MYSTIC, Conn. – University of Maine women's soccer student-athlete Abby Kraemer has been named the 2025 America East Woman of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday night.
 
The award recognizes the conference's senior male and female student-athlete who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
 
Kraemer becomes the fourth Black Bear to win the Man or Woman of the Year award, the second female and the first-ever from the women's soccer program.
 
A leader on the field, in the classroom and in the Orono community, Kraemer earned second team All-American honors in 2023 and followed it up with a third-team nod in 2024 to become the first two-time All-American from the America East in 25 seasons. This past season, she helped Maine to the first America East regular-season title in program history and also helped the team earn a second consecutive America East Championship and NCAA Tournament bid.
 
Off the field in Orono, Kraemer earned First Team Academic All-American honors and was named the 2024 America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as the 2024 'M' Club Dean Smith. While a student, Kraemer worked in the Maginnis Laboratory, a virology research lab at UMaine, and helped publish a research paper on the JC polyomavirus infection and served as a teaching assistant at the Virus-Host Cell Interaction Discovery Lab. Additionally, she was a member of the Maine's Health Professions Club and Partners for World Health. She was also named Academic All-District, earned two America East All-Academic team spots and multiple Maine Scholar Athlete and America East Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades. Kraemer earned a bachelor's in Biochemistry in December 2024 with a 3.902 GPA before going on to play professionally in Portugal's first division.

The Waterloo, Ontario native also made an impact in the Maine community. Kraemer spent time volunteering in the medical field as a hospitality aid at Eastern Maine Medical Center and as an office volunteer at Down East Medical Center. Her community involvement included time working with the Christine B. Foundation and as a lunchtime activity leader in the Old Town School District. She also coached soccer at the Bangor Mighty Mites soccer clinic, Seacoast United Soccer and Maine Soccer camp. Kraemer, a four-year Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member, also participated in the annual UMaine Day of Service as well as the athletic department's National Girls and Women in Sports Celebration.

Kraemer finished her Maine soccer career with 74 points on 31 goals and 12 assists and ended her career as the conference active leader in points, goals, shots and shots on goal. She was a four-time America East All-Conference honoree and two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region honoree and this year she earned All-Tournament Team honors for the second time in her career. Kraemer scored 10 game-winning goals in her career, including the game-winning goal in the 2024 regular season finale and title-clinching victory on the road at rival New Hampshire as well as the winner to help Maine set an America East record home-game unbeaten streak.

America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015. Kraemer joins fellow Black Bears Connor Goodman (2024), Holly Stewart (2015) and Kelton Cullenberg (2014) in earning the distinction.

All-Time America East Man & Woman of the Year Award Listing.