SUU's Ashlyn O'Malley is the first Thunderbird named Big Sky Freshman of the Year
Forward also makes First Team All-Big Sky; defender Nao Yasuda earns honorable mention
CEDAR CITY - Southern Utah soccer has its first Big Sky Freshman of the Year: forward Ashlyn O'Malley, who was also named First Team All-Big Sky, according to an SUU Athletics release. Senior defender Nao Yasuda earned All-Big Sky Honorable Mention.
What it means for you: The freshman award is a program first for SUU, in coach Steven Lindquist's first season. The league has presented the freshman award since 2023, and O'Malley is the first SUU player to win a major Big Sky end-of-season award since MaKenzie Lawrence's 2019 Golden Boot, the release says.
O'Malley, of Rogers, Minn., led SUU with seven goals and 16 points and scored five of the team's six Big Sky goals. She played in all 18 matches with 10 starts. Yasuda, from Osaka, Japan, started all 18 and led the team with 1,489 minutes; SUU's defense allowed 26 goals, 22 fewer than in 2025.
SUU finished 5-10-3 overall and 2-5-2 in the Big Sky.
To be the first Thunderbird to win this award is a testament to the work ethic and desire she brings