Iona’s Kendarjah Lewis took home the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Year award, while four other women’s soccer players received conference recognition on Monday according to the MAAC’s website. She joins Erica Keller and Gabby D’Aprile as the third Gael to win the award in program history. 

Lewis led the Gaels in goals scored this season with five and was second on the team in points with 12. She contributed to an Iona attack that scored 28 goals on the season.  

The rookie showed that she could perform in the clutch for Iona as well this season by finding net on three game-winning goals, which ranked her tied third for most game-winners in the conference.  

On the other side of the pitch, senior defender Mackenzie Meixner was selected to the All-MAAC First Team, the first MAAC selection of her career. She is only the eighth Iona player to be named to the conference’s first team in Iona’s history. She was part of a defense that allowed only eight goals in 10 conference games.  

Fellow defensive back freshman Myla Rodriques received a MAAC All-Rookie Team nod, joining Lewis as the two Iona representatives on the squad.  

Senior forward Faith Preziosi and junior Kiera Haggerty rounded out the list of with two MAAC Second Team selections. Preziosi led the team in points while Haggerty was tied for second. Both finished tied for first on the team in assists.  

The team also saw 17 players named to MAAC Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team, the most in team history. Student-athletes need to post at least a 3.2 grade point average to qualify for the distinction. 

The awards cap off a historic season for the Gaels which ended in a 2-0 loss to Siena on Sunday. The team’s 11 wins were the second-most wins in program history and the first 10-win season since 2005.