Gudmundsdottir, Aas, and Crick Highlight USAO’s Haul of SAC Awards
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Thursday morning, the Sooner Athletic Conference announced their annual women's soccer awards, and the Drovers had eight representatives. Dagbjort Gudmundsdottir highlights the list as the SAC Player of the Year and SAC Offensive Player of the Year, while Niall Crick earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year award. Agnes Aas made an immediate impact on the league and was tabbed as the SAC Freshman of the Year.
Niall Crick – SAC Coach of the Year
Niall Crick earns his second consecutive SAC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Drovers to a 13-3-5 record so far this season. The Coach of the Year award is the seventh in program history, with legendary coach Jimmy Hampton having won five (2011, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022).
Crick in his third season as the program's head coach, after spending 11 years as an assistant coach at USAO. As the head coach, he has led the Drovers to an incredible 45-12-6 win-loss record, as well as the 2024 regular season SAC championship and a national tournament appearance.
He originally came to USAO in 2008 on a soccer scholarship and was a four-year soccer player for the Drover men. Additionally, he was a member of three teams that made the National Tournament. He was a two-time NAIA All-American and won numerous other awards as a player, prior to graduating in April 2012.
SAC Coach of the Year (7)
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- Niall Crick (2024, 2025)
- Jimmy Hampton (2011, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022)
Dagbjort Gudmundsdottir – SAC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-SAC
Dagbjort Gudmundsdottir becomes the sixth player in program history to be tabbed as the best player in the conference after a terrific 2025 season that featured 12 goals and an assist for a total of 25 points.
SAC Player of the Year (6)
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- Jade Ovendale (2014)
- Emma Rice (2019, 2021, 2022)
- Ilse de Jong (2024)
- Dagbjort Gudmundsdottir (2025)
Furthermore, it is the eighth season in a row (ninth total) that a Drover has claimed the award for the conference's top offensive player.
SAC Offensive Player of the Year (9)
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- Jade Ovendale (2014)
- Cristina Ramos (2018)
- Emma Rice (2019, 2020, 2021)
- Alicia Rey (2022, 2023)
- Ilse de Jong (2024)
- Dagbjort Gudmundsdottir (2025)
Gudmundsdottir was also selected as the SAC Offensive Player of the Week earlier this season, and the all-conference selection was the third of her career.
In her career at USAO, she has appeared in 52 games and has tallied 21 goals, 9 assists, and 51 points.
Agnes Aas – SAC Freshman of the Year, 2nd Team All-SAC
The freshman made a splash in her first season at USAO, anchoring a defense that surrendered only 15 goals and produced 12 shutouts. The Norwegian defender has started all 21 games for USAO so far this season and has also distributed three assists. In addition to the new hardware, Aas was selected as the SAC Defensive Player of the Week in late October.
Aas is the fifth player in program history to be selected as the league's top Freshman.
SAC Freshman of the Year (5)
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- Emma Rice (2018)
- Sara Vijfhuizen (2019)
- Luna Knoester (2022)
- Ashlee Davison (2024)
- Agnes Aas (2025)
1ST TEAM ALL-SAC
Paula Casajus was tremendous for the Drovers this season, producing 12 goals and four assists for a total of 28 points. She recorded a pair of hat-tricks against Texas Wesleyan and Southwestern Christian.
In her career at USAO, Casajus has appeared in 46 games and has tallied 22 goals, five assists, and 49 points.
Ilse de Jong earned her second consecutive first-team all-conference selection after producing 10 goals and three assists for 23 points. The 2024 SAC Player of the Year has appeared in 61 games as a Drover, recording 29 goals and 15 assists for 73 points.
2nd TEAM ALL-SAC
Ashlee Davison earns her second consecutive All-SAC selection after contributing six goals, seven assists, and 19 points in 21 games played. In two years as a Drover, the sophomore has appeared in 43 games and has struck for 11 goals, 17 assists, and 39 points.
Aleigha Donaldson claims her first all-conference selection as one of the top defenders in the conference. In addition to her stellar defense, she also contributed offensively, scoring a pair of goals. Donaldson led the Drover defense that surrendered only 15 goals and produced 12 shutouts.
The senior has appeared in 74 games in her career as a Drover and has tallied nine goals and three assists for 21 points.
Ashlyn Lonberg has been one of the best goalkeepers in the NAIA this season and earned her second consecutive All-SAC selection. In addition to her pair of all-conference awards, she has also claimed six SAC Defensive Player of the Week awards over the last two seasons. Lonberg has started 20 of USAO's 21 games so far, and has produced a 12-3-5 record with a program record of 11 shutouts. The senior from Edmond has made 67 saves, and amongst her SAC peers, she ranks third in save percentage (.817) and third in goals against average (0.76).
In her career at USAO, Lonberg has appeared in 60 games and has produced a sensational 38-6-6 record with 19 shutouts. In the program record book, she ranks first in goals against average (0.96), second in wins (38), and third in shutouts (19).
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Drovers now turn their attention to the NAIA Women's Soccer Selection Show, to determine their future at the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship. The selection show will take place on Friday, Nov. 14 at 6:00 PM CT on the NAIA's YouTube channel.
Previously, USAO has made eight appearances at the national tournament, with their deepest run coming in 2019, when they won the first two rounds and advanced to the final site.
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