SOMERSET, N.J. – Saint Francis women's soccer had four players earn major end-of-year Northeast Conference awards. The Red Flash took home five total awards, the fifth most in the conference. The conference announced the award winners on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
The five total awards mark the most Saint Francis has earned since 2018, when they won nine. 
 
Lauren Persichetty was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-NEC selection due to her major contributions on both sides of the ball. 2023 proved to be a breakout campaign for the Staten Island, N.Y. native, leading Saint Francis in goals (4), points (11) and tying for the team lead in assists (3).  
 
Late heroics proved to be a theme for Persichetty this season. She ensured a win for Saint Francis against Le Moyne by making a crucial goal line save in the 87th minute to keep the Red Flash ahead, and scored an equalizer as time expired to earn Saint Francis a crucial point against eventual NEC regular season champions Merrimack in a 1-1 draw.  
 
Persichetty becomes the first Saint Francis player to win the NEC Defensive Player of the Year since Alecia McNiff did so three years in a row from 2011-2013. 
 
Persichetty's First Team nod makes it two consecutive years that the Red Flash have made an appearance on the First Team. 
  
Lauren Pyle and Sarah McConnon both made Second Team All-NEC for their efforts this season as well.  

Pyle tied for the team lead in assists (3) while also notching two goals and seven points on the season. Pyle has tallied 11 assists over the course of her three years in Loretto. 
  
McConnon earned her Second Team All-NEC spot with a stellar senior campaign in 2023. McConnon overcame a preseason injury to post the best numbers of her career. She posted a 1.42 goals against average and a .788 save percentage, blowing her previous bests (1.68 and .732) out of the water. 
 
McConnon made a major difference in net for the Red Flash, improving the team's goals against average drastically upon her return between the woodwork. 
  
Mercedez Paino also earned an award with her All-NEC Rookie Team nod. Paino scored two goals in her rookie season. Paino's goal against Stonehill secured a Red Flash win, and her goal against Wagner cut the Saint Francis deficit in half and got them back into the game. 
 
Paino's All-NEC Rookie Team selection marks a second straight year that a Saint Francis rookie has made an appearance on the team. That has not happened since 2017-2018 when the Red Flash had six rookies earn the nod over those two years.