Standout center back featured for best defensive unit in league, ranking second in tackles won as part of well-rounded campaign
TAMPA, Fla. – The Gainbridge Super League announced today that Lexington SC’s Allison Pantuso had been voted as the 2025/26 Defender of the Year after a standout season leading the best defensive unit in the regular season campaign.
“I am grateful to be selected for this award and to play with this team!” said Pantuso. “This award is a reflection of how hard our entire team works. Defense is a collective effort and every player on the field contributes to the success of our back line.”
An offseason arrival from Brooklyn FC, Pantuso earned the award after delivering a tremendous all-around campaign which led Lexington to its first silverware in club history as it claimed the Players’ Shield. Pantuso and her teammates are now set to compete in Saturday’s Gainbridge Super League Final against Carolina Ascent FC (7 p.m. ET | Peacock).
The native of Thousand Oaks, Calif. was at the heart of Lexington’s defensive success. Pantuso started 27 of 28 regular season contests, playing 2,430 minutes, as LSC recorded 11 shutouts and conceded a league-fewest 24 goals in its 28-game regular season campaign.
The 28-year-old led the league with 1,362 completed passes at an 84.5% accuracy rate, helping set the tempo for Lexington. She was also outstanding defensively, tying for first in the league with 51 tackles won and ranking sixth in the league with 154 duels won at a 65% success rate. Pantuso also ranked sixth in the league with 152 recoveries and notched 24 interceptions and 99 clearances.
Pantuso earned the Defender of the Year award with 38 percent of the ballot, voted on by club management following the conclusion of the 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League regular season. Dallas Trinity FC’s Amber Wisner finished second with 33 percent, while Carolina Ascent FC’s Jill Aguilera finished third with 30 percent.