The Molloy women's soccer team had seven members of the cardinal and white earn All-East Coast Conference (ECC) honors, announced by the league this afternoon. For the first time in her career, junior Meghan Wetzel was named the Tri-Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team for the second straight season.
 
Joining Wetzel on the first team are juniors Bella Juliano and Jana Strait. Senior Elyse Muñoz and freshman Ysabelle Perillo earned Second Team honors, while senior Madison Keenan and sophomore Gabrielle Justiniano.
 
Wetzel becomes the third player in program history to be named Defensive Player of the Year, marking the third time in the last four seasons that a Lion has received the distinction. The center back has continued to excel as the anchor of the back-line for Molloy, helping secure six shut outs on the campaign while holding conference opponents to a league leading three goals in league play. Molloy has surrendered 16 goals overall, tied for the second-fewest in the conference. The junior leads all field players with 1,341 minutes on the pitch, playing the full 90 minutes 14 of 15 games.
 
A 2024 All-ECC First Team selection, Juliano returns to the First Team for the second time in her career. Starting in all 15 contests, Juliano has totaled a career-high 15 points this season, netting five goals tied for fifth in the ECC and dishing out a team-high five assists, tied for second in the league. The junior's standout performance came against Goldey-Beacom in September, when she collected six points, totaling two goals and two assists in Molloy's victory. The West Sayville, NY native has tallied 1,113 minutes on the pitch while scoring two game-winning goals this season.
 
Rounding out the First Team honorees is Strait, who joins the First Team for the second consecutive year and the third All-Conference selection wearing the cardinal and white. One of two field captains, the junior has become the squads premier goal scorer, finding the back of the net a team-leading seven times, fourth in the ECC, across 14 starts. She has recorded a  48 percent shots-on-goal percentage and is tied for the team lead with 15 points. The forward has found success in the attacking third with the ball on her feet, creating runs for her teammates while ranking second among all field players with 1,216 minutes.
 
No stranger to All-Conference honors, Muñoz collects her third career nod and her first career Second Team selection. Making all 15 starts in goal, the senior ranks third in the conference with 69 saves and five shutouts and fourth in the league in save percentage at .812. In conference play, Muñoz has elevated her performance, leading the ECC with an .897 save percentage and 0.50 goals against average while surrendering a league-low three goals allowed. The goalkeeper has been unblemished down the stretch of the season totaling a 3-0-2 record in the last five games.
 
In her first season in Rockville Centre, Perillo finds a spot on the Second Team. The freshman has been a spark for the Molloy offense, ranking second on the squad with four assists and third with four goals and 12 points. The Levittown, NY native began her collegiate career with seven points over her first four career games while accounting for three multi-point games. Perillo has also been one of the conference's most accurate forwards, putting 18 of her 30 shots on target for a 60 percent shots-on-goal percentage.
 
For the third time in her career Keenan collects an All-Conference selection, the second straight season on the Third Team. The senior has been a mainstay along the Molloy back line, contributing to the Lions' defensive efforts throughout the season.. The second of two field captains, the Selden, NY native has found the back of the net on one occasion while helping the Molloy defense remain one of the toughest in the league while ranking third among field players with 1,204 minutes.
 
Summing up the All-Conference selections for the Lions is first-timer Justiniano who earns Third Team honors. The sophomore has become a central part to the defensive midfield, appearing in 13 contests and starting in eight of the last nine contests. The midfielder has been essential in slowing down offensive attacks penetrating midfield while clearing loose balls away. Justiniano has totaled a career-high four points and two goals in over 760 minutes plated on the pitch.

As the second-seed in the East Coast Conference Championship, the Molloy women's soccer team earned a bye into the semifinal. The Lions will take on the winner of No. 3 Queens and No. 6 Daemen Saturday, October 31 at 12:00 p.m. in Rockville Centre.