KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wheaton College women's soccer player Patricia Bandrup (Poway, Calif.) was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region II Second Team, while Ali Roche (Maynard, Mass.) and Maya Thomas (Goffstown, N.H.) were named to the Third Team, it was announced by the United Soccer Coaches.
Bandrup becomes the first Lyon goalie to ever earn national All-Region honors multiple times after being selected to the Second Team following last season as well. Thomas was also named a Third Team honoree last season and is the first multiple All-Region defender for Wheaton since Alessia Viscomi'11 was named all four years for the Lyons from 2007-2010. Roche earns a spot on the All-Region squad for the first time.
In addition to her All-Region status, Bandrup was chosen First Team All-Conference by the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference following the end of the conference slate. Bandrup was one of the stingiest keepers in the nation, ranking 24th in NCAA Division III with 146 saves, while owning a gaudy .864 save percentage to rank 42nd in the nation and seventh among 86 keepers in Division III with 100 or more saves. Only one keeper in Division III had a higher save mark with as many or more saves than the Poway High School product. Bandrup played all but 26:36 of the team's minutes to finish with a total of 1674:11 to place her 54th in the nation. The senior was named NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week twice during the season and recorded double-digit saves on four occasions, including a season-high of 13 twice. The Quad Captain turned in a pair of nine-save shutouts as well during the season and tied for second in the NEWMAC with five blank sheets. Bandrup owned a 1.24 goals against average to rank third among conference leaders in addition to standing third with 7.68 stops per game.
For her career, the West Coast native became just the second goalie in program history with more than 500 saves with 503, while standing fifth with 5987:49 minutes played, sixth with 14 shutouts, seventh with 27 victories and ninth with a .843 save percentage to go with a 1.41 goals against average in 68 matches.
Roche joined Bandrup on the NEWMAC All-Conference Team as a second teamer in addition to her All-Region selection. The senior enjoyed a breakout season that saw her net 10 goals to place third among NEWMAC leaders, while also placing fifth with 24 total points. The Maynard High School graduate tallied four game-winning strikes to stand second in the league and 55th in the nation, while starting all 19 games for the Lyons. The Business major was one of the most reliable point-scorers on the team, notching at least one point in more than half of the team's games with either an assist or a goal and netted one or more goals in nine different contests. The Captain strung together a pair of three-game goal-scoring streaks during the season and racked up a career-high five points with two goals and an assist vs. Springfield.
Roche overcame injuries in the early part of her career to become a valuable offensive threat for Wheaton in her final two seasons. She finished her career with 17 goals and four assists to give her 38 points, while getting the starting nod in 48 of 64 matches.
Thomas was also a Second Team All-Conference choice with Roche to go with her All-Region designation. Thomas earns Second Team accolades for the second straight season. The junior back was extremely versatile for the Lyons, starting all 19 matches in the backfield as well as the midfield. A graduate of Goffstown High School, Thomas ranked fourth on the team with six points, two goals and a pair of assists and was credited with the game-winning tally in a 5-2 win over Springfield College on October 15. The Biochemistry major contributed to a defense that posted a 1.32 goals against average, while limiting opponents to one or fewer markers on 10 occasions.
A team Captain, Thomas has started 54 of 55 games in her three years at Wheaton, while racking up 12 points on four goals and four assists.
Wheaton finished the season with an 11-8 overall record, including 6-5 in conference play to establish its highest overall victory count since 2018 and the most league wins since 2017. The Lyons captured the number five seed in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament and came away with a 3-1 upset over host and number four seed Babson College on November 4 to advance to the tournament semifinals.
