Endicott Wins Three Major Awards, Places Nine on All-Conference Team

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Top seeded Endicott has collected three major awards and placed nine members of its squad on the All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Field Hockey team, which was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) was named CCC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, while classmate Hannah Thornberg collected CCC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Head Coach Jodi Cipolla was also recognized, winning her second CCC Coach of the Year award in her six seasons on the Endicott bench. 

Joining Thornberg and Teixeira on the All-Conference First Team are senior forward Melissa Enright (York Beach, Maine), sophomore defender Meghan Leary (Hampton Falls, N.H.) and senior midfielder Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.). 

Earning Second-Team mention for Endicott are junior midfielder Stacie Teevens (Westborough, Mass.), sophomore forward Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine), senior midfielder Cassie DeSimone (Reading, Mass.) and sophomore defender Jessica Linden (Stratford, Conn.). 

 Thornberg, who earns her third All-CCC selection, enters the CCC Championship as a top 10 leader in most major offensive categories. Overall, she ranks second in the conference goals (21) and points (49), while finishing first in both goals (13) and points (31) in conference play.  Thornberg is tied for fourth with seven assists, while finishing CCC play tied for third in assists with five.  Additionally, she will graduate from EC as the all-time goals and points leader.  Among all NCAA Division III field hockey players, Thornberg ranks 11th in goals per game (1.24) and 13th in points per game (2.88). 

Teixeira, a senior goalkeeper from Exeter, N.H., is no stranger to conference accolades, as the repeat Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Conference selection enjoyed another solid year between the pipes for the Endicott defense.  Leading one of the stingiest defenses in the league, she ranked first in save percentage (.846) and goals allowed (12), while compiling the most wins in conference play with nine.  Teixeira has blanked opponents twice, while compiling a goals against average of 1.22 to place first among CCC keepers in each category. 

Cipolla, in her sixth year at Endicott, has commanded her squad to a 9-1 regular-season conference record, while sporting an impressive overall mark of 13-4.  The Gulls embark on the upcoming CCC Championship as the top seed while finishing the regular season as the highest-scoring offense with 38 goals.  EC also has one of the stingiest defenses, allowing conference opponents to score just 13 times this season.  Cipolla has earned her second CCC Coach of the Year award (2008) and will look to capture the program's second conference title. 

This is the second consecutive All-CCC honor for Matties, Enright and Sawchuck, last year's conference rookie of the year. This year she has netted 11 goals and five assists, including six game-winning goals, and is tied for second on the team in points with Enright, who has scored twelve goals this season for the Gulls and improves on a Second Team nomination a year ago. Matties has contributed five goals and three assists from her midfield position. 

Leary and Linden have logged almost every minute of every game and are a big part of why the Gulls had one of the best defenses in the country, allowing just 12 shots a game. Leary has also jumped up offensively, collecting three assists this year. In the midfield, DeSimone returns to the All-CCC team for the first time since 2009, while Teevens earns her first All-Conference nod. The pair combined for five goals and four assists and has helped control play on both sides of the ball. 

Endicott will open their 2012 CCC tournament run tomorrow evening when the top seeded Gulls welcome in #4 Gordon for a 6:00 pm semi-finals matchup. 

Voting for the All-CCC team and each of the major awards was conducted among CCC field hockey coaches. 

FIRST TEAM
F - Casey Clark, University of New England, Junior
F - Melissa Enright, Endicott, Senior
F - Hannah Thornberg, Endicott, Senior
F - Emily Widdison, Nichols, Senior
M - Karli Balmer, Gordon, Sophomore
M - Taylor Matties, Endicott, Senior
M - Hannah Tavella, University of New England, Junior
M - Jenn Townsend, Nichols, Sophomore
B - Amanda Broughton, Nichols, Junior
B - Laura Egounis, University of New England, Senior
B - Emily Koehler, University of New England, Senior
B - Meghan Leary, Endicott, Sophomore
B - Shelby Van Huysen, Western New England, Senior
GK - Taylor Teixeira, Endicott, Senior

SECOND TEAM
F - Lisa Bucci, Salve Regina, Junior
F - Kelly Burke, Salve Regina, Senior
F - Hayley LaPointe, University of New England, Junior
F - Avery Orszulak, Nichols, Sophomore
F - Emily Sawchuck, Endicott, Sophomore
M - Erin Bibber, University of New England, Sophomore
M - Cassie DeSimone, Endicott, Senior
M - Lindsey Mazzola, Salve Regina, Freshman
M - Jaynie Mueller, Western New England, Junior
M - Stacie Teevens, Endicott, Junior
B - Erin Demers, Salve Regina, Sophomore
B - Melinda Fowler, Gordon, Senior
B - Jessica Linden, Endicott, Sophomore
GK - Murphy McCann, Salve Regina, Sophomore
GK - Kaitlyn Warren, University of New England, Sophomore