Worcester State’s Adams Named Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year, Salem State’s Mason Earns Defensive Player of the Year, Headline the 2023 MASCAC Field Hockey All-Conference Team
Grace Adams of Worcester State and Melanie Mason of Salem State have earned the 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Field Hockey Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors and headline the 2023 MASCAC First Team All-Conference squad which is voted on by the coaches from around the conference.
November 9, 2023
Westfield, Mass. — Grace Adams of Worcester State and Melanie Mason of Salem State have earned the 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Field Hockey Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors and headline the 2023 MASCAC First Team All-Conference squad which is voted on by the coaches from around the conference.
Grabbing the first-ever Offensive Player of the Year honors, Adams, a senior from Leominster, Mass., led the Lancers to the regular season title and the tournament crown. She finished the season first in the conference in goals with 19 and points with 45. She also tallied seven assists and four game-winners. Six times this season she tallied two or more goals, including three conference wins where she netted a hat trick.
Joining Adams as a major award winner is Melanie Mason of Salem State, the 2023 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year. The senior midfielder from Beverly, Mass., tallied eight goals and two assists for 18 points on 46 shots. She also had a game-winner and a defensive save. She helped the Vikings hold opponents to a .180 shooting percentage and seven wins, including one shut out.
After a stellar first year with the Rams, Ashley Malmquist was selected as the 2023 Rookie of the Year. The freshman from Medfield, Mass., recorded 13 goals and six assists for 32 points on 75 shots, all within the top three of the conference. She also helped the Rams to two wins with her game-winning tallies and in two games, she found the back of the net twice.
After leading the Rams to the third seed in the tournament and a spot in the championship game, Allie Lucenta of Framingham State was voted the 2023 BSN Sports Field Hockey Coach of the Year by her peers.
Sitting on the MASCAC First Team with Adams, Mason and Malmquist are Jenna Morse and Sophia Yates of Fitchburg State, Isabella Kondi and Corinne Lawson of Framingham State, Mikayla Mason of Salem State, Morgan Wichmann of Westfield State and Megan Goodwin and Allison Keenan of Worcester State.
Earning a spot on the 2023 MASCAC Second Team are Lexi James and Erin Power of Bridgewater State, Alexis Raymond and Autumn Tibbetts of Fitchburg State, Brandi Core of Framingham State, Aleena Frith and Izzy Mosley of Salem State, Bre Foley and Emily Martin of Westfield State and Zoe Athanasopoulos and Madison Avilla of Worcester State.