SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The University of New England field hockey program collected three major awards and had six of its players land a spot on the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) all-conference team, as announced by CCC Commissioner Gregg Kaye on Thursday afternoon.

The league's six head coaches voted Michelle Oswald (Jay, Maine) as Offensive Player of the Year, Hannah Tavella (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) as co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Danielle Ryder received the Coach of the Year honor from her peers.

Alongside Oswald and Tavella on the all-CCC first team were Casey Clark (Bethlehem, N.H.), Bree Tupper (Winthrop, Maine), and Laura Egounis (Boscawen, N.H.), while Kaitlyn Warren (Boscawen, N.H.) garnered a second-team nod.

Oswald finished the CCC slate ranked right near the top of all the statistical categories, having a hand in more than a third of UNE conference goal total. The senior forward was second in assists (7) and third in points (21), while her seven goals placed her sixth. Oswald also had two game-winning goals to her credit, on her way to earning a second all-conference selection.

Tavella's accolade as top defensive player makes two major awards in as many seasons for the sophomore midfielder, who was last season's Rookie of the Year. Tavella's presence in the center of the field has been instrumental to Big Blue's successes, helping lead the Nor'easters' first line of defense, and her ability to anticipate the opponents' transition opportunities led to many quick counters back on offense. Among CCC players, she ranked in a tie for second in game-winning goals with three, which accounted for half of her goal outing in the 10 league games.

In just her first season at the helm of the UNE squad, head coach Danielle Ryder got the Nor'easters to nine wins against one loss in CCC action, and into a tie for first in the regular-season standings. Under her direction, Big Blue's attack was the strongest in the league, averaging 3.68 goals per game. Their scoring defense ranked second (1.79/game), as did UNE's scoring margin (+1.89). The Nor'easters controlled play against many of their opponents, out-shooting the opposing teams by an average of 16 shots per game. And when those shots went in, they often had help, as UNE tied for first in total assists (22).

Clark topped the league in scoring, with 24 points on 11 goals (1st) and two assists. Big Blue's most efficient shooter, the sophomore forward recorded the game-winning goal at Western New England, and combined for seven markers in the two meetings with Salve Regina.

Tupper finished the CCC schedule in strong fashion, with five scores in the final three contests to end up ranked 10th in goals. She recorded a first-half hat trick against Gordon -- a game in which the senior midfielder also recorded the winning tally. The all-CCC honor marks the third time in her career Tupper has received such recognition.

Egounis helped anchor one of the toughest defenses in the league -- one that limited opponents to an average of just 10.4 shots per contest. The junior back played every minute of every game for UNE, and closed out the CCC season tied for fifth in defensive saves (2). She also moved forward to take part in many penalty corners, where she scored two times.

The first-year goalkeeper behind it all, Warren ranked second in the league in goals against average (1.79) as well as shutouts (2) -- both (shutouts) of which kept first-team scoring threats from Nichols and Gordon off the board. Her CCC season-high save total came in the first meeting against the Fighting Scots, when Warren made eight stops to help UNE pull out a 4-3 overtime win.

Big Blue continues its quest for a second straight conference title in Saturday's championship game, as the Nor'easters travel to face the only CCC foe to defeat them this season, Endicott.


For a complete listing of all the major award winners and all-conference teams, click HERE.