2024 GPAC All-Conference Women’s Soccer Teams
First Team: Kierstynn Garner; Niah Kirchner; Taylor Slaymaker.
Second Team: Savannah Andrews; Angela Banks; Kyana Rios.
Honorable Mention: Hannah Kile; Elena Ruiz.
SEWARD, Neb. – A total of eight Bulldogs represented the NAIA national qualifying Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team on the 2024 GPAC All-Conference teams released on Monday (Nov. 18) by the league office. In highlighting the selections, Kierstynn Garner and Niah Kirchner found their way onto the first team for the second year in a row. They were joined with first team accolades by teammate Taylor Slaymaker while second team honors went to Savannah Andrews, Angela Banks and Kyana Rios. Honorable mention status was attained by Hannah Kile and Elena Ruiz.
Each of the All-GPAC award winners from Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad has been instrumental in helping the 2024 team to a 13-6-1 overall record and the program’s fourth all-time national tournament berth. The Bulldogs placed second in the GPAC in both the regular season and postseason.
A junior from Kearney, Neb., Kierstynn Garner has enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a Bulldog. Among GPAC players, Garner boasts season rankings of second in each of the following categories: goals scored (21), assists (12) and points (54). Garner scored four goals in a game in two separate contests this fall: at Graceland University (Iowa) and versus Midland. A three-time GPAC Offensive Player of the Week this season, Garner has been named an All-GPAC performer all three seasons of her collegiate career – second team as a freshman and first team as a sophomore and junior. In 57 career collegiate outings, Garner has tallied 48 goals and 17 assists. She ranks fourth on the program’s all-time goals list.
An Omaha native and Millard West High School product, Kirchner has served as a rock in the middle of the park in each of her three seasons as a Bulldog. The two-time First Team All-GPAC honoree has logged heavy minutes in all 20 games this season and has recorded one goal and one assist. In 58 career collegiate games, Kirchner has notched five goals and seven assists. Kirchner has not missed a single game since arriving at Concordia while contributing heavily to winning seasons each year.
A Kearney native and Kearney High School alum like Garner, Slaymaker ascended from honorable mention status last season to a First Team All-GPAC choice in 2024. At center back, Slaymaker serves as the anchor of a back line that helped the Bulldogs limit their opponents to a combined three goals during the 10-game winning streak that carried them into the GPAC tournament title game. Slaymaker was awarded the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week honor following Concordia’s 1-0 GPAC semifinal win at Dordt. Slaymaker recorded the first goal of her career as part of the 8-0 win at Waldorf. She has appeared in 60 games in her college career.
A junior from Gretna, Neb., Andrews has collected her second career All-GPAC award (first team in 2023). Andrews heated up in the second half of this season and enjoyed a stretch of five-straight games with at least one goal after she returned from an injury that held her out of three games. Andrews will enter the national tournament having totaled eight goals and four assists in 2024. As an attacking midfielder, Andrews has accumulated 25 goals and eight assists in 51 career games. The offensive prowess of Andrews and Garner has given Concordia one of the top attacking duos in the GPAC.
Banks, a senior out of Downey, Calif., has taken advantage of her opportunity to become a full-time starter in 2024. She’s started 19 games in goal with a record of 12-5-1. In 1,669 minutes played, Banks has notched 73 saves and sports a 1.35 goals against average and .745 save percentage. Banks has earned credit for six shutouts. She was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 5 after the Bulldogs shut out Midland and College of Saint Mary. In her collegiate career, Banks has appeared in 28 games has totaled 91 saves (.752 save percentage).
In her freshman season, Rios (Omaha, Neb.) has made an immediate impact. The Omaha South High School product has played in all 20 games while making 14 starts as a forward. Rios has tallied four goals and two assists. She put away perhaps the most significant goal of the season in the 1-0 win over Briar Cliff that initiated the program record 10-game winning streak.
As honorable mention selections, Kile picked up her second career All-GPAC award (first time in 2023) and Ruiz pulled in the first all-conference award of her career. A Lincoln native and Raymond Central High School alum, Kile has battled through injury to start 13 matches (16 games overall) on the back line alongside Slaymaker. Kile has notched one goal and one assist on the season (three goals in her career). Another member of the vaunted junior class, Ruiz has started all 20 games in the midfield and has contributed with two assists. Ruiz has played in 57 games (eight goals and three assists) in her Concordia career.
The season will continue for the Bulldogs at the national tournament. Concordia is scheduled to take on Benedictine College (Kan.) at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday in the first round of the 2024 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship.