GLIAC – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced the women's soccer postseason awards for 2024, as voted on by the league's coaches.

Northern Michigan fifth-year senior midfielder Brooke Pietila was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Pietila led the conference in goals (8), assists (6), game-winning goals (3), points (22), shots (49), and was second in shots on goal (24) in 14 conference games played, averaging 1.57 points per game. The Brighton, Michigan native earns her first major individual GLIAC award, has been named to the All-GLIAC First Team for three consecutive seasons, and has recently set NMU program records in career games played (94), career games started (92), career assists (29), single-season assists (9), career multi-assist games (5), is second in career minutes played (7284), and is currently third in career points (73).

GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Northern Michigan junior Hannah Kastamo. A mainstay in the  Wildcats’ back line, Kastamo has started in every game for NMU and has been quality all year long, not only being a key part of the Wildcats’ defense that only allowed six goals against in conference play but she’s also been able to push play forward and contribute on offense. During conference play, she led GLIAC defenders in goals (4), assists (3), and points (11), and was second and seventh among all players in conference game-winning goals (2) and points, respectively. Hannah earns her first major individual GLIAC award and first All-GLIAC First Team recognition after being named an honorable mention the season previous.

Grand Valley State junior Cailynn Junk earned GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year recognition. Junk becomes the third Laker goalkeeper in program history to earn the GLIAC goalkeeper of the year award. Junk has posted a 10-1-6 record in goal this season for GVSU with 50 saves. She has produced nine individual shutouts and two combined shutouts. The junior stopped a career high seven saves in both games against Northern Michigan this season. She helped the Lakers defeat the Wildcats 1-0 in Marquette with seven saves before making seven saves in a 1-1 draw in Allendale. Junk had four consecutive games without allowing a goal in conference play from 10/11 to 10/27 making eight total saves during that span. In her 18 games played this season, Junk has a 0.42 goals-against average and an 87.7 save percentage.

GLIAC Freshman of the Year was awarded to Northern Michigan goalkeeper Sally Patton.  A starter in all 24 conference matches, Patton posted exceptional numbers, including the second-best goals against average (.488) and goals against (6) among GLIAC netminders. Playing in over 1100 minutes during conference play, she posted four individual shutouts and made 34 saves to help the ‘Cats to its 9-2-3 conference record. Patton earns her first major individual GLIAC award along with being named to the All GLIAC Second Team.

Jon Sandoval of Northern Michigan was named 2024 GLIAC Coach of the Year. In his fifth season with the Wildcats, Sandoval has earned back-to-back GLIAC Coach of the Year honors. Sandoval guided the Wildcats to its second-consecutive GLIAC Regular Season Championship with a 9-2-3 conference record, matching the nine conference wins in a season that his team recorded last year, and posted an 11-3-4 overall record before post-season play. The Wildcats are 40-10-13 in conference play and 60-20-15 overall under Sandoval in his five-year tenure, including an impressive 33-2-8 record at home. This year, Sandoval's Wildcats have broken NMU records for most goals, assists, and points by any NMU team in a single season, and currently own the fewest goals conceded by an NMU team in a single season.

Listed below are the complete 2024 All-GLIAC women's soccer teams:

First Team All-GLIAC
Justina L'Esperance, Forward, Northern Michigan
Molly Pistorius, Forward, Northern Michigan
Katherine Welch, Forward, Ferris State
Brooke Pietila, Midfielder, Northern Michigan
Madi Bajis, Midfielder, Saginaw Valley State
Ryann Fetty, Midfielder, Grand Valley State
Maria Storm, Defender, Northern Michigan
Hannah Kastamo, Defender, Northern Michigan
Kacy Lauer, Defender, Grand Valley State
Julia Pietila, At-Large, Michigan Tech
Cailynn Junk, Goalkeeper, Grand Valley State

Second Team All-GLIAC
Taylor Reid, Forward, Grand Valley State
Stephanie Strong, Forward, Saginaw Valley State
Emily Mikkelson, Forward, Parkside
Emma Chudik, Midfielder, Grand Valley State
Grace Miller, Midfielder, Saginaw Valley State
Annie Hartley, Midfielder, Ferris State
Daan Louwerse, Defender, Grand Valley State
Solana Kelly, Defender, Saginaw Valley State
Arianna Diemer, Defender, Davenport
Haley Diekevers, At-Large, Davenport
Sally Patton, Goalkeeper, Northern Michigan

All-GLIAC Honorable Mention
Gabby Scholten, Davenport
Natalia Leavens, Ferris State
Alli French, Grand Valley State
Olivia Gette, Michigan Tech
Angelina Perritano, Northern Michigan
Adrianna Rodriguez, Parkside
Sarah Scaling, Purdue Northwest
Roxy Herrera, Roosevelt
Brianna Cobbs, Saginaw Valley State