CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Seven members from the Lesley University Women's Soccer team were recognized on the 2025 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Soccer All-Conference squad, it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday, November 25. In addition to the stellar representation, the Lesley Women's Soccer Coaching Staff was voted the Coaching Staff of the Year while first year Ella Stanley (Allyn, Wash.) earned a spot on the NAC Sportsmanship Team.
Head Coach Paul Vasconcelos earns Coach of the Year honors for the 12th time in his career and second in the NAC (2023) after guiding the squad to the conference championship, the program's first NAC crown. Rounding out the staff are Assistant Coaches Jenna Fitzgerald, Brittley Gann, and Keelie Verbeek.
Three Lynx earned First Team All-Conference honors including junior midfielder Bethany Slivka (Berkley, Mass.), senior defender Maddy Duskocy (Ellington, Conn.) and sophomore forward Leecy Cruz (San Antonio, Tex.).
Slivka enjoyed career-highs in games played (20), starts (16), goals (2), assists (9) and points (13) to lead the LU midfield. She ranked second on the NAC in assists including a pair in the championship win over MMA. Over her Lesley tenure she's now played in 54 games and recorded 16 points on two goals and 12 assists.
Duskocy anchored the Lynx backline the ended the campaign with a 1.10 goals against average and 10 shutouts. From September 9 through Nov. 8, the Lesley defensive unit allowed only 10 goals over 18 games. Duskocy finished the year with three points on one goal and one assist, both coming in NAC play and over her career appeared in 52 games, starting 28.
Cruz paced the Lesley offensive front leading the team in points (23) and goals (9). She ranked tied for fifth in the NAC in goals and seventh overall in points during the championship campaign. Three of her goals were game-winners and all three came in conference action. In two seasons at LU, Cruz has played in 40 games with 14 starts and amassed 33 points on 11 goals and 11 assists.
For the second consecutive season, senior defender Rachel Weinzimer (Woodland Hills, Calif.) earned NAC Second Team All-Conference honors. The center back was a key part of the Lynx defensive success that saw squad post a 0.33 GAA in NAC conference play, recording six shutouts in the nine games while going 7-0-2 for the top seed. She finished her LU career with 73 games played and 50 starts, amassing 12 points on five goals and two assists. Weinzimer netted the game-winner in the 2025 NAC Championship game and was named the Tournament MVP.
Senior forward Zoe Curtaz (Novato, Calif.), senior midfielder Annika Gnesda (Chico, Calif.) and sophomore midfielder Elsie Koehler (Portland, Ore.) rounds out the Lynx All-Conference representatives on the NAC Third Team.
Curtaz caps her career with her second straight All-Conference nod after earning First Team East honors last year. The midfielder played in 21 games, earning 17 starts and finished the year with 11 points on three goals and five assists. She netted a pair of game-winners including one in the NAC Semifinal win vs. UMF. Over her LU career, Curtaz racked up 48 points on 16 goals and 16 assists, netted five game-winners and was a perfect 5-for-5 in penalty attempts. She played in 79 games with 48 starts at Lesley.
Gnesda also closes her Lesley career with a second consecutive All-Conference selection after earning First Team East honors in 2024. As a senior she played in 21 games, earning 17 starts and registered one assist which came on Oct. 4 in a 1-1 draw vs. VTSU Johnson. The holding midfielder was an important part of the Lynx defensive scheme, winning lots of 50/50 balls in the air and midfield. Over two seasons at Lesley, the California native played in 41 games, starting 35 and help the Lynx go 13-3-3 in NAC action.
Koehler rounds out the All-Conference picks with her first career selection on the Third Team. She played 18 games with 12 starts and registered 14 points on six goals and two assists. She picked up a game-winning marker in NAC play vs. UMF and on the year the team posted a 5-0-2 record in games that the Oregon native registered at least one point in. In two seasons at Lesley, Koehler has appeared in 37 games with 15 starts and 17 total points on seven goals and three assists.
Lesley finished 11-4-6 and 7-0-2 in conference play on the year. The Lynx earned the No. 1 spot in the NAC and held seed in the tournament to capture the program's first-ever NAC championship with a 3-1 victory over Maine Maritime Academy on Nov. 8, 2025. The team earned an automatic berth to the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer tournament field where their magical run came to an end at the hands of #3 Tufts University.