N. Dartmouth, MA --- Worcester State senior teammates Samantha Janda, Sarah Cozzens and Molly Cotter have all been selected for All-Little East Conference Field Hockey honors for their roles in leading the Lancers to their first winning season and the LEC playoffs since 2008.
Janda, who hails from Sterling, MA and went to West Boylston, received a nod to the second-team while Cozzens and Cotter were each garnered with third-team accolades.
Janda has had a season to remember as she broke the school record for points in a season with 15 goals and eight assists for 38 points. Janda is only one marker and two helpers away from tying single-season program marks in each category. She is tied for third in the LEC in assists while she is also fifth in total points and points per game (2.11). Janda's 25 points this season were second LEC only games as she recorded 10 goals and five assists in 11 games.
Janda also has been honored twice with LEC Player of the Week honors as she had a 12-point stretch in from September 20-24 which included a hat-trick in 80 seconds in a 4-3 triumph against Salem State – a mark that is the second lowest recorded time for three consecutive goals in Division III history.
Janda is currently sixth on Worcester State's all-time scoring list with 26 goals and 16 points for 68 points.
Cozzens, a product of Lancaster, MA who went to Nashoba regional, has been equally impressive as Janda has been this season as she is second on the team in points with 14 goals and six dishes for 34 points. Cozzens is seventh in the conference standings in goals, points and average points (1.89). Four of her seven goals in LEC play were for game winners while she also added four assists in the 11 game conference loop.
Cozzens is 10th on Worcester State's all-time scoring list with 26 goals and nine assists for 61 points.
Cotter, a native of North Easton, MA who went to school at Oliver Ames, has been an important cog for the Lancers on both sides of the ball. In 18 games she has pitched in with two assists and three defensive saves.
As a two-year captain for the Lancers, Cotter has started in every game since her freshman semester (75 games) and added four goals, four assists and a trio of defensive stops.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Susie Whelan, Worcester State is 10-8 overall and they finished LEC play at 6-5. The Lancers earned their sixth-ever ECAC New England Tournament berth on Monday. The Blue and Gold, who were slotted as the #6 seed in the tournament, will play on the road at third-seeded Mount Holyoke this evening at 7 PM.