FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ryan Becomes First Hawks' Player in Over 30 Years to Earn POY Honor.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – A record-setting season for Saint Anselm's Shannon Ryan lands her the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year honor, as major award winners and all-conference teams were released by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Ryan becomes the first Hawks' player to earn Player of the Year since Rachel Jackson back in the 1984-85 season – ending the 35-year span with a historic season where she also became the program's all-time leading scorer.
Southern Connecticut's Imani Wheeler was recognized as Defensive Player of the Year, Bentley's Ella Thompson was tabbed Rookie of the Year and Stonehill's Trisha Brown – in her 19th season on the sidelines for the Skyhawks – earned Coach of the Year.
11 of 14 NE10 institutions had at least one player earn all-conference recognition, while Bentley and Saint Anselm led all programs with three selections each. The Hawks were the only team to have multiple players on First Team All-Conference, as Ryan was joined by teammate Peyton Steinman. Overall, eight teams had multiple players earn recognition from the league's head coaches.
For a complete list of all-conference honorees, please see below.
Ryan, who currently ranks seventh in all of Division II in scoring (22.8 points per game) and third in rebounds (14.8 per game), was a dominant force all season long for the Hawks – who enter the NE10 Championship as the two-seed out of the Northeast Division. She tallied a double-double in all but two games, while recording four 20-point, 20-rebound games this season – including one 30-point, 20-rebound effort.
Ryan was a five-time NE10 Player of the Week honoree and will finish her storied NE10 career as the leading scorer in school history. The Hawks host third-seeded New Haven on Sunday in the quarterfinal round of the NE10 Championship.
Southern Connecticut's Wheeler was a defensive force this season, leading all NE10 players with 3.0 steals per game, a mark that ranked her ninth in all of Division II. She had 10 games with at least four steals, setting a career-high with eight takeaways against AIC on Nov. 26. Wheeler also accounted for 13.7 points per contest, second-most of any Owls' player, on her way to being named Defensive Player of the Year.
Bentley's Thompson provided a big spark for the Falcons on her way to being named Rookie of the Year, averaging 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. She was named NE10 Rookie of the Week on three occasions, while racking-up 14 games with double-digit points – including a season-high 23 in an important win down the stretch against Assumption on Feb. 19.
For the fifth time in her career, Trisha Brown has been named NE10 Coach of the Year after leading Stonehill to a 16-3 record in league play and the Northeast Division title. The Skyhawks were a remarkable 13-1 in January and February, going nearly unbeaten in the final two months of the season. They are currently ranked second in the NCAA East Region rankings.
The NE10 Women's Basketball Championship continues on Thursday with semifinal action. Both games are available on NE10NOW.tv, as two teams will advance to play in Sunday's championship game.
NE10 Women's Basketball All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Shannon Ryan, Saint Anselm
Defensive Player of the Year: Imani Wheeler, Southern Connecticut
Rookie of the Year: Ella Thompson, Bentley
Coach of the Year: Trisha Brown, Stonehill
All-Conference – First Team
Leonie Edringer, Adelphi
McKayla Roberts, Le Moyne
Jackie DelliSanti, Pace
Shannon Ryan, Saint Anselm
Peyton Steinman, Saint Anselm
Kayla Raymond, Stonehill
All-Conference – Second Team
Katie Murphy, Adelphi
Monica Viapiano, Bentley
Izzy Lipinski, Franklin Pierce
Micah Wormack, New Haven
Lauren Schetter, Pace
All-Conference – Third Team
Brianna Capacchione, Assumption
Kari Brekke, Bentley
Megan Lewis, Bentley
Liz Millea, Le Moyne
Gabrielle Reuter, Stonehill
All-Rookie Team
Ella Thompson, Bentley
Aurora Deshaies, New Haven
Macy Spinks, Saint Anselm
Alexa Kellner, Southern Connecticut
Adriana Timberlake, Southern New Hampshire
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
