University of New Hampshire Athletics
Rainey Nominated for America East Woman of the Year Award
5/19/2025 12:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BOSTON – Sally Rainey (West Lebanon, N.H.), a goalkeeper on this past year's University of New Hampshire women's soccer team, has been nominated for the 2025 America East Woman of the Year award. The announcement was made Monday afternoon by the conference.
The three finalists will be announced May 27, and the 2025 Woman of the Year will be unveiled June 3.
Rainey, recipient of UNH's Cathy Coakley Student-Athlete Community Involvement Award, was a two-year starting goalkeeper who made a lasting impact in just 37 career games. She set the program record for lowest career goals-against average (0.78), ranks fourth all-time in shutouts (17), and holds the fifth-best save percentage in school history (.823). This past season, she tied the single-season school record with nine shutouts and played every minute of all 18 matches while helping lead UNH to 12 wins, which tied the program record.
Rainey was named America East Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season, becoming the first UNH player and just the fourth in conference history to earn back-to-back honors. She also repeated as an All-Conference First Team selection and led the league in both GAA (0.778) and shutouts (nine), with five of those coming against America East opponents. Nationally, she ranked 20th in GAA and 22nd in shutouts and was the only America East player named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Rankings, coming in at No. 75.
Her 2024 season highlights include a career-high-tying nine saves in a 1-1 draw against ACC opponent Louisville. She recorded three consecutive shutouts in non-conference play against LIU, Merrimack, and Boston University, and later opened America East action with four straight clean sheets against Vermont, Binghamton, UAlbany, and NJIT.
Rainey's academic and regional honors include selection to the NEWISA All-New England First Team, CSC Academic All-District, United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-East Region First Team, Scholar All-America Second Team, and the America East All-Academic Team.
UNH men's track and field athlete Aidan Shea (Amherst, Mass.) is a nominee for the America East Man of the Year award. CLICK HERE to read that press release.
The conference began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and then introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015. These awards recognize the conference's senior male and female student-athletes who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have competed in an America East sponsored sport and completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2025 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2025 term and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
The three finalists will be announced May 27, and the 2025 Woman of the Year will be unveiled June 3.
Rainey, recipient of UNH's Cathy Coakley Student-Athlete Community Involvement Award, was a two-year starting goalkeeper who made a lasting impact in just 37 career games. She set the program record for lowest career goals-against average (0.78), ranks fourth all-time in shutouts (17), and holds the fifth-best save percentage in school history (.823). This past season, she tied the single-season school record with nine shutouts and played every minute of all 18 matches while helping lead UNH to 12 wins, which tied the program record.
Rainey was named America East Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season, becoming the first UNH player and just the fourth in conference history to earn back-to-back honors. She also repeated as an All-Conference First Team selection and led the league in both GAA (0.778) and shutouts (nine), with five of those coming against America East opponents. Nationally, she ranked 20th in GAA and 22nd in shutouts and was the only America East player named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Rankings, coming in at No. 75.
Her 2024 season highlights include a career-high-tying nine saves in a 1-1 draw against ACC opponent Louisville. She recorded three consecutive shutouts in non-conference play against LIU, Merrimack, and Boston University, and later opened America East action with four straight clean sheets against Vermont, Binghamton, UAlbany, and NJIT.
Rainey's academic and regional honors include selection to the NEWISA All-New England First Team, CSC Academic All-District, United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-East Region First Team, Scholar All-America Second Team, and the America East All-Academic Team.
UNH men's track and field athlete Aidan Shea (Amherst, Mass.) is a nominee for the America East Man of the Year award. CLICK HERE to read that press release.
The conference began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and then introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015. These awards recognize the conference's senior male and female student-athletes who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have competed in an America East sponsored sport and completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2025 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2025 term and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Women's SoccerUNH Women's Soccer vs NJIT Highlights 10-5-25
Sunday, October 05
UNH Women's Soccer vs UMass Lowell Highlights 10 2 25
Friday, October 03
UNH Women's Soccer vs Southern Maine Highlights 9 21 25
Sunday, September 21
UNH Women's Soccer vs Merrimack 9-3-25 Highlights
Thursday, September 04