Tuesday, March 7, 2023

THE EASTERN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ALLIANCE RECOGNIZES MAJOR AWARD WINNERS AND HONORS ALL-ECHA SELECTIONS

The Eastern Collegiate Hockey Alliance (ECHA) announced the recipients of major award winners, All-ECHA and All-Rookie Teams as selected by head coaches. 

Clare Conway (Billerica, MA) of Worcester State University was named the ECHA Player of the Year after recording 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in ECHA play. Conway tallied 36 points (22 goals, 14 assists) in 25 games played on the season. Conway wrapped the 2023 season at 7th in the NCAA (DIII) for goals per game, 15th in the NCAA (DIII) for points per game and 10th in the NCAA (DIII) for power play goals. 

Anna Maria College’s Sam Dahill (Littleton, MA) earned ECHA Goaltender of the Year Honors. Dahill led the ECHA in both goals against average (.986) and save percentage (.974) categories. Dahill allowed just 5 goals against in ECHA play. Dahill had a 1.87 GAA, allowing just 24 goals in 16 games played. Dahill’s .950 save percentage for the season, was good for 6th best in the NCAA (DIII) at the conclusion of the 2023 season. 

Rivier University first-year Jillian Hallee (Berlin, NH) earned ECHA Rookie of the Year honors after leading the ECHA in rookie scoring with 6 points in ECHA play (1goal, 5assists). Hallee recorded 12 points on the season with 1 goal and 11 assists. Hallee led the Raiders in assists and finished 2nd on the team in points. Hallee was a staple for the Raiders power play and penalty kill units.  

Lancer’s Head Coach Eliza Kelley was recognized as the ECHA Coach of the Year by her peers after guiding Worcester to a 6-1-1 mark in ECHA play and a program best, 18-7-2 mark on the season. Kelley also led the Lancers to the second consecutive ECHA Championship win. 

Joining Conway and Dahill on the first-team were Lancer forward, Katie Puumala (Framingham, MA) and Anna Maria’s Grace Dodge (St. Paul, MN). Puumala finished second in ECHA scoring with 9 points, she also notched 26 points on the season with 10 goals and 16 assists in 27 games. Dodge finished with 5 points in ECHA play and 13 points on the season. She led the AMCATs in goals, points on power play goals on the season.  

Rounding out the first-team was Worcester’s Kylian Kelly (Shrewsbury, MA) and Hallee. Kelly finished first in the ECHA in the assists and defensive scoring categories with 7. On the season, Kelly notched 22 points on 1 goal and 21 assists. This concluded the season as the 13th most assists in the NCAA (DIII) and 3rd most among defensemen.  

The second-team landed Assumption forward Molly Duvall (Duxbury, MA), Worcester’s Cassidhe Wozniak (Turner’s Falls, MA), and Rivier’s Briana Paxson (Eagle River, AK). Duvall finished the season as the Greyhounds scoring leader in ECHA play. Duvall also led the Greyhounds in the regular season with 17 points on 14 goals and 3 assists. Wozniak led the ECHA in goals (8) and points (12). She finished the season with 14 goals and 7 assists for 21 points in 22 games played. Paxson lead the Raiders scoring with 15 points on 10 goals and 5 assists. She was the Raiders season leader in both goals and points. 

A pair of AMCAT defensemen Abigail Vigliotte (Medford, MA) and Tessa Henry (Milestone, SK) and Worcester’s Amber Lee (Nashua, NH), also picked up second-team honors. Vigliotte led the AMCATs in in assists with 8, while Henry led the AMCATs in goals from a blueliner. Lee posted an impressive 12 wins on the season with a 1.75 GAA and a .941 SV%.  

Joining Hallee on the All-Rookie Team were forwards, Jennarae Bateman (Wyoming, MN), Jessica Driscoll (Tewksbury, MA), and Briana Rumptz (Troy, MI). Bateman led the Lancers in rookie scoring with 12 points on 6 goals and 6 assists, she also finished tied for 2nd in ECHA scoring with Driscoll. Driscoll finished the season with 12 points on 7 goals and 5 assists. She led the Raiders in power play goals and was 2nd on her team in goals. Rumptz finished the season with 8 points on 5 goals and 3 assists. She led the Raiders in game-winning-goals with three. 

The All-Rookie defense were Rivier’s Hallee, Worcester’s Lea Gaspar (Chelmsford, MA) and Rivier’s Molly Dukesherer (Richland, MI), while the All-Rookie Goaltender was Lancer first-year, Kelsey Czerniawski (Chicopee, MA). Gaspar finished 2nd on the  team in defensive scoring and was 3rd in the ECHA in rookie scoring. Dukesherer finished the season with 8 points on 3 goals and 5 assists. She was first on her team in goals by a defensemen and 2nd in the plus/minus category. Czerniawski finished her rookie campaign with a 2.04 GAA and a .931 SV% in 9 games played. Czerniawski also finished with a .714 Win%. 

MAJOR AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Clare Conway, Worcester State University
GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR: Sam Dahill, Anna Maria College
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jillian Hallee, Rivier University
COACH OF THE YEAR: Eliza Kelley, Worcester State University

FIRST TEAM ALL-ECHA 

FORWARD           Clare Conway, Worcester State University
FORWARD           Katie Puumala, Worcester State University
FORWARD           Grace Dodge, Anna Maria College
DEFENSE              Kylian Kelly, Worcester State University
DEFENSE              Jillian Hallee, Rivier University
GOALTENDER    Sam Dahill, Anna Maria University

SECOND TEAM ALL-ECHA

FORWARD           Molly Duvall, Assumption University
FORWARD           Cassidhe Wozniak, Worcester State University
FORWARD           Briana Paxson, Rivier University
DEFENSE              Abigail Vigliotte, Anna Maria College
DEFENSE              Tessa Henry, Anna Maria College
GOALTENDER    Amber Lee, Worcester State University

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

FORWARD           Jennarae Bateman, Worcester State University
FORWARD           Jessica Driscoll, Rivier University
FORWARD           Briana Rumptz, Rivier University
DEFENSE              Jillian Hallee, Rivier University
DEFENSE              Lea Gaspar, Worcester State University
DEFENSE              Molly Dukesherer, Rivier University
GOALTENDER    Kelsey Czerniawski, Worcester State University