfield, the second most minutes among Xavier's field players, to help the Musketeer defense limit opponents to 16 goals overall and just seven in BIG EAST play.
Wiehe previously earned a spot on the 2023 All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Samantha Erbach, a forward from Lebanon, Ohio, earned All-BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team after collecting 24 points on the season, trailing only Samantha Wiehe on Xavier's squad. She finished the regular season with a team-high 10 goals, second most in the BIG EAST and 41st most in NCAA DI overall, and collected four assists so far in her freshman season. Among her goals were three game-winners, including the game-winning goals against Cincinnati and Butler.Seven of Erbach's goals came during BIG EAST action to lead all conference players in league play. In BIG EAST matches, she led all league players in points (16), points per game (1.60) and goals per game (0.7) as well.
Erbach was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week five times during the 2024 regular season and earned a spot in the Top 50 of Top Draw Soccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshman list.
Emma Flick, a junior from Streetsboro, Ohio, earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after collecting 20 points on the season on six goals and eight assists. Her assist total was the most by a BIG EAST player in the regular season. Among her six goals were a team-high matching three game-winners, including the game-winning tallies at DePaul and Creighton.Flick's assist total ranked as the 22nd most in NCAA DI through the end of the regular season and her assists per game (0.42) led the conference and ranked in the top 50 in NCAA DI.
Flick earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors for the week of 08/26/2024. This marks Flicks' first postseason All-BIG EAST honor.
Regan Dancer, a junior from South Lyon, Mich., was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after finishing the regular season with 13 points on six goals and an assist. Among her six goals are three game-winners, including the game-winning goals on the road at BIG EAST opponents Villanova and Marquette.Dancer ranks second in the BIG EAST and 28th in NCAA DI with a 0.605 shot accuracy, with 23 of her 38 shots going on-frame.
Dancer was previously named to the 2022 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
Maria Galley, a junior from South Windsor, Conn., earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors after posting a goal against average of 0.815 for the regular season, with a 0.70 GAA in BIG EAST play, only allowing seven goals while playing the full 90 minutes in all 10 BIG EAST matches this season. Galley has eight complete shutouts for the season, which leads the BIG EAST and ranks 30th in NCAA DI.Galley has 14 wins on the season, matching her career high for single-season wins, hitting that mark in each of her three seasons at Xavier.
Galley, who was a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week twice this season. She has earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team in each of ther three seasons as a Musketeer, also earning All-Freshman Team honors in 2022.Â
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ALL-BIG EAST HONORS
Offensive Player of the Year:Â Maja Lardner, Georgetown, Sr., F
Midfielder of the Year:Â Samantha Wiehe, Xavier, Sr., M
Defensive Player of the Year:Â Natalie Bain, Xavier, Jr., D
Goalkeeper of the Year:Â Cara Martin, Georgetown, Jr., GK
Freshman of the Year:Â Samantha Erbach, Xavier, Fr., F
Coaching Staff of the Year:Â GeorgetownÂ
All-BIG EAST First Team
Talia Sommer, Butler, Jr., F
Chioma Okafor, UConn, Jr., F
Maja Lardner, Georgetown, Sr., F
Natalie Means, Georgetown, Jr., F
Samantha Erbach, Xavier, Fr., F
Eliza Turner, Georgetown, Sr., M
Susanna Soderman, Villanova, Sr., M
Samantha Wiehe, Xavier, Sr., M
Lawson Renie, Georgetown, Gr., D
Natalie Bain, Xavier, Jr., D
Cara Martin, Georgetown, Jr., GK
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Ari Mondiri, Creighton, R-Sr., F
Kayla Briggs, Providence, So., M/F
Anaya Johnson, UConn, So., M
Stella Downing, Creighton, Sr., M
Azumi Manriki, Creighton, Sr., M
Emma Flick, Xavier, Jr., M
Regan Dancer, Xavier, Jr., M
Amelie Darey, Butler, Jr., D
Lucy Cappadona, UConn, Gr., D
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova Jr., GK
Maria Galley, Xavier, Jr., GK
All-BIG EAST Third Team *
Abigail Isger, Butler, Gr., F
Freya Jupp, DePaul, Jr., F
Abbey Jones, UConn, Sr., F/M
Lea Eisenring, DePaul, So., M
Beth Smyth, DePaul, Gr., M
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Fr., M
Jailene DeJesus, St. John's, Sr., M
Ella McBride, Providence, Jr., M/D
Caitlin O'Malley, Butler, Gr., D
Lucia Englund, Butler, So., D
Chiara Pucci, Seton Hall, Sr., D
Myla McLeod, Villanova, Sr., D
Anna Pierce, Butler, R-Jr., GK
* Due to a tie, there are 13 players on the third team.
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Players Mentioned
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