BOSTON, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team earned a total of five America East postseason awards, as announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.
Sophomores Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) and Nuala Rodgers (Dedham, Mass.) were both selected to the America East All-Conference Second Team, while freshman Nora Belin (Stockholm, Sweden) garnered a spot on the All-Rookie Team, and senior Maddie Guthrie (Stow, Mass.) was named to the conference's All-Academic Team. Along with All-Rookie Team honors, Belin was also named the America East Rookie of the Year to round out the awards.
"I'm pleased for all of the award winners, and for all their work and effort they put into the season," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "I always say that the individual accolades come from the team's effort and environment because ultimately we play a team game, and the team sets up these individuals for their success as well. So, I always look at these awards as recognition towards the whole team, but there's no doubt in my mind that they're well-deserved for these individuals who went above and beyond in terms of their preparation and development. They all had unique ways to get there, and a lot of hurdles that they had to overcome."
After an impressive debut campaign, Belin was not only selected to the conference's All-Rookie Team, but she was also honored as the league's Rookie of the Year. She appeared in 15 games, making seven starts, and registered six goals, tying for first on the team. Her 13 points ranked second on the team, as well. During the season, the forward earned America East Rookie of the Week honors three different times. She posted a career-high two goals against New Haven on September 14, while scoring a goal in consecutive games on two occasions. On the America East leaderboard, Belin ranks sixth in points per game (.87), and third in total goals with six.
"Getting Nora to win a major award is absolutely special because she started the season a little bit injured, and she had to fight her way back," said Novak. "Within the season, we tried to teach her a new position, and she's somebody who just has this growth and winning-mentality all the time, and she just never stops working. I'm really pleased that she gets rewarded for her performances this season, and I know there is so much more in her."
Eckroth finished the season tied for first on the team in goals with six, while she also led the River Hawks in points with 14 and shots with 37. Her exceptional play on the offensive end this season helped her earn a new career-high for goals scored in a match, recording two against New Haven, as well as posting two game-winners in 2025. Following the season, Eckroth listed her name across the conference leaderboard, sitting tied for third in goals (6) and fourth in points per game (1.00).
"Gaby had a breakout year, and I think we are finally starting to see in her what we know her potential truly is, and what she can do for the team," said Novak. "I look forward to another couple of years here with her because she gets better every training session, every year. She has a bright future ahead of here."
Rodgers added another strong season under her belt. The midfielder started in 16 of the 17 contests played this season, logging a total of 1195 minutes of action. She ranked third on the team in points with six, totaling two goals and two assists during the season.
"Nuala is somebody who gets a bit underappreciated because she's a jack of all trades, and she's able to do a little bit of everything," said Novak. "It doesn't always show up on the stat sheet, but the fact she is getting recognized here is absolutely tremendous. I think she is one of the best midfielders in the conference, in terms of her physical preparation, and being able to adjust in a game. As a sophomore, she was already serving this year as a team captain, and that's very rare. I think her impact on the team and the team's performances were tremendous."
Guthrie has been a leader on the field and in the classroom during the 2025 season, as the senior earned her first America East All-Academic Team honor. A factor at both the midfield and the back line, Guthrie started in all 17 of the River Hawks' contests, leading the team in both assists (4) and minutes (1385). In the classroom, she has been a stellar student, majoring in applied biomedical science, currently owning a 3.89 GPA. Guthrie was selected to the CSC Academic All-District Team in 2024.
"Maddie was in the top five in assists in the conference, which is unheard of as a center back, so her growth in the program over the last four years has been nothing short of incredible," said Novak. "She led the team in minutes played this year, and she'll be a big miss going forward as she graduates. A big pleasure, obviously, to see Maddie succeed on the field, but off the field as well. She is somebody who sets the standard in the classroom, and somebody who will do really well beyond college."
"Really pleased for all of the award winners, and pleased for the team to be recognized this way," said Novak. "I look forward to getting the preparations for next year started soon, and hopefully we can get this young team that came up a little bit short in the playoffs further next year."
