WINONA, Minn. — Maya Wachter (Dubuque, Iowa) proved all season long that she was one of the top shut-down defenders in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 
The scope of that recognition got a little broader on Tuesday, as the Cardinal sophomore added a second 2023 post-season honor to her resume, being named United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region IX.
 
With Wachter spearheading an air-tight defensive corps, Saint Mary's posted nine shutout wins — not to mention a 0-0 stalemate against Augsburg on Oct. 8 — and did not allow a goal in its last five contests as part of a regular season-ending six-game winning streak.
 
Wachter, who earned her second straight honorable-mention All-MIAC honor this season, was one of just three Cardinals to start all 19 games overall. The sophomore, a versatile shut-down defender, has not missed a game in her two seasons as a Cardinal.
 
Wachter was one of 10 players from the MIAC to be named to one of the three All-Region IX teams, beating joined by All-Region First-Teamers Abby Willenbring (Saint Benedict), Sofia Campbell (St. Catherine), and Amanda Elton (St. Catherine); second-teamers Katie Praetz (St. Catherine), Tessa Anderson (St. Olaf), and Alli Voss (Saint Benedict); and third-teamers Sara Kugler (Gustavus), Sarah Hamilton (Macalester), Jenn Bobaric (Augsburg), and Lauren Witte (St. Catherine).
 
The Cardinals closed out the 2022 season sitting at 11-5-2 overall — including closing out conference play with a 6-3-2 in conference mark — and locked up their second-straight MIAC Playoff berth, falling to St. Olaf 2-1 in the quarterfinals.