EDISON, NJ (Oct. 30, 2023) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today announced the 2023 Women’s Soccer Major Award winners and All-MAAC Teams, voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches. Regular season champion, Quinnipiac University headlined MAAC postseason honors with a conference-record six major award winners and 11 All-MAAC Team members.
Highlighting the Bobcat’s major award winners was 2023 MAAC Golden Boot, Courtney Chochol. A senior forward from Ontario, Canada, Chochol led the conference in points, assists, and game-winning goals during the regular season, totaling 23 points, dishing out nine assists, and connecting on three game-winning tallies. Her goals per game average (0.47), assists per game average (.60), points per game average (1.53), and shot accuracy (0.645) each led the league as well. Moreover, Chochol netted a total of seven goals in 2023, which was tied for second on the MAAC leaderboard. Nationally, she posted top-20 rankings in assists average (14
th), shot accuracy (15
th), and total assists (17
th). She becomes the second ever Golden Boot award winner from Quinnipiac, joining 2022 winner and former teammate Rebecca Cooke.
Quinnipiac goalkeeper, Sofia Lospinoso, was named as the 2023 Golden Glove. The first ever Bobcat to garner the MAAC’s top goalkeeper award, Lospinoso was the league leader in conference game shutouts, posting clean sheets in six (five solo, one combined) out of the 10 MAAC games, while ranking tied for first in overall shutouts with seven total (six solo, one combined). The Kenilworth, NJ native won a league-best 11 overall games in goal and ranked third in goals against average (1.05), eighth in save percentage (.667), and ninth in saves per game (2.00). Lospinoso was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week a conference-leading four times in 2023.
The Quinnipiac triad of Markela Bejleri, Kayla Mingachos, and Olivia Scott, became the first trio in MAAC women’s soccer history to be named as 2023 tri-Defensive Players of the Year. Prior to the season, there had only been co-defensive award winners on three occasions dating back to 2003. Bejleri, Mingachos, and Scott anchored the league’s top defensive unit, which allowed a conference-low six goals in MAAC games, and 15 total goals in 15 overall games, which ranked second. The defense recorded seven shutouts, which was second-best in the league and posted MAAC-leading scoring margins (1.73) and goal differentials (26) during the regular season in 2023. The threesome also becomes the first ever MAAC Defensive Player of the Year award winners from Quinnipiac.
The final major award winner for the Bobcats was head coach Dave Clarke, claiming 2023 MAAC Coach of the Year honors. He is the first coach from Quinnipiac to be awarded as the league’s top coach amongst his peers since the Bobcats joined the MAAC in 2013. The winningest coach in Quinnipiac history, Clarke is in his 24
th season at the helm of the Bobcats, leading the team to its second-straight MAAC Regular Season title, first outright, following an unbeaten 9-0-1 conference season and overall mark of 11-3-1. His Bobcats produced the most potent offensive attack in the MAAC, leading the conference in points (121), points per game (8.07), goals (41), goals per game (2.73), assists (39), assists per game (2.60), scoring offense (2.73), goal differential (26), shots per game (9.40), and won-lost-tied percentage (0.767). His Quinnipiac unit has not been defeated by a MAAC opponent in over a calendar year, last losing on October 15, 2022, compiling a record of 14-0-1 against MAAC teams over the timespan (including the postseason).
The 2023 MAAC Rookie of the Year was Siena’s Megan Stowell. A first year forward from Wingdale, NY, Stowell led the Saints in points (14), goals (4), and assists (6) this season. She ranked third on the MAAC leaderboard in both total assists and assists per game, fifth in total points, seventh in points per game, eight in shots, and tied for 10
th in goals. Stowell becomes the first Rookie of the Year from Siena in 14 years and fourth overall honoree ever from the Saints.
Quinnipiac led the way with a league-high 11 All-MAAC selections, which included seven members on the first team. Fairfield and Canisius followed, placing seven athletes apiece to an all-conference team.
The full list of All-MAAC Teams and major awards winners are below.
| 2023 Women’s Soccer Major Awards |
| Awards |
Player |
School |
| Golden Boot |
Courtney Chochol |
Quinnipiac |
| Tri-Defensive Players of the Year |
Markela Bejleri
Kayla Mingachos
Liv Scott |
Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac |
| Golden Glove |
Sofia Lospinoso |
Quinnipiac |
| Rookie of the Year |
Megan Stowell |
Siena |
| Coach of the Year |
Dave Clarke |
Quinnipiac |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Elle Scott |
Sr. |
Forward |
Fairfield |
| Maddy Theriault |
So. |
Forward |
Fairfield |
| Courtney Chochol* |
Sr. |
Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Emma Oliphant |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Markela Bejleri |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Olivia Scott |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Emely van der Vliet |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Caroline Kelly |
Sr. |
Defense |
Fairfield |
| Madison Mandleur |
Jr. |
Defense |
Quinnipiac |
| Kayla Mingachos |
Gr. |
Defense |
Quinnipiac |
| Sofia Lospinoso |
Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Quinnipiac |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Skylar Cornell |
So. |
Forward |
Canisius |
| Amanda Cripps |
Sr. |
Forward |
Niagara |
| Megan Stowell |
Fr. |
Forward |
Siena |
| Jessica Whitaker |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Allie Kirby |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Reagan Klarmann |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Ella Gagno |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Meghan Heath |
So. |
Defense |
Canisius |
| Meghan Carragher |
So. |
Defense |
Fairfield |
| Victoria Foster |
Sr. |
Defense |
Quinnipiac |
| Jordan Spencer |
Jr. |
Goalkeeper |
Canisius |
| Ellie Sciancalepore |
Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Rider |
| All-MAAC Third Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Evelyn Keay |
FY. |
Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Lily Schneiders |
Gr. |
Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Chloe Fisher |
Gr. |
Forward |
Rider |
| Lizzy Harkness |
So. |
Midfield |
Canisius |
| Samantha Kersey |
So. |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
| Emily Hahnel |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Niagara |
| Abby Daly |
Fr. |
Midfield |
Siena |
| Sophie Chelini |
Sr. |
Defense |
Canisius |
| Samantha Sturno |
Gr. |
Defense |
Marist |
| Amani Green |
So. |
Defense |
Mount St. Mary’s |
| Klil Keshwar |
Gr. |
Goalkeeper |
Mount St. Mary’s |
Denotes unanimous selection*
The 2023 MAAC Women's Soccer Championship will take place from October 29 through November 5. The six-team, single-elimination championship will be hosted by the higher seed of each match. The opening round will take place on Sunday, October 29, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 2, and concluding with the championship match on Sunday, November 5. For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/wsoc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
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