DALLAS – Conference USA announced Wednesday the 2024 CUSA Women’s Soccer Superlative Awards along with the league’s all-conference and all-freshman teams. FIU forward Noemi Paquin headlines the teams as the league’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, as the Panthers led the way with eight total honorees on the all-conference teams.
 
The senior forward paced the conference in goals (11), points (24) and shots on goal (31) in league play. Paquin registered multiple goals in four of her first five conference matches, including a hat trick effort on Sept. 19 versus MTSU. Her three game-winning goals are tied for first in league play as she helped lead the Panthers to a regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the CUSA Championship.
 
The remaining CUSA Superlative Awards were given to FIU’s Reagan Bridges (Defensive Player of the Year), MTSU’s Manon Lebargy (Midfielder of the Year), WKU’s Maddie Davis (Goalkeeper of the Year), MTSU forward Lexi Dendis (Freshman of the Year) and FIU’s Jonathan Garbar (Coach of the Year).
 
Bridges, a senior defender, was crowned Defensive Player of the Year after anchoring a strong FIU back line to the second lowest goals allowed average (.820) in CUSA. The Panthers gave up just eight goals in all nine conference games that she started. The Littleton, Colo., native helped produce five shutouts in CUSA play, including three straight matches versus Liberty, NM State and LA Tech. On top of her superb play on defense, Bridges scored one goal on the season.
 
Lebargy, the reigning CUSA Offensive Player of the Week, earns Midfielder of the Year honors after finishing second in total goals (eight), second in points (19) and fifth in shots on goal (15) in league play. The native of France recorded three braces in 2024 with the latest coming against LA Tech in the final match of the season. Earlier in the season, Lebargy was named as an honorable mention in the TopDrawerSoccer’s National Team of the Week.
 
Davis, a two-time Goalkeeper of the Week, logged every minute of the conference season for WKU and posted a league-best five shutouts in nine CUSA matches. She owns the best goals against average (.667) and save percentage (.860) during conference play. Davis also totaled 37 saves, putting her in a tie for third among CUSA keepers while allowing just six goals in league action.
 
Dendis, a true freshman forward, played an instrumental role in the MTSU offense in 2024. She finished third on the squad with two goals during conference action while starting in all nine contests. The Flemington, N.J., native tallied six points, two assists, seven shots on goal and one game-winning goal in those nine conference matches.
 
Garbar guided the Panthers to a share of the regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the CUSA Championship with a 6-1-2 mark. FIU’s six wins is the most since joining the league and their 11 overall victories is the most since 2011. In conference play, the Panthers allowed the second fewest goals (eight) and tallied the most goals scored (20), leading to the highest scoring margin in CUSA (1.33). FIU recorded dominant shutout wins over Liberty and NM State who are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the tournament, respectively.
 
Paquin, Bridges, Lebargy, and Davis were all part of the First Team All-Conference USA squad. Joining them were defenders Sallie Garner (Liberty) and Kayla Magee (Liberty), midfielders Bien-Aime (FIU), Nanaka Inaba (Jax State) and Landri Townsend (Sam Houston), and forwards Ivy Garner (Liberty) and Halle Engle (Liberty).
 
All 10 programs are represented on the awards list this season. Liberty followed FIU (eight) with seven total selections on the all-conference teams. MTSU and NM State earned five spots and Jax State, Sam Houston, UTEP and WKU each garnered two honorees. Kennesaw State and LA Tech’s selections rounded out the list.
 
All awards are voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. The coaches also selected Second Team and Third Team All-Conference squads and an All-Freshman Team.
 
The 2024 CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship commences with two quarterfinal matches Wed., Nov. 6, at Leyva Family Field at FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami, Fla. The semifinal round will be played Fri., November 8, and the CUSA championship game is scheduled for Sun., November 10, at 2 p.m. ET. All matches of the league’s championship will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Player of the Year
Noemi Paquin, FIU
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Noemi Paquin, FIU
 
Midfielder of the Year
Manon Lebargy, MTSU
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Reagan Bridges, FIU
 
Goalkeeper of the Year
Maddie Davis, WKU
 
Freshman of the Year
Lexi Dendis, MTSU
 
Coach of the Year
Jonathan Garbar, FIU
 
First Team All-Conference
F: Noemi Paquin, FIU
F: Halle Engle, Liberty
F: Ivy Garner, Liberty
MF: Deborah Bien-Aime, FIU
MF: Nanaka Inaba, Jax State
MF: Manon Lebargy, MTSU
MF: Landri Townsend, Sam Houston
D: Reagan Bridges, FIU
D: Sallie Garner, Liberty
D: Kayla Magee, Liberty
GK: Maddie Davis, WKU
 
Second Team All-Conference
F: Tianna Rivera, Kennesaw State
F: Nikole Solis, FIU
F: Nancy Almanza, Jax State
F: Loma McNeese, NM State
MF: Catherine Rapp, FIU
MF: Gabby Miranda, Liberty
MF: Mina Rodriguez, UTEP
D: Zora Jackson, FIU
D: Delinda Sehlin, FIU
D: Kalli Matlock, LA Tech
GK: Valery Restrepo, FIU
 
Third Team All-Conference
F: Lexi Dendis, MTSU
F: Idun Kvaale, MTSU
F: Ana Quintero, UTEP
MF: Bri Myers, Liberty
MF: Risui Arasaki, MTSU
MF: Brooke Schultz, NM State
MF: Andrea Alvarenga, NM State
D: Lauren Spaanstra, MTSU
D: Jena Johannes, NM State
D: Andrea Nugent, Sam Houston
D: Kendall Wade, WKU
GK: Grace Workman, Liberty
GK: Valerie Guha, NM State
 
All-Freshman Team
Alexis Castle, Jax State
Haley Noblit, Liberty
Avery Paulson, Liberty
Isabella Wedemeyer, Liberty
Lexi Dendis, MTSU
Aireona Duenez, MTSU
Ariana Ellison, NM State
Indigo Sims, Sam Houston
Ana Quintero, UTEP
Sydney Williams, UTEP
Abby Wiedermann, WKU