Grace Murphy, a senior attacker for the Stonehill women’s lacrosse team, was named Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year, according to an April 29 announcement from the conference office. Freshman midfielder Sophia Gouveia was also recognized as NEC Rookie of the Year.
The awards highlight a successful season for Stonehill, which finished with an 8-1 record in conference play and earned a share of the regular-season title. Seven players from Stonehill were selected to All-NEC teams.
Murphy led both her team and the conference with 57 goals this season and ranked third in points with 70. Her career totals include 164 goals and 205 points, placing her ninth in school history for goals scored. “Her 57 goals also rank 15th in the country,” according to information released by Stonehill Athletics.
Gouveia received NEC Rookie of the Week honors eight times during her first year. She finished second on her team with 39 goals and led Stonehill with 84 draw controls, which is third-best in the conference.
Other Skyhawks honored include senior attacker Natalie Coutu and sophomore defender Ellison O’Shea on the All-NEC first team; senior defender Lauren Molinaro and junior goalie Nina Tremonte on the second team; while Gouveia and freshman attacker Taylor Green made the All-NEC Rookie Team. Coutu contributed a team-high 26 assists this season, ranking third in that category within the NEC.
Stonehill completed its regular season at 11-6 overall and will enter the upcoming NEC tournament as No.2 seed. The Skyhawks are scheduled to face No.3 seed LIU on Thursday, April 30 at Syracuse.
