Westfield, Mass. — The Bridgewater State duo of Kylie Grassi and Sophia Gaucher were named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year and head up the 2022-23 All-Conference team which is voted on by the seven coaches around the conference.

 

Leading the Bears to their first MASCAC Regular Season title since 2013-14, Grassi, a sophomore from Plymouth, Mass., finished out the season in the top 10 of the MASCAC in several categories, including total points (451), points per game (17.3), free throw percentage (82.5), steals (57), assists (75) and blocks (18). Nine times this season, she eclipsed the 20 point mark, including a season-best 30 points with seven rebounds, six steals, three assists and two blocks against Framingham State. 

 

Joining Grassi as a major award winner, Gaucher is the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year. The senior from Lakeville, Mass. helped the Bears hold opponents to only 62.2 points per game and a 36.8 field goal percentage. Personally, she registered 8.7 points (218 total) and 6.6 rebounds per game (166 total), 54 assists, 25 steals, nine blocks and 48.7 shooting percentage. In the win over Worcester State, she scored a season-high 15 points with nine rebounds, five assists and a steal. 

 

Claiming the 2022-23 MASCAC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year is Ernidia Goncalves of Salem State. The freshman from Everett, Mass. averaged 12.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She ended the regular season first in offensive rebounds (123) and blocks (49) while collecting 208 total rebounds, 49 steals and 21 assists. This honor is the first Rookie of the Year accolade for the Vikings since the 1999-2000 season. She had a season-high 26 points with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the win over Eastern Nazarene.

 

After guiding the Bears to a 10-2 record and their first conference title in nine years, Bridgett Casey of Bridgewater State was named the 2022-23 BSN Sports Coach of the Year as voted on by her peers. 

 

Joining Grassi and Gaucher on the All-Conference First Team are Katty Haidul and Flannery O’Connor of Framingham State, Liz Zaiter of Salem State and Jordan Grant of Westfield State. 

 

Landing a spot on the Second Team All-Conference are Caroline Tripp of Bridgewater State, Gwendolyn Carpenter of Framingham State, Abuk Teng of Salem State, Olivia Hadla of Westfield State and Erin Gallella of Worcester State.