Indianapolis, Ind. – The Robert Morris University women's soccer team trio of graduate
Kaoru Hayashi, sophomore
Malia Kearns and freshman
Shauna Gamble earned Horizon League postseason accolades, announced by the league office Friday evening.
Hayashi was named to the Horizon League All-Conference First Team. She is the first Colonial to earn First Team honors since the program joined the conference in 2020. From Ama, Japan, she was also awarded the Sportsmanship Award by the conference for displaying core values, on and off the field.
Leading RMU as a captain, Hayashi is no stranger to postseason conference awards. In 2020 and 2021, she was named to the Horizon League All-Conference Second Team and tabbed to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team in 2021.
Through the 2023 season, Hayashi has produced three goals and seven assists on the year. Across the campaign, she put together three multi-point efforts. At Saint Francis (8/27) she dished out two assists. Hosting Green Bay (9/17), Hayashi scored a goal and an assist in a dominating 5-1 victory. And, in the last regular season game of the season at YSU (10/25), she registered two assists off corner kicks in the Colonials playoff clinching victory.
Against Detroit Mercy (9/30), she also scored the game-winning goal to beat the Titans, 2-1. For the past seven games, Hayashi has played all 90 minutes of the match. Reaching 1,450 minutes played, she's chewed up the most minutes on the roster this season at RMU.
In her career, she's posted 13 goals and 15 assists totaling 41 points.
Sophomore midfielder
Malia Kearns was tabbed to the Horizon League All-Conference Second Team.
As a freshman, Kearns was named to the All-Freshman Team by the conference.
Kearns put together one of the most impressive performances in program history this season, as she scored a program record four goals and eight points in one match, against Wright State (9/24). Her four goals pushed RMU to victory, winning 4-2 and she was named #HLWSOC Offensive Player of the Week.
She also provided a brace a week early against Green Bay (9/17), scoring two goals, including the game-winning tally.
On the year, Kearns has paced for seven goals and three assists, totaling 17 points.
Across her two-year career, she's played in all 36 games for the Colonials, starting in 35 of them. Overall, she owns nine goals, six assists and 24 points in her career.
Making the All-Freshman Team for the Colonials is midfielder
Shauna Gamble.
From Palm Springs, Calif., Gamble made an impact for RMU this season, mainly playing at the outside midfield position.
On the year, she recorded three total assists. Gamble dished out a helper at Mount St. Mary's (9/6), vs. Detroit Mercy (9/30) and at Cleveland State (10/12). Two of her assists were involved with the game-winning goal for RMU in the match.
Throughout her freshman season, Gamble played in 15 games and started in four. She eclipsed over 950 minutes in the campaign.
The Colonials earned a spot in the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Wright State for a quarterfinal match on Sunday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. Sunday's game will be played at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds practice facility, the AHN Montour Junction Sports Complex.
Listed below are the Women's Soccer Awards, All-League First Team, All-League Second Team and All-Freshman Team, announced by the Horizon League conference. Players were voted on by all Horizon League coaches.
2023 Horizon League Women's Soccer Award Winners
| Award |
Name |
Team |
| Player of the Year |
Kayla Rollins |
Milwaukee |
| Goalkeeper of the Year |
Kendall Edwards |
Milwaukee |
| Offensive Player of the Year |
Kayla Rollilns |
Milwaukee |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Lydia Self |
Northern Kentucky |
| Freshman of the Year |
Caroline Kelley |
IUPUI |
| Sportsmanship Award |
Kaoru Hayahsi |
RMU |
| Sportsmanship Award |
Allie Tefend |
Oakland |
| Coach of the Year |
Chris Johnson |
IUPUI |
All-League First Team
| Name |
Team |
Position |
| Abbey Lodato |
Detroit Mercy |
Midfielder |
| Emma Antoine |
IUPUI |
Forward |
| Samantha Slimak |
IUPUI |
Midfielder |
| Kailyn Smith |
IUPUI |
Defender |
| Clara Broecker |
Milwaukee |
Defender |
| Kendall Edwards |
Milwaukee |
Goalkeeper |
| Lainey Higgins |
Milwaukee |
Midfielder |
| Kayla Rollins |
Milwaukee |
Forward |
| Kat Van Booven |
Milwaukee |
Forward |
| Lydia Self |
Northern Kentucky |
Defender |
| Kaoru Hayashi |
RMU |
Midfielder |
All-League Second Team
| Name |
Team |
Position |
| Brooke Parnello |
Milwaukee |
Defender |
| Mickayla Kowalski |
Northern Kentucky |
Goalkeeper |
| Kaya Vogt |
Northern Kentucky |
Midfielder |
| Lilly Yordy |
Northern Kentucky |
Defender |
| Frankie Mudd |
Oakland |
Forward |
| Putri Sazali |
Oakland |
Defender |
| Macey Wierenga |
Oakland |
Midfielder |
| Morgan Reitano |
Purdue Fort Wayne |
Forward |
| Malia Kearns |
RMU |
Midfielder |
| Lauren Borchert |
Wright State |
Forward |
| Jordan Evans |
Youngstown State |
Defender |
All-Freshman Team
| Name |
Team |
| Leila Lanier |
Detroit Mercy |
| Katie Hoog |
IUPUI |
| Caroline Kelley |
IUPUI |
| Emily Tobin |
IUPUI |
| Erykah Cornett |
Northern Kentucky |
| Sophia Kapszukiewicz |
Northern Kentucky |
| Olivia Darnell |
Oakland |
| Julia Zangerl |
Oakland |
| Shauna Gamble |
RMU |
| Kaitlyn Eyink |
Wright State |
| Emma Berdiner |
Youngstown State |
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