MILWAUKEE – Natalie Auble, Lexi Blaser, Clara Broecker, Lainey Higgins, Haley Johnson, and Kat Van Booven of the Milwaukee women's soccer team have been named to the 2022 Academic All-District Soccer Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), the organization announced late yesterday. 

It's a career-first honor for each of the group, as well as the most to earn the distinction in a single season for the Panthers, topping the former high-water mark of three from a year ago.
 
Auble, a kinesiology major, made a triumphant return to the field after missing almost all of 2021 with a knee injury. She earned First-Team All-Horizon League honors this fall, starting 15 of 19 games overall. She ended the season with 15 points, scoring five goals – including one in the NCAA Tournament – while adding five assists. A member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll every semester she has been eligible, Auble was named Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors in 2020 after tying for league lead in goals.
 
Blaser, a speech therapy major, made the most of her opportunities this season, earning a spot in the starting lineup from game one while playing an important role along the backline on a team that allowed just 0.88 goals per game and posted 10 shutouts.
 
After missing the start of the year with an injury, Broecker returned and enjoyed another solid campaign. A mechanical engineering major, Broecker made 12 starts among her 14 appearances, adding two assists – both coming in the postseason.
 
Higgins enjoyed a breakout campaign, with the kinesiology major earning First-Team All-Horizon League accolades following a season in which she started all 19 games while scoring 16 points. She moved into a full-time starting role this fall, leading the league with 10 assists while earning Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week honors in early October. She was also tabbed for the Horizon League All-Academic Team earlier this month.
 
Johnson capped her MKE career in style, earing Horizon League Tournament MVP honors after scoring a pair of goals in the semifinals and the only goal in the 1-0 championship match against Youngstown State. A psychology major, Johnson was named First-Team All-Horizon League after finishing second in the conference with 19 points, netting eight goals and three assists. The award was the third time she has earned postseason honors. She was also cited earlier this month as a member of the Horizon League All-Academic Team, the fourth consecutive season she has been honored.
 
Van Booven, an engineering major, was a key spark off the bench for the MKE offense this fall. She made four starts while playing all 19 games, finishing with six points on a pair of goals and two assists. A Horizon League Academic Honor Roll member, Van Booven finished fourth on the team with 30 shot attempts.
 
As members of the First Team in District 6, they will move on to the national ballot next month. That team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.