Little East Conference Release

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – The Little East Conference (LEC) announced its 2017 All-Conference Field Hockey Team and major award winners Tuesday (Nov. 7) afternoon.

Worcester State University junior forward Michaila Parent (Westborough, Mass.) and senior back Hayley Sutherland (Tewksbury, Mass.) were named the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, while Lancers' head coach Alexa Carlson was named Coach of the Year. Keene State College freshman forward Nina Bruno (Agawam, Mass.) was named the LEC Rookie of the Year.

Parent and Sutherland are the first-ever Worcester State players to be name the LEC Offensive Player of the Year or Defensive Player of the Year.

A two-time all-conference selection, Parent earned first team in 2017 after leading the team in scoring with program-record totals of 21 goals and 15 assists for 57 total points. Her 57 points, 15 assists and six game-winning goals are the most in the league this season, while her 21 goals place her second in the conference.

Sutherland, who was named a first-team all-conference selection for the second straight season after being named second-team as a sophomore, started in 14-of-15 games played this season. She anchored a defense that allowed just 10 goals over 11 regular season conference games, and contributed four goals and three assists for 11 points.

Carlson repeated as the LEC Coach of the Year after guiding the Lancers to their first-ever LEC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. She has led Worcester State to 28 wins over her first two seasons, including a program-record 15 wins this season.

Joining Parent and Sutherland on the First-Team All-Conference is rookie midfielder Rachel Hopkins (Chelmsford, Mass.). Hopkins helped the Lancers to on the defensive end and scored two goals and assisted four goals during the regular season, and earned the LEC defensive player of the week on Oct. 9 for recording a key defensive save in the Lancers' win over Plymouth State the preceding week.

Worcester State's last season's rookie of the year, Olivia Antonelli (Westford, Mass.) earned a spot on the second team, as well as senior goaltender Kathryn Salemme (Boxborough, Mass.). Antonelli finished the regular season with nine goals and four assists for 22 points. Salemme, a 2016 All-Conference recipient, helped the Lancers to a shutout and a 1.35 goals against average during the regular season.

Worcester State's senior classmates Jolane Thibault (Douglas, Mass.) and Hayley D'Auteuil (Sutton, Mass.) earned honorable mention recognition. Thibualt recorded 10 goals and five assists, while D'Auteuil had four goals and one assist on the regular season.

Portions of this Release Courtesy of Little East Conference