Three Wildcats Earn All-SEC Honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three Kentucky athletes earned postseason recognition in the 2025 Southeastern Conference Soccer Awards, announced by the league on Thursday morning. Junior defender Grace Hoytink garnered All-SEC Second Team Honors, junior forward Tanner Strickland was named to the All-SEC Third Team, and freshman defender Gabi Poretto earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
Hoytink’s Second Team recognition marks the first SEC honor of her career. The Menomonee Falls, Wisc. native played 895 of 900 possible minutes within SEC regular season play, starting all ten matches. In her three seasons in Lexington, Hoytink has started in all 53 matches in which she appeared. Hoytink recorded a pair of assists in conference play, with both coming from corner kicks and resulting in goals from fellow defender Katherine Truitt. Hoytink also led a Kentucky backline that recorded seven shutouts on the season.
Strickland earned her second career league honor—joining a 2023 All-Freshman team recognition—with her Third Team performance this season. The Tampa, Fla. native has started all 18 matches for the Wildcats and has recorded career highs with two goals and six assists on the season. Strickland scored her first career goal in conference play in Kentucky’s SEC opener against No. 20 Oklahoma, a score that would prove to be her first career game-winner. She also has drawn seven penalty kicks on the season, more than 346 Division I teams.
Poretto garnered All-Freshman honors after a rookie campaign in which she started in 17 matches and tied a Kentucky freshman record with four game-winning goals. All four of Poretto’s tallies this season have come from the penalty spot and have been the deciding goal, including three in SEC play. Poretto scored back-to-back game-winners in a six-day span, helping Kentucky defeat Missouri and No. 25 Alabama and earner Poretto SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Poretto has also aided a Kentucky backline to seven shutouts and has played nine complete matches.
The Wildcats completed another historic regular season under fourth-year Head Coach Troy Fabiano, tying for a fifth place finish with 18 points and a 5-2-3 record. The team also won 11 matches for the second consecutive season. All those marks are bests for the program since the 2014 season.
Kentucky will open postseason play in Pensacola, Florida for the First Round of the SEC Tournament on Sunday, November 2. Slotted as the No. 6 seed, the Cats will open their third consecutive campaign at the event against No. 11 seed Florida at 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
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