North Atlantic Conference

Magaña Highlights NAC Women's Soccer Postseason Accolades

11/7/2024 1:15:09 PM

WATERVILLE, Maine – The 2024 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women’s Soccer postseason honors have been announced. This year's accolades include Senior Scholar Athlete, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, First Team All-Conference selections for both the East and West Divisions, a Second Team for the East Division, and an Honorable Mention squad that includes players from both divisions.

Each season, the NAC selects a Sportsmanship Team, which includes one player from each institution as chosen by their head coach. This award honors athletes who exhibit outstanding sportsmanship, contributing to the overall culture of women’s soccer through integrity and behavior that exceeds the expectations of the game.

Maine Maritime Academy senior Kirra Magaña (Miami, Fla.) has been selected as the 2024 NAC Women’s Soccer Senior Scholar Athlete and Player of the Year.

An exceptional player and even more outstanding student, Magaña will graduate this spring with a degree in Marine Systems Engineering, arguably the most demanding major at MMA. She is on track to complete the program in four years while being recognized as a Dean’s List student with a 3.66 GPA. Throughout her studies, Magaña has served her team as a three-year captain and her country as a member of the Maine Army National Guard, with the rank of E4 Specialist.

A dedicated leader at Maine Maritime, Magaña has contributed to her campus community in several roles, including Resident Assistant, Student Tutor, Equipment Room Assistant, and Game Day Event Staff. She has also served two terms on the Student Government Board and two years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Additionally, the two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree completed a 10-week U.S. Army training course and a 12-week internship with the American Bureau of Shipping.

Magaña, who helped the Mariners secure two NAC Championships (2021, 2023), has left a lasting impact on the MMA women’s soccer program as a four-year starting forward. In 63 contests (62 starts), the Miami native has scored 42 goals – including 13 game-winners – and recorded 12 assists for 96 career points. This fall, she set or tied the program’s single-game records for goals (4) and points (10).

An elite player throughout her four years, Magaña saved her best season for last, establishing career-highs in goals (21), game-winning goals (6), and points (49) over 17 games in the 2024 season. She led the conference in each of these categories and ranks among the NCAA DIII top 10 in several statistical areas, including game-winning goals (7th), goals (8th), points (8th), goals per game (8th, 1.24), and points per game (8th, 2.88).

Husson University junior Caley Nault (Deerfield, N.H.) has claimed NAC Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in her career after leading the Eagles to the top seed in the East Division this season. The two-time First Team All-Conference honoree, who also earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades as a freshman, is an elite 1v1 defender who consistently wins tackles.

As team captain and leader of the Eagles' defensive unit, Nault has been instrumental for a Husson team that currently holds a share of the NAC lead with an impressive 0.90 goals-against average in conference play. She will play a key role for the NAC East Champion Eagles on Saturday as they host NAC West Division champion SUNY Delhi, aiming to secure the program's first conference championship since 2009.

UMaine-Presque Isle freshman Madelynn Morrow (Caribou, Maine) has been named the 2024 NAC Women’s Soccer Rookie of the Year following an impressive debut season, where she led the Owls in goals (6), points (13), and game-winning goals (2) as a forward. Morrow's Rookie of the Year recognition marks the first major award for the UMaine-Presque Isle women’s soccer program since joining the NAC in 2018.

The 2024 NAC Women’s Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year honor has been awarded to Husson University, which enters Saturday’s NAC Championship match against SUNY Delhi with a strong 12-7-1 overall record and an impressive 8-1-1 mark in conference play. Under the leadership of fifth-year Head Coach Dennis Mullins and assistant coaches Nick Christensen and Matt Goodman, the Eagles have hit their stride, outscoring opponents by a combined 28-3 margin during their seven-game winning streak leading up to the conference final.
 

2024 NAC Women's Soccer Major Awards:

Senior Scholar Athlete: Kirra Magaña, F, Sr., Maine Maritime

Player of the Year: Kirra Magaña, F, Sr., Maine Maritime

Defensive Player of the Year: Caley Nault, D, Jr., Husson

Rookie of the Year: Madelynn Morrow, F, Fr., UMaine-Presque Isle

Coaching Staff of the Year: Husson University