11/4/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Luise Reinwald was named the America East Midfielder of the Year and was joined on the First Team by three others.
BOSTON – University of Maine women's soccer midfielder Luise Reinwald was named the America East Midfielder of the Year, headlining five Black Bears who earned All-Conference honors, as announced on Wednesday by the conference office.
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Reinwald, Abbey Thornton, Olivia Grisdale and Isabella Meadows received first-team accolades. Additionally, Reinwald, Thornton and Elena Barenberg earned spots on the America East All-Academic Team to give Maine an America-East leading 41 all-time selections to the academic squad. Maine's four first-team honorees mark the first time the Black Bears have placed four on the first team since 2005.
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Reinwald, a senior, started all eight America East contests and logged 653 minutes against conference opponents and 1,323 overall on the season, going 75 minutes or more in all 16 regular season matches. The Munich, Germany native scored Maine's lone goal in a 1-1 draw with UMass Lowell and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over NJIT. On the year, Reinwald has started all 16 games and has recorded a career-high three goals and one assist. She ranks third on the team with 24 shots. A 2025 second-team selection, Reinwald was also named to the 2023 America East All-Rookie Team. She is the first Black Bear to be named Midfielder of the Year since Marie-Andree Canuel in 2005.
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Thornton started all eight conference games and totaled seven points on two goals and three assists. Overall on the season, she has started all 16 games and has two goals and a team-high and career-high five assists for nine points. The senior midfielder scored the game-winning goal against NJIT and found the back of the net in the regular season finale win at UMBC. The Windham, Maine native also took 11 shots in conference games. Thornton has logged 1,224 minutes on the pitch, good for third on the team. Her five assists overall rank third in America East while her three assists in conference play are good for a tie for fourth.
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Grisdale, a defender, played every minute of Maine's eight conference games, totaling 720 minutes. The Calgary, Alberta native was a key part of a Black Bear defense that posted two shutouts and owned a 1.00 goals against average in conference play. As an individual, she earned two Defender of the Week honors during the regular season. For the season, Grisdale has started all 16 games and played 1,394 minutes, the most among the Black Bears' field players, going the full 90 minutes in each of the last 12 contests and in 13 of 16 matches overall. The junior has helped Maine to a 1.00 goals against average overall and four shutouts. Grisdale also earned her first collegiate point during conference play, assisting on the game-winning goal at New Hampshire.
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Meadows led Maine in goals (4), points (10), shots (20) and shots on goal (11) in eight conference matches, tying for second in the conference in goals and in conference points. The junior leads Maine overall with seven goals, 16 points, 30 shots and 17 shots on goal. Meadows had two multi-point games in America East play, scoring both goals in a win at New Hampshire and scoring a goal and assisting on a goal in a 2-0 win over NJIT. Her seven goals overall are tied for second in America East and her 16 points are tied for third. The Springfield, Mass. native has scored two game-winning goals while assisting on one other. Meadows earned three Offensive Player of the Week honors during the regular season.
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Thornton, a nursing major with a 3.96 GPA, earned All-Academic honors for the second consecutive season. Reinwald, a biochemistry and molecular biology double major with a 3.81 GPA, and Barenberg, a biology major with a 4.0 GPA, both earned their first academic honor.
-UMaine-
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Reinwald, Abbey Thornton, Olivia Grisdale and Isabella Meadows received first-team accolades. Additionally, Reinwald, Thornton and Elena Barenberg earned spots on the America East All-Academic Team to give Maine an America-East leading 41 all-time selections to the academic squad. Maine's four first-team honorees mark the first time the Black Bears have placed four on the first team since 2005.
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Reinwald, a senior, started all eight America East contests and logged 653 minutes against conference opponents and 1,323 overall on the season, going 75 minutes or more in all 16 regular season matches. The Munich, Germany native scored Maine's lone goal in a 1-1 draw with UMass Lowell and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over NJIT. On the year, Reinwald has started all 16 games and has recorded a career-high three goals and one assist. She ranks third on the team with 24 shots. A 2025 second-team selection, Reinwald was also named to the 2023 America East All-Rookie Team. She is the first Black Bear to be named Midfielder of the Year since Marie-Andree Canuel in 2005.
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Thornton started all eight conference games and totaled seven points on two goals and three assists. Overall on the season, she has started all 16 games and has two goals and a team-high and career-high five assists for nine points. The senior midfielder scored the game-winning goal against NJIT and found the back of the net in the regular season finale win at UMBC. The Windham, Maine native also took 11 shots in conference games. Thornton has logged 1,224 minutes on the pitch, good for third on the team. Her five assists overall rank third in America East while her three assists in conference play are good for a tie for fourth.
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Grisdale, a defender, played every minute of Maine's eight conference games, totaling 720 minutes. The Calgary, Alberta native was a key part of a Black Bear defense that posted two shutouts and owned a 1.00 goals against average in conference play. As an individual, she earned two Defender of the Week honors during the regular season. For the season, Grisdale has started all 16 games and played 1,394 minutes, the most among the Black Bears' field players, going the full 90 minutes in each of the last 12 contests and in 13 of 16 matches overall. The junior has helped Maine to a 1.00 goals against average overall and four shutouts. Grisdale also earned her first collegiate point during conference play, assisting on the game-winning goal at New Hampshire.
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Meadows led Maine in goals (4), points (10), shots (20) and shots on goal (11) in eight conference matches, tying for second in the conference in goals and in conference points. The junior leads Maine overall with seven goals, 16 points, 30 shots and 17 shots on goal. Meadows had two multi-point games in America East play, scoring both goals in a win at New Hampshire and scoring a goal and assisting on a goal in a 2-0 win over NJIT. Her seven goals overall are tied for second in America East and her 16 points are tied for third. The Springfield, Mass. native has scored two game-winning goals while assisting on one other. Meadows earned three Offensive Player of the Week honors during the regular season.
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Thornton, a nursing major with a 3.96 GPA, earned All-Academic honors for the second consecutive season. Reinwald, a biochemistry and molecular biology double major with a 3.81 GPA, and Barenberg, a biology major with a 4.0 GPA, both earned their first academic honor.
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Players Mentioned
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