Rathbun, Johnson Lead All-GPAC Honorees for Women's Soccer

The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) announced the 2024 women's soccer all-conference honors on Monday. Five players from the Doane squad were selected for their athletic accomplishments this year.

Receiving First Team All-GPAC honors were McKenna Rathbun in the midfield and Virginia Johnson at goalkeeper. They are the first Tigers to receive First Team honors since the 2015 season.

Rathbun led the Tigers this year with 10 goals and was second on the team with three assists. She is the first Tiger since 2015 to post double-digits in goals scored. An honorable mention selection the past two years, Rathbun is the first midfielder to earn First Team honors since 2015.

Johnson posted a 1.00 goals against average on the season in 991 minutes of play over 13 games. She helped Doane post the lowest goals against average in conference play at 0.73 as the Tigers finished second overall at 1.00. Johnson is the first women's goalkeeper at Doane to earn First Team All-GPAC honors.

Payton Cooley was named Second Team All-GPAC as a defender. She anchored the Tigers' back line as the Tigers allowed the fewest goals in GPAC play with eight and led the GPAC in shutouts with six. She had one assist. This marked the second time Cooley has received honorable mention All-GPAC honors.

Receiving honorable mention honors were Brooklyn Mercurio and Gisselle Martinez. The duo helped anchor the Tiger defense this year with Mercurio securing the outer half of the field from her defender position and Martinez doing so out of the midfield. This was the first time for both players to receive all-conference recognition.

Doane wrapped up the season with a 7-8-4 overall record and a 5-2-4 record in GPAC play.