PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Little East Conference (LEC) announced its field hockey major award recipients and all-conference teams for the 2024 season Tuesday morning, following a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Keene State College’s Grace Bazin was named the 2024 LEC Offensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-LEC selection. The junior forward leads the conference in scoring with 26 goals and 59 total points. Her 25th goal of the season was the game-winner in the Owls 4-2 conference semifinal win over Plymouth State, while her 26th of the year put KSC in the lead for good of its 3-2 LEC final victory at Vermont State University Castleton.
VTSU Castleton junior defender Jess Smithson was named the 2024 LEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-LEC selection She leads a back line that limited opponents to a LEC-best 2.05 goals per game this season for the LEC regular season champion Spartans. Smithson also ranks among the league’s scoring leaders with 11 goals (8th), seven assists (4th) and 29 total points (10th).
Freshman Gracie Bomboy was named the 2024 LEC Goalkeeper of the Year and 2024 LEC Goalkeeper of the Year. She registered a conference-best 147 saves and .782 save percentage in her first season starting in the cage for Western Connecticut State University
Coaching Staff of the Year went to Vermont State Castleton, led by fourth-year head coach Emily Douglas and assistant coaches Gabriella Hunt, Allison Lowell and Alexis Ruiz. They guided the Spartans to their second LEC regular season title with an undefeated record in conference play during the regular season, and the programs third LEC championship final appearance since joining the LEC in 2018.
The complete list of LEC award winners is below. The 12th Player Award “is presented to a student-athlete in recognition of their positive contributions to the team both on and off the field, who brings forth their best effort in competition, practice and other team activities that positively contribute to the success of the program.”
| Offensive Player of the Year |
|
Grace Bazin |
Keene State |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
|
Jess Smithson |
Vermont State Castleton |
| Goalkeeper of the Year |
|
Gracie Bomboy |
Western Connecticut |
| Rookie of the Year |
|
Gracie Bomboy |
Western Connecticut |
| Coaching Staff of the Year |
|
Vermont State Castleton |
|
|
|
|
|
| First Team All-LEC |
|
|
|
| Grace Bazin |
Jr. |
Forward |
Keene State |
| Sage Drinkwater |
Sr. |
Forward |
Southern Maine |
| Norie Tibbetts |
So. |
Forward |
Southern Maine |
| Reagan Schoen |
Jr. |
Forward |
Western Connecticut |
| Irini Stefanakos |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Keene State |
| Alessia Salzillo |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Plymouth State |
| Peyton Richardson |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Vermont State Castleton |
| Amelia Wilson |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Vermont State Castleton |
| Aly Kendrick |
Sr. |
Defense |
Eastern Connecticut |
| Jess Smithson |
Jr. |
Defense |
Vermont State Castleton |
| Gracie Bomboy |
Fr. |
Goalkeeper |
Western Connecticut |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team All-LEC |
|
|
|
| Emma Sanson |
Jr. |
Forward |
Eastern Connecticut |
| Meghan Daileanes |
So. |
Forward |
Keene State |
| Taylor Healey |
Sr. |
Forward |
Plymouth State |
| Liz LaMarco |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Eastern Connecticut |
| Jenna Carvalho |
Sr. |
Midfield |
UMass Dartmouth |
| Jenna Stowell |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Plymouth State |
| Reilly Schmidt |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Western Connecticut |
| Hannah Wood |
Sr. |
Defense |
Keene State |
| Sophia Bouffard |
So. |
Defense |
UMass Dartmouth |
| Jenessa Foster |
So. |
Defense |
Southern Maine |
| Zoe Martin |
Jr. |
Goalkeeper |
Vermont State Castleton |
|
|
|
|
| 12th Player Award |
|
|
|
| Morgan Anjos |
Sr. |
Defense |
Eastern Connecticut |
| Elyse Picard |
So. |
Midfield |
Keene State |
| Arlene Johnson |
Fr. |
Forward |
UMass Dartmouth |
| Piper Sherbert |
Sr. |
Goalkeeper |
Plymouth State |
| Kasey Mushlit |
So. |
Forward |
Southern Maine |
| Haley Lassen |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Vermont State Castleton |
| Jayne Hughes |
So. |
Defense |
Western Connecticut |