NEW YORK – Villanova women's soccer landed three honorees in this year's Preseason All-BIG EAST honors as the Wildcats were slated to finish fifth in the coaches' poll with 66 points.
 
Graduate goalkeeper Hannah Dickinson was named Goalkeeper of the Year and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST team where she was joined by sophomore forward Avrie Nelsen and senior midfielder Gabby Koluch.
 
This marks the highest projection for the 'Cats since 2013 when they were picked third in the preseason poll. They were slated to finish second in the East Division when the league was split into two divisions for the 2020-21 spring season.
 
Villanova finished fifth in the BIG EAST this past season with a 4-5-1 record. going 9-8-1 overall. Those nine wins and their .528 winning percentage marked the best for the program in six seasons, also logging their best conference finish in that time with a fifth-place showing on the conference table.
 
All three Wildcat honorees were All-BIG EAST selections at the end of the 2025 season and are earning their first preseason plaudits of their careers.
 
Dickinson is coming off of a decorated second season in the Blue and White that saw her earn All-BIG EAST Second Team honors for a second consecutive season and be named to the All-East Region Third Team by the United Soccer Coaches. She totaled 1588 minutes for the second-most among BIG EAST keepers en route to a 9-8-1 season. Her .964 goals against average and .802 save percentage were both third in the league while the 69 saves she grabbed were second. She anchored the Villanova backline in nine clean sheets, eight of those going down as solo shutouts for the senior. Those put her at second in the conference and 33rd in the nation. She reset her career-best for saves at 15 on the road at No. 12 Georgetown this season. Throughout the season, she was recognized by the conference with weekly honors five times.
 
The Seattle, Wash. native has gone 14-15-7 as a Wildcat, 22-18-10 overall since her days with USC. She has amassed a .790 save percentage in her three seasons, .801 on the Main Line. She is tied for fifth on the single-season shutout list at eight. On the career ledger of the record book, she is tied for fourth with a 1.10 career goals against average and fifth with 14 shutouts as a Wildcat. Through the 2025 season, Dickinson is 30^th among active goalkeepers with a .373 shutout percentage and 47^th with a 1.03 goals-against average.
 
Nelsen made an instant impact in her first season on the Main Line, earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year status in 2025, the first major award for the Wildcats since 2009. The Dix Hills, N.Y. native started in 17 of the team's 18 games this season and was the leading scoring with 10 points on five goals, two of those being game-winners. She is the first Villanova freshman to score at least five goals in a single season since Chloe O'Neill in 2018.
 
The forward placed 12 of her 22 shot attempts on goal this season and had at least one shot in 14 matches. She was the lone Wildcat to score a multi-goal game on the year, recording a brace in the 3-1 win at Penn on Sept. 14.
 
Koluch was a consistent piece of the puzzle for the 'Cats this season, starting in all 18 matches for 1462 minutes of action to garner her first-ever postseason laurel. She was second on the team with 30 shot attempts, landing 11 of those on goal. She accounted for six points for a second consecutive year, scoring two goals and providing two assists. The Freehold, N.J. native was a TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week Honorable Mention back on Sept. 23 after scoring the game-winner in the 1-0 Senior Day win over Seton Hall, the first game-winning goal of her career. She had a career-best scoring day in the win over Marquette this season as well, logging a goal and an assist for a three-point day in that 3-0 victory.
 
Villanova is just over a week away from lifting the lid on its 2026 campaign as the 'Cats head to Syracuse on August 13 for a 7 p.m. first kick.
 
BIG EAST Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown, 98 (8)
2. UConn, 89 (2)
3. Xavier, 78 (1)
4. Creighton, 73
5. Villanova, 66
6. Providence, 60
7. Marquette, 40
8. Butler, 39
9. St. John's, 28
10. DePaul, 19
11. Seton Hall, 15
 
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Peyton Kohls, Xavier, Sr., F
 
Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Jr., M
 
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Kaya Hanson, Georgetown, Sr., D
 
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova, Sr., GK
 
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team *
Jocelyn Leigh, Marquette, Jr., F
Courtnee Pickles, Providence, So., F
Se-Hanna Mars, UConn, R-So., F
Avrie Nelsen, Villanova, So., F
Peyton Kohls, Xavier, Sr., F ^
Chloe Brecht, Butler, Jr., M
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Jr., M
Thaea Mouratidis, Providence, Gr., M
Anaya Johnson, UConn, Sr., M ^
Gabby Koluch, Villanova, Sr., M
Kaya Hanson, Georgetown, Sr., D
Brooklynn Miltenberger, Xavier, Sr., D
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova, Sr., GK
 
^ unanimous selection
* Due to a tie in voting, there are 13 members on the preseason team.