INDIANAPOLIS – Monica Correa (Des Plaines, Ill./Saint Viator) of the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team has been named to the Horizon League Scholar-Athlete Team while Lauren Mrugala (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) has earned honorable mention recognition, the conference office announced on Tuesday (Nov. 3). 

Correa, a mechanical engineering major with a 4.0 grade point average, led the Huskies in scoring in 2026, netting four goals with three assists for 11 total points. The sophomore forward started all 17 matches during the 2026 campaign and also led NIU in shots (42) and shots on goal (18). 

Mrugala, a communicative disorders major with a 4.0 grade point average, also started all 17 matches for the Huskies in 2026. The junior central midfielder, played 1,327 minutes, second-most among Huskies field players, and is earning all-league academic honors for the second consecutive season after being named to the Academic All-MAC Team in 2025. 

To be eligible for Horizon League Scholar-Athlete consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits, and participate in 50 percent of the team's overall contests.

The Scholar-Athlete Team is voted on by the league's faculty athletics representatives, honorable mention status is awarded to student-athletes who received at least 25 percent of votes, but did not make the Scholar-Athlete Team.