Washington, D.C. – (November 6, 2024) – The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its Women's Soccer All-Conference teams and major award winners on Wednesday, prior to the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals.
The Fordham Rams were well represented on the All-Conference Teams, led by freshman
Liina Tervo being named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Atlantic 10. Fellow freshman
Julia Acosta received Second Team All-Atlantic 10 accolades with both Tervo and Acosta earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Additionally, head coach
Magnus Nilerud was selected as the league's Coach of the Year.
Tervo is the first Fordham women's soccer player to be named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and the first Ram to be named First Team All-Atlantic 10 since Brooke Salmon in 2018. Tervo and Acosta also joined Katie McDermott (2007) as the only Rams to be named to the All-Conference and All-Rookie Team in the same season.
A two-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, Tervo was Fordham's leading scorer with 10 goals, eight assists, and 28 points, setting freshman school records in all three categories. She tied for the conference lead in points at the end of the regular season, while being second in the league in goals and assists. She also wrote her name in the Fordham record book by tying the Rams' single season record for assists in a season and recording the fastest hat trick in school history.
Acosta was also a two-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week this season and was one of only two Rams to start all 19 games. She ranked second on Fordham in goals (9) and points (21) and ended the regular season as the leader in the Atlantic 10 in shots on goal (39), while tying for fourth in goals and sixth in points.
With Tervo and Acosta's selection to the All-Rookie Team, this is the second straight year Fordham has had two All-Rookie Team selections, as
Lena Johnsen and
Riley Carroll earned the honor last season, while also being the third straight year with at least one All-Rookie Team selection (
Ryann Lucas – 2022; Johnsen & Carroll – 2023; Tervo & Acosta – 2024).
Nilerud just wrapped up his third season with Rams, as Fordham had its first 10-win season since 2016 and qualified for the Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time since 2019. The Rams, who were picked tenth in the preseason poll had a six-win improvement from 2023 to 2024 and finished fourth in the conference, the team's highest finish since 2009 (third). The Rams finished the year with 37 team assists, which is the second-best mark in team history, while having 36 goals (5
th) and 109 points (3
rd). He is the second Fordham women's soccer coach to receive the conference's Coach of the Year award, joining Ness Selmani (2003 & 2006).
