ITHACA, N.Y. – Sophomore standout Katrina Varnum of the Ithaca College women's soccer team has been named the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year, headlining a group of five Bombers who earned all-conference recognition on Tuesday.
 
Varnum was also selected to the First Team All-Liberty League, anchoring a strong defensive unit throughout the season. Senior defender Allie McCabe earned Second Team honors, while Ali Amari, Kaelyn Fernandez and Reese Ruegamer were both named to the Third Team.
 
Varnum had a breakout sophomore season, starting all 18 games and totaling 1,594 minutes in goal. She compiled an overall record of 8-6-4 and finished the year with a league-best .452 goals-against average, .895 save percentage, and nine shutouts, while ranking fourth in total saves (68) and sixth in saves per game (3.78). Nationally, Varnum is 16th in save percentage, 20th in goals-against average, and tied for 22nd in total shutouts. She is the first Bomber in program history to be recognized as the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Senior defender Allie McCabe helped anchor the Bombers' defensive backline and earned her first All-Liberty League honor with a spot on the Second Team. McCabe started 17 games, logging 1,484 minutes on the pitch and contributing to 10 shutouts. She also made an impact offensively, scoring the game-winning goal in Ithaca's season-opening 2–0 victory over Elmira.
 
Ali Amari earned All-Liberty League recognition for the second consecutive season, this time being named to the Third Team. The senior defender was a consistent presence, starting all 18 games and playing a team-high 1,504 minutes amongst field players. Amari recorded her lone point of the season with an assist in Ithaca's 4-0 win over Bard on November 1.

For the second-straight season Kaelyn Fernandez earned a place on the All-Liberty League Third Team. She started all 18 games where she finished with three points, which came on a goal and an assist. For her career, Fernandez totaled 25 points on nine goals and seven helpers, while notching 75 appearances on the South Hill.
 
Reese Ruegamer capped off her collegiate career earning All-Liberty League Third Team, starting all 18 matches for the Bombers. A key figure on the defensive backline, Ruegamer helped anchor a unit that recorded 10 shutouts throughout the year. She also contributed offensively, tallying an assist in the Bombers' 4–0 Senior Day victory over Bard. Over the course of her career, Ruegamer appeared in 58 matches and earned 40 starts.
 
The Bombers advanced to at least the Liberty League semifinals for the fifth consecutive year and finished 2025 with an overall record of 8-6-4.