Halligan named Midfielder of the Year, five Crusaders pick up All-Patriot League honors

WORCESTER, Mass.- Fifth-year midfielder Sam Halligan of the Holy Cross women's soccer team has been named the 2026 Patriot League Women's Soccer Midfielder of the Year, the league announced Friday afternoon. Halligan also earned First Team All-Patriot League honors, while seniors Abby Cushing and Karenna Beckstein received second-team recognition and juniors Ava Graham and Caroline Bierfeldt earned third-team honors..

Halligan put together a historic 2026 regular season for the Crusaders, becoming the first field player to record a major Patriot League award since 2014 (Aly Spencer). The Simsbury, Conn. native tallied eight goals and two assists across 13 total games. She earned Patriot League Midfielder of the Week honors on two occasions and was a TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week pick on Aug. 26. Halligan closed the regular season strong, scoring goals in each of her last three matches.

Despite missing five games midway through the season due to injury, Halligan finished the regular season second in the Patriot League in both goals (8) and points (18). She led the league in points per game (1.38), goals per game (0.615) and game-winning goals (4). Her eight goals also put her in a tie for 10th on Holy Cross' all-time single-season goals list.

Cushing was one of four forwards to earn a second team selection. In her final year on The Hill, she recorded 12 points (5g, 2a) and served as a dynamic piece on offense in the regular season. Key league performances for Cushing include a three-points (1g, 1a) against Lafayette (Oct. 10) and her second career brace in a win at Lehigh (Oct. 17). She also earned one Forward of the Week honor from the league after posting a three points (1g, 1a) at Marist (Aug. 27).

Beckstein earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors for the second consecutive year following a standout campaign in which she excelled on both ends of the field. The senior anchored a defensive unit that recorded five shutouts, tied for the 10th-most in program history. Offensively, she contributed nine points (4g, 1a). She delivered one of her most memorable performances in the Crusaders' come-from-behind victory over Colgate (Sept. 30), scoring twice in the final two minutes to rally Holy Cross to a 2-1 win.

Graham earned third-team honors after recording six points (2g, 2a) across 17 appearances and nearly 1,000 minutes during the regular season. She tallied points in three consecutive Patriot League matches, helping the Crusaders secure key victories over Lafayette and Lehigh.

Bierfeldt rounds out the award winners, joining Graham on the league's third team. The junior defender played a key role in anchoring the Holy Cross back line, helping lead the team to five shutouts. She also contributed offensively, scoring goals against Quinnipiac and Lehigh, both coming on headers off corner kicks.

The No. 3 seed Holy Cross women's soccer team will host No. 6 seed Loyola (Md) in Patriot League Women's Soccer Championship Quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 12:00 p.m.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross women's soccer team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
X- @HCrossWSoccer | @goholycross
Instagram - @hcrosswsoccer | @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Women's Soccer | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross

Print Friendly Version