KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Trinity women's soccer captain
Ilsa Newland (St. Louis, Missouri / Kirkwood) has been named a Second Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches.
Newland, a bedrock of Trinity's back line, was also named 2025 SAA Defensive Athlete of the Year and awarded First Team All-Region honors, in recognition of her leadership and defensive prowess during a season in which Trinity's defense consistently ranked among the nation's best.
This season, Newland started all matches, anchoring a defense that locked down opponents game after game and helped the Tigers finish with a 14-2-4 overall record and a 5-0-2 mark in conference play, earning both SAA regular-season and SAA Championship titles.
Beyond her defensive contributions, Newland added an offensive dimension from the back. She tallied five goals, including two critical game-winners, a testament to her versatility and clutch play. Over her career at Trinity, she finishes as one of the program's most decorated defenders, building on previous successes that include two All-SCAC First Team selections, a SCAC Tournament Defensive MVP award, numerous weekly defensive honors, and All-Region recognition.
While the Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament and opened with a convincing 2-0 first-round win over Hardin-Simmons University, their postseason run ended in a narrow and heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to California Lutheran University in the Round of 32 (second round). Even as the 2025 season ends short of a national championship, Newland's All-American recognition represents a crowning achievement for an exceptional career, one defined by consistency, leadership, and excellence on both ends of the field.