LEC Announces First-Ever Women's Ice Hockey Major Award Winners and All-Conference Teams

3/10/2026 2:00:00 PM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Little East Conference (LEC) announced its first-ever women's ice hockey major award recipients and all-conference teams Tuesday, following a vote of the league's head coaches. LEC regular season and tournament champion Norwich University nearly swept the major awards with junior Livia Brooks being named 2026 LEC Player of the Year, freshman Maggie Hunter being named 2026 LEC Rookie of the Year and head coach Justin Simpson being named 2026 LEC Coach of the Year. University of Southern Maine junior Maggie Jones was named the 2026 LEC Goaltender of the Year.

Player of the Year: Livia Brooks, Norwich
  • Appeared in all 27 games so far this season.
  • Leads the LEC in scoring with 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points.
  • Her 35 points tie her for 14th in NCAA Division III this season.
  • Her 19 goals are tied for the most on the team and in the LEC, and rank her 10th in DIII. 

Goaltender of the Year: Maggie Jones, Southern Maine
  • Started in each of her 18 appearances this season.
  • Posted a record of 8-8-1 with a 1.54 goals against average and .944 save percentage. 
  • Leads the LEC in save percentage and rank second in the conference in goals against average. 
  • Her 456 saves placed her third in the league. 

Rookie of the Year: Maggie Hunter, Norwich
  • Appeared in all 27 games so far this season.
  • Ranks fifth on the team and in the LEC in scoring with six goals and 20 assists for 26 points.
  • Her 20 assists are second-most in the LEC and on the team this season, and tie her for 16th in DIII.

Coach of the Year: Justin Simpson, Norwich
  • Guided the Cadets to an overall record of 25-2-0 so far this season on their way to winning the LEC regular season and tournament championships
  • The Cadets earned an at-large berth into the national championship with a No. 2 NCAA Power Index (NPI) ranking, as the LEC did not have an AQ this season.
  • Norwich is ranked No. 2 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll entering the NCAA tournament. 

First Team All-LEC
Olivia Boyer Sr. Forward Norwich
Livia Brooks Jr. Forward Norwich
Geena Cookinham Fr. Forward Norwich
Breanna Ricker Jr. Forward Norwich
Maggie Hunter Fr. Defense Norwich
Alex Leslie So. Defense Norwich
Grace Bonnell Jr. Defense Plymouth State
Ai Chung So. Goaltender Keene State
Maggie Jones Jr. Goaltender Southern Maine
Second Team All-LEC
Anna Lisac So. Forward Norwich
Madison Chagnon Gr. Forward Southern Maine
Moa Carlsson Sr. Forward VTSU Castleton
Lauren Tuzik Sr. Defense Norwich
Audrey Donahue Sr. Defense Southern Maine
Madison Brunet Sr. Goaltender Norwich
All-Rookie Team
Geena Cookinham Fr. Forward Norwich
Maggie Hunter Fr. Defense Norwich
Ellin Rees Fr. Defense Norwich
Lisi Palmer Fr. Forward Plymouth State
Jorja Moore Fr. Goaltender Plymouth State
Charlotte Hughes Fr. Forward Southern Maine
Gracelyn Koch Fr. Forward Southern Maine