MONTGOMERY, Ala. -
The Southern States Athletic Conference announced the 2026 women's soccer year-end award winners Wednesday evening.
League coaches selected individual award winners and All-Conference and All-Freshman Teams, while Champions of Character award winners and Athletic Solutions All-Academic honorees were also recognized.
Coach of the Year: Jack Hartley, William Carey
Player of the Year: Livia Pertl, William Carey
Offensive Player of the Year: Julia Gurgel, Xavier
Defensive Player of the Year: Kamilia Tayebi, UT Southern
Newcomer of the Year: Julia Gurgel, Xavier
Freshman of the Year: Luana Falconeri, William Carey
Golden Gloves Award: Sam De Gier, UT Southern
Golden Boot Award: Julia Gurgel, Xavier
Sportsmanship Award: Abraham Baldwin
The Thomas University Night Hawks (9-6-3, 7-4-2 SSAC) were represented by senior forward Pearl Mortimer on the conference's Second Team after a 13-goal, 12-assist season.
"Pearl's selection to the SSAC Second Team is a well-deserved recognition of the season she put together," said head coach Sergio Rapuano. "She showed up every day with a level of focus and work rate that set the tone for our group, and she consistently delivered in the biggest moments. What makes this honor even more meaningful is that it reflects not just Pearl's talent, but the time and effort she invested in leading the team each time she stepped on the pitch. The entire women's soccer program is incredibly proud of Pearl's dedication to the team."
Senior defender Alicia MacLeod was TU's Champion of Character.
"Alicia is exactly what the Champions of Character award is meant to celebrate," added Rapuano. "She leads with integrity, treats everyone around her with respect, and holds herself to a high standard on and off the field. Her teammates look to her not because she asks them to, but because of how she carries herself every single day. This recognition is a reflection of who Alicia is as a person, and our program is better because she's part of it."
In the classroom, a dozen Night Hawks' scholarly efforts landed them on the Athletic Solutions All-Academic Team:
Niamh Curzons
Mistie Fox-Barker
Isabelle Gabrielsson
Jordyn Keene
Alicia MacLeod
Miasandra Mauro
Pearl Mortimer
Angelina Munoz
Jule Rohleder
Chantelle Thomson
Matthildur Traustadottir
Kennedi Warren-Young
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