NEPSAC Hat Trick NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Awards Released; Top

Three are NEPSAC Alumnae

2023 Nescac

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY AWARDS

Player of the Year: Abby Kuhns, Hamilton

Rookie of the Year: Natalie Stott, Amherst

Coach of the Year: Emily McNamara, Hamilton

Hamilton senior Abby Kuhns (Loomis Chaffee ’19) was selected as the 2023 NESCAC Player of the Year by the conference coaches. Kuhns is the fourth Continental to garner the award joining Stephanie Miguel (2009), Katie Parkman (2017), and Sam Walther (2018).

Kuhns, who also garnered a spot on the AllNESCAC First Team for the second straight year, is the first defender to earn the NESCAC Player of the Year award since 2013. She ranks third on the team in scoring with 19 points (7G, 12A). Of the seven goals Kuhns has tallied, six have been on the power play, which is second in the NESCAC. Kuhns’ 12 helpers rank eighth among the league leaders. She has also blocked the second most in the conference this season (30).

Natalie Stott (Williston Northampton ’22) was voted as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team. The first-year goalie has started all 24 games she has played for the Mammoths and owns the best goals against average in the NESCAC at 1.09 and also carries a .945 save percentage (3rd in the NESCAC). Stott has 10 shutouts and a 213-0 record in net while helping the Mammoths earn the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship for the first time since 2010. (Amherst hosted the NESCAC Semifinals and Championship Game, March 3–4). Stott is the first goalie to be named NESCAC Rookie of the Year since 2010.

Hamilton head coach Emily McNamara (Phillips Exeter Academy ’03) was selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year by her peers. McNamara earns the honor for the second time (2017) in her 11 years directing the

Continentals. McNamara led Hamilton to the No. 2 seed, the highest in program history, in the NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship after finishing the regular season with a 12-3-1 conference mark. The Continentals’ 19 overall wins (19-4-2) are a team record for most wins in a single season. McNamara was also chosen by her peers as the 2023 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division III Coach of the Year.

NEPSAC ALUMNAE ON THE 2023 ALL-NESCAC TEAMS

Loomis Chaffee School Avery Flynn and Abby Kuhns

The Rivers School Rylee Glennon, Jenna Letterie and Leslie Schwartz

Taft School Claudia Vira

Westminster School Meg Rittenhouse

Williston Northampton School Natalie Stott