KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Saint Louis University women's soccer student-athletes, including two on the first team, have been selected to the 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-East Region team.
 
Senior forward Emily Gaebe and graduate defender Lyndsey Heckel earned All-Region first-team accolades. Graduate goalkeeper Emily Puricelli was selected to the All-Region third team.
 
Puricelli garnered All-Region recognition for a fourth time, becoming the first player in Billiken women's soccer history to do so. Gaebe and Heckel collected All-Region plaudits for a third time, joining Jamie Perry, Courtney Hulcer, Alli Klug, Mary Niehaus and Hannah Friedrich as three-time honorees.
 
The Billikens have produced 32 All-Region selections over the past nine seasons, including 19 first-team choices.
 
SLU's All-Region group helped lead the Billikens to a seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship title, a seventh straight NCAA Championship appearance and a sixth A-10 regular-season title in seven years. Saint Louis finished 15-2-6 overall and 7-0-3 in conference play.
 
Gaebe repeated as the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year, earned All-Conference honors for a fourth time (third consecutive year on the first team) and was selected to her second A-10 Championship All-Tournament team. She was tabbed A-10 Offensive Player of the Week three times and landed on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week twice (once first 11, once honorable mention).
 
Gaebe is third in the East Region in shots per game (4.32, 14th nationally), tied for third in goals (school-record-tying 16, tied for 10th nationally), fourth in points (36, 14th nationally), tied for seventh in game-winning goals (five, tied for 17th nationally) and tied for ninth in shots on goal per game (1.95, tied for 23rd nationally).
 
Gaebe finished her career as the Saint Louis record-holder for goals (48), points (118) and shots (309). She is second in game-winning goals (13), tied for fourth in game-winning assists (eight), tied for fifth in assists (22) and seventh in games played (91).
 
Heckel and Puricelli were key components of another strong Saint Louis defense. The Billikens led the East Region in goals against average (0.61) and shutout percentage (.609, 14 shutouts in 23 games), ranking 11th in the nation in both categories. Their plus-38 goal differential tied for third in the region and tied for seventh nationally.
 
Heckel captured A-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors for a second consecutive season and became the first player in league history to earn five selections to the All-Conference first team. She went on to garner A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player accolades for a second time while making the All-Tournament team for a fourth time, and she was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week for her tournament performance.
 
In addition to her defensive efforts, Heckel was second on the team in goals (career-high-tying six) and points (career-high 14). She concluded her career with 23 goals and eight assists for 54 points and standings of second in games started (108), tied for second in games played (108) and tied for third in game-winning goals (11) on the Billikens' all-time lists.
 
Puricelli collected her fourth A-10 Championship All-Tournament nod as well as three A-10 Defensive Player of the Week awards. She tied for the East Region lead with 11 shutouts (tied for sixth nationally), finished second with a 0.52 goals against average (11th nationally), and was third with an .861 save percentage (11th nationally) and 1902:37 goalkeeper minutes (19th nationally).
 
Puricelli concluded her career as the SLU record-holder for wins (82), shutouts (51), goalkeeper minutes (9,574), games started (109) and games played (109). She finished second in goals against average (0.62) and saves (333).