Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Women’s Ice Hockey team has nine named to All-Conference Awards that were voted on by the ECHA head coaches. Clare Conway led the honors with her selection as Player of the Year, while head coach Eliza Kelley was named Coach of the Year. In only the Lancers second season of competition they have secured back-to-back ECHA conference championship, defeating Anna Maria in both finals to take home the title.
Graduate student 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 7th in the DIII NCAA for goals per game, 15th in points per game and 10th for power play goals.
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 on the first team is Lancer senior forward Katie Puumala (Framingham, MA) and graduate student Kylian Kelly (Shrewsbury, MA). 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. 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. She concluded the season with the 13th most assists in the DIII and 3rd most among defensemen.
The second team landed seniors Cassidhe Wozniak (Turner Falls, MA) and Amber Lee (Fairlawn, NJ). 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. Lee posted an impressive 12 wins on the season with a 1.75 GAA and a .941 SV%.
Three Lancers were named to the All-Rookie team, first years Jennarae Bateman (Wyoming, MN) and Lea Gaspar (Chelmsford, MA) along with sophomore Kelsey Czerniawski (Chicopee, MA). 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. Gaspar finished 2nd on the team in defensive scoring and was 3rd in the ECHA in rookie scoring. 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